Arkansas Turfgrass - Summer 2024

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Arkansas Turfgrass Association

P.O. Box 1862 • Lowell, AR 72745

Tel: 479-301-5534

Published by:

Leading Edge Communications, LLC

206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 Franklin, TN 37064

Tel: 615-790-3718

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

Wendell Hutchens, Ph.D., Educational Chair wendellh@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

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

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

2025 Arkansas Turfgrass Conference

JANUARY 16 – 17, 2025 Hot Springs Convention Center Hot Springs, Arkansas

Don’t miss out! The ATA Annual Conference and Trade Show offer great opportunities for networking, education and certifications. Stay tuned for more details and registration information!

Companies that would like to be a part of the Trade Show, contact:

EVENT Courtney Landreth ataturfgrass@gmail.com (479) 301-5534

BEYOND “LEAVE NO TRACE”

Those that know me, know that I’m a fisherman. I love smallmouth bass. I love the river. I love the peace and solace that I find floating in my beatup kayak through our small Ozark streams. I love sharing those experiences with my wife and sons and friends. There is a saying outdoors folks use, “leave no trace,” which I strictly abide by. But, as I get older, I’ve started to realize, “leave no trace” isn’t enough. I have a passion for not only preserving what we have but making it better for future generations.

What the heck does that have to do with turfgrass…

Early in my career, I was dealing with a very high maintenance customer at a very high-profile commercial property. They had tall fescue grass, very poor irrigation, and had a 4th of July celebration every year with 10,000 plus people trampling all over it — a recipe for disaster. As their turf professional, I tried my best to explain the difficulty of that situation. In a big meeting with the powers that be, their facility manager responded to my explanation, “God doesn’t want us to just maintain what we have. He wants us to enhance it.” I looked him dead in the eye and said, “God would have planted zoysia grass and put in working irrigation.”

As much as I joke about it, that conversation has stuck with me for nearly 20 years. Do you view yourself as a “turf manager” or someone whose job it is to “enhance”? In our work, is it enough to just “leave no trace”? Should our goal be to leave things like they were when we got there? Or do we want them to be better for those that follow?

We all work with living plants. Which means, sometimes maintaining is the best option. However, there are times when we have opportunities to enhance. Maybe it’s building a new tee box or adding a native area on your golf course. Or maybe it’s pushing the city to let you overseed your baseball fields to promote more tournament play. But maybe also it’s pouring into your assistant superintendents some of your passion, experience, and life. Maybe it’s taking your crew leads to lunch once a month so you know more about their families and aspirations outside of work. Maybe it’s simply caring about your office staff and them knowing you’ve got their back. Those small conversations are so big. They help your team buy into the goals of your organization. Enhancing the grounds we manage often starts with enhancing the experiences of our team.

One great example in our industry of someone that went far beyond “leave no trace” is my friend Keith Ihms. I want to personally congratulate Keith on his recent retirement! I have gotten to know Keith over the past few years through Razorback Baseball of all things. He has been, and will continue to be, an amazing ambassador for the turfgrass industry and our state. He is definitely someone we can all learn from about enhancing both the properties we manage as well as the experiences of the folks that help us manage them. Congratulations Keith! I’m so happy for you, Paula, and your family! Enjoy it my friend.

Until next time, wishing you all the best!

Agra Turf, Inc. 9 www.agrainc.com

Greene County Fertilizer Co. 15 www.greenecountyfert.com

Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation Back Cover www.jerrypate.com

Poinsett Turfgrass Company 9 www.poinsettturfgrass.com

Progressive Turf Equipment Inc. 5 www.progressiveturfequip.com

Smith Seed Services 15 www.smithseed.com

Winstead Turf 15 www.winsteadturffarms.com

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS TURF TEAM

Mike Richardson, Ph.D. Professor 479-575-2860 • mricha@uark.edu

Wendell Hutchens, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Science University of Arkansas, Department of Horticulture Cell: 276-952-8186 Office: 479-575-6205 wendellh@uark.edu X / Twitter: @HutchensWendell

Hannah Wright Smith Weed Specialist-Turfgrass, Specialty Crops, & Forestry 501-251-4416 • hw044@uark.edu

John H. McCalla Jr. Program Technician III 479-575-5033 • jmccall@uark.edu

Better Built. Quality

Current address of first author: University of Florida

In Control of YELLOW and KNOTROOT FOXTAIL in Southern Turfgrass

the southeastern region of the United States, Setaria pumila and Setaria parviflora, respectively known as yellow and knotroot foxtail, are two common species infesting managed and unmanaged turfgrass, pastures, roadsides, and some cropping systems (Bryson and DeFelice, 2009; Hitchcock, 1971). Yellow and knotroot foxtail originated from Asia and North America, respectively (Dekker, 2003; Rominger, 1962a). Nevertheless, they are very similar in appearance and are frequently mistaken for each other, leading to confusion in herbicide selection (Darmency and Dekker, 2011).

The primary differences between yellow and knotroot foxtail are found in the seedhead with yellow foxtail seedheads bigger and denser with more hairs (Darmency and Dekker, 2011). Other studies found that knotroot foxtail can be differentiated from yellow by the presence of rhizomes (Wang et al., 1995). However, since these characteristics appear late during development or sometimes are not apparent at all, it is very difficult to tell the two species apart in the field (Wang et al., 1995).

Yellow and knotroot foxtail are annual and perennial weeds, respectively, with few options for effective chemical control in

warm-season turfgrass. Pinoxaden is labeled in the United States for use on bermudagrass controls of yellow foxtail post emergence (Peppers et al., 2020), but pinoxaden is not labeled to control knotroot foxtail (Peppers et al., 2020). Chlorsulfuron gave season-long control of yellow foxtail when applied at the early growth stage in Kentucky bluegrass, but it is not labeled in turfgrass (Maloy, 1985). Imazethapyr controls yellow foxtail effectively as a preemergence with no detrimental effects on grass establishment (Fry et al., 1997).

Little research has been done to gain an understanding of the chemical control of knotroot foxtail. In pastures, hexazinone alone or applied with metsulfuron + dicamba + 2,4-D, controlled knotroot foxtail by more than 70% two weeks after application, as did chlorsulfuron or nicosulfuron (Coats et al., 1999). Nicosulfuron + metsulfuron controls knotroot foxtail 70% in bermudagrass forage at the actively growing stage (Rusell, 2021).

Other herbicides could potentially control yellow and knotroot foxtail but are not currently labeled. For instance, thiencarbazone + dicamba + iodosulfuron is labeled for controlling yellow foxtail and giant foxtail but not knotroot foxtail.

The objectives of this research were to (1) evaluate the response of yellow foxtail and knotroot foxtail to several turfgrass herbicides and (2) evaluate the rate response of yellow and knotroot foxtail to increasing rates of pinoxaden and sethoxydim and estimate the application rate at which 50% (I50) of both species was injured.

Material and Methods

Research was conducted in 2021 and 2022 in greenhouse populations to evaluate yellow and knotroot foxtail response to different turfgrass herbicides. Two experiments were conducted at the Auburn University Weed Science greenhouse in Auburn, AL in 32/28 C (+/-1 C Day/night) conditions with an average relative humidity of 70%. Seeds of both species were harvested from a local population in Montgomery, Alabama. Seeds were cleaned and stored at 4oC prior to the experiments. Seeds were planted in flats of potting medium and were then transplanted individually at three leaves stage into 230 cm3 pots, filled with sandy soil. Treatments were applied two weeks after transplantation. After treatment, pots were not watered for approximately 24 hours to allow for adequate leaf absorption. See Figure 1 for the herbicide treatments.

Celsius (Thiencarbazone+Dicamba+lodosulfuron)

(Metribuzin)

Steadfast (Nicosulfuron +Rimsulfuron)

FMC (Sulfentrazone) 0.841

Dismiss South (Sulfentrazone +Imazethapyr)

Scepter (Imazaquin)

Figure 1. Herbicide treatments applied to yellow and knotroot foxtail in this study
Setaria pumila, yellow foxtail,.

The treatments were evaluated for percent weed control at 7, 21 and 28 days after application (DAA) and above ground biomass of the foxtail plants were evaluated at 28 DAA.

Results and Discussion

In greenhouse evaluation, yellow and knotroot foxtail responded differently to the selected herbicides. All the herbicides were effective on yellow foxtail with more than 85 % at 28 days after application (DAA) (Figure 2). Above-ground biomass data followed the same pattern. All the herbicides reduced yellow foxtail above-ground biomass by more than 95% compared to the nontreated at 28 DAA.

Knotroot foxtail was more difficult to control in general than yellow foxtail. Sulfentrazone controlled knotroot foxtail > 90 %, which was the best treatment statistically. Similarly, metribuzin controlled knotroot foxtail 81%, imazaquin 71%, sethoxydim (high rate) 76%, and thiencarbazone + dicamba + iodosulfuron 68% control (Figure 2). All the other treatments controlled knotroot foxtail by less than 65%. Relative plant fresh-weight data agreed with visually estimated control data. Sulfentrazone, metribuzin, sethoxydim (high rate), thiencarbazone+dicamba+iodo sulfuron and imazaquin reduced the above ground biomass by more than 90% and nicosulfuron+rimsulfuron reduced knotroot foxtail biomass by 89%. However, pinoxaden (low and high rates) were less effective on knotroot foxtail with less than 30% biomass reduction.

Bottom Line

This study found that yellow foxtail responded differently to herbicides than knotroot foxtail, and knotroot foxtail was more difficult to control. Based on the greenhouse studies, sulfentrazone, sethoxydim (high rate) thiencarbazone + dicamba + iodosulfuron, and metribuzin can be considered for controlling yellow and

Figure 2. Control of yellow foxtail with various herbicide treatments at 7, 21 and 28 days after application (DAA)
Figure 3. Control of knotroot foxtail with various herbicide treatments at 7, 21 and 28 days after application (DAA)

knotroot foxtail at label rates. Knotroot foxtail response was more variable and pinoxaden should not be considered for controlling knotroot foxtail even at the maximum recommended label rate. Sethoxydim provided effective control of yellow foxtail and reduced knotroot foxtail biomass by more than 60% at the labeled rate. Responses observed in this study suggest that differentiation between yellow and knotroot foxtail is essential for predictable results with herbicides.

Literature Cited

Bryson CT, DeFelice MS (2009) Weeds of the south Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press. Pp. 495

Coats GE, Taylor JM, Kelly ST, Helms RB, Scott TD (1999) Highway vegetation management Mississippi: Miss. Agric. and Forest. 122 p

Darmency H, Dekker J (2011) Setaria. Pages 275291 in Kole C, ed. Wild Crop Relatives : Genomic and Breeding Resources. Clemson: Springer

Dekker J (2003) The foxtail (Setaria) speciesgroup. Weed Science 51:641-656

Dyer LM, Henry GM, McCullough PE, Belcher J, Basinger NT (2022) Knotroot Foxtail [Setaria parviflora (Poir.) Kerguélen]:“A sly fox”. Weed Technology:1-22

Fry JD, Gaussoin RE, Beran DD, Masters RA (1997) Buffalograss Establishment with Preemergence Herbicides. Hortscience 34

Hitchcock AS (1971) Manual of the grasses of the United States. New york: Dover

Kotu V, Deshpande B (2018) Data science: concepts and practice: Morgan Kaufmann

Maloy BM (1985) Selective control of perennial grasses in Kentucky 21 blue-grass (Poa pratensis L.) turf with chlorsulfuron. Master of science Iowa Iowa State University

Ogle DH, Doll JC, Wheeler P, Dinno A (2022) FSA: Fisheries Stock Analysis

Peppers JM, Gonçalves CG, McElroy JS (2020) Rate response of select grass weeds to pinoxaden. Weed Technology 34:818-823

Ritz C, Baty F, Streibig J, Streibig C, Gerhar D (2015) Dose-Response Analysis Using R. PLOS ONE 10

Rominger JM (1962) Taxonomy of Setaria (Gramineae) in North America in Press TUoI, ed. Urbana

Rusell D (2021) Widespread Foxtail Distribution Leads to Tough Management Decisions. Forages

Wang RL, Wendel JF, Dekker JH (1995) Weedy adaptation in Setaria spp II Genetic diversity and population genetic. American Journal of Botany 82:1031-1039 •

Specialty Distribution

Rodney Fisher

Email: agrarod@yahoo.com

Figure 4. Yellow (top) and knotroot (bottom) foxtail plants at 28 days after herbicide application

BIOSTIMULANTS TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT for Considerations with

The term “biostimulant” has been misunderstood, misused, or misplaced as a potential “miracle cure” in the turfgrass industry, and biostimulant products were often dismissed as “snake oil” or “foo-foo juice” (e.g., sarcastic reference to the mythical foo-foo tree). Some biostimulant products make performance claims substantiated with scientific research, while other products lack direct evidence of their actual benefit.

Dr. Richard Schmidt (Emeritus Professor at Virginia Tech; Blacksburg, VA; and Penn State alum) is considered the pioneer of biostimulant research in turfgrass science. Dr. Schmidt defined biostimulants as follows: “Biostimulants are organic materials that when applied in small or minute quantities enhance plant growth and development.” The use of the word “minute” in this definition is intended to differentiate the fact that these substances, compared to traditional nutrients and/or soil amendments, elicited a measurable and beneficial response at much lower application rates. In his early work, Dr. Schmidt considered the plant biostimulant effect was attributed to a hormonal response and the plant protection effect against abiotic stress as attributed to antioxidant production, and both of those effects made possible from low concentrations of exogenous applications. Dr. Schmidt also used the term “metabolic enhancers,” but the important distinction was that something positive was happening to the plant beyond what mineral nutrition supplied.

More recently, plant biostimulant is defined as “any substance or microorganism applied to plants with the aim to enhance nutrition efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or crop quality traits, regardless of nutrient content.” The term “plant biostimulant” often is used to describe the various categories of compounds and substances used in these products: plant growth hormones (e.g., abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins, gibberellic acid, etc.), microorganisms (e.g., Bacillus spp., Trichoderma spp., mycorrhizae, etc.), amino acids, humic and fulvic acids, plant defense-activating substances, plant growth-promoting compounds, vitamins, pigments and oils, soil amendments and soil conditioners, composts and compost teas, and more.

The European Biostimulant Industry Council (EBIC; https:// biostimulants.eu) defines biostimulants as: “Agricultural biostimulants include diverse formulations of compounds, substances, and other products that are applied to plants or soils to regulate and enhance the crop’s physiological processes, thus making them more efficient; biostimulants act on plant physiology through different pathways than nutrients to improve crop vigor, yields, quality and post-harvest shelf life/conservation.” The EBIC also has a functional definition of plant biostimulants as follows: “A material which contains substance(s) and/or microorganisms whose function, when applied to plants or the rhizosphere, is to stimulate natural processes to benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, and/or crop quality, independently of its nutrient content.” Of note, the EBIC’s functional definition expands beyond the ‘plant’ to also include the ‘soil’ (e.g., rhizosphere).

The Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO; https://aapfco.org) defines biostimulants as: “Any substance or compound other than primary (e.g., N, P, and K), secondary (e.g., Ca, Mg, S), and microplant nutrients (e.g., Fe, Cu, etc.), that can be demonstrated by scientific research to be beneficial to one or more plant species when applied exogenously; …a substance or material, with the exception of nutrients or pesticides, which has the capacity to beneficially modify plant growth.” Of note, the ASPFCO definition of biostimulants refers to the term “beneficial substance.”

Biostimulants are often categorized by “what they are” (e.g., how are these substances or compounds or component materials described chemically or physically?) and “what they do” (e.g., how do these substances or compounds benefit the turfgrass plant or the turfgrass soil/rootzone?). The turfgrass practitioner and stakeholder would benefit from knowing not only what a biostimulant is actually composed of, but how those commercially available biostimulant products benefit turfgrass management programs. Therefore, a proposed classification method or strategy for listing biostimulants in turfgrass is presented in Table 1. Overall, biostimulants are listed as primarily targeting the plant or soil/rhizosphere, then further organized by category to describe their composition, followed-by active or functional ingredients (e.g., compounds, substances, other descriptive terms) listed within each category. Examples of common names for biostimulant products are listed for each category.

I. Phytohormones

Plant hormones or phytohormones are considered chemical messengers in plants. They are referred to as ‘signal molecules’ that occur in very low concentrations, and are vital to plant growth and development, and regulation and function of many physiological processes. The most common phytohormones utilized as plant biostimulants are abscisic acid, auxins, cytokinins, ethylene, and gibberellic acid.

Abscisic acid is associated with water regulation in plants and is associated with the plant’s ability to mitigate abiotic stress from drought, salinity and temperature. Auxin is responsible for phototropism (e.g., shoots growing upward, toward the light) and gravitropism (e.g., roots growing downward into the soil). Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is the most common naturally occurring auxin and included as the auxin component of many biostimulant products to promote root viability and drought tolerance. Cytokinins are involved with plant

growth and development and stress-response processes, and in particular with cell division and delaying of leaf senescence (e.g., plant senescence is the process of aging in plants; plants have both stress-induced and age-related developmental aging). This delay of leaf senescence or “stay green” effect is a plant stress response in which cytokinins inhibit the action of senescence-inducing enzymes, slowing the degradation of chlorophyll, and maintaining photosynthetic rates and root viability. An example of a commonly used biostimulant product in this category is seaweed extract, also referred to as seaplant or kelp. Gibberellic acid controls important plant growth functions such as cell elongation and stem growth, seed germination, flower development, and flowering time. While abscisic acid, auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellic acid exist in the plant in liquid form, ethylene is a gaseous phytohormone that regulates plant growth (e.g., the development of leaves, flowers, and fruits), senescence, response to environmental stresses (e.g., heat and freezing stresses), and often interacts with other phytohormones.

II. Biopolymers, protein hydrolysates, and other N-containing compounds

Examples of compounds in this category include amino acids, and they are considered the “building blocks” for proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, antioxidants, and other secondary compounds. The L-form of amino acids are assimilated by plants, and these L-amino acids and short-chain peptides are reported to increase plant N uptake, increase root mass, activate natural defense mechanisms, and enhance photosynthesis.

III. Other botanical or synthetic bioactive compounds

This is a “placeholder” category for plant-directed compounds not yet described or fully understood, or for compounds that do not fit the description of the other categories. An example of an organic compound in his category is acibenzolar-S-methyl, which is a synthetic analog of salicylic acid and is referred to as a “plant defense activator” because it produces an induced systemic resistance response and thus activates a plant’s natural defense system.

IV. Humic substances

Humic substances (e.g., humic and fulvic acids) are natural decomposition constituents of soil organic matter, typically derived from leonardite (a natural form of humates), associated with “brown coal” deposits. Benefits of these compounds increased soil nutrient and water holding capacity (e.g., increased cation exchange capacity), prevention and reduction in leaching of soil nutrients, chelators of organic molecules and minerals facilitating increased plant root absorption, enhanced soil enzyme and metabolic activity.

V. Organics

Traditionally, organic amendments such as peat moss, manures, biosolids, composts, and other materials have been added to sand-based turfgrass rootzones to increase water and plant nutrient retention and availability. Ideally, organic materials and substances applied to turfgrass soils should be sufficiently decayed and biologically stable and decompose very slowly so their benefits or positive impact can be expressed over a long time.

Table 1. Proposed classification of biostimulants for turfgrass science and industry.

PLANT

Category 1 Examples of active or functional ingredients

Abscisic acid

Auxins

Cytokinins

I Phytohormones

Ethylene

Gibberellic acid

Others

Amino acids (e.g., proline, etc.)

Antioxidants

Betaines

Chitin

II Biopolymers, protein hydrolysates, and other N-containing compounds

Enzymes

Fatty acids

Non-protein amino acids

Peptides

Polyamines

Polysaccharides

Vitamins

III Other botanical or synthetic bioactive compounds

Examples of biostimulant products 2

algae, indoleacetic acid, benzyl-adenine, gibberellins, kelp, seaplant, seaweed extracts, and more

Others amino acids, chitosan, glycine betaine, and more

Elicitor compounds, Induced systemic resistance compounds,

Plant defense activator compounds,

Others acibenzolar-S-methyl, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and more

1 Category based on chemical and/or physical composition.

2 Broad or general name of a biostimulant product listed; no product trade name provided. Should an additional column list the specific biostimulant function of those biostimulant products, and/ or should the manufacturer include that information on their product label?

SOIL / RHIZOSPHERE

Category 1 Examples of active or functional ingredients

IV Humic substances

V Organics

VI Inorganics /minerals

Fulvic acid

Examples of biostimulant products 2

Humic acid leondardite, and more

Biochar

Bio-extracts

Bio-fertilizers

Composts/compost extracts

Soil amendments/supplements

Others

Al, Co, Na, Mo, Se, Si, etc.

Phosphites

biochar, composts, compost teas, kelp, seaplant, seaweed extracts, vermi/worm extracts, and more

Others phosphite salts, and more

Beneficial fungiArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Trichoderma spp.

Others

VII Biologicals/ microbials

Beneficial bacteriaBacillus spp. and other species

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria

Others

Other beneficial organisms

Many

VIII Soil surfactants 3 --?-- --?--

IX Other naturally derived or synthetic bioactive compounds

Elicitor compounds

Induced systemic resistance compounds

Plant defense activator compounds

Others --?--

1 Category based on chemical and/or physical composition.

2 Broad or general name of a biostimulant product listed; no product trade name provided. Should an additional column list the specific biostimulant function of those biostimulant products, and/ or should the manufacturer include that information on their product label?

3 Proposed location of soil surfactants as a category if some of those soil surfactants are to be considered or included as biostimulants.

Recently, biochar has gained interest due to a high carbon content, porosity, and stability (e.g., extremely resistance to microbial degradation). Vermicompost extract also is popular for improving the biological and physical health of the turfgrass rootzone.

VI. Inorganics / minerals

Many inorganic/mineral compounds and products can be placed into this category. Phosphite (PO33-) of has become the most common inorganic compound incorporated into many turfgrass management programs, particularly with disease management and suppression.

VII. Biologicals / microbials

Numerous biological/microbial organisms can be placed into this category. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi form a mutually symbiotic relationship with plant roots, in which roots provide carbohydrates for the fungi and the fungi aid in access and transfer of nutrients and water to the plant roots, and also aid in water balance, and abiotic and biotic stress tolerance or protection. Bacillus spp. is the most common example of a bacterial organism utilized for biological control of plant pathogens, and this is achieved via direct suppression by the release of antipathogen compounds, or via indirect mechanism such as outcompeting the pathogen for space or food, or for activating or inducing plant defense systems. Current research is exploring plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and their ability to confer beneficial effects

Figure 1. An example of a beneficial application program of Excalibur soil surfactant (AquaAid Solutions; Rocky Mount, NC) on a creeping bentgrass putting green subjected to drought stress. The volumetric water content status of the rootzone was improved to optimize the function of the rhizosphere. A: Illustration depicting good or optimum root-to-soil contact in Excalibur-treated plot. B: Illustration depicting poor root-to-soil contact in untreated plot. C: Healthy and dense turfgrass visible within the plot, indicating good root-to-soil contact and access to water and nutrients. D: Drought stress visible within the plot, indicating roots with compromised physiological function.

Images in A and B from: Weil R.R. and Brady, N.C. 2017. The nature and properties of soils. 15th ed. Pearson Education, New York City, NY. Images in C and D from: Duddek, P., Carminati, A., Koebernick, N., Ohmann, L., Lovric, G., Delzon, S., Rodriguez – Dominguez, C., King, A., and Ahmed, M.A. 2022. The impact of drought-induced root and root hair shrinkage on root–soil contact. Plant Physiology 189:1232-1236.

on plant growth and development by increased nutrient uptake (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus), synthesizing plant growth promoting compounds, activating abiotic and biotic stress tolerance mechanisms, and possibly more.

VIII. Soil surfactants

Agriculture, horticulture, and turfgrass industry practitioners commonly refer to soil surfactant products as “wetting agents.” Should all or some specific soil surfactants be listed as a biostimulant? Can soil surfactants “behave as biostimulants,” or “facilitate a biostimulant effect” when applied to turfgrass rootzones? Surfactants are primarily and traditionally used for water conservation, improving irrigation use efficiency, and ameliorating soil water repellency. The utilization of soil surfactants is considered the number one water conservation strategy among golf course superintendents in the USA. Current research indicates certain diverse rootzone processes can be “engineered” by surfactants to optimize rhizosphere and soil biophysical, microbiological, and chemical properties (Figure 1).

IX. Other naturally derived or synthetic bioactive compounds

This category is a “place-holder” for soil-directed compounds not yet described or fully understood, or for compounds that do not fit the description of the other categories.

Root Hairs Turgid
Root
Major Cortex Drying Root
Other Soil Surfactant Excalibur

Before considering a biostimulant product or program, a prudent and responsible turfgrass manager should ask “What is in it?” and “What does it do?” (Table 2).

Table 2. Should I use this product on my turf? Eight questions to ask when evaluating a biostimulant, soil amendment, or other turf product to help you make sound, factguided agronomic decisions 1

1. Is this product needed in my situation?

2. Are independent test results available?

3. What is the magnitude of response?

4. Does this product provide consistent results?

5. What is the duration of response?

6. Are there better alternatives?

7. Do benefits justify the costs?

8. Should I try this product on a trial area?

1Source: Carrow, R.N. 1993. Eight questions to ask: Evaluating soil and turf conditioners. Golf Course Management 61(10):56, 58, 60, 64, 70.

The purpose of asking questions about biostimulants is to help guide the turfgrass manager towards making the best fact-based agronomic decision. More questions are helpful to further explore a biostimulant’s intended use (e.g., abiotic or biotic stress, plant nutrient efficiency, etc.) and ability to produce or facilitate the desired turfgrass response (Table 3).

A biostimulant or combinations of biostimulants may provide turfgrass management options to maintain or improve turfgrass quality and function during abiotic and/or biotic stress conditions. Moderating and mitigating these stresses are an important strategy to establishing and maintaining healthy, resilient, and sustainable turfgrass. Therefore, should a biostimulant product or program become a valuable component of turfgrass management? The answer to that question may depend on what exactly the turfgrass practitioner wants to accomplish (e.g., better rooting, better tolerance of heat or drought stress, improved recovery from heat or drought stress, traffic tolerance, turf recovery, disease prevention, turf recovery from disease, better color or visual quality, better playability, etc.).

Regardless of the biostimulant product or strategy it is important to note that biostimulants are not a substitute for essential mineral nutrients and a sound agronomic-based turfgrass management program. If the goal is to include or incorporate biostimulants as part of an overall plant and soil health program, then the research in turfgrass ecosystems has demonstrated that they must be applied in advance of those abiotic and biotic stresses to optimize their benefits. There are many exciting innovations on the nearby horizon and evidence-based efforts will lead the way toward a better understanding of how biostimulants will help maintain and improve plant and soil health. Today, much more scientific research is focused on the development, evaluation, use, function, and benefits of biostimulants for sustainable agronomic practices in intensively managed amenity turfgrass ecosystems.

Source: Fidanza, M., C. Bigelow, S. Kostka, E. Ervin, R. Gaussoin, F. Rossi, J. Cisar, F.D. Dinelli, J. Pope, and J. Steffel. 2023. Advances in biostimulants in turfgrass. In Fidanza, M. (Ed.), Achieving Sustainable Turfgrass Management. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing; Cambridge, UK. p. 469-501. •

Table 3. What are key questions golf course superintendents, greenkeepers, course care managers, sports field managers, and lawn and landscape professionals should ask when considering a biostimulant product?1

• What’s in it? What is the product’s composition or active ingredient(s) or component(s)?

• What is its function? How does the product claim to benefit turfgrass?

• Will the product function in all climates, soil types, turfgrass species, and turfgrass cultural practices and management programs?

• Does the product function best to help with abiotic (e.g., drought, heat, salt) or biotic (e.g., insects, pathogens, traffic) stresses?

• Where’s the data? What does the research-based data show that the product does when the product is applied to turfgrass? Were the effects both qualitative and quantitative in replicated field and/or controlled greenhouse research?

• Does the manufacturer have clear research-based data showing that all or most of the product’s active ingredients are essential to its function? Does the data show how individual ingredients, when tested against the formulated product, no longer provide the functional benefit?

1Adapted from: Fidanza, M., Kostka, S., Ervin, E., and Bigelow, C. 2019. The European Union’s view on biostimulants: What may be coming our way. Golf Course Management 87(9):58-62.

Achieving Sustainable Turfgrass Management (https://tinyurl.com/2676ukn9) • 20% discount code: TGRASS20

LEADERSHIP APPROACH TEAM TAKING to a

A

re you feeling tired lately? Perhaps the thought of another season just seems to weigh heavier this year than the past few years? It’s a common feeling right now. With all the pressures we must face as sport field managers, from the weather to the economy to the job market to the supply chain, it seems like change is the only constant in a world that is becoming more uncertain every day. Fortunately, we don’t have to navigate it alone.

This feeling of being depleted or exhausted often arises from workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed. For leaders, the issue isn’t necessarily that there is too much workplace stress, but rather that they often try to manage all the stresses themselves. It’s almost like the more they try to do, the worse the problem gets.

Some leaders have said, “It’s lonely at the top.” This sentiment is a self-created mistake, and certainly not the best way to lead. Great leaders understand that by building real connections with their people, they foster trust, loyalty, and development that helps the whole organization thrive in difficult situations. They create a team environment where everyone can say that they have a “best friend at work” and engagement peaks.

When a whole team is united and shares a common set of values by which to make decisions, it becomes much easier for leaders to trust others with leadership initiatives. Instead of driving each change, process, or idea themselves, leaders can feel free to allow other team members drive initiatives. Sharing the load allows everyone to better manage the workplace stress and work can become enjoyable again.

What’s more, the best leaders will recognize the individual strengths that their team members contribute and often discover that delegating responsibility for driving initiatives doesn’t only free up time and energy but has the potential to deliver better results as well. There are usually only a few things that we can do great in life, so partnering with those who have complementary talents allows our teams to reach new heights with a better range of competencies.

Have you allowed those around you to realize their potential by driving important initiatives? Or are you still trying to muster the energy to shoulder the entire load yourself? Let’s make this season our best yet by empowering those around us to shine and become refreshed by working as a member of a true team.

• Neal Glatt is Managing Partner of GrowTheBench.com, an online training platform for the green industry. Connect with Neal at NealGlatt@gmail.com

1. What is Matrix?

• Reinforced product grown at bottom of

• 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.

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