Prime Season

By the time you read this I hope that spring has finally arrived here in the Natural State. I am looking forward to blue skies, birds singing, warmer temperatures, and the smell of fresh cut grass. With all the crazy weather we have experienced during the last 12 months it makes me wonder what other weather-related challenges that turfgrass managers in our state will face over the next few months as we all enter our prime season of the year.

Looking ahead and trying to forecast what challenges lie ahead can be difficult yet looking back you will always have 20/20 vision. This is true about all aspects of life and managing grass. So, what is the takeaway? Did you achieve the results you wanted with your turf last season? If not, have you identified the cause or causes and are you planning on changing something in your management program? Remember that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If your turf only survived through the year instead of thriving, you may need to step back and tweak something that you are currently doing in preparation of growing a healthier stand of turf.

If you experienced any setbacks last year, small changes such as trying a new herbicide, fungicide, or insecticide for better control could be the answer. Or maybe you believe that with better timed growth regulator applications, better nutrient management, or even changing mowing heights might be the answer you are looking for. Whatever the answer for your particular problem or situation, rest assured that you are not the only person who has dealing with that or has experienced that kind of problem before.

I believe that is why being a part of this association is a crucial factor in your success — so that hopefully we can learn from each other, not only from our mistakes but also our accomplishments as well, so that each of us raises the bar for turf management in our state.

As President of the Arkansas Turfgrass Association, I am truly honored to work with the exceptional talent on our Board and further with all of you that are a part of our association.

Recently our ATA board met, and we reviewed all the comments and suggestions that you left on the surveys from this past year’s ATA Conference and Tradeshow. We are already in planning mode for next year’s Conference and Tradeshow, and we have used your comments to improve our annual show.

Next up on the horizon is the University of Arkansas Field Day in July and our Members Only event at Bass Pro in Little Rock in October. The commitment that our Board of Directors puts forth is to continuously grow the Association and continue our commitment to our membership. I thank them for their devotion to continuous improvement and meeting the needs of our turfgrass managers across the state.

I would appreciate hearing from you and encourage you to reach out to me at KyleSanders@SandersGround.com if you have any questions or ideas that you would like to see happen to improve our association or conference.

Kyle Sanders

ATA President

Kyle Sanders, ATA President