GTI Surveying Top Pest Priorities for Turf

As chair of the Minor Use Commodity Liaison Committee, Dr. Sara Stricker of the Guelph Turfgrass Institute is soliciting input from the turfgrass management industry on current turfgrass pest priorities.  

Dr. Sara Stricker, Communications and Outreach Coordinator, Guelph Turfgrass Institute, University of Guelph

Survey results will be shared with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency, the OMAFRA Nursery & Landscape Specialist, suppliers, and researchers (U of Guelph and Olds College) in order to address the needs of the turf industry. These results may guide future research projects of "Category A/B" or "Allowable List" pesticide submissions. 

WCTA Executive Director, Jerry Rousseau, stated to Dr. Stricker, “The WCTA has undertaken surveys like this in the past but it’s been nearly a decade since the last one.  We’re very interested in label expansions where appropriate for the benefit of the professional turfgrass management industry.”

Dr. Sticker noted, “The priority list is largely for pests which we do not have a solution to,” adding, “Minor Use registrations will only look at the top three priorities.  At the end of the day, this survey will be of most use to turf researchers (university, provincial, and federal) and the pesticide producers (who will then submit for Cat A or Cat B).”

Survey link: https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3jSqol0CidE1lLE 
This survey will close on Nov 30th.

Additional notes:
Your time is valuable, so the survey is as simple as possible. Follow this link to submit your input for seed, sod, sports turf, golf, research, municipal parks, cemetery, or other uses.  If you would like to vote for multiple uses, please re-open the survey and fill it out again. 

You are welcome to share this link within your networks and professional associations - although we discourage multiple votes coming from the same business/property/location which could skew the results.  

Please note that the Minor Use Turf Committee will not be pursuing a URMULE project for 2023 for turf unless there is an URGENT pest issue for sod or seed. For more information on the URMULE process visit this website.