SMITH, D. and S. GILL. 1987. Anatomy of an IPM program. Landscape Management, August p. 46-48, 50.
For years, cover sprays have been the traditional method of pest control. However, preventive sprays may actually produce some detrimental side effects in urban areas; such as increased pest resistance to pesticides, resurgence of target pests following treatment and outbreaks of secondary pests once the target pest has been killed. Research has tested a management concept called Integrated Pest Management in urban landscape settings. IPM programs use a monitoring program in which landscapes are regularly inspected for cultural problems, insects and disease pests. Cover sprays are eliminated; instead, individual plants (hot spots) are spot treated with the least toxic pesticide available once the pest is noticed. Control material could be a biorational (such as Bacillus thuringiensis, milky spore or insecticidal soap), or a short residual, low toxicity pesticide, such as synthetic pyrethroid. These programs have shown that IPM methods control pests even better than do cover sprays.
LUTZ, A., A.O. PAULUS, D.M. FERRIN, and J.A. NELSON. 1988. A new disease of myrtle. California Agriculture 42(2): 24-25.
During the summer of 1986, extensive plant death was reported in a mature myrtle planting in San Diego County. Cylindrocladium scoparium was isolated from both cutting and crowns of myrtle. This soilborne fungus causes root rot, stem canker, damping off, and foliage blight on plants throughout the world. Mature myrtle plants with cylindrocladium root rot show branch dieback and stunting; cankers may appear in the crown region, and the wood beneath the bark is dark brown. Cuttings exposed to the fungus initially develop lesions on the cut ends; these lesions enlarge and extend up the stems. Both stem and leaf tissues turn brown or black.
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