No Missouri for the Old Man WeatherDiseases Good news/bad news here. As you can see above, drought...
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No Missouri for the Old Man Weather At what point does the data depart from normal that it becomes more than “extra” ordinary? The previous meteorological winter, or lack of it, has riled the bushes (forsythia) and many plants (daffodils) to bloom in February rather than late March or April. February 2017 ranks as the warmest of all time, at an astounding 11.5 degrees above normal. This follows a 2017 January that was 5 degrees above normal. Together they equaled the warmest combined Jan – Feb of all time, and even with a slightly cooler than normal December elevated the 2017 Dec – Feb winter season to the 4 th warmest all time. For the record, “all time” is compared to weather data on record from 1895 – 2017, or the previous span of 122 years. Snowfall and precipitation have also been well below average over the previous 5-month span in Missouri, resulting in the region being placed in a moderate drought designation (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu). February precipitation totals were 1 – 2” below normal throughout the state and into western Kansas and northern Arkansas. In addition, winter snow only accumulated to 1.5 - 2 inches through much of the state, leaving very little melt to satisfy soils. Irrigation systems, particularly on golf courses, needed to be fired up earlier than most can remember, and golf greens without water (see below) are showing considerable drought and even fairy ring symptoms. In case you didn’t see the headline (http://wgntv.com/snowcover), Chicago had no snow cover (defined as a 1 inch accumulation) in January or February for the first time in 133 years of recorded weather. Incredible times we are living in. Although March started out chilly, the warm weather looks to return consistently over the next 14-day period, starting with this weekend’s return to the middle and upper 60s. For flowering, frost sensitive ornamentals (and frightened fruit trees), what does this mean
Transcript of No Missouri for the Old Man WeatherDiseases Good news/bad news here. As you can see above, drought...
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Weather
Atwhatpointdoesthedatadepartfromnormalthatitbecomesmorethan“extra”ordinary?Thepreviousmeteorologicalwinter,orlackofit,hasriledthebushes(forsythia)andmanyplants(daffodils)tobloominFebruaryratherthanlateMarchorApril.February2017ranksasthewarmestofalltime,atanastounding11.5degreesabovenormal.Thisfollowsa2017Januarythatwas5degreesabovenormal.TogethertheyequaledthewarmestcombinedJan–Febofalltime,andevenwithaslightlycoolerthannormalDecemberelevatedthe2017Dec–Febwinterseasontothe4thwarmestalltime.Fortherecord,“alltime”iscomparedtoweatherdataonrecordfrom1895–2017,orthepreviousspanof122years.Snowfallandprecipitationhavealsobeenwellbelowaverageovertheprevious5-monthspaninMissouri,resultingintheregionbeingplacedinamoderatedroughtdesignation(http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu).Februaryprecipitationtotalswere1–2”belownormalthroughoutthestateandintowesternKansasandnorthernArkansas.Inaddition,wintersnowonlyaccumulatedto1.5-2inchesthroughmuchofthestate,leavingverylittlemelttosatisfysoils.Irrigationsystems,particularlyongolfcourses,neededtobefiredupearlierthanmostcanremember,andgolfgreenswithoutwater(seebelow)areshowingconsiderabledroughtandevenfairyringsymptoms.Incaseyoudidn’tseetheheadline(http://wgntv.com/snowcover),Chicagohadnosnowcover(definedasa1inchaccumulation)inJanuaryorFebruaryforthefirsttimein133yearsofrecordedweather.Incredibletimeswearelivingin.AlthoughMarchstartedoutchilly,thewarmweatherlookstoreturnconsistentlyoverthenext14-dayperiod,startingwiththisweekend’sreturntothemiddleandupper60s.Forflowering,frostsensitiveornamentals(andfrightenedfruittrees),whatdoesthismean
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fromahistoricalperspective?Lastyear,Dr.PatGuinancreatedavaluableonlineresourceintheMissouriFrostFreezeProbabilitiesGuide,thatisanextensivereviewofthelikelihoodofvariouslowtemperatures(36F,32F,28F,24F)inspringandfallbasedon1981-2010weatherdata.Thespringmediandateofalowtemperatureequaltoorbelow24FislateMarchformostweatherstationsinMissouri(clickheretoview),whichmeansthereisa50%likelihoodthe24Fthresholdwilloccurafterthatdate.Lastyear,24FdidnotoccurpastlateMarch,butseverallighterfrosteventsoccurredafterourforsythiabloom(justliketheyhaveinthelastcoupleofdays).
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Lookingbackonboththeabovegraphandlastyear’sfirstreport,weareseeingatwo-yeartrendofanextendedgrowingseasonwithwarmerthannormalfallandspringperiods.Thisyear,however,combinesthataspectwithaconsiderablelackofweatherfromOldManWinter.Whiletheadvantagesareaboonforrevenue(moremowing,morerounds)andalongerwindowforcoolseasonturfgrassgrowth,whatmightthismeanforbattlingturfgrasspestissues?Formany,therequirementmaybeabitextra.*Clickonthelinkhereforthefirstspring2016reportthathasadditionaltidbitsondaylengthandsprayercalibration.CurrentStatus:Justaquickglanceatthegrowingdegreeday(GDD)tracker(http://www.gddtracker.net)demonstratesthestoryquitenicely.Whilelastyearwashistoricallyalsoawarmwinter,approximately130morebase32GDDsand40-60morebase50GDDshaveaccumulatedin2017thanatthispointin2016.Thisisanextraordinaryamount,consideringthecomparisonisnottoanaveragewinter,buttothe5thwarmestwinteronrecord.Two-inchsoiltemperatureswerealsoexceptionallyhighinmid-February,breakingintothe55FthresholdbeforedroppingbackdowninlateFebruary.Anotherlatewarmupflashinthelastfewdayscausedthemtospikeagainbeforedroppingthisweek.
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Weeds
Winterannuals,particularlyhenbit,arefloweringlikecrazy,andevenadandelionortwoisgettingspunkyinsomeareas.Ihavenotobservedanycrabgrassgerminationyet,butwww.gddtracker.nethastheregionintheearlyoptimumrangeforpreemergentsandwehavereachedthe55Fsoiltemperaturemark.IhaveheardsomereportsthatpreemergentsonsomelawnsinSt.LouiswereappliedinmidtolateFebruary.Expect6-8weeksoutofapreemergentapplication,andAugustisalongwayaway.Ifapplicationshavebeenmadeorareplannedsoon,thescheduleshouldbeforatleastasplitapplicationandperhapsevenathirdapplicationinMay.Inyearssimilartothis(2012andlastyear),crabgrassbrokethroughinearlyAugustonlawnswithapplicationsendingtooearlyinabroadenedspring.Ifapplicationsareplannedlaterthismontharounda“normal”windowonlawns,considerusingdithiopyrorotherherbicidewithsomereachbackactivityonyoungseedlings.ForPoaannuaseedheadmanagementongolfgreens,thewindowforthefirstapplicationisopen(againasshownonwww.gddtracker.net)andwillcontinuetomovealongwiththeforecastedwarmtemperatures.Maketheseapplicationssoon,asseveralthroughouttheregionhaveobservedtheproblematicweedinthe“boot”stage.InsectsForthemostpart,theendemicbugsthatoverwinterherewillbeactiveearlier,andthemigratingmothsbearingturfgrasslovinglarvaewillalsoprobablyarrivehereearlier.Expectcutwormsandothermigratingmothlarvaepestsearlierthannormalthisyear,andscoutgreensaccordinglyforthem.Nomothflightshavebeenreportedyet,buthonestlyfewtrapsareoutthisearlyintheseason.Severalhavenotedbillbugadultsroamingaround,butpeakactivityshouldbeafewweeksfromnow,aswillbethetimingforapreventiveapplicationonhistoricallyinfestedzoysiagrasssites.Earthwormshavebeen
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activelymoundingoverthepastfewweeks,asarethemolesdestructivelytunnelingaroundtofeedonthem.Diseases
Goodnews/badnewshere.Asyoucanseeabove,droughtsymptomsonputtinggreenscanshowsomeearlyTypeIIfairyringactivity.Asstatedpreviously,mostgolfcourseshavefireduptheirrigation,mowedafewtimes,andareinfullswingsothesesymptomsprobablyaren’tprevalent(butthelittlemonstersarepresent).Thetemperaturesaren’tquitethereyetforpreventivespringDMIapplications,soholdtheline.Rememberthetimingforthefirstapplicationisbasedon(1)the2”soiltemperaturebufferedona5-dayaverage,and(2)athresholdrangeof55-60Fisrequiredforafewdays,notwhensoiltemperaturestickle55Fandfallawayasinmid-February.Thisbeingstated,ifthethresholdisreachedinMarchinsteadofApril,Iwillrecommendthepreventiveapplication.Itmayalsobewise,however,tohaveathirdapplicationinthehopperifthe2ndapplication28dayslaterdoesn’tmakeittoMay.HardtomakeittoAugustfromApril.Ontheresearchfarm,weareplanningour“early”fungicideapplicationforlargepatchcontrolnextweekaswewillmostcertainlyeclipsethe50Fsoiltemperaturethresholdagain.Lastyear,theearlyapplicationwasmadeonMarch11andagainthisyeartheapplicationwillbemadetopost-ityellowzoysia.Waytooearlywasmypreviousthought,but,(asI’vebeentalkingaboutallwinterlong),theearlyapplicationmadeonMarch11wasconsiderablymoreeffectivethananapplicationmadeona60FsoiltemperaturethresholdamonthlateronApril22.Asforgoodnews,thecurrentdryconditionsshouldmitigatelargepatchinfection,atleastfornow.Springisthetimeforlargepatchcontrol,however,particularlyifyouonlygetoneshotatitperyear.LeeMillerFollowonTwitter!@muturfpathLikeonFacebook!MizzouTurfgrassExtensionTurfgrassPathologist-UniversityofMissouri
