Alabama Turf Times - Spring 2020

TURFGRASS CULTIVATION TOOLS: Where, When and How to Use Them in Your Cultural Program

Plus: NITROGEN FERTILIZERS — Picking the Right One for Your Needs

Spring 2020

Spring 2020

TOP FEATURES Cover Story — 8 Turfgrass Cultivation Tools:

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Where, When and How to Use Them in Your Cultural Program

Feature Story — 14 Nitrogen Fertilizers —

Picking the Right One for Your Needs

Recent Events — 18 2020 Road Show Seminars

Sponsor Appreciation Sporting Clay Shoot

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ATA Member Spotlight —

Tim Orton

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DEPARTMENTS 6

From the President’s Pen

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ATA Annual Sponsors

17

Index of Advertisers

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Calendar of Events

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Industry News

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www.AlaTurfgrass.org 4

The Alabama Turfgrass Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation.

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From the President’s Pen >>>

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Spring 2020

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LET’S GET IT!

ey everyone, I hope the winter months continued to be productive for you, and everyone was able to spend time with family and friends throughout the holidays. We tend to get so busy we don’t make time for ourselves. Some ATA members did take time to work on professional development during the colder, wetter months by attending one of the six ATA 2020 Road Shows.

I would like to thank all the speakers, sponsors, and attendees that made all of these events possible.

During December, before the New Year arrived, your ATA board members met in Prattville to discuss the year’s upcoming events and how we could better serve the ATA membership. As a group, we have looked at getting more social media presence. Just like with everything, we ask all members to help us with this endeavor. An easy way you can get involved is by simply liking and sharing our page on Facebook and also Twitter. In the future, you may see us on more platforms. We are trying to become more engaged with members on a day to day basis. We are always open to new ideas, so please reach out to your closest board member and let them know if you have any ideas.

We have more events coming up throughout the year, including our Sports Turf Field Day, that we invite you to attend. This event is scheduled for March 11, 2020 in Florence, Alabama. Be sure to bring your crew members as well! These “Field Days” give a behind the scenes look at different operations throughout the state.

There will also be some great educational opportunities that morning in Florence, including a talk by Josh Willingham, former American League left fielder for the Florida Marlins about “Sports Field Expectations.” Glenn Ross of Pioneer Athletic Paints will discuss another hot topic, which is the use of robotic paint machines.

Weather permitting, we invite everyone to see that machine during the afternoon field day demonstrations. Love it or hate it, technology is changing our industry, so let’s get together and see what the hype is about; see if it will help us with the labor issues our industry is facing. Personally, I think the paint machine could be great for smaller schools where the coaching staff helps maintain the fields.

However, I’m not 100% sold on it yet, but that is why we have these events to answer the questions we have.

As we move into the busy time of the year, I challenge you to increase your networking amongst your colleagues in this great industry. We need to lean on each other and create a close network that will help everyone. I want you to focus on your health — mentally and physically. We tend to push through things and not take care of ourselves as we should. I also challenge you to get involved with Alabama Turfgrass Association. There are plenty of ways for you to help our association such as attending our events and sharing social media posts by tagging Alabama Turfgrass Association. If you’re able, I want you to consider seeking a board position. We are always looking for people to fill positions representing their segment of the turfgrass industry. We need strong members that are willing to support and work behind the scenes to continue the growth of this Association.

In conclusion, spring is on the way meaning that we’re going to be so busy, and this year will fly by as normal. I hope everyone has a safe and prosperous season. Green up is coming. Let’s get it!

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Ben Williams

Cover Story >>>

TURFGRASS CULTIVATION TOOLS: WHERE, WHEN AND HOW TO USE THEM IN YOUR CULTURAL PROGRAM

By Barry Stewart, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Sports Turf Science, Mississippi State University

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Spring 2020

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nlike most other crops, turfgrass soils are rarely exposed to tillage and therefore many turfgrass soils become compacted due to traffic. Our cultivation program is our best defense against soil compaction and the myriad of problems it can cause. In turfgrass, nearly everything we do — mowing, fertilizing, topdressing, rolling, playing games, etc. — happens on the horizontal plane. Turfgrass cultivation is one of the few things that happens on the vertical plane (I borrowed this from Dr. Trey Rogers at Michigan State). As we maintain and use turf soils, downward forces are applied and soil particles are pushed closer together. Soil pores, particularly macropores, are eliminated and the bulk density of the soil increases.

If we think of an “ideal soil” we think of one that has 50% pore space and 50% solid space. When we consider that quartz is the dominant mineral in soils, then our ideal soil would have a bulk density of 1.33 g/cm3 given that the density of quartz is 2.65 g/cm3 (83 lbs/ft3). A bulk density range of 1.2 to 1.5 g/cm3 is a good working range for healthy turfgrass. Once bulk densities creep above 1.6 g/cm3 root growth begins to be affected and at bulk densities above 1.9 g/cm3 root growth nearly stops. Roots are not drills, they grow in the pore space, and compacted soils have less and less pore space, particularly macropore space and therefore limited root growth.

The second benefit of cultivation is the control of thatch and organic matter accumulation. In cultivation we break up the organic material accumulating at the turf surface.

Sometimes the material is removed when we harvest the cores after aerifying or sweep up the clippings after we vertical mow or fraze mow. By keeping the rootzone in a favorable state of aeration, organic matter accumulation will be kept to a minimum as oxidation will proceed at its maximum rate. As organic matter accumulates and compaction happens, the rootzone is less well-aerated and organic matter decomposition slows down and organic matter accumulation increases. This leads to more moisture being held in the soil making it more vulnerable to compaction, and we begin on a downward spiral in which turf cover is lost. Topdressing is another tool in this battle with organic matter accumulation and will be the subject of a future article.

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This article is written with warm season grasses in mind.

The need for cultivation will vary with grass type and soil type. In general, native soils have a greater need for cultivation than sand-based soils. It is ironic that sand-based turf is more likely to receive cultivation than a native soil, but this is probably not surprising given the cost to establish and maintain grass on sand construction. Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass make up the vast majority of sport turf surfaces and require more cultivation. Some St. Augustine and centipede grass that receives traffic may also need occasional cultivation, but this should be done carefully. To ensure rapid recovery from any cultural practice mowing, make sure we have temperatures favorable for turf growth, 70 degree nights or 150 days with plenty of water available.

FIGURE 1: An old school rolling aerifier. Still working but the technology has improved greatly over the years.

Core Cultivation / Hollow Tine Cultivation

Hollow tine cultivation is the cornerstone of any cultivation program. It should be a “showstopper” in that it should be a scheduled event. My mind’s picture of the benefit of core cultivation is that as our turfgrass soil becomes compacted, the elevation of our surface would decline.

When we pull cores, we create a new large pore (the hole) and bring material back to the surface. As the cores are broken up and drug back into the holes not all of the material will fit into the holes and some will remain on the surface adding elevation to the surface. If the cores are collected and new material is topdressed onto the site, it is likely that enough material will be added to provide an increase in surface elevation.

Core cultivation equipment has come a long way since John Mascaro introduced the first vertical overhead aerifier in the 1940’s. Prior to this the tool of choice was a rolling aerifier (Figure 1). Modern aerification equipment works smoothly and feature a wide range of tine diameters to choose from. Core diameter can range from 5 mm to 25 mm. Working depths can range from 25 mm to 250 mm (Figure 2). Depths longer than about 4 inches (100 mm) are considered to be “deep tine” aerification. After the introduction of aerifiers it was found that compacted cultivation pans began to form after several years of aerification at the same depth. Incorporating deep tine aerification into a program occasionally breaks up this pan and keeps it from becoming problematic. Hole spacing can range from 1 inch x 1 inch (25 mm x 25 mm) to 6 inch by 6 inch (150 mm x 150 mm) and is determine by spacing on the machine and ground speed. In general as tine size decreases so does tine spacing. It would be reasonable to pull 3/8 inch (9 mm) cores on 1 inch centers but unreasonable to

FIGURE 2: An aerifier working on at the MSU Golf Course.

pull then on 6 inch centers, likewise pulling 3/4 inch cores on 1 inch by 1 inch centers is unreasonable.

Solid Tine Cultivation

Solid tine cultivation produces a hole but does not remove a core. As the walls of the hole created slough off and fill the hole with time, compaction is relieved and a zone of better aeration is created. Solid tine cultivation can be a very valuable tool in loosening up severely compacted areas to allow hollow tine coring. Solid tine cultivation improves soil aeration but does not remove any material from the profile therefore it has a minimal effect on thatch and organic matter accumulation. It does break up layering and improves infiltration and drainage. The larger the tine the longer lasting the effect will be.

Solid tining has the advantage of no cores to process and no clean up. The fields or greens are immediately playable. It is debatable whether or not topdressing should follow solid tining. Topdressing will smooth out the surface and fill the holes which could aid playability, however we are also adding material to our soil profile which means we increased our soils density. Perhaps as a once in a while practice this may be allowable but this should not be an every time practice. Also some hollow tining must be incorporated into this process to remove some material.

We did an experiment to examine aerification frequency on the MSU Golf Course in 2002 (Table 1). We used six treatments and replicated each on three greens. We used 6 inch (L) x 1/2 inch tines. We found solid tining twice monthly in two directions reduced greens hardness the most. There was not a great amount of separation among these treatments.

TABLE 1: Results of a study on golf greens at the MSU Golf Course in 2002.

TREATMENT

MEAN HARDNESS VALUE *

Solid tine 1 x year

112 a

Solid tine 2 x year

103 ab

Hollow tine 1 x year

102 ab

Solid tine 1 x monthly

100 ab

Solid tine 2 x monthly

93 bc

Solid tine 2 x monthly 2 directions

86 c

(Values decrease moving down the table)

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*m ean hardness values followed by the same letter are not different at the 0.05 level of significance

Cover Story >>> Continued

Vertical Mowing

Vertical mowing is a cultivation tool that is more focused on thatch and organic matter accumulation than on improving the physical condition of the soil, although it does have an effect on breaking up layering near the surface. Vertical mowing equipment ranges from greens equipment with thin blades and narrow spacing to larger area models with thicker blades and wider spacings. Think of circular saw blades. These blades spin into the canopy and remove material as well as severing stolons and rhizomes (Figure 3). Working depths can range from a surface tickle to about 1 inch in depth. Deep depths generate more material that must be removed to make our surface playable again. Vertical mowing is often followed by topdressing to smooth out the surface. During the growing season some golf greens are lightly vertically mown and topdressed weekly to control grain and organic matter accumulation.

Fairways and athletic fields would benefit from vertical mowing once or twice during the growing season. To ensure rapid recovery from vertical mowing, make sure we have temperatures favorable for turf growth, 70 degree nights or 150 days with plenty of water available.

Fraze Mowing

Fraze mowing is much like vertical mowing except that fraze mowing completely removes all surface materials to a set depth. Fraze mowing can be used to just remove the

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FIGURE 3: A fairway / athletic field vertical mower ready to go to work.

verdure and the thatch/mat layer or as deep as 2 inches below the soil surface. The material removed flows onto a conveyor belt and is deposited in a debris wagon for disposal (Figure 4). In many cases the material removed is a fantastic source of springs that could be used to plant or renovate a nearby field. Fraze mowing generates large amounts of clippings/spoils that must be disposed and planning for that should be part of the process. Fraze mowing will remove surface layering, thatch and accumulated soil organic matter. The regrowth from fraze mowing can take as little as 21 days to as long as six weeks. In Matt Carpenter’s research (Carpenter, 2019) on fraze mowing at

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FIGURE 4: A fraze mower removing dead bermudagrass for the resurfacing of Davis Wade Stadium at MSU

FIGURE 5: Leveling fraze mower removing a lip from an infield.

MSU we found that fraze mowing was very effective in removing overseeding in the month of May. Fraze mowing was also found to be an effective way to establish overseeding in the fall, with a mid-October date being most effective. Keep in mind that a field will not be playable for at least 3 weeks following fraze mowing. Fraze mowing may not be an every-year tool but certainly one to consider occasionally as a field renovation. Fraze mowing produces a clean new surface that is free of senescent leaves for a few weeks and during that time the field looks outstanding.

Fraze mowing has proven to be very effective in removing a dead surface in the renovation process. Some fraze

mowing equipment such as The Turf Plane have the ability to level while they fraze mow. These machines have great utility in removing lips on baseball and softball fields as well as helping to maintain field smoothness (Figure 5).

Rotary De-compaction

I think of these machines as being the parabolic plows and deep ripping subsoilers that are used to remove compaction pans from agricultural fields. These machines are beginning to be used more to remove compaction from fairways and athletic fields. A blade that is 10 to 12 inches long is rotated into the soil and the arrangement of the blades along the

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Cover Story >>> Continued

shaft produces a quaking action as the machine moves forward (Figure 6). The result is a continuous slit in the soil on 8 to 12 inch spacings. They do very little to remove thatch but do loosen up a surface. Research is needed to document the compaction relief achieved and the longevity of this relief. Some companies have equipped these machines to a sand hopper to inject sand into the slits.

This will allow the slits to stay open for a longer period of time and remain effective longer. Using one of these machines perpendicular to the crown on an athletic field may be a way to enhance internal drainage.

Sand Injection

These machines (such as the Dri-ject) have the old Toro Hydroject in their lineage. High pressure water is used to create a hole and the hole is then filled with dry sand or other dry soil amendments (Figure 7). These machines are mostly used on golf greens but larger models are available for athletic field and fairway use. Although these devices do offer some compaction relief, the sand injection is also used to tighten up golf greens after hollow tine aerification.

The sand injection also offers a small amount of thatch/ soil organic matter control via dilution. Similar to solid tine aeration followed by topdressing, a hole is being made and filled with material and no material is being removed.

Frequent use of this tool without pulling a core at some point should lead to an increase in bulk density. In a Dryject study on athletic fields done at Mississippi State, Drijection five times per season and hollow tining two times per season increased bulk densities compared to hollow tining alone (Craft, 2015).

FIGURE 6: The knives of a Redexim Shockwave.

This machine makes continuous slits in the soil while quaking the soil in between the knives.

FIGURE 7: Driject machine working at the MSU Golf Course.

Slicers and Spikers

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Spring 2020

These machines produce small holes or slits in the soil in a linear pattern. They do not have much effect on removing compaction or removing thatch. They do create holes and slits that allow the soil to breathe a bit until they are closed by traffic (Figure 8). These machines can be used frequently and there is often little to no recovery time or disruption in play. They are a good tool in the spring transition to do some “venting” and can also be used in the establishment of overseeding. The MSU Campus landscape department has an Aerovator that is often used ahead of fall overseeding. The first seeds to germinate are usually the ones in the holes created by this implement. They are also a good tool to use to open up the canopy. These machines cover a lot of ground quickly and can be used fairly frequently.

To reiterate, hollow tine coring is the backbone of a cultivation program and at least one if not two coring events should take place most years. Make this event a “showstopper.” In addition to the coring event there are many other cultivation tools that are less disruptive and can be used more frequently. If thatch and organic matter are a problem, then vertical mowing or fraze mowing should be considered. If compaction is the main problem solid time aerification or rotary decompaction may be of benefit. Develop a program that works for you and stick to it. The results will be healthier soils and healthier turf.

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FIGURE 8: An example of a slicer / spiker machine.

References

Craft, J.M. 2016. Maintaining soil physical property integrity in turfgrass management systems. MS Thesis, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS Carpenter, Matt, 2019. Fraze mowing for overseeding establishment and removal of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) MS Thesis, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS

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Feature Story >>>

NITROGEN FERTILIZERS PICKING THE RIGHT ONE for

YOUR NEEDS

By Elizabeth Guertal Ph.D, Professor, Turfgrass Management, Auburn University, AL

Methylene Urea

Urea

Let’s discuss the groups: 1. Soluble sources of N that are manufactured from inorganic (no carbon in the source) N sources.

Sources of water-soluble N include potassium nitrate (13-0-44, this and all other analyses are always expressed as percent N-P2O5-K2O), ammonium sulfate (21-0-0), and, if you can still find it, ammonium nitrate (34-0-0). [One note: since people are used to buying the analysis ’34-0-0’, some fertilizer dealers now sell a product with a ’34-0-0’ analysis that is actually created from urea, or it may be a blend of ammonium sulfate and urea. This is not an issue, it is simply a way to provide an analysis (34-0-0) that people are familiar with without having to deal with the legal complexities now associated with the sale of ammonium nitrate. The guaranteed analysis on the back of the bag will clearly show the nutrient source(s).] Any time you need a rapid turfgrass response, be it greening or growth, a soluble material should be in your spreader or spray tank. Soluble fertilizers provide quick turf greenup, which may be important when you need turf to grow and fill bare spots. Always apply water-soluble sources at lower rates (0.5 to 1 pound of N per 1,000 square feet per month of active growth) and water them in. This helps avoid the turf burn that can occur with heavier rates of soluble products. Care must be taken to not over-apply, especially if you are managing turf on sandy soils, and to not over-irrigate once the materials are out. Also, check your local and/or state regulations to make sure that you are applying your soluble N during months and at the N rates in which it is permitted. In some regions or states there are specific regulations on when and how much soluble N may be applied.

2. Soluble sources of N that are manufactured from a synthetic organic N source. We have one such source – urea.

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Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Spring 2020

It's

Culfur-Coat Urea

time to pick a nitrogen fertilizer source for your facility. How do you make that decision? Advertisements frequently tout nitrogen (N) fertilizer as the "slowest release," "the quickest greenup" or "the most available." Add technical terms such as methylene urea, ureaformaldehyde and controlledrelease polymer, and the topic of nitrogen fertilizers starts to get complicated indeed. But, it’s really not. The basic chemistries and manufacturing processes behind most of our commonly available N sources fall into five to six major groups, and you can sort out the ones you should use (and when to use them) from there.

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Urea gets a separate mention because it is, by the broadest definition, organic (there is carbon in its formula — NH2-CO-NH2). But in reality urea can be lumped in with the inorganic soluble N sources, because it behaves like those sources — rapid turfgrass response, immediately available to the plant; watch overapplication as it can cause turfgrass burn and possible negative environmental effects. Urea is often the choice for use in foliar N programs, and it works well for that, with ample research showing that foliarly-applied N is readily taken up by the turf, much of it within 12 hours of application. Urea is often the background fertilizer used for many slow-release N sources (discussed below).

3. Slow-release N sources that are slow-release because there is a physical barrier around a prill of soluble N fertilizer. Often, these are called ‘coated’ fertilizers.

The oldest coated N fertilizer is sulfur-coated urea, or SCU (~32-0-0). Introduced decades ago, it still is a common product, and there are also newer generation materials that

are both sulfur and polymer-coated. Sulfur-coated urea is made by spraying molten sulfur onto urea granules. Release of N from the sulfur-coated urea granule depends on the time it takes water and microorganisms to break down the sulfur coating. Typically, the thicker the coating, the slower the release rate. Release will be faster in warm, wet soil — conditions that favor microbial activity.

Polymer-coated-urea (PCU) products are a major part of the slow-release N market. There are many terms for the various types of coatings, including resin-coat or reactivelayer coat. Typically, these products work by allowing the fertilizer nutrient to gradually diffuse through the polymer membrane at a rate that, depending on the exact technology, may vary according to temperature, moisture or coating thickness. These products provide a precise Nrelease rate, and some can even deliver N for an entire growing season. Release rates are widely variable, and products can have release times ranging from 45 to 270 days. Materials with longer release patterns (180 days or more) can be excellent for producing a long-term greening response without the fluctuations in turf growth that may occur with more frequent applications of soluble N. The science of polymer coating has gotten quite specialized, and while urea used to be the product that was almost always coated, many other fertilizer sources are now coated (including potassium sulfate, potassium chloride, or ammonium sulfate).

4. Slow-release N sources that are slow-release because urea has been converted via chemical processes into a slow-release N source.

5. Slow-release N sources that are slow-release because they are a ‘true’ natural organic material in which the N must be released via the biological process of mineralization.

These natural organic slow-release N sources are generally manufactured from some type of waste material. Sometimes the material is composted to help reduce odors, or the material may be dried and granulated to improve handling and spreading characteristics. Common organic fertilizer waste materials include sewage sludge, poultry litter, meatprocessing waste and other animal by-products such as fish or feather meal. Much of the N in such fertilizers is organic N in the form of relatively complex chemical compounds and is not available for plant uptake until microbes have converted it into nitrate and ammonium.

Use of organic fertilizers may have other benefits that are less documented, including stimulation and enrichment of the soil microbial pool, which can lead to possible benefits such as thatch reduction or disease suppression. Such benefits, however, are largely anecdotal and need further study.

Soil temperature greatly influences microbial activity and the rate at which N is mineralized from these organic fertilizers. In cold soils, little activity will occur — an organic N fertilizer applied during winter in the northern United States will just sit there with little N available for plant use until the soil warms. By contrast, fresh poultry litter applied to turf during hot weather is relatively quickly available, as most of the organic N is rapidly converted to nitrate and ammonium.

Some relatively new N fertilizers on the market are blends of organic wastes, such as fish meal, feather meal or poultry litter, and a water-soluble inorganic N such as ammonium sulfate. Such a product would produce a rapid greening response from the inorganic N and an extended response from the organic N. These "hybrid" materials can still burn turf if you apply them at high rates, and the labels usually have a warning to that effect. Read the guaranteed analysis on the back of the bag to determine the source of the N, and how much of it is soluble and/or slow-release.

6. Urea to which nitrification inhibitors and/or ammonia volatilization inhibitors have been added.

The majority of nitrogen must be taken up by the plant as nitrate-N or ammonium-N. Soluble N sources already have the N in that form, and, as discussed above, slowrelease sources either have that N ‘trickle’ out via a physical barrier that degrades over time, or by being released from a chemical formula via hydrolysis or microbial breakdown.

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A l ab am a Tur f Tim es >>> S pring 2020

Slow-release fertilizers created by chemical reactions all start as urea. The most common product currently on the market in the turfgrass industry is ureaformaldehyde (UF), formed by reacting urea and formaldehyde to produce chain molecules of varying lengths. The length of the chains control N release, with shorter chains having quicker N release for turfgrass use. Ureaformaldehyde reaction products are also often called Methylene ureas (MU) (as if it was a synonym with UF) but it is really not. Specifically, methylene-ureas tend to be the group of ureaformaldehyde reaction products that are intermediate in chain length and have an N content of 39 to 41%. In comparison, a ureaformaldehyde that has long been on the market, Ureaform, has the longest chains, and is thus very slow in the release of N for plant use.

Regardless of the chain length, N release occurs as microorganisms break the chains, releasing N which is available for plant use. The release patterns of ureaformaldehyde products are controlled by the length of the chains — the shorter the chain, the quicker the release. Additionally, some short-chain UFs are frequently marketed as liquid slow-release materials, such as triazone. Ureaformaldehyde fertilizers are quite popular in the turfgrass market, and there is a wide variety of products available for your use.

Before choosing a specific fertilizer you should consult the fertilizer label to determine the relative N percentages that are rapidly or slowly available for plant use.

The other slow-release N fertilizer that is chemically slow release is isobutylidene diurea (IBDU). Recent discussions with southeastern US turfgrass managers reveal that few use IBDU, often because it is difficult to obtain, and it is expensive. If available, it is an excellent material for cool-season use for long-term N supply because it does not require microbial activity for N release.

Feature Story >>> Continued

Sometimes, however, the plant available forms (nitrate or ammonium) can be converted into other N forms that are less desirable for the plant or surrounding environment. In one case, ammonium-N gets converted to nitrate-N by the microbial process called nitrification. The nitrate-N is still

plant available, but because it is an anion it can be prone to leaching from the plant root zone. In the second case, another loss path is when N is lost as ammonia gas, out of the plant canopy to the atmosphere (this is volatilization, which is caused by the enzyme urease).

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To slow down these processes of nitrification and volatilization, inhibitors are added to urea fertilizer. There are different nitrification inhibitors and urease inhibitors, and some fertilizers may contain both. Additionally, there are several different nitrification inhibitors on the market and thus you should carefully read the label to see what your fertilizer may contain. The most common nitrification inhibitor in turfgrass fertilizers is dicyandiamide (DCD), and the most common urease inhibitor is N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide, (NBPT). Use of a fertilizer with a nitrification inhibitor may help to limit N leaching, and use of a fertilizer with a urease inhibitor may help reduce N loss to the atmosphere. If N is not lost from the plant root zone it is there for plant uptake and use, making your N fertilizer more efficient.

So, there are about 6 basic groups of N fertilizers. Things get more complicated when other nutrients are added and blends are created. With variations in nutrient ratios, coating types, type and proportion of slow-release N and other characteristics, you can see how the number of possible (and actual) products can become so large.

So how do you pull all this information into a coherent plan for selecting a fertilizer? First, think about what you want your N to do. Do you need to heal worn spots and grow turf? In that case, use a soluble and readily available source to promote growth, staying within environmentally safe rates. Or, do you simply need a background green color with minimal growth? A longchain MU or polymer coat with a long release pattern might work well. Do you have an environmentally sensitive area, one with a high sand content, in an area with intense rainfall?

Consider adding slow-release or materials with inhibitors to protect the environment. Last, calculate your cost per pound of nutrient. Comparing N sources on a price per pound basis removes the percent N content from the equation, helping you make a cost effective decision.

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Greenville Turf & Tractor, Inc.................... Inside Back Cover www.greenvilleturf.com Kesmac............................................................. 3 www.brouwerkesmac.com Leading Edge Communications...................13 www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com Mid Tenn Turf............................................... 10 www.midtennturf.com

Simplot Partners.............. Inside Front Cover www.simplotpartners.com Smith Seed Services......................................13 www.smithseed.com Southeast Turf Maintenance.......................13 www.southeastturf.com Southern Specialty Equipment................... 19 www.ssequip.net Sur-Line Turf, Inc.......................................... 19 www.surlineturf.com

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Progressive Turf Equipment Inc................. 11 www.progressiveturfequip.com

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A l ab am a Tur f Tim es >>> S pring 2020

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Recent Events >>>

“On the Road” — AGAIN!

By Melanie Bonds, Executive Director, ATA

BY

the time you receive this issue, another great season of Road Shows will be in the books.

This year we had Road Shows in Montgomery, Loxley, Dothan, Birmingham, Auburn and Huntsville with Huntsville wrapping up the schedule on February 26th!

The Road Shows bring an opportunity to earn pesticide and CEU points in various cities around the state.

This year’s Road Shows were staffed by a great field of speakers. Jim Harris (Auburn University) gave an overview of results from 2019 turfgrass trials and research at Auburn.

Drs. Beth Guertal and Audrey Gamble (Auburn University) presented information on “Soil Testing, for Information and Profit.” Drs. David Held and Katelyn Kersheimer (Auburn University) presented on the “Responsible Use of Insecticides for Common Pests in Turf.” James Horton, retired, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, shared his passion for drones and the use of them to improve Turfgrass Management Efficiency. We also had a presentation on “Ride-On Applicators: A New Method of Chemical Delivery”, provided

by Toro and Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation.

Peter Lange, PBI Gordon, carried on Scott Wanzor’s tradition by sponsoring our lunch and giving an update before lunch. Thanks to all who made this program a success.

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Social Media Outreach

In an effort to improve our Social Media reach, attendees at this year’s Road Shows were given an opportunity to win a door prize of cash by liking and sharing on the ATA Facebook and Twitter accounts. At the termination of the Road Shows one name was selected from all the entries to win a grand prize of $200. Thank you to all who participated in this program and “liked” and “tweeted!”

ABOVE — PHOTO 1: Ben Anderson, ATA Secretary/Treasurer, congratulates Hunter McBrayer on winning the cash door prize at the Montgomery Road Show. PHOTO 2: Dr. David Held, Road Show presenter, holding his recently published book, Urban Landscape Entomology.

PHOTO 3: Walker and Wright Mowers take advantage of every Road Show for an Equipment Demo. PHOTO 4: Welcome Dr. Audrey Gamble (Auburn University) as a presenter at the Road Shows this year.

Thanking our Sponsors for their Support at the LOWER WETUMPKA SPORTING CLAY TOURNAMENT

Our

sponsors are the backbone on which this association is built! They supplement and make possible all our programs. We take one occasion each year to say a big “THANK YOU” to them and that is at our Vendor Appreciation Clay Shoot in December.

It was a great day for shooting with unseasonably warm weather for December, and the Lower Wetumpka

Shotgun Sports Club staff did a great job as always. A wonderful lunch was provided prior to the Shoot by Down the Street Restaurant, a Montgomery tradition.

All sponsors attend this event with compliments of the ATA. We encourage all our membership to make every effort to attend this event this coming December and take a bit of time out to say thank you to our Sponsors for all they do for our Association!

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es

BELOW — Thanks to everyone who came out to the Sponsor Appreciation Sporting Clay Shoot. What a great way to kick-off the holiday season!

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2020 Calendar of Events >>>

March 11, 2020

ATA Sports Turf Field Day City of Florence

July 13, 2020

Poa Annua Golf Tournament at Grand National in Opelika with lunch following at Beck’s Turf

July 14, 2020 Auburn Field Day

November 2 – 5, 2020 Deep South Turf Expo

Mississippi Coast Convention Center Biloxi, MS

December TBA

ATA Sponsor Appreciation

2021 Calendar of Events >>>

November 1 – 4, 2021 Deep South Turf Expo

Mississippi Coast Convention Center Biloxi, MS

2022 Calendar of Events >>>

October 24 – 27, 2022 Deep South Turf Expo

Mississippi Coast Convention Center Biloxi, MS

Southern Specialty Equipment, Inc.

2023 Calendar of Events >>>

October 15 – 19, 2023

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Industry News >>>

Congratulations to Our

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

By Melanie Bonds, Executive Director, ATA

The ABOVE — Alabama Golf Association Executive Director, Andy Priest, presents check to Melanie Bonds & Tricia Roberts for Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation donation.

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Spring 2020

Dear Turfgrass Industry Professionals, On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff and membership of the Alabama Golf Association (AGA), I would like to thank you along with your dedicated staff members for all that you do for turfgrass management in Alabama. You truly are the unsung heroes that “Make the Magic Happen” every day at your facilities across the state.

Having worked as a graduate assistant in athletic operations at a Division I university assisting with maintaining several athletic facility playing surfaces (i.e. spent many hours on triplex and SCAG mowers) and being the son of a crop science researcher, I have an even deeper personal appreciation for the scientific expertise and hard work performed by golf course superintendents. I love “talking grass” when visiting your facilities for an AGA event that helps me and our staff understand your daily challenges that makes us better partners.

Our organization is proud to continue supporting the ongoing work of the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation (ATRF). Through a portion of each championship entry fee collected by us in 2019, we were able to contribute $5,800 to the ATRF to help with their research efforts. We appreciate the research work being done by the ATRF and know the money contributed is a wise investment in the future of the game.

Thank you again for making golf the great game that it is today. I look forward to many “talking grass” sessions in the future and please reach out to us if we can be of any assistance. Best wishes for a wonderful 2020 golf season.

Warm regards,

Andy Priest Executive Director Alabama Golf Association

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Board of Directors of the Alabama Turfgrass Association is pleased to announce the winners of the two Legacy scholarships as well as the Alabama Turfgrass Association Endowed Scholarship through Auburn University.

Bryan Floyd is the son of Paul Floyd. Bryan was one of the recipients of the ATA Legacy Scholarship. Bryan attends Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, having previously attended Austin High School in Decatur, Alabama.

Bryan’s major is Geography and Geographic Information Systems. He is a talented musician and plays trombone.

Jordan Patterson is the other recipient of the ATA Legacy Scholarship. Jordan is the son of Paul Patterson and is attending the University of Alabama in Huntsville where he is majoring in Finance. Jordan was in the top 10% of his graduating class of Madison County High School and continues to distinguish himself in his academic career at UAH. Lucy Trosper was awarded the Endowed Scholarship from Auburn University. Lucy is the daughter of Doug Trosper (Diamond R Fertilizer). She is majoring in Environmental Science in the School of Agriculture at Auburn and doing well having made the Dean’s list during the Fall Semester. In the future, Lucy would like to help with water quality issues in third world countries.

Applications for the Legacy scholarships are accepted from any student that is a child or grandchild of a current ATA member that meets the criteria. Guidelines and the scholarship application are found on our website, alaturfgrass.org.

Bryan Floyd

Jordan Patterson

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ATA Member Spotlight >>>

TIM ORTON A.K.A. BIG O: “ You’re Gonna Miss This! ”

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Spring 2020

T

im Orton was a high school teacher and coach for many years before getting into the green industry.

“We had to take care of the fields in those days, and I got to where I really enjoyed it.” In 1980 Tim moved his family to Sylacauga so his daughters could grow up in the same town where his wife, Mickey Adams Orton, grew up.

“In 1982, one of the members of my Sunday School class was Taylor Pursell of Parker Fertilizer. One Sunday after class he approached me and said, ‘If you ever get tired of coaching, we would like to talk to you about going to work for us. We think you might do well in sales.’ I coached a football game on Friday night, November 5, 1982, picked up my company car on Saturday, and left for my first assignment on Sunday in Memphis at the Southern Turfgrass Association annual conference and show.

Tim recalls, “Jimmy Simmons was the first to realize I didn’t know my fanny from 3rd base, so he took me under his wing and taught me so much. Not just about fertilizer and chemicals but also about making appointments; about what Superintendents did, and did not, want to hear.

Jimmy also taught me a lot about being a gentleman, but I fall short of that more times than I like to admit.”

“A good friend and mentor, Mr. Jimmy Pursell, told me ‘NEVER burn a bridge.’” Tim’s Dad, Rex Orton, a Purchasing Agent for US Steel counselled the same. “When I told Dad I was leaving coaching to go into sales, he told me, “If you tell someone you are going to do something, DO IT! But, if you see you can’t do it, be sure the customer finds out about it from YOU!” Tim Orton has a long and impressive career in the turf industry. He was a teacher and coach at Williamson High School, the University of South Alabama, Huffman High School, & Fairfield High. He worked with Parker Fertilizer, Pursell Industries, and Pursell Technologies, continuing his employment with Agrium Advanced Technologies. Tim retired from Koch Turf & Ornamental in December.

Looking back, Tim sees how the turf industry has evolved and grown in many ways over the years: “It’s a pleasant surprise; back in the 80’s many of the Superintendents kept their fertilization programs and weed control programs close to the vest. Pretty much like trade secrets. Today’s Superintendent can pick the brain of other Superintendents near and far and count on a good exchange of information and ideas. It is a benevolent brotherhood today.”

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Tim with his wife, Mickey

Tim with David Pursell

Throughout his career Tim performed the delicate dance of balancing family time with time needed on the road working. “I didn’t want to miss my kids growing up, but I didn’t want to get fired either!”

Now that he has retired, Tim has a Bucket List that he plans to check off and add to as time goes by. He hopes to get better at Surf Fishing, keep playing golf with “The Fellas,” travel and watch his grandkids grow up. He enjoys many activities including golf and getting exercise. As might be imagined from his early career, he really enjoys watching high school and college football, basketball, and baseball.

Tim says he has been lucky to get to play so many fun golf courses all over the country during his career. He was at Pursell Technologies and in on the ground floor of FarmLinks when it was conceived and built, so naturally it is dear to his heart and always will be. “I still play and practice there as often as possible and David Pursell and I still play a lot of matches together. I am also really proud that Rodney Guy (Old Cuz), and I were the first to win the Four Ball Tournament at The Deep South Turf Expo in Biloxi.

Long after he and I are gone our names will forever be on that beautiful trophy.”

Tim has been a faithful member of the Gulf Coast Golf Course Superintendents Association, Alabama Golf Course Superintendents Association, Alabama Turfgrass Association, Board Member of Alabama Turfgrass Assn., Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation, and the Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association throughout his career. We hope Tim will remain active with the Alabama Turfgrass Association, even in his retirement, and look forward to seeing him at the next golf tournament!

Tim has been married for 47 years to Mary (Mickey) Adams Orton. They have two daughters: Kacie Orton (who is in sales with Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, IN) and Martie Orton (Housewife / PTA Mom in Roswell, GA.) Their son, Hayes Orton, is known to many of our members as well. Hayes is in sales with the James Hardie Corporation in Hoover, AL. In closing, Tim says, “The Turf & Ornamental Industry has been good to me in body, mind, and spirit. I have been lucky enough to make friends with people that will be friends until the day I die. The industry didn’t afford my family everything we wanted, but it gave us everything we needed. Plus, enough of my time to be involved with family happenings. I was lucky enough to be invited to the Harrell’s Annual Sales Meeting in December 2019 and given a few minutes to address their people. I ended the address as I will end this article: Let me leave you with the words of that great philosopher, Trace Adkins.

‘These are some good times So take a good look around You may not know it know But you’re gonna miss this.’”

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