Winter 2011
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www.AlaTurfgrass.org
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Upcoming Events —
ATA RoadShow Seminars Recent Event —
2010 Annual Turfgrass Conference & Tradeshow ATA Member Spotlight —
David Hubbard, Alabama Coop. Extension System Feature Story —
How the Oil Spill Affects the Green Industry Turf Talk —
Earthworms in Turfgrass: Friend and Foe Turf Tips —
Timely Advice for Golf, Lawn, Sports and Sod Turf
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From the President’s Pen
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ATA Annual Sponsors
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News from ATA
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Welcome, New ATA Members!
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Calendar of Events
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Advertiser Index
The Alabama Turfgrass Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Alabama Turf Times, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Alabama Turfgrass Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright © 2011 by the Alabama Turfgrass Association. Alabama Turf Times is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Alabama Turfgrass Association. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to Alabama Turfgrass Association, Post Office Box 70, Auburn, Al. Postage guaranteed. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertion please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com
From the President’s Pen >>> Tom Wolf
WE’VE COME A LONG WAY IN THE PAST 50 YEARS!
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
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hange is all around us. It’s a new year! We have new leadership in our legislature (both on a national and state level), and we have a new board of directors for ATA. It’s my hope that these changes will bring a better tomorrow for everyone. I feel honored to be able to serve as your president this year, and I know from our strategic planning retreat last month that we have an eager board that will serve our association well. It’s hard to believe, but the Alabama Turfgrass Association is turning 50 years old this year! This is an amazing milestone for our organization, and it proves that we are fulfilling a need in our industry and for our members. We are only as strong as our members, and I can truly say that we are in a good position for moving into the next 50 years. Each year, we recognize our accomplishments at our Annual Business Meeting, but for the members who were not able to attend this year’s meeting, I would like to update you on ATA’s accomplishments over the years. • Research is very beneficial to the members of ATA, so to date we have donated over $47,000 to the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation and over $20,000 to the operational budget of the Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit. • We also believe in supporting our future members, so we have given out $22,500 in scholarships to Turfgrass majors (many of whom are now current members of ATA), and we have donated over $2,000 to the FFA Turfgrass Proficiency Award. • We have donated $22,000 to the Ag Heritage Park on the campus of Auburn University, which pays homage to agriculture and is home to our tradeshow each year.
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• We upgraded our publication Turf Times from a newsletter to a full-color magazine, we are offering an annual Membership Directory, and we are providing more on-line services like registrations, surveys and information. • We have also started a community-service project, New Beginnings, where we provide turfgrass services to the less fortunate. • We also have working committees that work for our membership, including: our Education Committee that plans all nine educational events; our Legislative Committee that tracks the issues affecting our members, including immigration, water and fertilizer issues; and also our Communications Committee that sends out press releases and promotes ATA and our industry on your behalf. If you know me, you know that I’m not one to brag; however, I want to make sure that our members know what great things your association is doing for you and your industry. Strength is in numbers, and we have come a long way! I challenge you to recruit a new member for ATA this year — imagine what we can accomplish in the next 50 years if everyone recruits another member and we double our membership! A great way to introduce a potential member to ATA is to invite him or her to a Road Show seminar (details can be found on page 8). I look forward to seeing you (and a potential new ATA member) on the road this winter. Happy New Year, Tom Wolf, ATA President Coosa Valley Turf Farms
Alabama Turf Times is the official publication of the: Alabama Turfgrass Association P.O. Box 70 Auburn, Alabama 36831 Tel: (334) 821-3000 Fax: (334) 821-3800 Email: mailbox@alaturfgrass.org www.alaturfgrass.org Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 Tel: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Executive Director Tricia Roberts Alabama Turf Times Editor James Horton
2011 ATA Annual Sponsors
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Executive Committee President Tom Wolf Coosa Valley Turf Farms
The companies listed here support the ATA and its members. Please keep them in mind when making your purchasing decisions.
Vice-President James Bartley Southern Lawns
Treasurer Glenn Hedden Town of Loxley
Past President Jeff Oelmann, CGCS Grand National Golf Course
Board of Directors Golf Jeremy Sutton
GOLD Beard Equipment Company Greenville Turf & Tractor Golf Ventures West Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation
Montgomery Country Club
SILVER
Lawncare Kim Byram Parks & Recreation Raymond Sexton
Agrium Advanced Technologies Ewing John Deere Landscapes Syngenta T&O Products
City of Troy
Sod John Carter Carter Sod Farm
Industry Bobby Farley Golf Ventures West
Institution Jason Cooper At-Large Scott Herron Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation
Jeff Hill Cullman Golf Course Alabama Lawns
Agromax BASF Bayer Environmental Science DuPont Professional Products Harrell’s, Inc. Hugghins Sod Farms, Inc. Humphries Turf Supply Southern States Valent Professional Products
Officio/Education Advisors Dave Han, Ph.D. Auburn University
Jim Jacobi, Ph.D. ACES, Birmingham
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Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
Craig Jones
BRONZE
Upcoming Events >>>
January 19 Loxley, AL Loxley Civic Center
Join Us ON THE ROAD THIS WINTER!
January 26 Birmingham, AL Birmingham Botanical Gardens
February 2 Dothan, AL Troy University at Dothan
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hat’s right — we’re hitting the road again this winter with our popular Turfgrass Road Show Seminars. These seminars provide education on current topics of interest to turfgrass managers, as well as provide pesticide re-certification points. This year’s session will include weed control, turfgrass disease identification and control, pest control and pesticide safety, taught by researchers and professors from Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Make your plans to join us on the road; we’re sure to be at a location near you. For more details and to register, visit our website on-line at www.alaturfgrass.org.
February 16 Montgomery, AL Richard Beard Building, AL Dept. of Ag.
February 23 Huntsville, AL Jaycees Building
News from ATA >>>
Meet Your New ATA LEADERS FOR 2011
On
October 20 at the 2010 Annual ATA Conference, a new executive committee and several new board members (listed below) were elected to lead the Alabama Turfgrass Association for 2011.
President Tom Wolf Coosa Valley Turf Farms
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
Vice-President James Bartley Southern Lawns
Treasurer Glenn Hedden Town of Loxley
Past President Jeff Oelmann, CGCS Grand National Golf Course
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Board of Directors Golf Jeremy Sutton (2 years) Montgomery Country Club
Lawncare Kim Byram (1 year)
Parks & Recreation Raymond Sexton (2 years) City of Troy
Sod John Carter (1 year) Carter Sod Farm
Industry Bobby Farley (1 year) Golf Ventures West
Institution Jason Cooper (2 years)
At-Large Scott Herron (1 year) Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation Jeff Hill (2 years) Cullman Golf Course Craig Jones (1 year) Alabama Lawns
Ex Officio/ Education Advisors Dave Han, Ph.D. Auburn University Jim Jacobi, Ph.D. ACES, Birmingham
<<< Welcome, New ATA Members
Welcome, ATA NEW MEMBERS! Chad Beason Southeastern Lawn Service Auburn, AL 256-673-1045 Griffin Binder Naturchem Alabaster, AL 205-260-6928 Breg Brand Naturchem Alabaster, AL 205-260-6928 Dudley Bolton Landcare, Inc. Theodore, AL 251-653-7651 Todd Brown Proscape of Alabama, Inc. Rainbow City, AL 256-312-1365 Caleb Carroll Pro Southern Landscapes Cullman, AL 256-736-3827 James Cooper 1st Turf Grant, AL 256-759-2010
Kimberly Feely Panhandle Turf & Assoc. Elberta, AL 251-960-1550
Jeffrey Ross Terry's Lawn Care Fairhope, AL 251-591-4308
Shawn Haraway 1st Turf Taft, TN 256-990-1678
Bruce Sheppard Weed Man Winchester, VA 540-545-2010
Dean Harbison Lakewood Golf Course Fairhope, AL 251-928-2758
Jim Simmons Shoal Creek Golf Course Shoal Creek, AL 205-991-9012
William Braxton Hobson Eagle Lawn Service, Inc. Helena, AL 205-481-0987
Don Smith Scotts Lawn Service Montgomery, AL 334-264-2220
Andy Turner Net Connection, LLC Birmingham, AL 205-838-2995
Bill Stoudenmire New Image Landscape Mobile, AL 251-639-0064
Jason Warren Alabaster Parks & Rec. Alabaster, AL 205-256-8888
Justin Sutton Flourishing Tree Landscapes Auburn, AL 334-559-5091
Zach Willard Auburn Univ. Athletics Auburn, AL 256-527-0794
Mike Willett Southern Lawns Auburn, AL 334-466-0600 J.W. Yarbrough Taleecon Farmers Co-Op Notasulga, AL 334-257-3930
Philip Loden City of Fultondale Fultondale, AL 205-796-4104 John Mascaro Turf-Tec International Tallahassee, FL 850-580-4026 Tommy Nalls Classic Course Services Tifton, GA 229-821-0488 James Parsons City of Fultondale Fultondale, AL 205-841-4481 Mike Posey Pine Tree Country Club Birmingham, AL 205-956-1007
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Grant Fauck Weed Man Dothan Dothan, AL 334-828-1259
Harris Carl Grant City of Foley Foley, AL 251-424-0170
Recent Event >>>
AT LEFT: 2011 ATA Officers and Board of Directors. Front row (left to right): Raymond Sexton, Jeremy Sutton, John Carter, Jeff Hill, Jeff Oelmann (Past President), Kim Byram and Scott Herron. Back row (left to right) Bobby Farley, Glenn Hedden (Treasurer), Jason Cooper, Dave Han, James Bartley (Vice President), Tom Wolf (President) and Craig Jones.
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
BELOW: Carlton Layne conducting “court” during the Keynote Presentation.
ABOVE: ATA past presidents, honored at the 2010 Past Presidents’ Dinner. Front row (left to right): Jeff Oelmann, CGCS (2010), Lee McLemore, CGCS (2008), Randy Bodine (2006), Kevin Goolsby (2005), Brian Aaron, CGCS (2004) and Mark Cleveland (2002). Back row (left to right): Jeff Cornelson (2001), Wayne Bassett (1998–1999), Todd Rogers (1997), Bill Haberstroh (1996), Rodney Guy (1992) and Ken Dillard (1978).
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By Tricia Roberts, ATA Executive Director
ATA
members convened on the plains of Auburn University last October for ATA’s Annual Conference and Tradeshow. Members were treated to a three-day event full of educational sessions, exhibits, food, a golf tournament at the AU Club and lots of entertainment and laughs. Some of the highlights of our Business Meeting included the installation of our new board of directors, awarding David Hubbard with the Lifetime Achievement Award (see page 13 for more details) and James Horton with the Member of the Year Award (he will be featured in our next issue). Both of these men were very deserving of these awards. We also presented Jim Harris (from the Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit) a
check in the amount of $3,300 to help with the operational expenses at the research unit, and we presented Wayne Bassett (of the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation) with a check in the amount of $2,500 to continue to support turfgrass research. We also presented Mark Durham (a senior at Auburn University) with our annual scholarship of $2,500. Our educational agenda was packed full with outstanding speakers and informative sessions. However, the most entertaining session was seeing our members “on trial” for misuse of pesticides during Carlton Layne’s Court, which was our Keynote Presentation. Many thanks to our actors: Wayne Bassett, Randy Bodine, John Carter, Glenn Hedden and Lee McLemore, CGCS. (Look
for a clip of this session on our website.) This hilarious session served as a great review on pesticide regulation. The tradeshow was completely sold out at the Ham Wilson Arena, with 42 participating exhibitors. We hope that every ATA member will thank these companies for their support by purchasing product and/or services from them. Their participation in this event allows us to keep the registration fees down for the conference and allows us to continue working for our industry. A big thank you also goes to our conference sponsors — their support is essential to the success of the Conference! And lastly, a big thank you to everyone who donated an item to our auction, everyone who bid on an item and everyone who bought an item at our
Continental Breakfast Bayer Environmental Science
DuPont Professional Products Golf Ventures West Greenville Turf & Tractor Ewing Irrigation, Golf & Industrial FMC Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation John Deere Landscapes Quali-Pro Syngenta
Thanks, Conference Sponsors! Welcoming Reception Sponsors Greenville Turf & Tractor Beard Equipment Company Tradeshow Luncheon Sponsor Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation Conference Breaks BASF The Gowan Company Quali-Pro
Membership Dinner Golf Ventures West Dinner Drinks Aquatrols Golf Tournament Sponsors Agrium Advanced Technologies Beard Equipment Company
Thank You to Our Exhibitors! Greenville Turf & Tractor Harrell’s, Inc. Hendrix & Dail Howard Fertilizer Humphries Turf Supply Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation John Deere Landscapes NaturChem Net Connection, LLC Next Level Ag & Turf Products North Georgia Turf Pennington Seed Phoenix Environmental Care Quali-Pro
Sod Solutions Southern States Turf Sports Transportation, LLC STEC Equipment Sur-Line Turf Syngenta Taleecon Farmers Co-Op The Turfgrass Group, Inc. Turf Scout Turf Tec International Turf Time Equipment Valent Professional Products Weed Man
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Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
AGRI-AFC Agrium Advanced Technologies Agromax AL Turfgrass Research Foundation Auburn University Turf Club BASF Bayer Environmental Science Beard Equipment Company Dow AgroScience DryJect of the Southeast Cleary Chemical Company Ewing FMC Golf Ventures West
Recent Event >>> Continued
live auction. We successfully raised $10,120.25 at the auction this year, the most we have ever raised in an auction. Auctioneer Jimmy Collins, along with our favorite ATA yelpers (Wayne Bassett and Randy Bodine), put on an entertaining evening. Fun was had by all, great deals were made on the items, and we raised funds to help purchase some much-needed equipment for the Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit. Thanks for another great Conference! Please make your plans to attend this coming year’s event, as we’ll celebrate ATA’s 50th Anniversary. Big plans are underway, including a turf and sod equipment show with demonstrations, a celebration party and outstanding speakers and educational sessions. Put it on your calendar: October 11–13, 2011, in Auburn, AL.
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
ABOVE: Conference attendees mingle with exhibitors inside the Ham Wilson Arena at the Conference tradeshow.
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<<< ATA Member Spotlight
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David serve on our board of directors as an ex-officio/educational advisor. Our association benefited from David’s knowledge, leadership and drive to make our association succeed. For instance, he started the first sports turf workshop that still continues today. As a matter of fact, these sports turf workshops led to our RoadShow Seminars, which draw a crowd of over 500 turfgrass managers statewide. The original format of the Sport Turf Workshop has been revitalized and is now offered every other year at various locations across Alabama. With the restructuring of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in 2006, David was reassigned to the forestry industry, where he also excelled. ATA left David on our board of directors in an honorary position until his retirement last summer. After 33 years, David finally decided to retire. However, that didn’t
last long! David returned to ACES parttime, working out of the Alabama Green Industry Training Center (AGITC) in Birmingham, assisting with certification training. On the days that David is not working at the AGITC, he is enjoying life with his wife, Wanda, and their precious dog. He loves to ride his Harley motorcycle (and is even in a riding club), playing golf (got to love golf in this industry) and hanging out at the beach at his home away from home. David, we are honored to bestow the Lifetime Achievement Award upon you. You have definitely left your mark on our association and industry. Thank you for all your contributions to our association. We are forever grateful to you.
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Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
avid Hubbard has been presented with the most prestigious award that the Alabama Turfgrass Association bestows — the Lifetime Achievement Award. This award was much deserved, as David has dedicated his career with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) to helping our industry. Over 33 years ago, David started his career with ACES as a 4-H program coordinator, teaching students about agriculture and serving as an official judge for various animal-science contests. He worked with a few other industries until he found his calling in the turfgrass industry. Although David was primarily in the Birmingham area, he traveled all over Alabama working with turfgrass managers, giving advice, helping diagnose problems and finding solutions. During this time, the Alabama Turfgrass Association was fortunate to have
Feature Story >>>
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
By Robert Craft, Craft Turf Farms and Mayor of Gulf Shores, Alabama
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On
understand your costs, you aren’t going to last long. This same rule applies to all other green industries. I am pleased to say that it’s not all doom and gloom. Our beaches are clean, the summer concert series was a great success, and some of our “green” businesses actually were able to diversify into other areas. I don’t know when we will actually get an accurate reading on the economic impact of the oil spill to Alabama’s gulf coast. Our latest reports show that in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach alone, our lodging revenue was down $58.3 million dollars during the period of May to August 2010. I think it is safe to say that the Deep Horizon Explosion will have far-reaching effects for years to come. Gulf Shores is a tough community, though, used to pulling together in hard times, and this summer was no exception. Our area Chambers and Convention Bureau leaders, as well as other local government agencies, have been amazing, constantly thinking of ways to help us survive. The beach concerts are a prime example of their efforts. They also created the Coastal Resiliency Coalition, which provides business planning, career counseling, financial assistance and crisis counseling for area businesses and residents. This “onestop shop” resource has been a lifesaver for many, and something I hope other communities develop. Local environmentalists, many of them volunteers, found a way to save hundreds of turtle hatchlings, and they spent numerous hours monitoring area waterways. Many residents made the decision to eat out in local restaurants several times a week in an effort to help them survive, and they continued to respond to school needs, regardless of their personal situation. The ways our community responded are just endless. Our local, state and federal government officials have been invaluable. Our message from day one was, “Let us, Help you, Save us.” They made sure our message was heard and have remained on the front lines with us. We would not have been able to accomplish all that we have without their support. It has also been very clear that we know what works best for our commu-
nity. As an example, City of Gulf Shores’ employees modified the beach-cleaning equipment and turned an ineffective process that was being done by hand into one that allowed us to clean all 32 miles of beach every 2 days. While the last six months have been a blur, I could not be more proud of our staff. They have all pulled together and
The beach-cleaning machine modified by the City of Gulf Shores employees.
Robert Craft is president of Craft Turf Farm, former owner of Craft Farms Golf Course, long-time member of the Alabama Turfgrass Association and Mayor of the City of Gulf Shores.
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Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon’s oil-drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and resulted in the biggest oil spill in North America and the petroleum industry. It claimed the lives of 11 people and leaked 4.9 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf over the course of 87 days, during the Alabama Gulf Coast’s peak tourist season. While economic conditions had not been ideal prior to the explosion, business along Alabama’s Gulf Coast this spring was up, and the area was looking forward to a prosperous summer. Unfortunately, after the incident and the negative media attention, our beaches were almost empty all summer. It’s hard to answer what impact the oil spill had on the green industry. In Gulf Shores, empty beaches mean no business, and with no revenue coming in, it didn’t take long for the community to start feeling its effect. Many of our local “green” industry businesses supply non-essential services, so during tough economic times, something as simple as weekly yard maintenance becomes a luxury and gets scaled back to biweekly or cancelled all together, and major landscape-improvement projects are postponed. As a result, “green” businesses had no choice but to cancel projects, lay off employees and/or close down completely. This, in turn, affected their sod, nursery, fertilizer and equipment suppliers and their employees, which in turn affected their suppliers and their employees. While the “green” industry may have been one of the first areas affected, the Deepwater Horizon’s explosion has impacted everyone in our community. As a turf-farm owner and operator, I can definitely say that the crisis has reinforced the importance of staying current with economic conditions and your business’s financial position. In response to the earlier downturn in the real-estate market, Craft Turf Farms had already taken steps to change from being a large centipede supplier to focusing on specialty grasses and niches that will help our bottom line. Today’s turf farm owners have the unique challenge of needing to be part farmer and part financial guru. It’s great to grow and sell lots of grass, but if you don’t
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
accomplished more for the community than its residents will ever know. I am extremely proud to be the Mayor of the City of Gulf Shores. Predicting when things will return to normal is a hard question to answer. Actually, if you had walked on our beaches this summer, at least 80% of the time you would have thought that everything was normal because the sand and water were sparkling clean. Most of our businesses are family owned and largely dependent on our areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism. They do not have other business locations that can help keep their store here going. Perhaps our greatest obstacle to recovery has been the difficulty that BP and Feinberg have had understanding that our summers (June, July and August) generally support the other nine months of the year. I am hopeful that our businesses will be reimbursed what they are due, thereby allowing us to operate until next spring when our tourist season starts again. Our beaches continue to be beautiful, and the deep cleaning is expected to be complete by the end of February. I know this community. It has recovered before, and I remain optimistic that it will this time also.
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Turf Talk >>>
EARTHWORMS IN TURFGRASS: Friend and Foe
By Steve Hong, Ph.D.; David W. Held, Ph.D.; and R. Chris Williamson, Ph.D.
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
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arthworms are soil-dwelling organisms and play major roles in soil formation, aeration and drainage, breakdown into rich humus and incorporation of organic matters, and enhancement of microbial activity in soil. Overall, earthworm activity in soil improves soil fertility by depositing minerals and plant nutrients in an accessible form. Thus, there is no question that earthworms are beneficial organisms. Alabama has 28 species of earthworms. The species present statewide are influenced by soil type, with more species exclusively in the sandy loam soils of the coastal plain. Despite the benefits, earthworms can be highly problematic in close-mown golf courses, particularly on native soils. In this case, the worms don’t consume the grass but instead leave casting material (feces) on the surface (Photo 1). Casts get smoothed by rollers, smother the grass and can increase maintenance of equipment. Earthworms can also cast so heavily that they smother and kill sections of St. Augustinegrass lawns along the coast. No pesticides are legal for control of earthworms in the United States; however, there are alternative, non-pesticide management options for suppressing earthworm castings.
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Soil amendments Because of the sensitivity of earthworm skin (cuticle), the use of angular, abrasive soil aggregates, as topdressing amendments, may provide a viable management option for golf course superintendents. Black Jack (Photo 2, a byproduct of the coal industry), Amber Jack (a byproduct of the paper-mill industry) and Best Sand (a more-angular topdressing sand) have been tested for efficacy against earthworms. Topdressing with these products in spring, or in both spring and fall, can reduce earthworm casts by 30% to 40%, relative to untreated control plots. The magnitude of reduction isn’t outstanding,
but just simply substituting another product during topdressing can be a simple way to reduce earthworm casting problems.
Expellants Expellants do just that; they cause worms to surface, usually in just a few minutes after being irrigated into the turf. Most will die on the surface or burrow back into the soil and die. Regardless, you should anticipate a cleanup if any expellant is used. Tea-seed pellets (from camellias), dishwashing liquid and mustard-seed powder are examples of earthworm expellants. Dishwashing soap and
Quick Facts about
EARTHWORMS • Earthworms are beneficial organisms that improve soil properties. • Problems result from castings deposited on the turf surface typically in spring and fall. • No pesticide can be legally used to control earthworms.
• Soil amendments such as byproducts of coals and papers reduce cast density on the surfaces. • Expellants cause earthworms to evacuate the soil, reducing castings but requiring extensive cleanup.
mustard powder haven’t proven as effective as tea-seed pellets. A single application of tea-seed pellets reduced castings by 80% to 95% for about 5 weeks. This is specifically an earthworm treatment. These pellets will not have any effect on other pests like cutworms or white grubs. Teaseed pellets will likely be marketed for earthworm control, but be advised that movement of pellets off site can result in fish kills in ponds.
pesticides. Changing topdressing materials in spring or fall is a simple way to reduce castings. These breakdown over time and will need to be re-applied once or twice each season. However, it is an advantage over the cleanup required when using expellants.
Dr. Steve Hong is a visiting scientist in David Held’s landscape and turfgrass entomology lab at Auburn University. Steve and Dr. Chris Williamson conducted some of the research presented. Dr. Williamson is an extension turfgrass entomologist with the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Others Certain fungicides and insecticides can cause short-term reductions in earthworms. Carbamate insecticides and thiophanate-methyl fungicides applied for other pests or diseases will also reduce earthworm casts. However, these pesticides aren’t registered for control of earthworms and shouldn’t be used specifically for earthworm control. It is possible to manage earthworm casts without off-label applications of
Photo 1. Earthworm casts are easy to see on the surface of close-mown grass.
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Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
Photo 2. A close-up of various slag products: (a) Black Beauty, a southeastern version of Black Jack, (b) Amber Jack, (c) Best Sand and (d) Black Jack.
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
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<<< Turf Tips
Winter Turf Tips By David Han, Ph.D., Auburn University
Golf Poa problems? Many of the new ALStype herbicides do a great job of killing Poa annua selectively in warm-season turf, but be aware that these herbicides, which already tend to work slowly, generally will be even slower when it is cold. Spray on a 40-degree day, and you are likely to be disappointed. In fairways, including overseeded fairways, Velocity has shown control of Poa with some discoloration of ryegrass. An intriguing development has been pre-
liminary work with Velocity on bentgrass greens. It discolors bentgrass, but kills Poa. Also tantalizing is some work possibly showing dollar spot suppression. Velocity is not labeled for bentgrass greens right now, but stay tuned. Also, be aware that the new MSMA labels permit only spot spraying (a “spot” is up to 100 square feet), and no more than 25% of the total golf course area can be sprayed.
Lawn care Winter is a good time to plant sod, as long as you keep a few things in mind. Do not lay sod when it and/or the ground beneath are frozen. Remember that even though the sod is dormant, it will still need some water. Although in many years, there is enough rain during the winter, sod (being thin and lacking an extensive root system) will dry out
much faster than established turf. Also, remember that in the dead of winter there will not be appreciable root growth for several weeks until the soil temperature begins to rise, so secure any sod planted on slopes with staples, and be aware that heavy rainfall events even several weeks after planting may produce erosion, undercutting the sod.
Athletic turf height? If your pitchers like the feel of climbing a taller mound from the infield, you can raise the height of home plate a few inches. Remember, it’s the height of the rubber relative to home plate that counts, not relative to the surrounding infield turf. For soccer fields, pay particular attention to the six-yard box areas. If it is possible to move soccer fields even a few yards during the season, the additional effort to paint new lines is often worth spreading out the traffic.
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Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
The approach of spring means time for soccer, softball and baseball. Take a good look at fields to make sure that they are in the best condition possible before the season starts. For example, are your skinned areas in good condition? Are lips building up in the border with turf areas? Remember to stress the importance of blowing infield material back into skinned areas regularly and to use caution when dragging infields to avoid building up lips during the season. Is the mound in good condition, and is it the proper
Turf Tips >>> Continued
Sod production Now is the time to take your soil tests and plan a fertility program for the growing season. In today’s economic conditions, you want to know what you need to apply so that you neither waste money buying too much fertilizer nor end up with nutrient deficiencies that affect appearance or sod strength. Remember that applications of nitrogen
Calendar of Events >>>
Turf Events February 2 ATA Road Show Seminar Troy University at Dothan Dothan, AL
February 7–11 Golf Industry Show and Education Conference Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL
February 16 ATA Road Show Seminar AL Dept. of Ag., Richard Beard Bldg. Montgomery, AL
Alabama Turf Times >>> Wi n t e r 2011
February 23 ATA Road Show Seminar Jaycees Community Building Huntsville, AL
alone encourage foliar growth, not root and rhizome growth. Over-applying N during grow-in can affect sod strength and winter survivability. Balanced fertility is key. Nitrogen should be applied at about 50 lbs. actual N per acre per month for bermudagrass, and soil tests should determine P, K and lime applications.
Index of Advertisers >>>
March 14 NEW DATE! Mole Cricket Classic Peninsula Golf Course Gulf Shores, AL
April 13 Auburn University Turfgrass Research Field Day Auburn, AL
AGRI-AFC, LLC www.agri-afc.com . . . . Inside Front Cover The Anderson Technologies, Inc. www.andersonsgolfproducts.com . . . . . . 20 Applied Polymer Systems www.siltstop.com . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover DuPont Professional Products www.proproducts.dupont.com . . . . . . . . 19 Humphries Turf Supply www.humphriesturf.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
April 25
Quali-Pro www.quali-pro.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Poa Annua Classic FarmLinks Golf Course Sylacauga, AL
Sod Solutions www.sodsolutions.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
October 11–13, 2011 NEW DATE! 2011 ATA Annual Turfgrass Conference & Tradeshow Auburn Univ. Hotel & Conf. Center Auburn, AL
Southern Specialty Equipment www.ssequip.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Southern States Cooperative www.southernstates.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Sur-Line Turf, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The Turfgrass Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3, 17 www.theturfgrassgroup.com Trebro Manufacturing . .Inside Back Cover www.trebro.com Tri-Est Ag Group, Inc. formerly Hendrix & Dail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 www.hendrixanddail.com
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