Lawn care service providers applying fertilizer to Florida landscapes are now required to complete best management training. Photo credit: UF IFAS
Fertilizer becomes a problem in the environment when either too much is applied or it is used at the incorrect rate or wrong time. Rain or irrigation water can move these nutrients (remember, fertilizer is mostly composed of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus) off target, leaching them into the soil and groundwater or running off into surface waters.
Once in a creek, lake, river, or bay, this fertilizer intended to improve growth of turf or landscape plants instead fuels the growth of algae. In certain conditions this causes eutrophication, an overabundance of algae growth which gives water bodies a green, scum-covered appearance. As this plant material eventually breaks down, it uses up oxygen in the waters below, reducing the amount available for fish and other aquatic species. These scenarios can lead to fish kills and reduced water quality.
A body of water receiving excess nutrients can turn green and unhealthy from too much algae growth. Photo Credit: UF IFAS FFL program
The new legislation encourages professional lawn care staff to take a day-long course covering these concepts, and additional topics such as irrigation, pest management, and proper landscaping practices. The course, offered online and in every UF IFAS Extension office, prepares the audience for the test and certification, and gives useful tips and information for their everyday work.
Several counties, most recently Escambia, have passed local ordinances echoing the requirement to have this license when seeking a business tax certification to operate a lawn care service (providing fertilizer) in the county. In addition, local ordinances typically have a “prohibited application period,” which may involve a particular time of the year or weather condition. The ordinances also restrict blowing or sweeping lawn debris into storm drains, which can cause the same water quality problems as excess fertilizer. Visit the GI-BMP website to learn more about the program, and if you, friends, or neighbors use a professional lawn care service to fertilize your lawn, be sure to ask for proof of their fertilizer license.
Join us for a workshop on the biology and control of cogongrass.
January 14, 2014
Registration begins at 8:30am (Eastern Time)
Program starts at 9:00am (Eastern Time) and will end at 4:30pm (Eastern Time).
The cost of the workshop is $25 and includes lunch.
Locations:
Pensacola, Fl
Crestview, Fl
Chipley, Fl
Tallahassee, Fl
Please remember to specify which locations when calling to register and purchase the correct location ticket when registering online.
Pesticide CEUs have been requested. We are awaiting final approval and will update this post as soon as we have additional information. If you have questions please contact us at 850-606-5200.
AGENDA
Cogongrass in the Panhandle Workshop
9:00 – 9:50 AM – Overview, Biology and Control of Cogongrass – Dr Greg MacDonald, UF-IFAS Agronomy – Participants will learn what we currently know about the biology and control of cogongrass.
9:50 – 10:40 AM – “Safely Applying Right of Way Herbicides” – Jennifer Bearden & Sheila Dunning, UF-IFAS Extension Okaloosa County – Participants will learn pathways of herbicide efficacy, safety, label-reading, and PPE for common Right of Way Herbicides.
11:00-11:50 AM – Update: “Cogongrass Control in ROW, Forestry and Natural Areas – New Research, New Programs” – Participants will learn herbicide selections, application rates, timing and methods of control being researched and employed in the Southeast.
11:00 – 11:25 AM – “Imazapyr and Glyphosate Application Rate, Timing, and Methods for Cogongrass Control” – Dr Pat Minogue, UF-IFAS/NFREC Forestry
11:25 – 11:50 AM – “USFS/Five-State Forestry Agency Cogongrass Initiative” – Dr Jeff Eickwort, FDACS-Florida Forest Service
11:50 AM – 12:40 PM – “Cooperative Invasive Species Management in the Panhandle”
11:50 – 12:10 – “Breaking down Artificial Barriers to Allow Everyone to Cooperate” –
Brian Pelc, Natural Areas Restoration Specialist with The Nature Conservancy, and Invasive Species Coordinator for the Apalachicola National Forest, USFS
12:10 – 12:25 – A Regional Case Study from the Apalachicola CISMA (Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area) – Brian Pelc, Natural Areas Restoration Specialist with The Nature Conservancy and Invasive Species Coordinator for the Apalachicola National Forest, USFS
12:25 – 12:40 – A Regional Case Study from the Six Rivers CISMA – Brooke Saari, Sea Grant Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Extension in Okaloosa and Walton counties
12:40 – 1:30 PM – Lunch (catered-in at each host site)
1:30 – 2:30 PM – “Tools for Identifying, Tracking and Managing Cogongrass across the Landscape” – Participants will learn to use technologies available to identify, track and manage cogongrass infestations.
1:30 – 2:00 PM – “Monitoring Cogongrass Infestations with EDDMapS” – Jed Dillard, UFIFAS Extension Jefferson County
2:00 – 2:30 PM – “A Local Case Study from the City of Tallahassee”– Tony Murray, Coordinator of Environmental Regulation Compliance with City of Tallahassee Environmental Policy and Energy Resources/ Policy & Program Development
The following topics will be covered by Extension faculty at each site.
Okaloosa – Jennifer Bearden and Sheila Dunning
Washington – Mark Mauldin and Josh Thompson
Leon – Will Sheftall and Stan Rosenthal
Jefferson – Jed Dillard
2:30 – 2:55 PM – Cogongrass and Look-alikes ID – Participants will learn how to identify Cogongrass and some similar plants.
3:00 – 3:25 PM – Label Reading Exercise – Participants will learn to read herbicide labels and why it is important.
3:30 – 3:55 PM – Sprayer Calibration – Participants will learn methods to calibrate ATV and Backpack sprayer equipment.
4:00 – 4:25 PM – Personal Protective Equipment – Participants will learn proper equipment and why it is important.
Palmer amaranth can reach heights up 10 feet and signal real trouble for hunters, farmers, and land managers. Loaded with numerous small seeds, mature plants and “offspring” are difficult to control. Photo Courtesy of University of Florida / IFAS
Deer feeders are common in North Florida, and “deer corn” is sold in multiple markets. Cross-roads convenience stores sell it in plain brown bags and big box stores in town sell it in camouflage bags with three color pictures of giant bucks on the front. With the high price of corn in 2012, many hunters saved a few dollars buying “combine run” corn from local farmers or corn screenings from grain elevators. The corn’s no different, however, either product can contain weed seed, especially Palmer amaranth. These weeds can mean big trouble for farmers and hunters.
Palmer amaranth is a species of pig weed, but it’s not your granddaddy’s “careless weed”. It’s taller than either red root pigweed or spiny pigweed, and is becoming resistant to several herbicides, most notably glyphosate (“Roundup”). Amaranth seed are small and plentiful (1 to 1.5 millimeters in diameter) and easily can fit in the nooks and crannies of grain harvesting and handling equipment.
Palmer amaranth first true leaves have small notches on the end and can serve as an identifying characteristic. Photo Courtesy of University of Florida / IFAS.
Once Palmer amaranth seed make it into a deer feeder, there’s a huge opportunity for seedlings to take root in places under the radar of typical scouting and control measures. If these seedlings are herbicide resistant, you’ve done far more harm to the landowner than any savings on corn cost can offset. Conservative estimates indicate herbicide costs have at least doubled due to herbicide resistant weeds. Do your local farmer a real favor; scout and control weeds coming from your deer feeder.
Further information on identifying and controlling Palmer amaranth is available from your county Extension agent or at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag346
Feeding corn to deer and turkey is permitted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as long as the following restrictions are met. “Resident game and wild hogs may be hunted in proximity of year-round game-feeding stations on private lands, provided the feeding station has been maintained with feed for at least six months prior to taking resident game,” and “Wild turkey may not be taken if the hunter is less than 100 yards from a game feeding station when feed is present.” See General Information regarding Feeding Game at http://myfwc.com/hunting/regulations/general-information
Those who have lived in the Panhandle area for many years will remember the days when our local bayous were places people water skied, kids learned to swim, and fishermen brought home plenty of speckled trout. But today we see little of this. Water quality within our bayous has declined to a point that the general public is concerned about recreation within them and most use them as access to larger bodies of water where they can enjoy water activities.
What Happened?
The mouth of Bayou Grande near Navy Point; a popular recreation location
Those who lived here when things were better say they first noticed problems when new roads and subdivisions were built in the 1950’s. Decline in water clarity was one of the first things they noticed. This was followed by a loss of submerged grasses, fish kills, and an increase in health advisories due to high levels of bacteria. These new subdivisions cleared much of the native vegetation in the neighborhoods and along the water front. The loss of vegetation and new roads allowed for more runoff to reach the bayous. Much of this runoff was in the form of leaf litter, twigs, animal waste, and maybe even carcasses of dead creatures. Once reaching the water these organics are broken down by bacteria into forms of nitrogen and phosphorus that can be utilized by aquatic plants and phytoplankton. This increase in plants will produce more oxygen, but they also consume oxygen in the evening. The high demand for oxygen in the evening can cause dissolved oxygen levels to decline to a point where aquatic life begins stressing; we now say the water is hypoxic. To add to the problem people began to have the desire for lawns of non-native grasses which require fertilizer and watering; thus increasing the nutrient load on the system and an increase in hypoxia. This eutrophication process was a major contributor to the fish kills that the bayous were experiencing.
In addition to nutrients, animal waste could be found in the stormwater. Animal waste can contain pathogensthat could be a serious risk to public health. Scientists monitor the concentration of these pathogenic bacteria by using a group of indicator bacteria called fecal coliformbacteria. High levels of these fecal coliforms indicate that a potential health risk could be present and the Escambia County Health Departmentwould issue a health advisory for that body of water. A study showed that the concentration of fecal coliforms increased in areas where coastal development increased, connecting them to stormwater problems.
So What Can We Do?
Marine Science Academy students from Washington High School measuring chlorophyll in Bayou Texar; photo: Ed Bauer
We will probably never be able to get the bayous back to the state they were in before the development boom of the mid-20th century but there are few things we can do.
First, the reason the nutrients and fecal coliforms increased was an increase in runoff. This increase was due to road construction and loss of vegetation. We cannot do much about the roads but we can rethink how we landscape our yards and waterfront property.
The Florida Friendly Yards Programis one that helps residents with selecting plants and landscaping features that require little or no fertilizer or water. This not only reduces the runoff but saves the homeowner money. Rain barrels and rain gardens are also methods that can both reduce water runoff and save money. For more information on this program you can contact Carrie Stevenson at the Escambia County ExtensionOffice; 850-475-5230 or ctsteven@ufl.edu.
Shoreline vegetation can be restored through the Living Shoreline Program. In this program the Florida Department of Environmental Protection works with the homeowner on designing a shoreline marsh and/or oyster reef project. Living Shorelines utilize plants that remove much of the nutrients found in runoff and oysters are known to filter 50 gallons of water per day, reducing turbidity typically caused by runoff. Not only do Living Shorelines reduce nutrient runoff, they also reduce erosion caused by wave energy. For more information on Living Shorelines contact Beth Fugate at beth.l.fugate@dep.state.fl.us.
Planting a Living Shoreline on Bayou Texar in Pensacola; photo: Florida Department of Environmental Protection
A third program that can help bring back the bayou is the Clean Marina / Vessel Program. This program is through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For more information contact Jeanne Williams at Jeanne.Williams@dep.state.fl.us.
We hope you will consider using one of these programs to help improve the water quality within our bayous. If you are interested in having a presentation on these programs contact Rick O’Connor at the Escambia County Extension Office; 850-475-5230 or roc1@ufl.edu.
National Invasive Species Awareness Week: March 3rd – March 8th
March 10th: Palmer Amaranth (Palmer amaranth) & Nutria (Myocastor coypus):
Image courtesy of University of Illinois Extension
Palmer Amaranth: Palmer Amaranth, a type of pigweed, is invading the Southeast. It is a very troublesome weed for us because it is fast growing, produces a lot of seed and easily develops herbicide resistance. Palmer is a summer annual weed that can grow up to 10 feet tall. Each female plant can produce up to 500,000 seeds. Populations of this weed have developed resistance to 4 different classes of herbicides, including glyphosate or “Round-Up”. There are other types of pigweed in Florida, such as spiny and redroot pigweed, so you must be able to positively distinguish Palmer Amaranth from others.
Here are the main differences:
1. Petioles (or stalks joining leaves to the stem) are as long or longer than the leaf blades.
2. The plant has long terminal inflorescence (cluster of flowers on top of the stem).
3. They have prominent white veins on the lower surface of the leaves.
4. They have hairless leaves.
5. They are faster growing than other pigweeds.
If you have identified palmer amaranth in your field, treat with glyphosate. If the pigweed survives, then quickly hand-weed the female plants as soon as possible. Even if just a few plants survive this year, next year you could have thousands more. Palmer Amaranth is very difficult to control but by employing sound IPM principles it can be managed. Refer to http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag346 for identification and control measures.
For more information contact the author Jennifer Bearden, Agriculture Extension Agent, 850-689-5850.
Photo Courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife National Digital Library
Nutria:This large rodent resembles a beaver but has a round tail. They are originally from South America and were brought to the United States for the fur business. Nutria are completely vegetarian and feed on both land and aquatic plants. Their small forelimbs are used to dig out roots and rhizomes and they can eat their own weight in plants each day. Feeding occurs anytime but is most often at dawn and dusk. From their initial release in Louisiana they have spread all over the Gulf coast. There are reports of them in the Chesapeake Bay area, Ohio, and along the Oregon coast. They become sexually mature very quickly (4-9 months) and have a short gestation period (130 days). Breeding year around a single female can produce 2.5 litters each year so in a short period of time high numbers of nutria can completely clear a densely vegetated area. Another problem with them is their ability to burrow into dikes and levees, making them weaker. Their occurrence in Florida has been spotty, with 45 individuals being recorded. There are records in all Florida panhandle counties except Bay.
For more information, contact the author Rick O’Connor, Sea Grant/Marine Sciences Agent 850-475-5230.
Mimosa Tree: When traveling down secluded roads, one always marvels at the beautiful fragrant puff-like flowers lining the right of way. Many people decide that they must have one for their yard. Unfortunately, obtaining one for landscaping purposes is a bad decision. This tree is a Mimosa, Albizia julibrissin, and is famous for the ability to thrive in disturbed areas and fix nitrogen. Mimosa was brought from China in the 1700 for use as an ornamental and remains popular today. Unfortunately it crowds out native vegetation by reducing sunlight and nutrients available and may clog small waterways with intense growth. What’s more, it produces numerous seed that can remain viable for many years and is capable of vegetative propagation. Fortunately, Mimosa may be controlled by a variety of techniques. Eliminating existing trees mechanically, such as with a power saw, will reduce future numbers substantially. Additionally, the application of a 25% solution of glyphosate or triclopyr herbicide to a freshly cut stump will prevent re-sprouting of cut trees. When applying herbicides, apply them only to the stump and not to surrounding areas. Remember to make the application within one minute of cutting the tree. Enjoy your invasive removal!
For more information, contact the author Matt Orwat, Horticulture Extension Agent 850-638-6180.
Video courtesy of UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants
Photo Courtesy of Universtiy of Florida
Eurasian Water Milfoil:Eurasian water milfoil is a submerged aquatic plant that can be found in northwest Florida in lakes, rivers, and coastal marshes. Water milfoil forms a dense mat of vegetation that can block sunlight and habitat for native plants. These mats can increase water temperatures and interfere with boat traffic, fish habitat, and native aquatic plant species. Eurasian milfoil was first documented in Florida in 1964. It was reportedly planted by aquarium plant dealers. It is still used today in the aquarium industry and obtained through suppliers and through internet sales. This plant is listed as a category II on the Florida Exotic Species Pest Plant Council List, which means it has the potential to overtake native submerged plant communities. The spread of Eurasian milfoil can be caused by the breaking of stems and roots, which can be carried by boats, engines and trailers to other lakes and coastal marshes. To help prevent spread of Eurasian water milfoil to Florida’s waters, always clean off your boat, motor and trailer at the ramp to avoid transporting vegetative stems to other areas. In addition, never release or dispose of aquarium plants or animals into local waterways.
For more information, contact the author Chris Verlinde, Marine Science Agent 850-623-3868.
