Blue Flag Iris Can Reduce Pesticides used on Golf Courses

Most golf courses use pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides to maintain the areas of turfgrass.  These substances are often washed into neighboring waterways by rainfall.

Plants such as the Blue Flag Iris, eastern gama grass and big blue stem serve as a "living filter" and can be planted at the edge of golf courses to help reduce the amount of pesticides that trail off into adjacent areas.

"Studies from golf greens have shown that 5 percent to 10 percent of the total pesticides applied are lost in runoff. In worst case conditions, this figure can be as high as 30 percent," says John Clark, a professor of veterinary and animal science and a principal investigator on the grant. "We have identified plant species that can reduce the amount of certain pesticides in soil by up to 94 percent in the greenhouse."

Out of the three plants mentioned in the study, Blue flag iris performed the best.  It was able to reduce the levels of chlorpyriphos (insecticide) by 76% and chlorothalonil (fungicide) by 94% in soil after just 3 months of growth. bluedominoes believes dietary and environemental factors influence children's health, learning and behavior.  To learn more visit:  www.bluedominoes.com

 Source:  University of Massachusetts Amherst.