Environmental pesticides secure award for professor

 

 

By Roy York

One UK professor has been selected to receive an award from the United States Golf Association — but not because he shoots better than Tiger Woods.

Daniel  Potter protects the grass Woods plays on.

Potter, an entomology professor, will accept the Green Section Award on Feb. 12. According to the United States Golf Association Web site, the award is designed to “recognize individuals who exemplify outstanding contributions and dedication to the game of golf through their work with turfgrass.”

Potter, a UK employee for 31 years, said he studies insects harmful to golf courses and finds alternative ways of dealing with them, using as little pesticides as possible. Large groups of insects have the potential to devastate entire courses, making them unplayable, he said.

“Some insecticides, if they get into water, can kill large groups of fish and birds.”

With the help of his graduate students, Potter recently identified a virus which is lethal to cutworms, an insect that feeds on the grass of putting greens. Because the virus is not harmful to other animals, it can be used as an environmental-friendly pesticide to control cutworm populations.

Potter said the way he and his colleagues deal with harmful insects is called “conservation biological control.” Potter protects the good insects that can be allies to golf course caretakers or other turf managers, allowing golf courses to cut down on pesticides which can be harmful to the environment.

“We’ve known for 40 years that the wrong kinds of pesticides can hurt the environment, but the industry has made tremendous strides since then,” Potter said.

Potter and his team identified a specific type of wasp that stings and kills grubs, which can devastate lawns and other turf. Potter said golf courses can plant certain types of flowers that the wasps feed on to attract them as a “natural insecticide.”

In 2007, the work done by Potter and his colleagues helped the UK entomology program secure a top-10 national ranking.

“The most important thing we’ve done is to educate golf courses on how to work with the environment … and help to maintain the balance of nature,” Potter said.