Synergistic pest management strategies for turfgrass : sustainable control of insect pests and fungal pathogens

Batistič, Luka (author), Trdan, Stanislav (author)

Turfgrass systems in European urban green spaces, including sports fields, golf courses, and residential lawns, must balance high performance with compliance with stricter pesticide regulations. This review examines Synergistic Pest Management (SPM), an advanced form of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that integrates monitoring, biological, cultural, and targeted chemical strategies for sustainable control of major turfgrass pests. Focus is placed on key insect pests such as Tipula spp. larvae and chafer beetle grubs (Scarabaeidae) and fungal pathogens, including Microdochium nivale, Clarireedia spp., Laetisaria fuciformis, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. avenae, and Colletotrichum spp., which cause significant losses in Central Europe and similar regions. Effective combinations include entomopathogenic nematodes with fungi, endophyte-infected cultivars with optimized mowing and irrigation, and low-dose insecticides paired with biological agents. The review considers how soil conditions, environmental timing, and maintenance practices influence success. Practical tools such as decision-support matrices and a seasonal calendar are provided for regional use. SPM can reduce chemical inputs, enhance biodiversity, and improve turf resilience, but adoption is limited by biological sensitivity, product availability, costs, and technical demands. SPM aligns with EU Directive 2009/128 and offers a pathway to sustainable turfgrass pest management. Future efforts should focus on regional validation, practitioner training, and precision technologies.

• Language: English
• Keywords: turfgrass integrated pest management (IPM), urban green spaces, synergistic pest management (SPM), biological pest control, entomopathogenic nematodes, endophyte-infected grasses, turfgrass fungal pathogens, sustainable turf management, cultural practices, pesticide reduction
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 34 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss. 9, art. 2036
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-171505
• UDC: 632
• ISSN on article: 2073-4395
• DOI: 10.3390/agronomy15092036
• COBISS.SI-ID: 246790147
• Publication date in RUL: 27.08.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Agronomy
• Shortened title: Agronomy
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2073-4395
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522953241

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: travna ruša, trajnostno varstvo rastlin, zelene površine, biotično varstvo rastlin, škodljivci rastlin, varstvo rastlin

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: L4-4554
• Name: Preučevanje sinergizma med različnimi okoljsko sprejemljivimi načini zatiranja škodljivcev poljščin in vrtnin

• Funder: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food of the Republic of Slovenia (MKGP)