What is Integrated Disease Management (IDM)?

IDM, a term often interchanged with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) or Integrated Turf Management (ITM), is an all-encompassing strategy that combines good cultural practice with environmental monitoring as well as the judicious use of plant protection products when needed.

The aim of IDM is to manage turf diseases effectively and sustainably.

What is Integrated Disease Management?

IDM represents more than just a modern buzzword; it embodies best practice as a deliberate, systematic approach to tackling turf diseases. It requires an understanding of the disease life cycles and the environmental factors that drive their development.

The aim is to use this knowledge to create a less conducive environment for the development of the disease and also to understand when the use of control measures might be needed to prevent turf damage.

IDM aims to manage diseases in a manner that is extremely effective as well as being economically viable and environmentally sensitive.

Core Components of IDM

1. Species Selection

Turf managers should aim to create a dominance of turf species that exhibit a greater natural resistance or reduced susceptibility to problem diseases. For instance, Browntop bent might be preferable to Poa annua when trying to reduce the impact of Microdochium patch disease.

2. Monitoring

It is important to constantly monitor environmental conditions to determine if they are conducive to the development of the disease (temperature, leaf wetness, moisture, etc.). Integrated disease management is most effective when treatments are made preventatively in anticipation of an emerging attack. Monitoring can involve the use of advanced tools such as weather forecasting systems and disease prediction models (as found on the Syngenta Turf Advisor app).

Prevention is not always possible, and so constant monitoring of the turf is also necessary to identify the signs of early disease development to prompt a rapid treatment response. It is common for localised areas of the course to be more susceptible to attack and so these areas can be used as an early indication that a more widespread attack might be in danger of developing.

3. Cultural Practices

Considerate mowing, aeration, irrigation, and nutrition techniques are needed to maintain turf health and reduce vulnerability to disease. Other factors such as surface moisture removal and thatch reduction might also be needed to create a less conducive environment for the development of the disease. The cultural management strategy should employ all necessary measures to reduce the likelihood of the disease developing.

4. Plant Protection Products

Fungicidal controls might be needed if there is a high risk of a damaging disease outbreak developing.

Preventative strategies should only be used during high-risk periods and in conjunction with a fully integrated approach. Plant protection products are highly regulated technologies and should be used in strict accordance with the label specifications.