New England Blade - Spring 2023

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CHUCK BRAMHALL CAPE COD cbramhall@harrells.com

(508) 400-0600

JIM COHEN EASTERN MA & ME jcohen@harrells.com

(978) 337-0222

MIKE DUKETTE CT mdukette@harrells.com

(860) 930-8888

JIM FAVREAU MASSACHUSETTS jfavreau@harrells.com

(978) 227-2785

MIKE KROIAN RI, MA mkroian@harrells.com

(401) 265-5353

TOM HOFFER NORTHEAST thoffer@Harrells.com

(401) 871-2916

JIM WIERZBICKI CT, RI

jwierzbicki@harrells.com

(860) 424-7250

KENT LEMME WESTERN MASS klemme@harrells.com

(413) 281-8087

CONNOR CINQUE NH, ME ccinque@harrells.com

(603) 930-1861

CONTENTS • Spring 2022

EVENT

Meeting

COLUMNS FEATURES

18

DEPARTMENTS

6 President’s Message

10 NESTMA News

27 Index of Advertisers

Spring Cleaning: Are These Products Still

any

On the cover: Cypress Street Playground, Brookline, MA.

Officers President

Chris McGinty

Framingham Parks Department

Framingham, MA

President Elect

Advancing professionalism in sports turf management and athletic field safety through education, research, and scholarships.

The official publication of the New England Sports Turf Managers Association (NESTMA), the New England Blade is dedicated to educating, advising, and informing members of the profession and furthering the goals of the Association. The New England Blade carries news and features related to the sports turf management profession. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication and to refuse advertising not in keeping with the goals of the Association. Publisher assumes no responsibility for the validity of claims in connection with items appearing in the New England Blade . Mention of a commercial product does not imply endorsement by the New England Blade, NESTMA, or Leading Edge Communications, or preference over similar products not mentioned. The New England Blade is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of NESTMA. Presorted standard postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

Art Goodhind Town of Natick Natick, MA

Treasurer

Andrew Carlisle, CGM Worcester Technical High School Worcester, MA

Past President

Ben Polimer

Town of Weston Weston, MA

Directors

Tom Barry, CSFM

Greens Farms Academy Greens Farms, CT

Kevin Benner

Pine Banks

Malden, MA

Ryan Bjorn Gillette Stadium

Foxboro, MA

Adam Ferrucci

Read Custom Soils

Wareham, MA

Ian Lacy

Tom Irwin Advisors, Inc.

Burlington, MA

Scott Lagana

Turf Products Corp.

Holden, MA

Official Chapter

14 8 16 4 • New England BLADE • Spring 2023

Find this issue, Podcasts, Events and More: TheTurfZone.com

Board of Trustees

Kim Britton

Saint Anselm College

Manchester, NH

John Cunniff Walpole, MA

Victoria Wallace University of Connecticut Storrs, CT

Management Team

Virginia Wood, Executive Director Peggy Benjamin

Kristen Dreyer

Charissa Sharkey

NESTMA Headquarters

67 West Street Medfield, MA 02052

(508) 653-1241

NESTMA.org

NESTMAinfo@gmail.com

Technical Editor

Victoria Wallace

University of Connecticut Storrs, CT

VALUABLE CONNECTIONS

Member Spotlight is my favorite article in our Blade magazine. It’s a great way to “meet” and learn more about fellow members. Along with finding out what brought a colleague to our industry, the equipment and technology they recommend to make our jobs easier, and what they forecast for the future of sports turf, I like to find out what they believe to be the biggest benefit of NESTMA membership. Although members in the spotlight may use different words, every response has the same value message: connecting with colleagues, building relationships, and discovering resources.

Our job at NESTMA is to make sure that our members reach the peers, mentors, and resources they need to grow professionally and prepare for the future. When our association members gather, new friendships are forged, great ideas are exchanged, and career-building happens.

Our March 8 Awards Meeting and Lunch at New England Regional Turfgrass Conference in Providence is a perfect example of NESTMA in action. This year’s meeting will be particularly valuable, as our industrious BMPs committee – led by Vickie Wallace and Ben Polimer – will introduce the newly created

document for New England’s sports turf. This new publication promises to be an invaluable resource. We are grateful to all who volunteered to make this possible.

We will also honor two of our own for their professional achievement: Sports Turf Manager of the Year, Ed Olsen of the Town of Needham, MA; and Commercial Partner of the Year, Ed Downing of Read Custom Soils. I cannot say enough about these two people. They are hard-working, knowledgeable, generous professionals who have given back so much to our industry!

Sign up now to join us on March 8 in Providence. You’ll be very glad that you did.

Chris McGinty NESTMA President

THANK YOU COMMERCIAL PARTNERS

Activitas – activitas.com

Arborjet – arborjet.com

Autmow – autmow.com

Covermaster – covermaster.com

Cub Cadet PRO Series – cubcadet.com

Finch Turf – finchinc.com

Five Star Golf Cars and Utility Vehicles – fivestargolfcars.com

Harrell’s LLC – www.harrells.com

Harts Turf Pro – hartsturfpro.com

Helena Agri Enterprises – helenaagri.com

Tom Irwin – tomirwin.com

MTE Equipment – mte.us.com

PJC Organic – www.pjcorganic.com

Precision Laboratories – twilliams@precisionlab.com

Progressive Turf Equipment – www.progressiveturfequip.com

R. A. D. Sports – radsports.com

Read Custom Soils – readcustomsoils.com

RePlay Maintenance USA – replaymaintenanceusa.com

Sports Construction Estimating – sportsce.com

STEC Equipment – www.stecequipment.com

Turf Products Corp. – turfproductscorp.com

Turf Robotics – turfroboticsllc.com

US Playground Surfacing – usplaygroundsurfacing.com

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Chris Kneale (CT, MA, VT): ckneale@tomirwin.com | (860) 539-1516

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Award Presentations

NESTMA Awards Meeting & Lunch

Wednesday, March 8, 2022

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Rhode Island Convention Center Providence, RI

Great Networking Great Food • Great Company

Introducing New NESTMA Publication Environmental Best Practices for New England

Sports Turf Manager of the Year

Edward Olsen Parks & Forestry Superintendent Town of Needham, MA

Commercial Partner of the Year

Edward Downing

Director of Material Sourcing & Business Acquisitions Read Custom Soils

Copy of new BMP publication & lunch are complimentary for current NESTMA members. Reservations required.

Please reserve your spot by February 24, 2023

Online: NESTMA.org

Call: (508) 653-1241

Generously supported by Tom Irwin, Inc.

For New England Regional Turfgrass Conference details visit NERTF.org.

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See you at NERTC SFMA Names New CEO The S

26th annual New England Regional Turfgrass Conference (NERTC) will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI on March 8 & 9 with special pre-conference seminars on March 7. Mike Buras, CSFM and Ben Polimer, NESTMA’s representative to the Foundation’s board of directors, report an exciting expo and education lineup for 2023.

A premier session for NESTMA members will take place on March 8 at 10:00 a.m. when Vickie Wallace, UConn Extension, will introduce the association’s new Environmental Best Management Practices for New England. Other highlights of the sports turf professionals’ educational track include:

• Communicating Your Pest Management Program with the Public –Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., University of Tennessee

• Sports Turf Plant Health Care –Cale Bigelow, Ph.D., Purdue University

• Successful Weed Management –Matt Elmore, Ph.D., Rutgers University

• Central Park Turf & Pest Management –Zackary Holm, Central Park Conservancy

• Effective Aerification of Sports Fields –Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D., University of Nebraska

• Synthetic Turf Management –Chase Straw, Ph.D., Texas A&M & Ben Polimer, Town of Weston, MA

Wednesday, March 7 offers specialized pre-conference seminars on tree care, turf management, irrigation, meteorology, professional development, and more.

NESTMA’s annual Awards Meeting & Lunch will held during the NERTC at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 8. See page 14 for details. •

To learn more and get information on how to register visit NERTF.org

Your NERTC participation helps fund important turfgrass research across New England.

FMA has appointed Laura Simmons, CAE, as the association’s new CEO, a role where she will lead the organization’s growth initiatives and execute its strategic plan.

After reviewing hundreds of applicants and conducting numerous rounds of interviews, the SFMA Board of Directors concluded Simmons was the right candidate to lead the organization into the future. Her duties include enhancing SFMA’s role and profile as an advocate and positioning the association as the leader in the field for years to come. Additionally, Simmons will oversee efforts to expand educational opportunities, forge new partnerships, diversify revenue, and add programmatic offerings that promote long-term member value and enhance SFMA’s existing networking platform.

As a Certified Association Executive (CAE), Simmons has a proven track record of association leadership, including developing innovative programs, growing membership, managing finances/budgets, and implementing strategic plans. Most recently, she served as deputy director for the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and has more than two decades of experience serving associations and working in the world of property management.

“Laura brings both a wealth of knowledge on how to effectively manage professional associations and an infectious energy for the sports field management industry,” said SFMA President James Bergdoll. “Under Laura’s leadership, I am confident her fresh perspective will help us achieve our goals and we cannot wait for her to get to work on our members’ behalf.” •

Laura Simmons, CAE, new Chief Executive Officer of SFMA.

Better Built. Quality Results. Period.

Turf Grass Production Mowers

Contour / Rough Finishing Mowers

Sports field, Park and Estate Mowers

In Memoriam – Mark DeWolf

Ashining example of industry involvement, Mark was an active member who volunteered to help at every turn. He was instrumental in coordinating many NESTMA field days and served on the board of directors. A legend at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, Mark was named NESTMA’s Sports Turf Manager of the Year in 2013. His indominable spirit and positive outlook will always be remembered.

NESTMA’s Annual Meeting on December 6 was dedicated to the memory of Mark DeWolf. It was Mark’s wish that any memorial gifts be made to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH. •

Ebdon Honored with NTEP Distinguished Award

TheNational Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) announced the first recipient of the NTEP Distinguished Award is Dr. Scott Ebdon, Professor of Turfgrass Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Ebdon received the award at the Crop Science of America annual conference in Baltimore, Maryland in November 2022.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the turfgrass industry through cooperation with, or support of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program. Dr. Mike Richardson, University of Arkansas nominated Dr. Ebdon for the award, noting his role as principal investigator and evaluator of twenty-four NTEP trials over his career. Dr. Ebdon has been instrumental in evaluating traffic tolerance on many of those trials, as well as serving on advisory committees for multiple trials. Dr. Ebdon was also a key contributor as an advisory committee member and evaluator for two NTEP water use trials under rainout shelters. Because of his research on water use and drought tolerance in turfgrasses, Dr. Ebdon is a recognized expert on how grasses utilize water and in understanding drought tolerance mechanisms.

NTEP, established in 1980, is a non-profit program that develops and coordinates uniform evaluation trials of turfgrass varieties and promising selections across the United States and Canada. More information can be found at NTEP.org. •

Scott Ebdon receives the NTEP Distinguished Service Award from NTEP Executive Director Kevin Morris (L).

Thanks

Annual Meeting Recap

for a great

fantastic Annual Meeting on December

2022. •

to the newly elected

to Ryan Bjorn, Field Superintendent at Gillette Stadium,

presentation, congratulations

2023 board of directors, and gratitude to our sponsors: Activitas, Covermaster, Finch Turf, Sports CE, Harrell’s, PJC Organics, RePlay Maintenance, and US Playground Surfacing for a

6,

Ryan Bjorn’s presentation: “Achieving Game Day Perfection at Gillette Stadium”.

2023 Board of Directors (left to right): Andrew Carlisle, Ryan Bjorn, Ben Polimer, Chris McGinty, Scott Lagana, Adam Ferrucci, and Art Goodhind (missing: Tom Barry and Ian Lacy).

Jim Favreau, Harrell’s, and Scott Lagana, Turf Products Corp.

Ed Olsen, Chris McGinty, Art Goodhind and Michael Parks

Mike Bartlett

Operations Manager

Parks & Open Space

Brookline, Massachusetts

Where did you go to school?

I started at Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks of NY as a Forestry – Park Planning and Administration major. At the time it was a two-year institution. After the two years, I transferred to Rhode Island College and received my Bachelor’s degree in management.

How did you get your start in the sports turf industry?

I spent 15 years with the TruGreen Companies. We partnered with McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, RI as well as a few municipalities in Rhode Island. My real introduction and education began when I became the Assistant Superintendent of Parks for East Providence, RI. We didn’t have a defined turf management plan and so we developed it field by field. Its success culminated with one of our baseball complexes being selected to host the State Little League finals tournament.

Where did you go from there?

After 10 years in East Providence, I became the Operations Manager for Brookline (MA) Parks and Open Space. I’ll hit the 10-year milestone this June.

Who have been your sports turf mentors through the years?

The phrase ‘it takes a village’ certainly is true in my case. Tom Dorsey (Cranston, RI P&R) was the first to take me under his wing. Rex Eberly (South Kingston, RI P&R) was also someone always available for me to bounce ideas off. It certainly helped that we worked for the same department so I could call or drive five minutes and consult with Joe Medeiros (East Providence, RI P&R) at Pierce Field. He not only mentored on how to maintain exceptional fields but how to deal with users and the general public.

What’s your favorite thing about your current position?

Brookline has a long history of supporting its athletic facilities and parks. Meeting that expectation is demanding but also very satisfying. I’m fortunate to have an Athletic Field Supervisor, David Croteau, to lead our athletic turf management program. Between us we have more than 60 years of experience growing turf which is routinely tested in this urban, high usage environment.

What is a project you recently completed?

We recently completed an Athletic Field Needs Assessment and Master Plan. It revealed some of what we already suspected –fields are over-used, and we need more. I’m sure it’s the same for many of the members reading this magazine.

What is the next “game-changer” you see on the horizon for the sports turf industry?

I believe robotics are going to start playing a role in many of the tasks that we do on athletic fields. I see them more as tools to let us concentrate on the important tasks that require a trained eye, like infield maintenance, while the robot mows or paints in the lines.

What’s your favorite / most useful:

Equipment?

Aerator, aerator, aerator – solid, core, dimple

Product?

Humates – it’s always about the soil

Technology?

Irrigation Central Control – water plays such an important part of what we do both as a means for our end product but also our role in sustainability and climate change.

Can you share a bit about your family life and what you enjoy doing in your free time?

We are a hiking and camping family, so being outdoors is key. I have three college-age daughters, so watching them grow into confident young women has been great. Of course, watching them clean their rooms out for the final time will also be enjoyable.

What advice would you share with people starting out in sports turf management today?

You can’t learn what we do in a college classroom or from the seat of a truck. You’ve got to get on your hands and knees and learn it. Yes, green thick grass looks great, but our true mission is to provide athletes of any age a safe playing surface. That’s the goal!

What have you found most beneficial about being a NESTMA member?

There are two. First is being able to vent at a meeting or listen to someone else vent almost the same scenario as you. We’re all generally fighting the same type of battles. Second is my amazement in the high quality of knowledge we have here in New England. When we wrote our first Athletic Field Maintenance BMPs here in Brookline, we asked Mike Buras (Longwood Cricket Club) to read it and offer changes/ideas, which he graciously provided. Ed Olsen, Dennis Brolin, Dave Pinsonneault are all valuable sources of information right here where we live and work. •

Cypress Street Playground is one of the first designated playgrounds in the U.S. The town’s first sand based athletic field is surrounded on two sides by the Brookline High School campus. Recently renovated, the site was opened in August 2022.

It’s Time to Think SMART er about Maintaining Synthetic Turf

By Arthur Eddy, ASLA, LEED AP

Changes are coming?

The drive to compete is ingrained in the human DNA and is deeply rooted in our culture. This drive has changed the way athletic fields are built, used, and maintained in the United States and worldwide. Children are being pushed to concentrate on becoming experts in their respective sports and perform at high levels. While we disagree with pushing our kids to specialize in one sport and start so young, we also understand that this is the reality of the world we live in. This drive to compete has instigated serious conversations about the safety of youth athletes in the United States. As sport field managers and former athletes, we are constantly striving to improve the human interaction with sports and contribute to making a more enjoyable/safe experience for everyone involved. I have been involved in many discussions about how how technology could impact the future of athletes and found four takeaways:

1.0 SMARTer GEAR

My brothers-in-law cannot run or bike 100 feet without knowing their heart rate, distance, pace, split and exact geo-location. Now with the introduction of wearable technology, products can provide us with instant information regarding our heart rate,

distance, calories burned, steps and sleeping patterns. This same technology could be used to provide coaches, trainers and athletes with real time data on their athlete’s biometrics. This information could also be utilized to understand how a field is being used, allowing sports facility managers to focus on real high use areas versus perceived high use areas. This type of data can allow for the development of heat maps that allow for the visual understanding of how a field is being used and where the field needs attention. This becomes critical on synthetic turf fields due to their high demand and variation of use by sport, skill, and age.

2.0 SMARTer FIELDS

The synthetic turf industry has been focused on creating a surface that imitates natural grass but can withstand high use and perform like top end fields. Advancement in technologies like shock pads have shown their ability to reduce a player’s impact with the surface. What if that same field incorporated technology that could provide data on an athlete’s impact with the surface? Maintainers, coaches and trainers would be able to evaluate the athlete’s reaction to impact including the number of contacts an individual has with the surface and the severity of the impacts. Owners of synthetic turf have also been challenged with proper maintenance of the surface which is critical to the safety of the playing surfaces. With sensors in the field, evaluation of the synthetic turf’s performance could provide data on areas that need to be addressed due to impact and will reduce the guess work of maintenance.

3.0 SMARTer FIELD MAINTENANCE

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to track maintenance practices across the field can lead to a deeper understanding of maintenance practices across the field. As a sports turf manager, if you are collecting data across the field, that information can be interpolated into developing maintenance practices that are hyper focused on the individual field, properly utilize resources, project replacement dates, and track safety protocols and overall performance of the field.

AI can also provide efficiency in the assignment of resources in a format that is simple and easy to read in real time. In application, AI data will allow sports turf managers to be more efficient with materials, maintenance applications, and scheduling of jobs and tasks.

4.0 SMARTer SUSTAINABILITY

Synthetic turf fields currently provide a single stream of recycling. The future of manufacturing and installing fields should follow the cradle-to-cradle manufacturing process. The growth of synthetic fields has become popular in communities because of the increased availability of use and the reduction of land requirements to build multiple fields. As more square feet of surfacing is installed each year, more materials will need to be deferred from the landfill and into a recyclable material or preferably a new field. As synthetic turf becomes more sustainable, the concept of providing a range of surfaces, both synthetic and natural grass allow for athletes to be able to have a range of surfaces that can perform at a very high level. As natural grass surfaces are the preferred surface, having synthetic turf surfaces allow for the rest and maintenance of high quality performing natural grass fields.

There are a lot of applications that will change in the future. As sports turf managers, we can start to utilize these tools to collect data to create environments that perform better and are safer for athletes all while providing information to operate at the top of our game. The future is coming and embracing change will become a critical part of our success as sports managers. •

“It’s easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out of date.”

– Roger Von Oech

Arthur Eddy is CEO of RePlay Maintenance in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Connect with Art at aeddy@replaymaintenanceusa.com or (877-641-1819.

Synthetic Turf Practice Field allows for high quality natural grass fields. Image provided by Traverse Landscape Architects

AI Data. Image: https://www.passport365.com

Are These Products Still Any Good?

By Paul Giordano, Ph.D.

Isthat four-year-old jug of herbicide still going to perform? That once new fungicide product looks like it might have separated in the jug, is that normal? The heat in my storage facility was out for a week this past winter; what now? Let’s explore that!

Every spring, turf managers kick into high gear after several months of planning and strategizing their agronomic program. With all the excitement and extra attention around those pallets of old and new products, lots of questions arise about formulations, storage stability, shelf life, and compatibility. This is especially true after a year where many committed to additional products or “stocked up” due to concerns around availability and potential inflationary price hikes.

Below are a few key considerations to help with common concerns around product storage, shelf life, and performance.

STORAGE

While most golf facilities have dedicated space for chemicals and fertilizers, others around the turf industry may not be so lucky. Additionally, many are considering increasing their storage capabilities, given the recent challenges in the global supply chain. Either way, proper storage of plant protection and nutritional products is critical in maintaining their integrity and shelf life. In general, storage areas/facilities should be:

• Dry – Moisture and humidity can compromise granular products.

• Climate Controlled – To avoid temperature extremes like freezing or high heat.

• Shaded – Products are not meant to be kept in direct sunlight prior to application.

• Enclosed / Contained – Preventing any potential spillage/contamination.

• Elevated – To keep products off the ground and free from standing water and pests.

SHELF LIFE

It’s always best to use “fresh” products and to purchase only what is needed for the current agronomic year where reasonable. With recent threats of shortages and unpredictable cost increases, it’s understandable that many turf managers have made some longer-term commitments with additional products this past year.

The shelf life of turf care products can differ depending on their respective formulation types:

• Nutritional Products – Granular and liquid fertilizers are usually good “indefinitely” or for at least ten years if they are correctly stored and unopened. One important caveat is fertilizers mixed or sparged with pesticides, which will be subject to the shelf-life limitations of their pesticidal components.

• Pesticides – This varies greatly by product, and each label should be consulted for specific information related to an active ingredient and formulation. In general, most unopened pesticides stored at moderate temperatures will maintain their efficacy for at least 2 – 5 years.

• Biological Products – Many of these products contain living, breathing organisms. They are far more sensitive to storage conditions and often have much shorter shelf lives (1 – 3 years) than traditional plant health products. It’s especially important to read the product label and follow storage instructions carefully when using biological products.

It’s always best to have a strategy based on product age and storage limitations. I challenge any turf manager to work with their team to develop a “first-in, first-out” approach and find ways to prioritize and effectively use the aging products in their inventory.

FORMULATION

• Liquids – Liquid formulations can be easier to work with but pose some unique challenges with long-term storage. For example, formulations such as suspension concentrates (SC) contain active ingredients that can separate into layers - like mixing oil and water and letting it sit for a while. The color or appearance of liquid products can also vary from batch to batch. Sometimes it’s due to inert ingredients in the formulation changing; other times it may be more serious such as a contaminant or external factors such as heat or light that caused the change.

Products like liquid fertilizers might contain minerals that can fall out of the solution or settle at the bottom of the container during long-term storage. Regardless of the formulation, it’s always important to ensure uniform distribution of the contents in the jug before adding to your spray tank. Make sure to shake containers vigorously and thoroughly before use to ensure all contents are fully suspended in the mix.

• Granulars – Pesticide products such as WDG or WP formulations as well as soluble granular fertilizers are subject to moisture absorption if not stored properly. Clumping, caking, or simply forming a “brick” can pose challenges when trying to dissolve or disperse these products appropriately in a spray tank. Pre-mixing and dissolving these products in water using buckets or a separate tank with moderate agitation is a good idea to avoid potential insolubility issues in your primary spray tank. It’s important to keep these products in suspension with consistent agitation once in the tank - many granular products can easily settle to the bottom without it. •

If you have questions regarding the proper storage of your products, reach out to your local Harrell’s rep to develop a proper long to short-term storage plan and maximize the efficacy of your products down the line.

Paul Giordano, Ph.D. is a Director of Agronomy at Harrell’s, LLC. This article originally appeared in Harrell’s eNewsletter on April 28, 2022.

Image from Purdue Extension - PP-122. https://ppp.purdue.edu/wpcontent/uploads/files/PPP-122.pdf

Thresholds for Acceptable Weed Cover

By

Q: As part of my IPM program, how do I best determine a threshold for acceptable weed cover on an athletic field?

A: This question is common, and not easy to answer with one blanket statement. On certain fields, the threshold may be zero tolerance. This is because safety and playability come first. On other fields, the goal may not be to eliminate all weeds, but to keep the number low enough as to prevent unacceptable visual appearance or an uneven playing surface that increases risk to athletes. There may even be some areas, such as general lawns and heavily used recreation fields, where all weeds are tolerated.

The answer is further complicated because it depends on what species of weeds you deal with. Spurge and knotweed, for example, may produce green cover in the summer; but since they are annuals, those areas will be bare soil from October until spring. This may be acceptable if the field is used for summer sports but not for fall sports. Another consideration is how much damage the weed infestation does to the turfgrass. Sedges are unsightly during the summer, but unless it is a very severe infestation, this species tends to not thin the turfgrass and reduce playability in the fall. On the other hand, species such as crabgrass and goosegrass will result in stand loss.

Since it’s not an exact science, the most recommended course of action is to monitor your weed populations and collect data. Collecting data can be a challenge, so maybe have two approaches – weeds that spread (clover, weed grasses) could be assessed as a percentage of the grass cover, while tap-root weeds (dandelion, plantains etc.) are physically counted. Collecting data helps everyone understand the issue better and can be used to set future goals. In essence, data is power! Collecting data can be done in a couple of ways; (1) Subjective assessment. For example, a turf manager determines percentage weed cover. Subjective data can sometimes be viewed as skewed since it’s based on opinion.

Or (2), objective assessment, where the turf manager counts with a point quadrant, or generates numbers from digital imaging, etc. Objective assessment results in measurable and trackable data, no matter the assessor. In addition to weed numbers, keep data on types of weeds and information on how they affect the fields (do they diminish aesthetics, affect ball roll or bounce, compromise athlete safety and/or performance?).

One final thought from weed scientist, Dr. Dave Gardner: Many intramural and school athletic mixes now contain microclovers. Controlling unwanted weeds in a turf clover stand will need careful consideration. Unfortunately, there are no herbicides that control the undesirables and leave the clover alone. A novel approach may be to control those undesirables when the clover is dormant, which may be either in the heat of summer, or from November to April.

Resources: STMA’s Playing Conditions Index (PCI) assessment form can be found on the Members section of the website. UConn’s Field Assessment/Recordkeeping Tools can be found online at https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/turf-landscape/, or you could make your own. •

Pamela Sherratt, The Ohio State University

Pamela Sherratt is sports turf extension specialist at The Ohio State University. This Q&A column appeared in SportsField Management magazine April 2020.

Changes in New England Turfgrass Research, Extension & Education

By Gary Sykes

These individuals have taught, counseled, researched, and diagnosed many issues throughout New England. We thank them for their past service and are glad that most of them will remain in the area and (we hope) stay engaged in the industry.

There will be some transition as the universities decide the direction to go in hiring qualified individuals. This is where the industry can play an important role in ensuring the sustainability of each program. If you are worried about the viability of the programs; are concerned that critical resources are disappearing and might not be refilled; or individuals will not be attracted to programs that have lost prominent and recognizable figures, you must share your concerns with decision-makers (deans, alumni, provosts). I suggest that every turfgrass industry association write letters and make calls expressing the concerns of their membership that these open positions be filled.

When a person retires from a university, there is no guarantee that the position will be filled unless the Dean and the Provost believe it is essential to the program. An important factor for convincing the decision-makers is an industry show of support.

Let’s talk about some good news! When Pat Vittum decided to retire, UMass stepped up and hired Dr. Olga Kostromytska, Ph.D. This was a great show of support for the industry and the UMass Turf Program. Since then, Mary Owen, Rob Wick and Scott Ebdon all announced their plans to retire. Luckily, Jason Lanier who has worked with Mary for several years has taken on most of her responsibilities and is doing a wonderful job.

We

have had a great run over the last 30+ years with excellent turfgrass academics on the campuses of state universities in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Unfortunately, some of our long-term academics have retired over the past few years.

We start by recognizing Dr. Pat Vittum who left the university in 2017 after 37 years at UMass. In 2018, Olga Kostromystka, Ph.D. was hired as Turfgrass Extension Entomologist. Olga had been doing a Post-doc at Rutgers University. Dr. Rob Wick also retired around this time. Who is going to count all those nematodes?

Michael Sullivan, Ph.D. at URI has entered the ranks of Professor Emeriti, but keeps busy with agronomic consulting opportunities when requested.

Mary Owen retired in 2020. Very much a critical piece of the UMass Turfgrass program, she was the “Turfgrass Team Leader” for many years, covering all aspects of turfgrass management in Massachusetts, but has been well-known nationally with involvement that did not confine her within the boundaries of Massachusetts. Many had wondered how she, without being cloned, could cover everything that she has done. Fortunately, Mary had been grooming a replacement for many of her responsibilities in a very capable Jason Lanier. Jason had been a huge help to our conference. He is currently preparing for 2023 and overseeing UMass Winter School.

Recently, Scott Ebdon, Ph.D. at UMass, and Steve Rackliffe and Karl Guillard, Ph.D. at UConn announced their retirements.

UConn has recently hired Cathryn Chapman, Ph.D. and Haiying Tao, Ph.D. Haiying had been working for the Washington State University, but has returned to Connecticut where she’ll be taking over the responsibilities for the MLSN Project that Dr. Guillard had been awarded by NERTF. Cathryn Chapman was recently awarded a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from Rutgers University. Part of her focus will be on strengthening sustainable research in Turfgrass Science. She will be filling some of the gaps that occurred when Steve Rackliffe decided to retire.

The NERTF is looking forward to establishing relationships with these new members of the Turfgrass community and to continue to grow close bonds with all turfgrass appointments. These hires are a great example of the universities’ commitment to their current programs, and we should continue to focus on filling the empty seat left by Dr. Wick and Dr. Ebdon’s soonto-be empty seat at UMass. URI continues to hang-in with renewed hope for new and favorable university administration appointments. So much of the world is about sustainability – a practice that needs to be included our region’s Turfgrass programs too. •

Gary Sykes is Executive Director of the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation. Connect with Gary at gsykes.nertf@gmail.com.

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