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Ohio (OH) Category 6 (Ornamental and Turf Pest
Control) Certification Exam | Latest Verified Questions
and Detailed Answers
OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION:
This comprehensive set of multiple-choice questions is designed for the Ohio Category 6
(Ornamental and Turf Pest Control) certification exam administered by the Ohio
Department of Agriculture. The questions cover the exam's core content areas, including
plant and pest identification for turfgrasses and ornamentals, integrated pest management
(IPM) strategies, pesticide label interpretation and safety, application equipment
calibration, and Ohio-specific pesticide laws and environmental protection practices,
assessing a candidate’s practical knowledge of safe and effective pest control in landscaped
areas, golf courses, and turf.
QUESTION 1
Which of the following turfgrass species is a warm-season grass commonly used on
Ohio lawns and golf courses?
A. Kentucky bluegrass
B. Perennial ryegrass
C. Bermudagrass
D. Fine fescue
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass that thrives in hot summer
temperatures and goes dormant in winter, unlike cool-season grasses such as Kentucky
bluegrass and ryegrass.
QUESTION 2
Dollar spot disease on turfgrass is characterized by:
A. Large, irregular brown patches with a smoke ring
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B. Small, sunken, bleached spots about the size of a silver dollar
C. Orange pustules on leaf blades
D. Slimy, water-soaked leaves that mat together
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Dollar spot produces small, circular, straw-colored spots 1–3 inches
in diameter; on closely mown turf, spots are distinct and dollar-sized, hence the name.
QUESTION 3
Brown patch in turf is most active under which weather conditions?
A. Cool, dry spring weather
B. Hot, humid summer weather with night temperatures above 60°F
C. Warm days and cool nights in fall
D. Freezing winter temperatures
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Brown patch, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, develops rapidly during
hot, humid weather when nighttime lows exceed 60°F and leaf wetness persists.
QUESTION 4
Pythium blight is often first noticed as:
A. Round, tan leaf spots with dark borders
B. Greasy, water-soaked patches that turn tan and mat together
C. Pink mold on leaf sheaths
D. White powdery growth on upper leaf surfaces
CORRECT ANSWER: B
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EXPERT RATIONALE: Pythium blight appears as greasy-looking, dark water-soaked
patches that quickly collapse; in high humidity, cottony mycelium may be visible in early
morning.
QUESTION 5
Powdery mildew on ornamentals is most favored by:
A. Hot, dry weather with low humidity
B. Cool, humid conditions with poor air circulation and shade
C. Prolonged leaf wetness from overhead irrigation
D. High soil moisture and poor drainage
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Powdery mildew thrives in moderate temperatures, high humidity,
and low light intensity; unlike many fungi, it does not require free water on leaves for
infection.
QUESTION 6
Fire blight is a bacterial disease that primarily affects members of which plant family?
A. Pinaceae (pines)
B. Fabaceae (legumes)
C. Rosaceae (rose family)
D. Asteraceae (composites)
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, attacks apple, pear,
crabapple, hawthorn, and other rosaceous plants, causing shoot dieback that resembles
fire scorch.
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QUESTION 7
Verticillium wilt is a soilborne disease that causes:
A. Marginal leaf scorch and wilting of one branch or one side of the tree
B. Rapid browning of all leaves and sudden tree death in 24 hours
C. Orange gelatinous spore horns on branches
D. Crown gall formation at the soil line
CORRECT ANSWER: A
EXPERT RATIONALE: Verticillium wilt blocks vascular tissue, leading to gradual wilting,
yellowing, and dieback often beginning on one branch or side, with characteristic
vascular discoloration.
QUESTION 8
Which insect order has a complete life cycle with four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa,
adult?
A. Hemiptera (true bugs)
B. Orthoptera (grasshoppers)
C. Coleoptera (beetles)
D. Thysanoptera (thrips)
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Beetles undergo complete metamorphosis (holometabolous), with
larval and adult stages often having different feeding habits and habitat.
QUESTION 9
Grubs are the larval stage of which group of insects?
A. Cutworms
B. Scarab beetles
C. Crane flies
Ohio (OH) Category 6 (Ornamental and Turf Pest
Control) Certification Exam | Latest Verified Questions
and Detailed Answers
OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION:
This comprehensive set of multiple-choice questions is designed for the Ohio Category 6
(Ornamental and Turf Pest Control) certification exam administered by the Ohio
Department of Agriculture. The questions cover the exam's core content areas, including
plant and pest identification for turfgrasses and ornamentals, integrated pest management
(IPM) strategies, pesticide label interpretation and safety, application equipment
calibration, and Ohio-specific pesticide laws and environmental protection practices,
assessing a candidate’s practical knowledge of safe and effective pest control in landscaped
areas, golf courses, and turf.
QUESTION 1
Which of the following turfgrass species is a warm-season grass commonly used on
Ohio lawns and golf courses?
A. Kentucky bluegrass
B. Perennial ryegrass
C. Bermudagrass
D. Fine fescue
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass that thrives in hot summer
temperatures and goes dormant in winter, unlike cool-season grasses such as Kentucky
bluegrass and ryegrass.
QUESTION 2
Dollar spot disease on turfgrass is characterized by:
A. Large, irregular brown patches with a smoke ring
,2|Page
B. Small, sunken, bleached spots about the size of a silver dollar
C. Orange pustules on leaf blades
D. Slimy, water-soaked leaves that mat together
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Dollar spot produces small, circular, straw-colored spots 1–3 inches
in diameter; on closely mown turf, spots are distinct and dollar-sized, hence the name.
QUESTION 3
Brown patch in turf is most active under which weather conditions?
A. Cool, dry spring weather
B. Hot, humid summer weather with night temperatures above 60°F
C. Warm days and cool nights in fall
D. Freezing winter temperatures
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Brown patch, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, develops rapidly during
hot, humid weather when nighttime lows exceed 60°F and leaf wetness persists.
QUESTION 4
Pythium blight is often first noticed as:
A. Round, tan leaf spots with dark borders
B. Greasy, water-soaked patches that turn tan and mat together
C. Pink mold on leaf sheaths
D. White powdery growth on upper leaf surfaces
CORRECT ANSWER: B
,3|Page
EXPERT RATIONALE: Pythium blight appears as greasy-looking, dark water-soaked
patches that quickly collapse; in high humidity, cottony mycelium may be visible in early
morning.
QUESTION 5
Powdery mildew on ornamentals is most favored by:
A. Hot, dry weather with low humidity
B. Cool, humid conditions with poor air circulation and shade
C. Prolonged leaf wetness from overhead irrigation
D. High soil moisture and poor drainage
CORRECT ANSWER: B
EXPERT RATIONALE: Powdery mildew thrives in moderate temperatures, high humidity,
and low light intensity; unlike many fungi, it does not require free water on leaves for
infection.
QUESTION 6
Fire blight is a bacterial disease that primarily affects members of which plant family?
A. Pinaceae (pines)
B. Fabaceae (legumes)
C. Rosaceae (rose family)
D. Asteraceae (composites)
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, attacks apple, pear,
crabapple, hawthorn, and other rosaceous plants, causing shoot dieback that resembles
fire scorch.
, 4|Page
QUESTION 7
Verticillium wilt is a soilborne disease that causes:
A. Marginal leaf scorch and wilting of one branch or one side of the tree
B. Rapid browning of all leaves and sudden tree death in 24 hours
C. Orange gelatinous spore horns on branches
D. Crown gall formation at the soil line
CORRECT ANSWER: A
EXPERT RATIONALE: Verticillium wilt blocks vascular tissue, leading to gradual wilting,
yellowing, and dieback often beginning on one branch or side, with characteristic
vascular discoloration.
QUESTION 8
Which insect order has a complete life cycle with four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa,
adult?
A. Hemiptera (true bugs)
B. Orthoptera (grasshoppers)
C. Coleoptera (beetles)
D. Thysanoptera (thrips)
CORRECT ANSWER: C
EXPERT RATIONALE: Beetles undergo complete metamorphosis (holometabolous), with
larval and adult stages often having different feeding habits and habitat.
QUESTION 9
Grubs are the larval stage of which group of insects?
A. Cutworms
B. Scarab beetles
C. Crane flies
