The Mt. Ayr athletic field was part of the turfgrass management project.

A pilot project involving implementation of integrated pest management principles in an outdoor setting was conducted during 2004 and 2005. The project was conducted by Iowa State University Extension personnel and funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

One goal of this project was to advise school grounds managers on use of cultural, fertilizer and pesticide tools for management of turfgrasses on athletic fields and general areas.

A Summary Report of the project is available along with the following documents:

• IPM Threshold Form
• Minimum Criteria for Turf
• Turf Maintenance Schedule

Covers the following information:

• Cultural practices
• Turf goal and expectation
• Turf quality
• Irrigation
• Weed tolerance
• Aeration
• Fertilization
• Mowing height and frequency
• Per and post-emergent herbicide use
• Insect control
• Overseeding
• Topdressing
• Troubleshooting

Turfgrass Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is not a predetermined set of practices, but is a stepwise process for improving management of pests in turfgrass areas. This process, which is prescriptive to the site and school district, focuses on long-term prevention or suppression of pest problems with minimum impact on human health and the environment.