Alabama Turf Times - Summer 2016

Summer 2016 Plan Now to Attend the

Deep South Turf Expo, October 11–13, 2016

Plus, ATA Member Spotlight

on Paul Salzmann, Salzmann Farms

t s i m o n o r g A Be an t:

s o m e r o F d n a t Firs

Summer 2016

Top Features 10

ATA Member Spotlight — 8 Paul Salzmann, Salzmann Farms

Upcoming Event — 10 Deep South Turf Expo October 11-13, 2016, in Biloxi, MS

Cover Story — 12 First and Foremost; Be an Agronomist

Turf Tips — 16 BMPs for Water Conservation in Turfgrass for Alabama

12

Recent Events — 17 What a Glorious Day! Poa annua Classic, May 16, 2016

Departments

6 6 18 18

From the President’s Pen ATA Annual Sponsors Calendar of Events Advertiser Index

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Su mmer 2016

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www.AlTurfgrass.org 4

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 ©2016 by the Alabama Turfgrass Association. Alabama Turf Times is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Alabama Turfgrass Association. 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

Lots

From the President’s Pen >>>

Going on with Your Association

Jason Cooper

2016 ATA Annual Sponsors Gold • • • • • •

ayer Environmental Science B Beard Equipment Company Greenville Turf & Tractor Harrell’s, Inc. Jacobsen Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation

Silver • • • • •

BWI Companies Ewing Residex SiteOne Landscape Supply Syngenta

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Su mmer 2016

Bronze • • • • • • • • •

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Agri-AFC, LLC Agromax Aquatrols BASF Dow AgroSciences Humphries Turf Supply PBI-Gordon Southern States Turf Sur-Line Turf

S

pring was a busy time for the ATA, as we hosted the bi-annual Sports Turf Field Day and the Poa annua Golf Tournament. The Sports Turf Field Day will take a break next year, as the ATA introduces a new event that will focus on the lawn and landscape side of the industry. This spring also saw a return trip to the Montgomery Country Club for the Poa annua Golf Tournament. Next year, the tournament will return to Auburn and coincide with Auburn University’s Turfgrass Field Day. We greatly appreciate all the participants and sponsors who help make this event possible, which continues to fund turfgrass research.

Fall will bring us again to the second annual Deep South Turf Expo in Biloxi, Mississippi. We hope to build on last year’s success with four days of education, networking and the industry tradeshow (see page 10). I hope you can join us for the ATA Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, October 11. In addition to our annual reports, we will also unveil the new ATA logo.

Thank you again for your membership and participation in the ATA. Please know that the ATA board, staff and members are here to assist you in any way we can. If you have any questions, please contact our office. I hope you’ve had a great summer!

Jason Cooper 2016 ATA President Sweetspire Gardens

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.alturfgrass.org Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 Tel: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedge communications.com Executive Director Tricia Roberts Alabama Turf Times Editor James Horton Birmingham Botanical Gardens

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Jason Cooper Sweetspire Gardens

Vice President Paul Patterson

Univ. of Alabama Huntsville

Treasurer Tres’ Wilkinson South Dallas Turf

Past President Jeremy Sutton

Montgomery Country Club

BOARD OF DIRECTORS At–Large Kim Byram University of Alabama

David Isbell

Twelve Oaks Landscaping

Mickey Pitts

Beard Equipment Co.

Golf Jeremy Sutton

Montgomery Country Club

Industry Buddy Williams BWI Companies

Institution Joshua Slaven Troy University

Lawn Care Andrew Bice

Blackjack Horticulture

City of Prattville

Sod Paul Salzmann Salzmann Farms

EX OFFICIO/ EDUCATION ADVISORS Dave Han, Ph.D. Auburn University

Jim Jacobi, Ph.D.

Alabama Coop. Extension System 7

Ala bama T urf Tim es >>> S ummer 2016

Parks & Recreation Deven Peek

ATA Member Spotlight >>>

Paul Salzmann,

ATA Member Spotlight on

Salzmann Farms

By Lindsey Spruiell

W

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Su mmer 2016

hile attending Auburn Opelika Technical School from 1978–1980, Paul Salzmann never knew his side job of installing grass for extra money would lead to a career in sod production. After graduating in 1980, Paul accepted a job in Mobile, working alongside his future brother-in-law, Bill Neel, and planted his first turfgrass crop in Baldwin County that same day.

One big influence and mentor in

8

Paul’s life was David E. Bitto. A “big brother” figure to Paul, Paul had worked on his farm after school and during the summers since the age of thirteen. David allowed Paul to use his farm equipment, which was helpful because Paul did not own any equipment nor had the money to purchase any. David always advised, “You can do anything you want, if you set your mind to it,” and that has stuck with Paul ever since.

Owner of Salzmann Farms, Paul has been an ATA member since the early 1980s, and he currently is serving as the sod representative on the board of directors. He also serves on the board of directors for the Baldwin County Farmers Federation. He resides in Elberta, Alabama, close to Gulf Shores/ Orange Beach. He has been married to his wife Kathy for 32 years, and they have two children. Their daughter, Annelise, is a 21-year-old senior at Auburn University, majoring in Biological Engineering, and will graduate in May of 2017. Their 25-year-old son, Zack, is currently purchasing the farm from Paul. He will be taking over the business, which allows Paul more time to pursue other interests and hobbies.

Paul’s main hobby is offshore fishing.

He has two charter boats — Bayou Mistress I and Bayou Mistress II — and a fishing lodge overlooking the beautiful Wolf Bay. An interesting fact about Paul is that he was the personal captain for Nicholas Cage as he filmed his movie, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, last summer. Cage even signed his boat to remember the event.

Paul and Kathy’s fishing lodge hosts fishing camps and corporate events.

They have six boats total, and Paul is thankful to have the time to enjoy them to the fullest.

Paul has been such an asset to the sod industry, and we could not be more excited that his son is following in his footsteps. His best piece of advice is a quote by Mr. Haupt Banker: “Bad times will not bankrupt you. It is the good times when money is flowing that you overextend yourself.”

Congratulations on retirement and all of your success, Paul! We wish you the very best. v

Continued <<< Cover Story

Ala bama T urf Tim es >>> S ummer 2016

9

Upcoming Event >>>

Deep South

Turf Expo October 11–13, 2016 Beau RIvage • Biloxi, MS

By Tricia Roberts, ATA Executive Director

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Su mmer 2016

We

are growing deep roots in Biloxi, MS, at the second annual Deep South Turf Expo. Make your plans to head down to the coast on October 11-13 for the event of the year. This regional conference will bring turf managers from all over the Southeast for three days of educational sessions, networking opportunities and a tradeshow with industry suppliers exclusively for the turf industry.

Back in 2014, the DSTE originated from the collaborative effort of five independent organizations: Alabama Golf Course Superintendents Association, Alabama Turfgrass Association, Gulf Coast Golf Course Superintendents Association, Louisiana-Mississippi Golf Course Superintendents Association and the Mississippi Turfgrass Association. The first Deep South Turf Expo, held last October, was a success by all measures. Turf managers, sponsors, exhibitors and professors came out in full force to support this effort as our roots were planted. The support was contagious, and immediately plans for this year’s event were on the way! This year, the roots are growing, and we ask for everyone’s support of this effort as we forge forward with an expo that is beneficial to everyone in the turf world!

An abbreviated schedule of events is included here. Some highlights of the event include a golf tournament at The Preserve Golf Course, a skeet and trap tournament at Gulf Coast Gun & Rifle Club and a sports field tour of the local sports fields on the first day, followed by a Home Run Derby Dinner at the new MGM Park, home of the Biloxi Shuckers. The next day will consist of educational sessions on the latest turfgrass-management topics, a luncheon and an afternoon dedicated to visiting the tradeshow exhibitors. The expo will wrap up with a reception on the tradeshow floor that evening. Educational sessions will continue to the last day and will be industry specific.

Take a look at the program and our great lineup of speakers. v

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Schedule at a Glance Tuesday, October 11 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m........Annual Business Meetings 8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.......ATRF & MTA 8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.......ATA and LMGCSA 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.......AGCSA and GCGCSA 8 a.m. – 5 p.m............ Pesticide Training and Testing (additional fees for state tests will apply)

10 a.m. – 5 p.m..........Exhibitor Move-In 12 p.m............................. Golf Tournament at The Preserve Sponsored by BWI, Inc.

Skeet and Trap Tournament at

Coastal Rifle and Pistol Club Sponsored by Aquatrols, Inc.

S ports Field Tour (Meet in Beau Rivage lobby)

6 p.m............................... Past President’s Reception (Invitation only at Beau Rivage) Sponsored by Greenville and Beard Equipment

7 p.m............................... Home Run Derby & Dinner at MGM Park, Home of the Biloxi Shuckers Sponsored by Harrell’s & Bayer Entertainment sponsored by AQUA-AID and Regal Chemical Co.

Wednesday, October 12 11 a.m. – 1 p.m...... Spouse and Family Schooner Cruise

8 a.m. – 12 p.m...... Exhibitor Move-In

(Meet at Schooner Pier Complex)

8 a.m......................... General Session “Choosing the Correct Weed Control Program, Turfgrass Cultivar and Light Beer: Deciphering Opinion, Data and Marketing To Make The Best Decision,” Scott McElroy, Ph.D., Auburn University

12 p.m....................... Luncheon & Tradeshow Opening Luncheon sponsored by Jacobsen

“The Drainage Debacle — Issues in Constructed Rootzone,” Bill Kreuser, Ph.D., University of Nebraska

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.... Educational Breakout Sessions (by subject, 1 hour sessions)

Weed Management

Fertility & Soils

Knowst Thou Herbicide Modes of Action, Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

Turfgrass Response to Fe, Mn and Mg Raw Materials, Travis Shaddox, Ph.D., University of Florida

Insect Disease

12 p.m. – 6 p.m..... Tradeshow Open Tradeshow bags sponsored by Sod Solutions

During the tradeshow, attendees will go by all 36-hole challenge participants to get scorecards stamped. Scorecards can be redeemed during the late-afternoon reception for beverages. Exhibitors, be sure to register to be a hole sponsor!

10:00 a.m.

Neonicotinoids and Their Effect on Bees, David Held, Ph.D., Auburn University

11:00 a.m.

Herbicide Chemistry — Application and Movement, Ramon Leon, Ph.D., University of Florida

Maximizing Foliar Fertilizers, Beth Guertal, Ph.D., Auburn University

Nematode Control for Warm-Season Turf, Billy Crow, Ph.D., University of Florida

Tradeshow Talks (on small stage in tradeshow, 20 min. each) 1:40 p.m.

Hacking Putting Green Speed, Scott McElroy, Ph.D., Auburn University

2:40 p.m.

How Much Light Is Your Turf Receiving?

Beth Guertal, Ph.D., Auburn University

3:40 p.m.

New Turfgrass Varieties, Wayne Philly, Mississippi State University

4 p.m. – 6 p.m....... Reception & Silent Auction on Tradeshow Floor Reception sponsored by Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation Attendees turn in scorecards from 36-hole challenge for beverages.

Thursday, October 15 7 a.m........................................................................................................................................................................ Continental Breakfast in hallway Sponsored by Syngenta 8 a.m. – 12 p.m......................................................................................................................................... Educational Breakout Sessions (by industry, 1 hour sessions) Golf

Lawn Care

The Growing Degree Day Model for Primo Application on Putting Greens, Bill Kreuser, Ph.D., University of Nebraska

Management of Centipede and St. Augustinegrass, Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., University of Florida

Deciphering the interactions of Primo, Nitrogen and Management, Jim Harris, Austin Brown and Scott McElroy, Ph.D., Auburn University

Bermudagrass Cultivar Selection and Management, Dave Han, Ph.D., Auburn University

Sports Turf

Sod Production

Landscape

8:00 a.m.

Baseball Infield Pre-Emergence Herbicides Management: for Sod Production, Become a Dirt Expert, Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Barry Stewart, Ph.D., Mississippi State University Mississippi State University

Proper Planting and Pruning of Shrubs and Trees, Chris Francis, Chris Francis Tree Care

9:00 a.m.

Non-Herbicidal Strategies to Manage Annual Bluegrass, Beth Guertal, Ph.D., Auburn University

New Worker Protection Standards & How They Affect Your Business, Sonja Thomas, ACES

Colorful Commercial Landscapes, Geoff Denny, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

Sod Farm Nutrient Management, Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., University of Florida

Designing Sustainable Landscapes, Michael Symour, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

Turfgrasses in Changing Times, Ken Morrow, The Turfgrass Group

Irrigation Troubleshooting, Tom Burns Ewing Irrigation

10:00 a.m.

Blights of Bermudagrass Disease Management for Irrigation Maintenance and Warm-Season Lawns Design for Sports Fields, Putting Greens, Maria Tomaso-Peterson, Ph.D., Bruce Martin, Ph.D., Clemson Tom Burns, Ewing Irrigation Mississippi State University 11:00 a.m.

Disease and Nematode Management for Bermudagrass Greens, Bruce Martin, Ph.D., Clemson University

Weed Management in Centipede and St. Augustine, Ramon Leon, Ph.D., University of Florida

Weed Management on a Shoe-String Budget, Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

8 a.m. – 12 p.m........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Exhibitor Break-Down 12 p.m............................................................................................................................................................................................... Conference Adjournment & CEU Sign-Ups

Registration is officially open online at www.DeepSouthTurfExpo.org. Be sure to register early, and make your hotel reservations at our host hotel, the Beau Rivage, a five-diamond resort overlooking the Mississippi Sound. A link to the hotel’s online reservation service can be found on our website. Help us grow deep roots, and be part of this invaluable event for exclusively for turfgrass managers across the Southeast!

Cover Story >>>

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Mike

y Jr., Goatle

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Su mmer 2016

H

Ph.D.,

Exten sor and

Tech

Profes

ave you ever thought of yourself as an agronomist?

If not, you should. I used this title for a presentation at the inaugural Deep South Turf Expo in 2015 because it seems that the older I get, the more I see the value of returning to the basics in turfgrass management. I always make it a point to tell students to let people know they are an agronomist because that sets up the opportunity to tell people what it is that they do.

12

list, V s Specia

When I was a new Ph.D. in Starkville back in the late 1980s, all of the secretaries were worried about how I could be 27 years old and not be married yet.

In their concern for me, still being single at such an advanced age, I would be invited regularly to church bingo and fish fries so that I could just “by chance” meet some of their lady friends.

One of the young ladies I met asked what I did, and I said, “I am an agronomist.” She then went on to tell me that was cool and that while she was

somewhat embarrassed to admit it, “I read my horoscope every day, and I’m a Pisces.” Hmm… I think we had a failure to communicate!

Unfortunately, the term agronomy has fallen out of use over the years because of the confusion as to what it means. The two departments that I have worked for at Mississippi State and Virginia Tech both moved away from being Agronomy Departments many years ago. However, the basis of being an agronomist still applies to each

t s i

liver. Sometimes it helps for a refresher course on the basics in agronomy so that you can return to utilizing all the high-tech equipment and strategies that make you so great at your job. So, get ready to be refreshed.

It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature

I don’t think there are any more skilled agronomists than turfgrass managers in manipulating Mother Nature, given how we can grow turf under some crazily extreme environmental and use conditions. Most of the strategies I will detail in this article are ways that we have figured out how to manipulate Mother Nature, and those manipulations evolve every growing season.

However, it also becomes quickly evident how difficult it is to consistently fool Mother Nature, even with the resources and tools at your disposal.

Where you are located makes a huge difference as to whether you are trying to grow warm-season or cool-season grasses. We are always reminded of this each time we face the challenges of cold winters and/or hot summers, extreme drought or excessive moisture, and all the possible combinations of just these two environmental factors of temperature and moisture. But then we add in one more consideration that often seems to be overlooked until after we realize it is limiting: light.

Light

Air supply

I’ve been “All Out of Love” for this 1970s band for many years, but air supply is oh-so important for healthy turf, and it ties in directly with how successful selective pruning can be in improving turfgrass health. In addition to enhanced light penetration, effective pruning also greatly improves air circulation. The more stirring of the air you have, the less the disease pressure, and the better the process of evapotranspirative (ET) cooling. And having plenty of ET potential might be the only chance you have for keeping cool-season grasses alive during some of your most stressful environmental periods.

For those of you who have been in this business since the early 1990s, think

13

Ala bama T urf Tim es >>> S ummer 2016

of us who manages grass because it is essentially talking about someone who manages plants AND soils. In this management, your agronomic skills also include the principles of biology, chemistry, genetics, biochemistry and mathematics. See how smart you must be? And all along you thought you were just a professional grass cutter!

When you get caught up in the daily grind and challenges of delivering on your job, you often forget just all the expertise that you have and that you de-

We know light matters, but we keep pressing the limits of where we can grow grass under reduced light conditions. Trees impact turf on golf courses and in lawns; the verticality of stadiums affects how well grass is now growing on many professional and collegiate stadium sports fields.

It is important to remember the “q words” for light: quantity and quality.

For instance, that dappled light penetrating the canopies of most hardwoods has very poor photosynthesis properties for the turfgrass below. And the type of grass (warm- or cool-season) and its response to light makes a difference, too. Cool-season grasses become light saturated for photosynthesis fairly quickly, while warm-season grass photosynthetic rates climb as greater light saturation occurs. These differ-

ences have important management implications for the different types of grasses and how they respond to light.

Bell and Danneberger (1999) at Ohio State reported that when working with cool-season turfgrasses, turf receiving sunlight for only 40% of the day maintained color and density even when shaded at 31% of full sun. It was the duration of the shade that was more destructive to turfgrass growth and development. Bunnell et al (2005) at Clemson reported that afternoon shade was more detrimental to TifEagle bermudagrass growth and development as compared to morning shade.

What I take home from all this great research is that fortunately, when it comes to growing good turf, sometimes it takes only some fairly small adjustments in tree canopies to successfully co-mingle trees and turf. Selective pruning internally in the tree’s canopy architecture and “limbing up” might make enough of a difference to maintain a reasonably healthy turf canopy.

While it won’t apply to most facilities, the use of supplemental lighting on high-end athletic fields continues to become more common, and I can think of at least a handful of situations where I have seen some pretty ingenious uses of supplemental light by superintendents on some of their most challenging putting greens. Most of you will likely never have to tackle supplemental lighting in your management program, but I remind you to never say never.

Cover Story >>> Continued

what an advancement fans were in efforts to grow bentgrass in the South where as little as a 3- to 4-mph breeze was the difference between life and death. Then as we better understood the strategies in syringing (over-the-top applications of up to 0.05" of water) the turf and combined that with the use of fans, another huge step forward was made in our strategies to overcome Mother Nature’s environmental limitations.

This was confirmed by research by Guertal et al. (2005) at Auburn, who reported that the use of fans and syringing both reduced rootzone temperatures of ‘Crenshaw’ creeping bentgrass, and the treatment effects were even more pronounced when the treatments were combined. However, it was the fan treatment that consistently increased root length density, providing at least a 33% increase in roots at all rating dates.

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Su mmer 2016

Cutting to the chase

There’s no way we can talk agronomic principles of turfgrass management and not bring cutting heights into the discussion, especially as we build upon the environmental limitations and our management strategies just listed above.

Think about how much benefit just a slight raising of the cutting height has made at some point in your turfgrassmanagement career. The reason why is that this adjustment increases the photosynthetic leaf area by approximately 25%. Something this simple makes such a huge difference, yet in our quest for the fastest, most-dense playing surfaces, we sometimes forget how something this basic can be the difference between living or dead turf.

One great tool that has allowed us to push the extremes in tolerable cutting heights and low-light conditions in turfgrass management has been trinexipac-ethyl (TE). This plant growth regulator (PGR) that we now take for granted was a pretty revolutionary compound when it first hit the market, and it remains an important management tool to this day.

In particular for ultradwarf bermudagrass management, the research by Bunnell et al. (2005) reported that when TE was combined with raising the mowing height of ‘TifEagle’ bermudagrass from 3.2 mm to 4.7 mm, the turf-quality

14

improvement was significant when as little as 4 hours of light per day were supplied. McCarty et al. (2011) compared TE to other PGRs on ‘TifEagle’ and reported that it was a superior treatment for improving roots, reducing clippings and enhancing the playability of putting greens. And of course, these types of responses have been evidenced for many years on both warm- and coolseason turfs nationwide as researchers dialed in appropriate use rates for different grasses, climates and uses.

Going under cover

Another strategy that turfgrass managers have successfully employed to manipulate Mother Nature is the use of either temporary or permanent winter covers. The use of temporary covers in ultradwarf putting green management came onto the scene in the 1980s, and I remember one of the first comments was, “That’s crazy… why would anyone want to go to the trouble to pull covers on and off throughout the winter?”

Of course, what was first deemed crazy is now a standard management strategy, particularly in warm-season turf management. However, covers have a variety of potential uses pending how they alter temperature and light at the turfgrass canopy surface. I have dabbled in cover research for more than 15 years, going back to partnering with Mississippi State CGCS Pat Sneed in an on-course research project in the early 2000s (Goatley et al., 2007). I continue to be intrigued by the potential turf response to and use of a new turfgrass cover source, but I find that pretty much any cover source will have both desirable and undesirable properties that should be considered in cover selection and use.

Black polypropylene weaves have been a standard “ultradwarf bermudagrass protection blanket” for years, owing to their low-temperature protection and ease in handling. However, they aren’t very effective if you are trying to promote early spring greening and/or an off-season grow-in or recovery of turf.

As with all agronomic practices that manipulate Mother Nature, there is an element of give and take in play. When Virginia Tech had a Kentucky bluegrass football practice field, a temporary cover was applied to the bluegrass in early March in order to enhance its growth and color for spring practice.

It worked quite well and delivered just what the coaches desired for spring ball. However, later on that summer, the spring-covered turf paled in comparison in turf quality to the areas that were not covered previously. VT graduate student Nick McKenna termed this “post-cover decline,” a response that inevitably had to occur due to using so much of the plant’s carbohydrate reserves in that one big spring push for color and density.

Celebrate youth

My mentor from the University of Kentucky, Dr. A.J. Powell Jr., used a great word one time during a presentation at a turf conference that at the time I didn’t realize how agronomically important it was. But once I thought about it, that word has stayed with me ever since: juvenility. He pointed out that we spend our time as turfgrass managers striving for (1) the most-uniform, dense turfgrass canopies possible, (2) the deepest, most-extensive root system possible and (3) accolades from our end users for the turf appearance, quality, playability and/or safety. Those are some pretty typical goals, but it begs the question: does achieving your goals ever work against you? And the answer is a resounding YES. The reason why is very simple. It’s all about competition among the turfgrass plants as they fight for light, air, water, nutrients, etc. The highest-quality, mostdense turfgrass canopies are literally waging an internal war amongst itself in that canopy, and it is only by successfully using or manipulating many of the agronomic principles detailed here that those surfaces are sustained for long periods of time.

Mother Nature’s great rejuvenation tool for vegetation is fire, and some of the readers here can likely recall that before the days of concern for air pollution (and the unintentional burning down of a few buildings and/or homes), it was commonplace that a late-winter burning event was used to remove much of the dead foliage from a dormant warm-season turf. The spring greening response following a quick burn was always remarkable.

These days, we mostly use our mechanical tools to remove some of this competition and stimulate new growth. Verticutters and groomers are

Continued <<< Cover Story

standard fare in the intensive management of high-input turfgrasses, and one of the latest tools that I think is tailor made for the growth habits of most warm-season turfgrasses is fraze mowing. If you have ever done a grow-in for bermudagrass or zoysiagrass turfs, you remember how healthy and actively growing that turf was once the grow-in really reached a zenith. I think of fraze mowing as returning to that peak growin situation, but with the advantage of having already established sprigs. This is an awesome agronomic strategy to restore your turf’s juvenility every three to five years.

Concluding remarks

I have only scratched the surface of agronomic principles in this article, as there has been little to no discussion about fertilization, irrigation and soilaeration programs in managing healthy turf. We also could have an entire article devoted to the breeding and evaluation programs for new cultivars and how new species and/or cultivars affect our agronomic-management programs and the uses of the grasses. I encourage you to embrace your role as an agronomist and tell everyone just what that professional title means. And by the way, I am a Virgo. v

References

Bell, G.D., and T.K. Danneberger. 1999.

Temporal shade on creeping bentgrass turf. Crop Sci. 39:1142-1146.

Bunnell, B.T., L.B. McCarty, and W.C. Bridges. 2005. ‘TifEagle’ bermudagrass response to growth factors and mowing height when grown at various hours of sunlight. Crop Sci. 45:575-581.

Goatley, J.M., Jr., J.P. Sneed, V.L. Maddox, B.R. Stewart, D.W. Wells, and H.W. Philley. 2007. Turf covers for winter protection of bermudagrass golf greens.

Applied Turfgrass Science. 4:1-9.

McCarty. L.B., T.G. Willis, J.E. Toler, and T. Whitwell. 2011. ‘TifEagle’ bermudagrass response to plant growth regulators and mowing height. Agron. J. 103:988-994.

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Ala bama T urf Tim es >>> S ummer 2016

Guertal, E.A., E. van Santen, and D.Y. Han. 2005. Fan and syringe application for cooling bentgrass greens. Crop Sci. 45:245-250.

Turf Tips >>>

Best Management Practices for Water Conservation in Turfgrass for Alabama Compiled by David Han, Ph.D., Auburn University & Alabama Cooperative Extension System

✔

se turfgrasses that are well U adapted to the site where they are growing, considering:

✔

•U se technology to monitor rainfall, evaporation and soil moisture status.

• Climate • Shade • Soil type

• I rrigate only as needed to replace the water the turfgrass is using or to maintain a desired soil moisture content.

• Availability of irrigation • Traffic and other stresses

✔

Manage the turfgrass properly

• I f water monitoring technology is not available, monitor the turfgrass plants and irrigate when they show the initial signs of drought stress.

to promote good turf health and minimize stress.

•A pply the proper amount of nitrogen fertilizer for the species and variety of turfgrass and for the intended use of the turf.

•T ake soil and/or tissue tests regularly to maintain proper levels of phosphorous, potassium and micronutrients and to maintain proper soil pH.

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Su mmer 2016

•M ow at the correct height and frequency for the turfgrass species/variety and intended use.

•A erate regularly to maintain good root health and reduce soil compaction.

• E mploy IPM to manage pest problems and promote healthy turfgrass growth.

•W here applicable, use wetting agents to improve water infiltration and distribution in the rootzone.

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Irrigate according to the actual water needs of the turfgrass, rather than a calendar schedule.

✔

• I rrigate in the morning to reduce water loss to evaporation.

• E nsure that irrigation water applied is reaching the rootzone rather than running off. Observe the irrigation, and shut it off if runoff occurs.

•P rogram a series of “run and soak” cycles, if able.

•C onsider upgrading controllers to allow more precise control of irrigation timing.

•W here possible, make use of recycled water, rain barrels, etc.

•D O NOT irrigate during rainfall or when the soil is already saturated.

References

•C onsider taking advantage of warm-season grass’ natural ability to withstand drought by going dormant in areas where continuous growth is not absolutely necessary.

Alabama Smart Yards Manual, ANR-1359, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, 2012

Smart Yards App, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, 2014 https://store.aces.edu/ItemDetail. aspx?ProductID=18796

Best Management Practices for Landscape Water Conservation, Bulletin 1329, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, 2007

BMP Worksheet, Alabama GCSAA, 2013 v

Properly use, maintain and

upgrade irrigation equipment to optimize efficiency.

•C onduct regular irrigation audits to make sure that water is being applied evenly and that the irrigation system is generally in good working order.

•U se rain sensors to shut down irrigation during rain events.

<<< Recent Event

What a

Glorious Day! Poa annua Classic • May 16, 2016

By Lindsey Spruiell

T

his year’s Poa annua Classic Golf Tournament was nothing short of a shining success. The weather was beautiful, the food was delicious, and we had a great turnout of attendees for this event held at the Montgomery Country Club on Monday, May 16.

Our day started with an educational seminar on “21st Century Turf Management Techniques” from Mark Langner with AQUA-AID. Attendees then enjoyed a hot barbeque lunch, thanks to our sponsors — Jacobsen and Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation.

Finally, it was off to the links! Guests enjoyed 18 holes of golf on the exquisite Montgomery Country Club course. Congratulations to the winning team: Cooper Hunter, Mike Handzus and Mark Bentley. After a long day of putting greens, drinks and friends, our day ended with an awards reception provided by our sponsors.

Thank you again to all of our sponsors, host superintendent Jeremy Sutton and the Montgomery Country Club for all of their support. v

Continued <<< Cover Story

Thanks to Our Lunch Sponsors!

Jacobsen Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation

Thanks to All Our Sponsors!

Agri-AFC, LLC AQUA-AID Bayer Environmental Beard Equipment Co. Beck’s Turf Farm BWI Companies Dow AgroSciences Ewing Greenville Turf & Tractor Harrell’s, Inc. Jacobsen Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation Residex SiteOne Landscape Supply Southern States Syngenta

Digital Marketplace Scan the QR code: Download your favorite QR reader to your phone and scan the code to learn more about these companies.

Ala bama T urf Tim es >>> S ummer 2016

17

Calendar of Events >>>

Index of Advertisers >>>

Turf Events

Agri-AFC,LLC............................................................. 3 www.agri-afc.com Aquatrols Corporation of America.......................9 www.aquatrols.com BWI Companies........................................................8 www.bwicompanies.com Coosa Valley Turf Farms........................................17 www.coosavalleyturffarms.com Greenville Turf & Tractor, Inc......Inside Back Cover www.greenvilleturf.com Gulfcoast Organic Inc............................................. 5 Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation......... Inside Front Cover www.jerrypate.com RD Murphy, LLC....................................................... 7 www.rdmurphy.com Riebeling Farms, Inc...............................................15 Smith Seed Services...............................................17 www.smithseed.com Southeast Turf Maintenance................................. 7 www.southeastturf.com Southern Specialty Equipment..............................6 www.ssequip.net Southern State Turf...............................................17 www.ssturf.net Sur-Line Turf, Inc....................................................15 www.surlineturf.com Syngenta Professional Products............................9 The Andersons Technologies, Inc....................... 18 www.andersonsgolfproducts.com The Turfgrass Group............................. Back Cover www.theturfgrassgroup.com TriEst Ag Group, Inc................................................ 7 www.hendrixanddail.com

September 8

October 20–21

October 5–8

January 18–20, 2017

University of Tennessee Turf & Ornamental Field Day University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN NRPA Congress and Expo (Nat. Rec. and Park Assn.)

St. Louis, MO

October 11–13

Deep South Turf Expo Beau Rivage Biloxi, MS

October 19–21

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Su mmer 2016

LANDSCAPES 2016 (formerly the PLANET Green Industry Conference) Louisville, KY

18

GIE+EXPO and Hardscape North America Kentucky Expo Center Louisvile, KY Gulf States Horticultural Expo Mobile, AL

January 24–27, 2017 STMA Conference and Exhibition Orlando, FL

February 4–9, 2017

Golf Industry Show Orange Co. Convention Ctr. Orlando, FL