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Section 73 of the Pesticides Management Code
Pesticide Reduction Plan for Golf Courses
Updating: May 2006
Foreword
1 - Introduction
2 – Goals of the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement
et des Parcs
3 – Requirements of Section 73 of the Pesticides Management Code
4 – Pesticide Reduction Strategy or Approach
4.1 Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
5 – Desired Results
6 – Reduction Plan
6.1 Part I – Preparatory Phase
6.2 Part II – Elaboration of the Plan
6.2.1 Pesticide reduction objectives and methods used to attain them (s. 73,
par. 3 and 4)
6.2.2 Measures taken to prevent pesticides from migrating off site (s. 73,
par. 5)
6.2.3 Evaluation of results (s. 73, par. 6)
7 – Schematic of the Plan
8 – Information Sources
9 – Useful References
10 - Glossary
Appendix A
Appendix B.1: Sample record ( PDF file, 144 Ko)
Appendix B.2: Sample record (PDF file, 138 Ko)
Appendix B.3: Sample record (PDF file, 130 Ko)
Appendix B.4: Sample record (PDF file, 130 Ko)
Appendix C: Sample detection and monitoring report (PDF file, 117 Ko)
Appendix D: Sample pesticide application record by class (PDF file, 136 Ko)
Appendix E: Sample pesticide purchase register (PDF file,
189 Ko)
Foreword
This guide provides the general framework for preparing a
pesticide reduction plan for golf courses. The proposed procedure covers all
of the information that must be contained in a pesticide reduction plan
under section 73 of the Pesticides Management Code.
The guide divides the reduction plan into two main parts:
The following section explains the features of the pesticide
reduction plan as well as the related requirements and reduction objectives.
1 - Introduction
Green spaces such as golf courses play an important role in
the quality of urban life: golf course vegetation (turf, trees, shrubs,
flowers, etc.) contributes to peoples’ well-being. Golf course
superintendents often feel they must satisfy the requirements of players,
who want turfed areas to be maintained to professional tournament standards.
Mowing heights are therefore very low, which places enormous stress on
plants and thereby fosters pest development and, in particular, greater
pesticide use. Regular pesticide application not only creates a reliance on
these products, but also increases the risk of public exposure and
environmental contamination. Pesticides are designed to be toxic to pests;
however, they can also be toxic to species other than the intended targets,
including humans.
The use of pesticides increases the risk of pollution as
well as the health risks for appliers, golfers and the general public.
According to the pesticide sales report for 2001, fungicides, which are
mostly used on golf courses, account for 27 685 kg of the pesticide active
ingredients (kg ai) sold in the ornamental horticulture sector, which
includes golf courses, green space maintenance firms and municipalities. In
the sector as a whole, herbicide sales account for 119 801 kg ai and
insecticide sales, 1119 kg ai.
Pesticide use varies from one golf course to the next, as
some operators have already begun reducing the application of these products.
The Québec government therefore decided to make a pesticide reduction plan
for all golf courses in Québec a requirement of its Pesticides Management
Code.
2 – Goals of the Ministère du
Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs
The purpose of requiring golf courses to submit a pesticide
reduction plan is to:
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reduce the human health and environmental risks associated
with pesticide use;
-
reduce the amount of pesticides used;
-
foster better cultural practices, integrated pest management
or environmentally sound management;
-
promote use of the least-toxic and least-persistent products;
-
reduce reliance on pesticides;
-
make stakeholders (golf course owners, superintendents,
employees, golfers, etc.) responsible.
3 – Requirements of Section 73
of the Pesticides Management Code
An owner or operator of a golf course who applies pesticides
or has pesticides applied on the golf course must, every three years
beginning on April 3, 2006, send a pesticide reduction plan to the Minister.
The plan must contain the following information:
(1) identification:
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the name and address of the owner or operator of the golf
course;
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the name and address of the golf course;
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the name and address of the person or permit holder who is
responsible for pesticide applications;
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the name of the person responsible for maintaining the green
areas of the golf course; and
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the total area of the golf course including only the greens,
tees, fairways, sand traps and roughs, in hectares;
(2) pesticides:
-
the total quantity of pesticides applied annually in the
three years preceding the sending of the plan to the Minister for the
following classes of pesticides, with an indication of the area treated for
each class:
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fungicides;
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insecticides;
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herbicides;
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rodenticides; and
-
other pesticides; and
-
the name of each pesticide used for each category and its
registration number;
(3) pesticide reduction objectives for the next three years,
expressed in percentage or in quantity, for each of the following classes of
pesticides:
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fungicides;
-
insecticides;
-
herbicides;
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rodenticides; and
-
other pesticides;
(4) methods used to observe, monitor and detect harmful
organisms and the data collected, the preventive measures, cultural
practices and control methods used to attain the pesticide reduction
objectives;
(5) measures taken to prevent pesticides from migrating
outside the premises; and
(6) an evaluation of the results attained with regard to the
reduction plan for the previous three years, their justification and the
corrective adjustments to be made, if any.
The plan must be signed by an agronomist who is a member of
the Ordre des agronomes du Québec.
4 –Pesticide Reduction Strategy or
Approach
4.1 Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Integrated pest management is an approach based on the
prevention of pest infestations. It reduces human exposure to pesticides as
well as their application by using them only as a last resort. IPM manages
the source of the problem; it is not limited to substituting less-toxic
pesticides, notably biopesticides.
IPM employs the most appropriate combination of techniques (see
Appendix A for examples) to maintain pest activity within a tolerable level.
Using IPM on a golf course ecosystem requires a detailed understanding of
the factors influencing pest development and, above all, an understanding of
the environment and the interactions occurring there. Knowing how weather
conditions, the biology of species grown (bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, etc.)
and human activity affect the populations of pests and beneficial organisms,
their annual recurrence and seasonal fluctuations, is crucial. IPM employs
alternative methods that change and evolve with increased understanding of
the golf course ecosystem and new knowledge of the biology of pests and
beneficial organisms. It is also flexible enough to adapt to new pest
problems and biotic and abiotic stresses that arise from time to time.
IPM is a preventive rather than reactive approach to pest
control: it attempts to address the source of the problem and prevent
appearance.
5 – Desired Results
Through the pesticide reduction plan, the Ministère du
Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs
wants to make everyone involved with golf courses aware of the need to
reduce the risks to human health and the environment, especially water, by
managing pesticide use in a more environmentally responsible manner. In a
context of sustainable development, golf courses should be managed using an
integrated pest management approach. After all, “harmony with nature is part
of the game’s heritage and its enjoyment.”
1
In order to achieve the set objectives, all stakeholders,
i.e. everyone who works at or uses a golf course (owners, superintendents,
employees, golfers, etc.) must do their part.
Section 73 of the Pesticides Management Code applies
to all golf courses, regardless of the amount of pesticides applied. It aims
first and foremost to reduce the use of pesticides on greens, tees,
fairways, roughs and sand traps; however, the pesticide reduction objectives
can cover the entire course (flower beds, ponds without outlets, trees,
shrubs, etc.). Golf course operators who use few or very few pesticides on
the course or who have reduced their pesticide use to a minimum must obtain
an attestation to that effect, signed by an agronomist who is a member of
the Ordre des agronomes du Québec. The pesticide reduction plan should cover
all other green areas of the golf course as well, and include testing of
cutting-edge techniques (for example, by entering into written agreements
with researchers) or even participation in a certification program, such as
the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System of Canada.
While efforts to reduce pesticide use should focus on the
classes of pesticides most used on golf courses, i.e. fungicides, the
reduction plan must cover all categories of pesticides (fungicides, herbicides,
insecticides, rodenticides, algicides, etc.), indicating the area treated
for each class.
You will attain your reduction objectives by adopting an
integrated pest management program built on the following elements:
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site history (knowledge of the golf course ecosystem,
cultural practices, pests, causes of infestation);
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methods used to detect (scout) and monitor pests;
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control methods;
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modification of the environment; and
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monitoring and re-evaluation of results.
It is therefore vital that the percentage reduction for each
category of pesticides reflect the efforts that can actually be made to
minimize pesticide use on the golf course. From the very first plan, every
means must be taken to reduce the use of pesticides. The reduction
objectives for each class of pesticides in subsequent plans will be based on
the results obtained under the previous plan, thereby making it possible to
set effective and realistic percentage reduction targets.
Québec golf courses that are subject to a municipal by-law or that have
already adopted an integrated pest management strategy have set an example
by reducing the amount of pesticides applied by over 30%. The baseline
reduction percentage for each class of pesticides should therefore be 25%.
Note that the replacement of one pesticide with another pesticide that
requires a lower application rate to treat the same surface area is allowed
only if the replacement pesticide has a much lower toxicity level (acute,
chronic), is considerably less persistent and has a far lower impact on the
environment (bees, fish, wildlife, birds, etc.).
1 David
Stubbs, The
Committed to Green Handbook for Golf Courses, 1996.
6 – Reduction Plan
6.1 Part I – Preparatory Phase
In order to submit a pesticide reduction plan that is duly
signed by an agronomist, it is recommended that, during the three-year
preparatory phase, the golf course superintendent work with an agronomist
who is a member of the Ordre des agronomes du Québec.
The signed reduction plan must include the agronomist’s
recommendations for achieving the pesticide reduction percentages defined
for each class of pesticides for the three years covered by the plan. The
owner or manager of the golf course is responsible for following the
agronomist’s recommendations. Moreover, the agronomist must identify the
strengths and weaknesses of each of the areas treated before making his
recommendations. The agronomist is responsible for the methods proposed for
achieving the reduction objectives set out in the plan. In signing the plan,
the agronomist becomes professionally liable and attests that his
recommendations were made on the basis of the generally accepted standards
of practice for green spaces and best management practices. Under their
professional code of ethics, agronomists are required to keep their
knowledge and skills up to date. In this regard, the agronomist who signs
the plan is a partner in achieving the pesticide reduction objectives based
on the latest scientific and technical knowledge.
That is why it is important to involve the agronomist in the
pesticide reduction plan from day one and to compile all of the information
required for the plan. Keeping a written record of the management policies,
reduction targets and actions taken to reduce the use of pesticides is
crucial to ensuring effective management over the medium and long terms.
This information includes the methods used to observe, monitor and detect
pests, preventive measures, cultural practices and control methods used to
attain the pesticide reduction objectives.
There are two basic elements to the preparatory phase:
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Site history, by hole
(tee, fairway, green, roughs, sand traps, etc.).
A site history makes it easier to pinpoint problems by
providing a real picture of the golf course. A history of each hole is
compiled by keeping records (see appendices B.1 to B.4) of the following
information:
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turf species used, soil quality, age of the hole (whether
the run has been restored or not, etc.);
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current cultural practices (fertilization, mowing, top
dressing, irrigation, etc.);
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pest problems encountered, their location and magnitude, and
the actions taken (cultural practices, control methods, action thresholds,
biological control, chemical control, etc.);
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abiotic problems and the actions taken (drainage, pressure
from treading, quality of irrigation water, winter damage, mulch to ease
winter damage, etc.);
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observations, results (success or failure of methods used to
control pest or abiotic problems) and solutions (control methods other than
pesticides and those using pesticides).
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The keeping of
records on the total quantity of
pesticides applied annually in the three years preceding submission of the
plan to the Minister for each class of pesticides (fungicides, insecticides,
herbicides, etc.), beginning on April 3, 2003. This information is a
requirement of section 73 (par. 2) of the Code. Appendix D provides a sample
pesticide application record for each class of pesticides by application
site (greens, tees, fairways, etc.) and area treated.
This record can be used both for the use register required
under section 52 of the Regulation respecting permits and certificates
for the sale and use of pesticides and the information on pesticide use
required under section 73 of the Pesticides Management Code.
Appendix E provides a sample purchase register, a
requirement of section 50 of the Regulation respecting permits and
certificates for the sale and use of pesticides.
6.2 Part II – Elaboration of the
Plan
6.2.1 Pesticide reduction objectives
and methods used to attain them (s. 73, par. 3 and 4)
The pesticide reduction plan is structured according to the
integrated pest management program adopted for your golf course. Using the
data and information compiled during the preparatory phase, you can
establish reduction objectives for each class of pesticides and determine
the action required to attain those objectives.
The plan consists in more than just writing down reduction
percentages or amounts for each class of pesticides. During the three years
covered by the plan, you must keep a record of various information and data
in order to uphold your commitment to reduce the use of pesticides and, if
necessary, justify any fluctuations in the amounts applied.
This information and data includes:
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detection measures (scouting), their frequency, and data on
action thresholds; for example, in the form of a chart such as the one
proposed in Appendix C;
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the names of endemic, secondary, new or potential pests;
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an assessment of the extent of damage caused by each pest;
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the planned means of reducing pesticide use (type and
description of techniques, including those using pesticides and those not
using pesticides) (Appendix A);
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pest control management practices using pesticides (quantities
applied, area, frequency of application, period of control, effectiveness,
etc.), for each hole and each pest (Appendix D);
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an analysis of pest control management practices for each
class of pesticides (fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, etc.) in order to
identify pests requiring control measures and determine realistic ways to
attain the pesticide reduction objectives.
6.2.2 Measures taken to prevent pesticides from
migrating off site (s. 73, par. 5)
The plan must include a description of the measures taken to prevent
pesticides from migrating off site, such as:
- bank or shoreline restoration by planting native shrub material;
- buffer zones between application sites and streams, ponds, lakes, etc.;
- a drainage system that carries water to a holding pond to ensure
filtration before its release into a watercourse;
- a program for monitoring pesticides and nitrates in surface and
groundwater;
- anti-drift equipment for pesticide application;
- establishment of naturalized areas.
6.2.3 Evaluation of results (s. 73,
par. 6)
The plan must also include an evaluation of the results
obtained with respect to the reduction plan for the previous three years,
the reasons why the objectives were or were not attained and the corrective
action to be taken, if any, in order to prepare the next three-year
reduction plan.
Logically, results should be evaluated on a yearly basis so
that you can adjust, change or keep the methods employed to reduce the use
of pesticides on the golf course. Results must be analyzed with a view to
reassessing your control strategy for the purpose of reducing pesticide use.
7 – Schematic of the Plan
Pesticide Reduction Plan for Golf
Courses
Click to enlarge
8 – Information Sources
Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System of Canada
115 First Street, Suite #116
Collingwood (ON) L9Y 1A5
Telephone: (705) 446-1532
Fax: (705) 446-0822
E-mail: info@acssc.ca
Web Site:
http://www.auduboninternational.org/programs/acss/golf.htm
Coalition pour un golf responsable
C.P. 642, succursale B
Montréal (Québec) H3B 3K3
Telephone: (514) 285-4874
Fax: (514) 282-4292
E-mail: info@asgq.org
The Coalition is a regrouping of many associations.
Ordre des agronomes du Québec (OAQ)
1001, rue Sherbrooke Est, bureau 810
Montréal (Québec) H2L 1L3
Telephone: (514) 596-3833 or 1 800 361-3833
Fax: (514) 596-2974
E-mail: agronome@oaq.qc.ca
Web ste: www.oaq.qc.ca
The OAQ will tell you whether a person is a member and can
even give you a list of agronomists in your region who are specialized in
plant protection, green space maintenance and golf courses. These services
are free. Moreover, you can consult, the
reference guide for the preparation
and the follow-up of a pesticide reduction plan for golf courses
(french), achieved
for the agronomists.
9 – Useful References
DODSON, Ronald G. Managing Wildlife Habitat on Golf
Courses, Chelsea (Michigan), Ann Arbor Press, 2000, 175 p.
QUÉBEC. MINISTÈRE DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT. Répertoire des
principaux pesticides utilisés au Québec, Québec, Les Publications du
Québec, 2002, 488 p.
QUÉBEC. MINISTÈRE DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT and MINISTÈRE DE LA
SANTÉ ET DES SERVICES SOCIAUX. Lutte intégrée dans les espaces verts,
Québec, Les Publications du Québec, 2000, 93 p.
SCHUMANN Gail L., Patricia J. VITTUM, Monica L. ELIOTT and
Patricia P. COBB. IPM Handbook for Golf Courses, New Jersey, John
Wiley & Son, 1998, 288 p.
10 - Glossary
Abiotic: The expression “abiotic factors” means the non-living
variables within an ecosystem (climate, soil, topography, etc.) affecting
the life of living organisms.
Action threshold: The level at which a treatment should preferably
be initiated to control a pest owing to damage or economic losses.
Biopesticide (biological control agent, biological pesticide): A
low-impact pest control product made from, among other things,
microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, virus, algae, etc.) and pheromones (insect
sex attractants).
Biotic: Refers to living organisms. The expression “biotic factors”
means the influence of living organisms on the quality of the environment
and composition of plant and animal communities.
Cultivar: A cultivated variety of plant developed from known
natural species by selection, mutation or hybridization.
Ecosystem: A functional system including the organisms of a
natural community (the biocoenosis) together with their physical environment
(the biotope).
Natural pesticide: A pest control product made from plant, animal
or mineral extracts (rotenone, sulphur, copper, etc.).
Soil amendment: A substance that is added to the soil to improve
its physical properties and can also change the chemical and biological
properties.
Synthetic pesticide: A pest control product containing synthetic
organic compounds (chlorothalonil, carbaryl, etc.). Commonly called
“chemical pesticide.”
Appendix A
Examples of ways to reduce the use of pesticides on golf courses
- Raise mowing heights and mow less often. At the same time, organize
awareness campaigns to get golfers to accept the new heights.
- Select turf and plant species appropriate for the climate.
- Use high-quality seeds, disease-resistant varieties and seeds
containing endophytes.
- Keep native species and, where possible, plant a diversity of species.
- Apply organic soil amendments (compost, peat moss, etc.).
- Aerate soil to prevent compaction.
- Ensure good drainage.
- Install fences to prevent winter damage.
- In winter, install a protective cover with aeration holes on greens
and tees.
- Leave grass clippings on the ground in fairways and roughs.
- Keep mower blades well-sharpened.
- Select pest-resistant varieties of landscape plants, trees and shrubs.
- Maintain soil fertility by adding organic fertilizer.
- Apply mycorrhizae.
- Use corn gluten fertilizers.
- Establish an irrigation program to water early in the morning.
- Improve air circulation near greens and tees by pruning adjacent
shrubs or trees.
- Keep shade to a minimum in areas susceptible to disease.
- Weed small areas by hand.
- Clean equipment often to prevent spreading of diseases and weeds from
infected areas.
- Maintain sand traps mechanically; never apply herbicides.
- Limit pesticide applications by treating affected areas only; spot
treatment whenever possible.
Avoid pesticides… a natural thing to do.
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