Overview
The campus landscape serves as a critical asset to the University as the aesthetics of well-maintained grounds promote a strong first impression for visitors and prospective students, and enhance the experience of enrolled students, faculty and staff. WVU’s Department of Roads and Grounds manages nearly 600 acres of landscape across three WVU campuses in Morgantown. The Roads and Grounds team ensures that the campus landscape is maintained and enhanced by using Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
“Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.” (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
WVU’s IPM Approach
WVU’s Department of Roads and Grounds manages landscape and turf pests to protect against loss or damage and to promote a safe and aesthetically pleasing environment for the campus community. Pests, in the context of grounds management, primarily include fungi and bacteria, insects, and weeds as they represent plant diseases, herbivores, and competitors. The overall goal is not to completely eradicate or eliminate pests, but to strengthen and stabilize the landscape so conditions are more favorable for plants to remain healthy. This reduces the risk of negative environmental side-effects and contamination associated with overuse of pesticides. The main principles in WVU’s IPM plan are identification, monitoring, prevention/exclusion, and control. Specifically, they comprise the following activities:
- Establish and encourage preventative practices to minimize pest occurrence
- Conduct regular inspection of plant resources for pest detection
- Identify the pest and associated damages
- Understand the pest’s biology (habits, life cycle, requirements)
- Determine and apply cultural practices (i.e., plant care activities that directly target plants or their environment) that will inhibit pest growth or spread
- Use pesticides only when necessary, using the lowest amount and least toxic options
All practices are in accordance with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture rules and regulations.
Prioritizing the Campus
The campus is organized into three maintenance levels (Figure 1) regarding weed management:
Turf
- Level 1: High-profile areas: Level 1 lawns are managed to minimize any reduction in their aesthetic quality and receive the most attention and resources. These areas include Woodburn Quad, Life Sciences Green, Evansdale Quad, Puskar Stadium, and lawns in front of academic buildings and residence halls.
- Level 2: Medium-profile areas: Level 2 areas include backsides of buildings and lawns not included in Level 1.
- Level 3: Low-profile areas: No specific weed threshold level is set; however, areas are monitored for invasive species; removal may occur through hand pulling of weeds or spot treated with chemicals. Level 3 areas include Low-Mow Zones, Pollinator Gardens, PRT lawns, and other naturalized areas.
Hardscape and Landscape Beds
Unless otherwise designated, all hardscapes and landscape beds, including the surroundings of specimen shrubs and trees, in Levels 1 and 2 will generally be maintained as weed-free areas.
Figure 1. Campus maintenance levels regarding weed management. WVU’s interactive maintenance map.
Monitoring and Identification
Consistent monitoring combined with proper identification are prerequisites for effectively addressing any pest problems. The Department of Roads and Grounds has a dedicated campus arborist as well as several trained and licensed staff that scout for pests across campus and may work with state and federal agencies as well. Previous pest history, environmental conditions, time of year, host plant species, and weather play a key role in predicting pest occurrences on campus. Once a problem is identified, it is carefully monitored until populations exceed the threshold levels and a control measure is required.
Prevention and Exclusion
Prevention is the key to any successful Integrated Pest Management plan. The objectives are to minimize conditions that attract pests. The latter includes maximizing the health and density of desired species by providing an environment they thrive in. The Department of Roads and Grounds uses several cultural practices in their approach. These methods can be very effective, cost efficient, and present little to no risk to people or the environment. Examples include:
- Aeration, top-dressing, thatch removal, and over-seeding to promote a healthy turfgrass environment
- Hand-pulling or spot treating weeds growing in small patches
- Planting of native or pest-free, disease-resistant trees, shrubs, and herbaceous ornamentals in landscape beds; selecting high-quality nursery stock
- Mechanical removal of pests
- Proper pruning techniques
- Proper site selection and planning to ensure optimal growing conditions
- Selecting turfgrass cultivars (e.g., Tuff Turf) that are adapted to local climatic conditions, drought-tolerant, and less susceptible to disease and insect damage; using high quality turf seed stock
- Incorporating organic amendments in areas where soil organic matter content is low to improve water and nutrient-holding capacity, enhance drainage and promote aeration
- Raising mowing height and reducing mowing frequency
- Mowing with sharp blades; mower decks and blades are checked regularly and sharpened as needed
- Returning grass clippings to lawn areas; scattering of excess clippings with blower, if needed
- Managing soil fertility, weed control, and irrigation to help maintain a dense turf and increase disease resistance
Control Measures
Mechanical controls involve using physical, hands-on control measures of pests, thus, reducing the need for chemical use. Some examples implemented on the WVU Morgantown campuses include:
- Eliminating favorable conditions, including harborage sites, food and water sources, to reduce pest populations
- Using insect growth regulators, pheromones, or other mating disruption substances
- Hand pulling of weeds where practical or when herbicides are too risky to use
- Some pests can be removed by hand, using a strong jet of water, or other physical practices like pruning or raking
Biological controls (i.e., controlling pests through the use of other organisms) are another safe way to manage pest populations without the use of pesticides. They tend to be cost-prohibitive when using over large areas and can have adverse effects when introducing new species to a new environment, so they are seldom utilized on WVU campuses. However, habitat for natural predators of pests, including various insects, birds, and wildlife, is provided and managed accordingly. Chemical control measures are taken when all other options fail, and pest populations have exceeded the action thresholds set by the Department of Roads and Grounds. If known to be effective, the least toxic chemicals, the lowest amounts, and most precise application methods are used.
Chemical Application Guidelines
When chemical application is deemed necessary, the following conditions must be considered:
- Timing of control applications:
- Seasonally: turf applications will be scheduled to minimize exposure to student and animal populations on campus. A preferred application period is therefore after May graduation.
- Daily: turf applications should take place in the early morning hours, allowing for safe re-entry interval time for the campus community
- Weather: Wind speed, approaching rain should be considered before application
Other important factors include:
- Best management practices concerning pollinators
- Avoid times of high bee activity when treating areas surrounding flowering plants
- Mow flowering weeds prior to turf applications
- Do not treat flowering trees during periods of bloom
- Avoid bee-toxic pesticides when possible
- Proximity to root zones of trees and shrubs