What is a key variety?

What is a key variety?

• A. A variety with no pest problems.
• B. A variety with a special high-profile use or pest that can kill it at low densities.
• C. A variety that is easy to maintain.
• D. A variety that never needs monitoring.

Answer: (B)

In turf pest management, a key variety is a cultivar that carries extra importance in an IPM plan because of either its high value or its vulnerability to pests. If a variety is used in a site with a high-profile or critical function, or if it is particularly susceptible to a pest such that even low pest densities can cause severe damage, that variety becomes a focal point for monitoring, evaluation, and targeted management. This is why the best choice describes a variety with a special high-profile use or a pest to which it is highly sensitive, capable of being killed at low pest levels. The other options describe varieties that would tolerate pests easily, require little maintenance, or would never need monitoring, which by nature don’t demand the heightened attention that defines a key variety.

In turf pest management, a key variety is a cultivar that carries extra importance in an IPM plan because of either its high value or its vulnerability to pests. If a variety is used in a site with a high-profile or critical function, or if it is particularly susceptible to a pest such that even low pest densities can cause severe damage, that variety becomes a focal point for monitoring, evaluation, and targeted management. This is why the best choice describes a variety with a special high-profile use or a pest to which it is highly sensitive, capable of being killed at low pest levels. The other options describe varieties that would tolerate pests easily, require little maintenance, or would never need monitoring, which by nature don’t demand the heightened attention that defines a key variety.