Development of integrated pest management in sports turf - novel approaches using seaweed products

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The overall aim of this proposal is to scrutinise and investigate novel seaweed formulations for their additional benefits of pest and disease protection. Seaweed has a huge advantage over other 'organic' products in turf management - it is directly compatible with pesticides, and so can be used in IPM programmes. Products containing living microbes do not have this advantage, as they may be killed by fungicides.We will conduct a series of laboratory, glasshouse and field trials that investigate how seaweed can enhance the resistance of turf grasses to pests and diseases, based on the existing ICL-SF seaweed product 'WSF Sportsmaster SeaMax'. This product is derives from Ascophyllum nodosum, the only species of seaweed previously shown to improve nematode resistance in other plants. Previous work at RHUL has suggested that seaweed can also enhance soil microbial communities (see references). Thus, overall, we will target nuisance organisms including nematodes and the main disease-causing fungus, Microdochium nivale, while simultaneously measuring effects on soil bacteria and beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The latter group has also been shown to provide plant resistance to nematode attack and so will be an important part of our attempt to manipulate the soil food web. We will conduct trials in which we vary seaweed formulations, application rates and times and study how the products perform when conventional pesticides are also applied.