Arkansas Turfgrass - Fall 2023

ECOLOGICALLY BENEFICIAL TURF

A Changing Landscape

PLUS > Highlights from the University of Arkansas

Turfgrass Field Day

UNIVERSITY OF

TEAM

Find your ‘WHY’

Tel: 479-301-5534

Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 Franklin, TN 37064 Tel: 615-790-3718

Josh Landreth ATA Vice President

What motivates you as a turfgrass professional? Are you motivated by helping people? Do you just love grass? Do you find the science of how things grow and develop as interesting as I do? Is it the money (not likely if you chose this as a profession)? Are you motivated by fear? Am I going to lose my job if the greens die? If my customers aren’t happy, would I be able to make it in the corporate world? What motivates you? WHY do you do what you do?

As I get older, I find my motivations changing…sometimes dramatically. I still have big goals for my business, but what truly brings me joy is different today than it was 10 years ago. Once, I was motivated by “success”, “growth”, “numbers”. Let me tell you, there is nothing wrong with that, and if that’s not you, you need to find someone in your organization that is. However, the metrics that typically define success don’t have to be the end-all of what motivates us as turfgrass professionals.

Now, I find fulfillment in simple conversations with friends that have been in the industry as long as I have. I get excited knowing that the vendors we care about are expanding and their employees’ careers are taking off. I love when our technicians or salespeople stop by my office to ask complicated questions about why iron makes the grass green. Quite frankly, I’m motivated to invest in my staff so I can take off and go to the river an “occasional” Friday.

We’re all motivated by different things, but it’s important to identify what those things are. If the numbers bore you, someone else may find their motivation in helping you with that part of your responsibilities. If you’re motivated by helping people, but your entire responsibility is dishing out orders to your golf course staff, it may prove disheartening over time.

As I think of those that serve the ATA, we are genuinely motivated by helping professionals like ourselves. We desire to provide opportunities for you to feel more fulfilled in your profession than you would otherwise. We care about you. We care about our industry. We care about our state. We care, and it’s motivating.

We are so excited about where the industry is going in the state of Arkansas. We should be so proud of the educators we have (Dr. Richardson, Dr. Hutchens, Dr. Wright-Smith) in our state. We should be so proud of the world class golf courses we have in our state. We should be so proud of the sports facilities and the incredible LCO’s that reside right here in Arkansas. We should be proud of the improvements this organization has made over the past few years.

We hope that you will allow the ATA to serve you along the way! It’s what motivates us! We can’t wait to see each of you in Hot Springs in January.

Sincerely,

Josh Landreth

VATA-Vice President

Email: info@leadingedge communications.com

ATA OFFICERS

Richard Covert, President Baptist Health Systems Richard.covert@baptist-health.org

Kyle Sanders, Immediate Past President Sanders Ground Essentials 501-315-9395 kylesanders@sandersground.com

Courtney Landreth Executive Director ataturfgrass@gmail.com

Pat Berger, Director Emeritus University of Arkansas • 479-575-6887 pberger@uark.edu

Charlie Bowen, Director Emeritus Arkansas Hydroseed • 501-315-7333 charliebowen@yahoo.com

Daniel O’Brien, Educational Chair dpo001@uark.edu

Seth Dunlap Arkansas State Plant Board seth.dunlap@agriculture.arkansas.gov 501-225-1598

Daniel Baxley Parks & Recreation Director of Mountain Home dbaxley@cityofmountainhome.com

Brandon Bradley Picture Perfect Lawns brandon@pictureperfectlawns.com

Mark Brown Nabholz • 501-749-7459 rmbrown2@ualr.edu

Rodney Fisher Agra Turf, Inc. • 501-268-7036 agrarod@yahoo.com

Josh Landreth, Vice President Ace of Blades • 479-530-7001 aceofblades@cox.net

Guy Oyler Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation goyler@jerrypate.com • 501-317-5980

Rodger Pevehouse Life Member

Jay Randolph Sebastian County Park Admin. & Golf Course Superintendent jrandolph@co.sebastian.ar.us

Ricky Self Cypress Creek r.self@yahoo.com • 501-605-8000

Better Built. Quality Results. Period.

Sports field, Park and Estate Mowers

Contour / Rough Finishing Mowers

Contour/rough finishing mower: Pro-Flex™ 120B 10’ cut TDR-X™ roller mower 10.5’ cut

Turf Grass Production Mowers

Tri-Deck cutting widths: 12’, 15.5’, 22’*, 36’*

Progressive Turf builds the right mowers and rollers for any field. For over 30 years they have set and re-set the standards in commercial grade mowing equipment.

Contact your Progressive Dealer to find out why Progressive products are outstanding in any field!

1. What is Matrix?

• Reinforced product grown at bottom of sand based profile

• Sprigged field to insure highest percolation rates

• Ready to Play product

2. Where is it used?

• High demand athletic fields: football, soccer, baseball, softball, and rugby.

• High traffic areas: Horsetracks, goalmouths, and tournament crosswalks.

* available with bolt-on galvanized deck shells

Ecologically Beneficial Turf

A CHANGING LANDSCAPE

By

Govements such as “Save the Bees”, “No Mow May”, and “Let it Bloom June” are recently trending critiques of monoculture lawns. They highlight the lack of plant and insect diversity in single grass species or cultivar lawns. In recent years, programs like Operation Pollinator have moved the golf industries toward stakeholder interests by supporting research and outreach efforts to improve the ecological function of turf on their facilities. Similarly, the turfgrass industry must prepare to do the same for lawns. While replacing grass lawns with flower gardens, white clover fields, or meadows may be beneficial for pollinators and people in some areas, it ignores the documented want and need for lawns in modern society.

Monoculture lawns, typically a green frame around residential and commercial buildings, accumulate pests and consume

a significant sum of inputs. Monoculture lawn alternatives, such as diversified, pollinator friendly, or flower lawns have been discussed; however, a warm-season alternative lawn with known beneficial impact and best management practices (BMPs) has not solidified in science or common practice. Understanding BMPs, and the benefits of these lawns, are crucial goals for the future of the turfgrass industry. The United States Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) has funded the Refuge Lawn project to help highlight these goals.

The Refuge Lawn project consists of interdisciplinary researchers from Mississippi State University (MSU), Auburn University (AU), and the University of Georgia (UGA). The team set out to identify low-growing, flowering plants that would be

Casey O’Neal, Graduate Research Assistant, Auburn University

Julie Wang, Graduate Research Assistant, University of Georgia

Nikolay Minaev, Graduate Research Assistant, Mississippi State University

This article was originally printed in Alabama TurfTimes , Summer 2023 and is reprinted with permission.

A grass lawn with spring beauty at a park in Starkville, MS.

Photo provided by Nikolay Minaev.

easily established and managed in grass lawns, as well as provide the resources necessary to promote an abundant and diverse pollinator community. As some of the graduate students work on different aspects of the project, we would like to share some of our on-going research.

PICKING THE RIGHT PLANTS

At Mississippi State University, Nikolay Minaev, working with Dr. Jay McCurdy, has been looking for flowering plants that could be easily established and propagated within turfgrasses commonly found in southeastern lawns. After evaluating various species based on their blooming properties and

appearances in lawns, it was determined that spring beauty ( Claytonia virginica ) shows high potential for inclusion in warm-season lawns. Spring beauty is a perennial wildflower that is native to rich forests and low woodlands. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and light shade to part sun. It grows from a small corm or seeds. The growing season lasts from January through April in the temperate climate of the southeast, after which the plant senesces and lies dormant before emerging from corms the next year. The flowers are showy, pinkish white with deep pink veins, and open in clusters at the apex of the plant, adding a burst of color to the lawn during the early spring period. Additionally, it is a resource for pollinators such as the rare spring beauty bee, a small mining bee native to eastern North America.

A hoverfly drinking nectar from a spring beauty flower at Town Creek Cemetery, Auburn, AL.

Photo by Casey O’Neal.

The current understanding of spring beauty propagation is limited, hence we aim to address this knowledge gap by conducting a comprehensive study. The primary objective is to phenotype different populations of spring beauty and identify those with the most abundant and long-lasting bloom period, accompanied by high seed production and germination rates. This will allow for the selection of the most promising population for inclusion in lawns. In addition to identifying the optimal population, we are also exploring the most convenient method of propagation, with a particular focus on seeding. To achieve this, we are conducting experiments to find the optimal conditions for spring beauty germination, including testing various temperatures and probable treatments for quicker establishment.

Another project investigates the tolerance of spring beauty to commonly used pre-emergence herbicides in lawns. Our objective is to develop management practices that are safe for both turfgrass and spring beauty. By combining these different aspects of our research, we hope to provide a comprehensive understanding of spring beauty propagation and its integration into turfgrass lawns, while also promoting safe and sustainable management practices.

CARING FOR A REFUGE LAWN

Julie Wang and Dr. Gerald Henry at the University of Georgia are investigating the BMPs for cultural management of a refuge lawn. Mowing height is one of the most well documented cultural factors affecting weed populations in turfgrass. Nearly all lawns are regularly mown for functionality and aesthetics. While mowing is relatively well understood in terms of eliminating weeds, it can be similarly applied to encourage flower production and growth of refuge lawn. As part of the Refuge Lawn project, we are studying the effect of mowing height on flowering plants commonly found in turfgrass that have potential to be pollinator resources. We are currently measuring the survival, growth, and reproduction of white clover (Trifolium repens), Virginia buttonweed (Diodia virginiana), and common lespedeza (Kummerowia striata) in response to different mowing heights. The results may explain the persistence of flowering plants in turfgrass as well as their potential as floral resources for pollinators.

Fertilization, another common cultural practice in lawns, affects species competition and plant diversity. A high nitrogen (N) content increases turfgrass productivity and competitiveness with flowering plants adapted to limited N availability. This is especially relevant as fertility practices vary by turfgrass species. For instance, centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) is adapted to lower maintenance regimes in contrast with hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon x C. transvaalensis) that requires regular fertilization during peak growth. We are evaluating the competition between common flowering plants and turfgrasses under different fertility treatments, focusing on white clover, Virginia buttonweed, centipedegrass and hybrid bermudagrass. Preliminary results suggest that low fertility inputs hinder hybrid bermudagrass growth, leading to an open canopy, which encourages flowering plant growth. On the other hand, exorbitant amounts of fertility on centipedegrass only enhances flowering plant competition and further plant growth. The understanding of flowering plant and turfgrass dynamics will help create BMPs for both homeowners and the turfgrass industry.

A sweat bee collecting pollen from yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta) at the AU Turf Unit.

Photo by Casey O’Neal.

WHAT DO THE BUGS THINK?

At Auburn University, Casey O’Neal and Dr. David Held want to know what insects benefit from integrating flowering plants into warm-season grasses. Beginning in fall 2021, we established plots of seven potential flowering plant species in lawns at the AU Turf Unit, Town Creek Cemetery, and Kiesel Park in Auburn. These sites consist of established turfgrass lawns that host a range of common warm-season turfgrasses including bermudagrass and centipedegrass. The flowering species include spring beauty, white clover, and Virginia buttonweed, allowing us to connect our research with the teams at MSU and UGA. In 2022, the flowering sites were monitored for visitation by insect pollinators, and the insects were collected and identified. Due to the drought in 2022, data collection at these sites will continue in 2023. From these collections, we can establish a pollinator network. This network will show which flowering plants provide resources for the largest number of pollinators, and which plants provide resources for rare or threatened pollinators. While the exact number is unknown, it is expected that there are more species of bees in Alabama than any other southeastern state, and currently over 500 species have been identified in Georgia alone. With such a high diversity of insect pollinators, it is important to include flowering plants that serve as many of the native pollinators in the southeastern US as possible.

By combining the knowledge gained from our respective studies, we can establish a model refuge lawn with known BMPs and beneficial impacts on pollinators. To keep up with us and the rest of Refuge Lawn project’s work, or to contact any of the researchers involved, please visit our website at:

www. REFUGELAWN .com

Virginia buttonweed in a lawn on AU campus.

Photo by Casey O’Neal.

A pure green sweat bee (Augochlora pura) visiting white clover at Kiesel Park, Auburn, AL.

Photo by Casey O’Neal.

This work is supported by Agricultural and Food Research Initiative grant no. 2021-67013-34145 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

University of Arkansas

FIELD

Tuesday, August 1, the University of Arkansas

Turfgrass team held an engaging and informative Field Day at the Agriculture Research and Extension Center Horticulture Field Lab in Fayetteville.

Application Strategies for Optimizing Wetting Agent Performance on Sand-Based Putting Greens

Daniel O’Brien

Dollar Spot Fungicide Trials on a Creeping Bentgrass Putting Green

Dr. Wendell Hutchens

DMI Safety Study

Mike Battaglia and Jessy Anders

GS3: What Is the USGA’s New Technology Tool All About?

Paul Jacobs

Progression of Field Metrics: a Case Study

John Reilly

Applicator Issues / Sprayer Technology

Jason Davis

SPEAKERS and TOPICS INCLUDED

Developing Management Tools for New Greens-Type Zoysiagrasses

Mike Richardson and Hannah Smith

Scotts ProVista Kentucky Bluegrass – The future of turfgrass genetics?

Mike Richardson and John McCalla

Safety of Recognition and Fusilade II during establishment of a seeded zoysiagrass

Mike Richardson and Hannah Smith

Brown Patch Fungicide Trials on Tall Fescue Lawns

Wendell Hutchens

Control of Difficult Broadleaf Weeds

Hannah Wright-Smith

Technology in Commercial Turfgrass Management: Rethinking What It Means & How to Use It

Daniel O’Brien

TO REVIEW THESE TOPICS, VISIT

Assessing Tallgrass Prairie Species for Roadside Vegetation in Arkansas

Sarah Paschal

Incorporating Natives into Landscapes Sarah Paschal

2019 NTEP Bermudagrass Trial

Mike Richardson, John McCalla, and Sarah Paschal

The value of continuing education, networking and fellowship has never been more important, and it was phenomenal to see so many professionals make this event a priority. The team at University of Arkansas is top-notch, and ATA is proud to support its members and research efforts.

https://horticulture.uark.edu/research-extension/turf/turf-education/2023-field-day-book-FINAL.pdf