Pennsylvania Turfgrass - Fall 2023

Fall 2023 • Vol. 12 / No. 4

State of Matters:

Fertilizer Coating Technology History of the Eastern PA Turf Conference and Trade Show PLUS

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Thom Mahute - 717-940-0730 Bob Seltzer - 610-704-4756 Dave Hunley - 215-262-3912 Zach Owen - 609-454-7727

Vol. 12 / No. 4 • Fall 2023 Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 99 Boalsburg, PA 16827-0550 Phone: (814) 237-0767 Fax: (814) 414-3303 info@paturf.org www.paturf.org Publisher: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 Franklin, TN 37064 Phone: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 info@leadingedgecommunications.com Pennsylvania Turfgrass Editor Max Schlossberg, Ph.D. Penn State University • mjs38@psu.edu

18

Conferences and Education Manager Kristen Althouse Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council President Rick Catalogna Harrell’s Inc Territory Manager (412) 897-0480 Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Kister Longwood Gardens, Inc. – Kennett Square, PA (484) 883-9275

24 Professional Development 8 Developing a Culture of Growth Cover Story 10 State of Matters: Fertilizer Coating Technology Feature Article 18 History of the Eastern Pennsylvania Turf Conference and Trade Show 4

Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

Past President Tom Fisher Wildwood Golf Club – Allison Park, PA (412) 518-8384

Between the Lines 24 John Gross Field Groundskeeping Team Receives Field of Distinction Award Departments

Director of Operations Tom Bettle Penn State University Directors Steve Craig Centre Hills Country Club Tanner Delvalle Penn State Extension

6 President’s Update 6 Penn State Turf Team 7 Advertiser Index 9 Upcoming Events

Elliott Dowling USGA

Find this issue, Podcasts, Events and More: THETURFZONE.COM

Matt Wolf Penn State University

Andy Moran University of Pittsburgh Tim Wilk Scotch Valley Country Club

Top Turf Quality for Over a Decade Excellent Traffic Tolerance for Sports Turf High Brown Patch Disease Resistance & Heat Tolerance Highly Salt Tolerant - Drought & Disease Resistance NTEP Tested - High Performance in the Transition Zone Great Traffic Tolerance for Sports Turf Top 10 NTEP Performance in Multiple Locations Grey Leaf Spot & Brown Patch Resistance Drought & Heat Tolerant High NTEP Performer – Traffic Stress Enhanced Vigor – Widely Adaptable Improved Disease Resistance Dark Green & Dense Turf Improved Southern Heat Performance Cold Weather Color Retention Rhizomatous or Spreading Type Tall Fescue Dark Green Color – Brown Patch Resistance Mid Atlantic High Performer Higher Brown Patch and Heat Resistance Finer Blade Width Endophyte Enhanced Technology High Performance Blend Tailored for Regional Performance Best Brown Patch Disease Resistance & Recovery Excellent Traffic Tolerance Check www.NTEP.org for Test Results

www.BurlinghamSeeds.com

President’s Update

Penn State Turf Team

Another Successful Season

T

his season has had its ups and downs to say the least; early season drought to high humidity and then big rainstorms. It wouldn’t be a typical season without challenges.

We had a wonderful turnout for The Penn State Field Days as people were able to get away for a little bit and check out the turf plots, get some important credits and reconnect with peers and colleagues. It’s always great to reconnect and breathe a collective sigh of relief as the fall season comes back around. We say goodbye to seasonal staff members and wind down the golf events and start planning the last rounds of fertilizer. There’s still plenty of work to do in each of our segments of the business but knowing that we had another successful season just gets us excited to plan and start the next season all over again!

Enjoy the start of seasonable weather and football season! I hope to see everyone out and about during conference season!

Sincerely,

Rick Catalogna PTC President

Jeffrey A. Borger Senior Instructor Emeritus in Turfgrass Weed Management 814-865-3005 • jborger@psu.edu

Michael A. Fidanza, Ph.D. Professor of Plant & Soil Science 610-396-6330 • maf100@psu.edu

David R. Huff, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Genetics 814-863-9805 • drh15@psu.edu

Brad Jakubowski Instructor of Plant Science 814-865-7118 • brj8@psu.edu

John E. Kaminski, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Science 814-865-3007 • jek156@psu.edu

Peter J. Landschoot, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Science 814-863-1017 • pjl1@psu.edu

Ben McGraw, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Turfgrass Entomology 814-865-1138 • bam53@psu.edu

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The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council (PTC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation.

The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Pennsylvania Turfgrass, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or PTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Copyright © 2023 by the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council. Pennsylvania Turfgrass is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to PTC members. Presorted standard postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Pennsylvania Turfgrass allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to the PTC. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. 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.

6

Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

Andrew S. McNitt, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Soil Science 814-863-1368 • asm4@psu.edu

Max Schlossberg, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Turfgrass Nutrition / Soil Fertility 814-863-1015 • mjs38@psu.edu

Al J. Turgeon, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Turfgrass Management aturgeon@psu.edu

Advertiser Index

Aer-Core, Inc....................................... 17 www.aer-core.com

Aqua Aid Solutions.............................. 13 www.aquaaid.com

Covers That Make the Difference

Burlingham Seeds.................................5 www.burlinghamseeds.com

Coombs Sod Farms...............................9 www.coombsfarms.com

Covermaster, Inc...................................7 www.covermaster.com

Our lightweight EVERGREEN™Turf Covers produce a greenhouse type effect that allows your turf to breathe and retain the right amount of heat and moisture.

DryJect................................................ 19 East Coast Sod & Seed.........................6 www.eastcoastsod.com

MASTER BRANDING

Ernst Conservation Seeds................... 16 www.ernstseed.com

Fisher & Son Company, Inc............. Inside Front Cover www.fisherandson.com

FM Brown’s & Sons...............................9 www.fmbrown.com

RAINCOVERS, from our supreme lightweight ones right to the classic vinyl types, there are models and accessories to meet your specific needs.

FOOTBALL FIELD COVERS are made of superior strength material, providing protection from rain or snow.

Forse Design Incorporated.................. 15 www.forsegolfdesign.com

George E. Ley Co................................ 21 www.gelcogolf.com

Greene County Fertilizer Co................ 21 www.greenecountyfert.com

Lawn & Golf Supply............................. 27 www.planetair.biz

Progressive Turf Equipment Inc.......... 17 www.progressiveturfequip.com

Seedway................................................9 www.seedway.com

TARPMATE™ AIR roller is a revolutionary An INFLATABLE FIELD COVER allows storage and handling system for field for ongoing field maintenance during covers. 2-3 people can roll out or roll up a inclement and extreme cold weather.

100’ wide cover.

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Tel: +1-416-745-1811 • Fax: +1-416-742-6837 www.covermaster.com • info@covermaster.com

Shreiner Tree Care............................... 21 www.shreinertreecare.com

Smith Seed Services.............................7 www.smithseed.com

STEC Equipment...................................3 www.stecequipment.com

The Turf Zone...................................... 22 www.theturfzone.com

Turf Science.......................... Back Cover www.turfscience.net

Fall 2023 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass

7

Professional Development

Cultivating an Environment of Growth

By Neal Glatt, CSP, ASM

E

veryone wants better employees and today, that usually requires growing them internally. By starting with a high-potential worker and developing them intentionally, companies are able to build a near-ideal employee ready to tackle their specific issues. But employee development only occurs in the right environment.

Employee growth is not unlike plant growth in that the result is dependent primarily on environmental factors rather than genetic make-up. Unfortunately, managers rarely audit their environment for employee growth potential and even fewer have clear ideas about the factors that would make a strong growth environment. Here are the seven environmental factors that should be considered when cultivating a culture of development:

Advanced Expertise – Growth can only occur when someone is ahead of the employee to be developed because someone must be setting the pace for production and sharing knowledge. This doesn’t mean the smartest person in the room has to quit, but rather that they need a coach or mentor outside of the company to guide them.

Continually Challenged – Advancing to the next level never happens by accident, so an environment where everyone is challenged to reach higher levels of performance creates the tension needed to advance intentionally.

Future-Oriented – A team which is focused on past mistakes doesn’t have the right outlook to grow their team. Growth is always the result of forward thinking where a better reality is a goal and positive intent around its achievement is embraced.

Affirming Atmosphere – Development takes a lot of extra work beyond simply the status quo so teams that encourage each other to the next level of their skills are the ones that usually stick it out to see the results. It is the consistency of effort over long periods of time that is enabled through encouragement and brings true results.

Mission Driven – When team members understand what their company does to enhance the lives of their customers and how their role contributes to making a difference, they are more likely to wake up excited and be driven to be the best version of themselves. This energy is essential to growth.

Failure is Embraced – When we learn new skills and put them into practice, failing is a large part of the learning journey. In fact, learned experience is the quickest way to actually know anything.

But a negative reaction to mistakes will deplete growth momentum, so wise teams expect and embrace them when they occur.

Mutual Advancement – People always work best when they’re working together, so teams where every member is growing are far more likely to see positive results. The best environments for growth have individualized and continuous development happening for every person and the culture is one of learning.

If your team needs more help growing itself to the next level, or your want help building a better growth environment, check out the industry-specific resources available at www.GrowTheBench.com. PTC members are invited to connect with Neal at neal@growthebench.com.

8

Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

UPCOMING EVENTS Student Internship and Job Fair Tuesday, October 10th 8 – 11:30 am

Watschke Fellowship Golf Tournament Tuesday, October 10th 11 am – 6 pm (12:30 Shotgun)

PSU Golf Turf Conference Wednesday, October 11th 9 am – 5 pm

Post Conference Mixer Champs Downtown Wednesday, October 11th 5:30 – 7 pm

PSU Golf Turf Conference Thursday, October 12th 9 am – 2:30 pm

Our warehouses are fully stocked

and ready to meet your seeding needs with our extensive selection of turfgrasses and seeding supplies, ready to be prepared and delivered to suit your needs.

LIFE IS COMPLICATED — SEED DOESN’T HAVE TO BE — WE MAKE SEED EASY.

For event news & updates visit

paturf.org

797 Commerce Street Sinking Spring, PA 19608 Phone: 800-345-3344 SeedInfo@FMBrown.com Fall 2023 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass

9

Cover Story

STATE OF MATTERS

Fertilizer Coating Technology

By Max Schlossberg, PhD.

No more than zero artificial intelligence resources participated in the composition of the following chronicle.

In the beginning…

By the time NASA successfully landed their unmanned ‘Surveyor 1’ spacecraft on the moon (1965), numerous slow-release, granular N fertilizers were available in the US. Natural organic fertilizers derived from sewage sludge or livestock manure/ litter were the original slow-release N carriers. Next came the urea-formaldehyde reaction products; e.g., methylene urea, isobutylidene diurea, and the eponymous ureaform, all characterized as synthetic organic carriers. However, neither these natural nor synthetic organic N sources completely satisfied the Green Industry’s need for a dependably long-lasting, controlled-release, N fertilizer.

But by the time Jacobsen released the original ‘Greens King’ triplex putting green mower (1968), agricultural and material scientists had developed coated fertilizers. Their purpose was to improve the utilization efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer, most notably urea (460-0). This effort improved the granular fertilizer at its core by adding one (or more) layer(s) of a persistent coating that limited nutrient diffusion from inside to outside the coating/membrane.

Alkyd resins, synthetic polymers derived by reacting polyhydric alcohols with polybasic acids or anhydrides, were the original fertilizer coatings. Yet the high cost of this added value precluded widescale adoption of the urea fertilizer featuring it. Subsequently, scientists of the Tennessee Valley Authority patented a more economical process of coating urea with elemental sulfur.

In 1970, sulfur-coated urea (SCU) became the first, mass-produced, controlled-release fertilizer by which

10 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

plant-availability of urea-N was initiated by physical rupture or ‘failure’ of the sulfur coating.

The prolific marriage of urea and sulfur was hardly a proverbial crapshoot, given sulfur’s already established role as a plant essential macronutrient, fungicide, and additive mitigating the caking tendency of many fertilizers. Moreover, elemental sulfur comprises a biodegradable and inexpensive acidulent that facilitates plant recovery of urea-N in neutral to alkaline soil. Relative to granular urea and confirming all coatings remained intact through application, numerous University studies showed SCU to significantly improve fertilizer N recovery by treated turfgrass.

This is likely why the next generation of coated fertilizer built upon, rather than replaced, the sulfur component. While the controlled release of urea N from SCU is governed by the sulfur-coat thickness, the addition of a thin thermoplastic or resin envelope around the SCU prill improved the coating integrity without further N dilution. These polymer-sulfur-coated urea (PSCU) or polymer-coated/sulfur-coated urea (PC/ SCU) hybrids featured a more linear release rate than SCU and were widely adopted in the late 1980’s.

Yet the 21st century ushered in a new era of reduced polyurethane/polyolefin cost and a specialty fertilizer marketplace heralding granules coated by a thin layer of polymer as the preferred technology (Figure 1).

Owing to their thinner coat, synthetic polymer-coated fertilizers possess a higher grade than their sulfur coated counterparts. Polymer-coated urea (PCU) is minimally affected by microbial activity and remains a highly popular blending source within the turfgrass, landscaping, and horticultural production industries.

POLYMER COAT

UREA

Figure 1. Courtesy of Allied Nutrients

Fall 2023 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 11

Cover Story • continued

Figure 2.

While polymers proved aptly supportive of the original, impermeable coating mechanism; newer synthetic polymers marked the advent of semi-permeable coatings. In contrast to the physical rupture or coating ‘failure’ release mechanism exhibited by first- and second-generation coated fertilizers, semi-permeable coatings facilitate a multi-stage diffusion release mechanism governed by an osmotic nutrient transfer from the fertilizer–polymer interface to the polymer–soil interface. Progression through the following sequence; (i) diffusion/swelling; (ii) degradation of the polymer coating, and (iii) fracture or dissolution, is governed by coating thickness, soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil N concentration gradient; all ideally falling in synchrony with vegetative growth and nutrient requirements.

Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

Over the last twenty years…

I have had the honor of evaluating numerous slow- and controlled-release N fertilizers, at the very facility where the first experimentally-coated fertilizers were evaluated by Drs. Duich and Waddington almost sixty years ago. These recent results from the Joseph Valentine Turfgrass Research Center confirm improved plant recovery of urea-N to be a benefit of ongoing technological refinement by polymer-coated granular fertilizer manufacturers.

While different granular fertilizers may share a common 100% polymer-coated urea (PCU) attribute and support equivalent cumulative recovery by Kentucky bluegrass or similar turfgrass species, significantly varied patterns of N release have been shown to manifest over 17-week experimental periods (Figure 2).

Bill Brown, CGCS, AQUA AID Solutions Email: bbrown@aquaaid.com Phone: 484.889.1548

Sam Stimmel, AQUA AID Solutions Email: sstimmel@aquaaid.com Phone: 724.825.1906

Cover Story • continued

The duration of polymer-coated urea (PCU) fertilizer N release is controlled by impermeable coating thickness and its mass ratio to semipermeably-coated prills (specific to the blended product). Figure 3 depicts data collected the last 10 years in numerous PSU field trials illustrating the relation of fertilizer N content (%N in grade) to release duration (days until assimilation of 50% of fertilizer N; higher number=slower release).

The scatter plot shows little relation between these two parameters when all coated, natural organic, and synthetic urea formaldehyde reaction product fertilizers are considered.

Yet regarding PCUs (blue circles), containing only urea and whose N content is diluted by polymer coating thickness, the inverse relationship between PCU fertilizer N content and duration of N release becomes apparent (Figure 3).

Perhaps of greater interest to our readership is that recent PSU research shows under typical Mid-Atlantic US conditions, a single 1.8 lbs N / 1000 ft2 application of 100% PCU fertilizer to a mature Kentucky bluegrass lawn

Figure 3.

Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

poses no greater environmental risk than conventional urea applied at a 0.9 lbs N / 1000 ft2 rate.

The current state of affairs…

It wasn’t long before the fertilizer industry branched out from urea to diversify coated fertilizers and appeal to additional commodity markets.

Polymer-coated ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate are currently available in select regions of the US. If compound fertilizers are more your thing, then you’re encouraged to contact one of the numerous commercial vendors with polymer-coated potassium nitrate or diammonium phosphate available for delivery.

There are even polymer-coated complete fertilizers that feature all the primary nutrients in a single bag of controlled-release splendor.

The coating materials currently used in synthesis of PCU, PSCU, or alternative N source fertilizers are polyolefins, polyvinylidene chloride, acrylic resin, and polysulfone synthetic

polymers. And despite years of woeful commitment to collecting and sorting used plastic containers in support of recycling, these polymeric materials continue to be sourced from nonrenewable resources. Furthermore, the very properties of polymers that make them such effective barriers to nutrient diffusion contribute to their persistence in nature and resulting microplastic pollution.

Which all begs the following question: ‘Do the negative environmental impacts associated with the manufacture and application of PCU fertilizers outweigh their proven agronomic benefits?’ This is sure to spawn an extraordinary complex answer... one I’d certainly open with ‘It depends.’ But that’s as far as I can currently go with this apples to oranges comparison, perhaps better posed as: ‘How many grams of legacy microplastic is offset by a pound of urea not volatilized as NH3 or N2O?’ Once I am notified this article is off to press, perhaps I’ll ask ChatGPT. Like some scientists, I appreciate objectivity and have been reading up on experimental fertilizer coatings accordingly. Which seems understated considering the last Web of Science search I queried using ‘fert*’ and ‘coat*’ as keywords returned 1,511 papers published since 2018! I’ll be honest, I didn’t read the whole lot.

But please... I’m an author on two of them anyhow.

To summarize, the majority of material scientists currently developing and evaluating innovative urea coatings do not believe the agronomic benefits of polymer coatings outweigh the negatives. Rather, they’re hellbent on preserving humanity by replacing synthetic polymer coatings with biodegradable membranes. But in the spirit of objectivity, they may not be hellbent, perhaps just allergic to plastic. Deathly allergic, like the Wicked Witch of the West to water kind of allergic. Ding Dong!

Nevertheless, recent advancements in nanotechnology and material science afford us a wide array of encapsulation technologies and unlimited possibilities. Most research has focused on renewable and biodegradable chemistries, and/or efficient coating processes. Compounds

V. Halyard – Storylounge Photo

Cover Story • continued

that have recently been investigated as a fertilizer coating and described in a peer-reviewed publication include (among others): alginate, biochar (of course biochar, as if there is anything it can’t improve), cassava (Manihot esculenta) starch composite film, castor oil, cellulose, chitin/chitosan, graphene oxide, humus, lignin, natural rubber, pectin, phase-transitioned whey protein, xanthan gum, and zeolite.

The future of coated fertilizers…

In one recent paper, scientists polymerized castor oil and magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles into a crosslinked membrane with high thermal stability. This is an intriguing approach that checks both the ‘recycles

waste oil’ and ‘contains nanoparticles’ boxes, while relieving current industry reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels.

Lignin also comprises an organic fiber of great potential, primarily due to its high carbon content, biodegradability, tensile strength, and oxidation resistance. As a component of slow-release fertilizer coatings, lignin is shown to delay the release of fertilizer nutrients and subsequently improve water holding capacity and quality of treated soils.

The above are a few of the more promising results my literature review revealed. It seems the most likely progression in coating technology will be avoiding non-renewable resources and incorporating agronomically advantageous compounds. Such additives may include biological agents; e.g., beneficial microbes, NBPT

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Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

(urease inhibitor), dicyandimide and nitrapyrin (nitrification inhibitors), biostimulants; and/or surfactants, micronutrients, zeolite, etc.

Further along the innovation pipeline await ‘smart coatings.’ A given name I hope will do as much for coatings as phones. The only thing I love more than my smart phone is keeping it encased in acrylic, charged, dry, financed, and continuously updating its operating software and 37 apps I can’t open.

But smart coatings will ultimately have to earn that lofty title by filing tax forms, graphing your caloric intake by week, and releasing nutrients in response to environmental stimuli like temperature, moisture, and/or turfgrass uptake. I hope I am around long enough to evaluate that last responsibility in the field.

Which seems like a decent segue to my take-home point: an important and final aspect of fertilizer innovation is unbiased, third-party evaluation in the field. Perhaps the most entertaining parts of those 1,511 papers, or less (that I read), were the agronomic validation efforts directed by the very material scientist(s) who engineered the experimental coatings. Many of which I would characterize as somewhere between marginally critical and straight-up flimsy; i.e., conducted in a glasshouse over short duration, limited to 2 or 3 replications, and offset by peculiar positive controls.

As you assimilate new fertilizer, amendments, and/or pesticide promotions; please remind vendors and technical reps of your insistence on impartial, University-grade field research results when making purchasing decisions. Field trials capture highly-variable growing conditions that may exacerbate limitations, or advantages, of new or experimental products. Likewise, University personnel will include appropriate positive controls; i.e., respected industry bellwethers that support practical new product assessment.

Thank you for your ongoing support and interest and please send comments / questions to me at mjs38@psu.edu!

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Fall 2023 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 17

Feature

Table 1. Location and conference information for The Eastern for each year.

HISTORY of the Eastern Pennsylvania Turf Conference and Trade Show Mike Fidanza, Ph.D.1 and John Pope2 1 Professor of Plant and Soil Science, Penn State Berks Campus; Reading, PA (maf100@psu.edu)

Pope Soils Consulting and Counseling Services; Maple Glen, PA (overthefencegarden@gmail.com) 2

T

he Eastern Pennsylvania Turfgrass Conference and Tradeshow (i.e., “The Eastern”), first began as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Turf School, and was organized and conducted by William “Bill” White (19242011), Philadelphia County Agent with Penn State Cooperative Extension and Dr. Jack Harper (1923–2005), Penn State Turfgrass Extension Specialist (Table 1). Of note, these early years of The Eastern were part of a larger effort by many county agents in Southeastern Pennsylvania to bring the latest turfgrass science and research information from the land-grant university to turf managers as well as practicing horticulturalist and arborists, thus expanding the outreach into many segments of the green industry.

No.

Year

Location

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA West Norriton, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Hershey, PA* Hershey, PA* Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA

20

1990

Valley Forge, PA

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA

30

2000

Valley Forge, PA

31 32 33

2001 2002 2003

Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA

34

2004

Valley Forge, PA

35 36 37 38 39

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA

40

2010

Valley Forge, PA

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

King of Prussia, PA King of Prussia, PA King of Prussia, PA King of Prussia, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA Valley Forge, PA East Earl, PA** East Earl, PA East Earl, PA Virtual*** East Earl, PA East Earl, PA East Earl, PA

Conference Chairperson(s) Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Bill White and Jack Harper Jack Harper Jack Harper Jack Harper Jack Harper Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke, Chuck Cadiz, Kenneth Dietrich Tom Watschke, Kenneth Dietrich Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke, Mike Smith Tom Watschke, Mike Smith Tom Watschke, Mike Smith, John Chassard Tom Watschke, John Chassard Tom Watschke, John Chassard Tom Watschke, John Chassard Tom Watschke, John Chassard, Greg Fantuzzi Tom Watschke, Greg Fantuzzi Greg Fantuzzi Greg Fantuzzi Greg Fantuzzi Greg Fantuzzi Greg Fantuzzi and Andrew Dooley Andrew Dooley Andrew Dooley Andrew Dooley Andrew Dooley Andrew Dooley Tom Bettle Tom Bettle Dan Douglas Dan Douglas Dan Douglas Dan Douglas Dan Douglas Dan Douglas Dan Douglas

Penn State Cooperative Extension – County Agents from the Southeastern Pennsylvania region Jack Harper Jack Harper Jack Harper Jack Harper Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Tom Watschke Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Pete Landschoot Max Schlossberg Mike Fidanza Mike Fidanza Mike Fidanza Mike Fidanza Mike Fidanza Mike Fidanza Mike Fidanza Jeff Borger Jeff Borger Brad Jukabowski Brad Jukabowski Brad Jukabowski Dan Douglas Dan Douglas Dan Douglas

* O ne state-wide turf conference (The Eastern and the Western PA Turf Conference and Penn State Golf Turf Conference). ** Shady Maple Smorgasbord in Lancaster County PA *** Virtual or online format due to COVID-19 pandemic.

18 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

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Feature • continued

Figure 1. Left to right: Mark Del Santro, Dr. Michael Agnew, and Jim Loke on the Trade Show floor.

Figure 2. Bennett Wartman playing the trumpet was always a favorite during the Trade Show.

Figure 3. Mark Del Santro with an autographed football for the Silent Auction.

Table 2. Silent auction committee for The Eastern.

Year

COMMITTEE M E M BE RS Location = The Eastern:

2004

Jim and Karen Loke*

2005

Jim and Karen Loke

2006

Jim and Karen Loke

2007

Mike Fidanza, Mark DelSantro, Tony Leonard, Jim Byrne

2008

Mike Fidanza, Mark DelSantro, Tony Leonard, Jim Byrne**

2009

Mike Fidanza, Mark DelSantro, Tony Leonard, Jim Byrne

2010

Dave Huff

2011

Dave Huff

2012

Scott Kroll and Tyler Bloom

2013

Scott Kroll and Tyler Bloom

2014

Damon DiGiorgio and Carey Bailey

2015

Damon DiGiorgio and Carey Bailey

2016

Tom Valentine

2017

Tom Valentine Location = Philadelphia Golf Show (Oaks, PA):

2018

Andrew Dooley and Tom Valentine

2019

Andrew Dooley and Tom Valentine

2020

Andrew Dooley and Tom Valentine*** **Record amount raised of $21,000.

20 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

**Discontinued after 2020.

These first conferences or “turf schools” focused on education for those green industry professionals in the Philadelphia and greater Southeastern Pennsylvania region, and were held at the Jeffersonville Golf Club, in West Norriton, PA. As this annual educational event gained in success and popularity in the region, the conference expanded to include lawn, landscape, and grounds managers, and also an industry trade show where companies could display and promote their products and services. The conference was relocated in the early 1980s to the nearby Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA, to accommodate the need for more education and trade show space.

Also for two years during the early 1980s, The Eastern was combined with the Penn State Golf Turf Conference into one state-wide conference, and held at the Hershey Hotel, in Hershey, PA. The geographically diverse turf industry in Pennsylvania, however, wanted to return to the regional conference structure and format. Soon after that, five separate turf conferences were conducted in Pennsylvania: The Eastern, Penn State Golf Turf Conference (University Park, PA), Western Pennsylvania Turf Conference (Pittsburgh, PA region), Northeastern Turf Conference (Wilkes-Barre, PA region), and Northwestern Turf Conference (Meadville, PA). These conferences were hosted by Penn State Cooperative Extension and/or the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council.

During the mid-1980s and into the 1990s, The Eastern was thee turf conference to attend, as it had a broad, regional appeal and participation from many segments of the green industry. At that time, The Eastern was a precursor to the big regional conferences of today such as the New England Turf Conference (Providence, RI) and the Carolinas Turf Conference (Myrtle Beach, SC). For many years, The Eastern was held at the Valley Forge Convention Center, which is in close proximity to the famous Valley Forge National Park where General George Washington

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and the Continental Army over-wintered in 1777. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the trade show portion of those conferences occupied two floors of the convention center with expansive space for booths and equipment displays (Figures 1 and 2). The education talks were located on the opposite side of the facility in the hotel ballrooms, with capacity of 300 to 500 for each room.

The Eastern was traditionally held during the first week of January, basically a few days after New Year’s Day, and it was a great way to kick-off the new year for the turf industry. In the age before cell phones, websites, social media, and “early order season”, the trade show was thee place to conduct business and network. Everyone who was anyone in the turf business was there: golf course, sports turf, lawn and landscape, grounds maintenance, equipment, chemicals, fertilizers, specialty products, and more.

Because the education seminars were coordinated by the Penn State turf faculty and Penn State’s Cooperative Extension, The Eastern was one of the few places turfgrass industry professionals could earn an entire year’s worth application license credits as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA). Later in the 1990s, the PDA allowed turf companies (i.e., distributors and dealers) to offer pesticide credits for their own one-day education events organized for their customers.

A highlight of The Eastern during those “Valley Forge days” was the USGA Year-in-Review presented for many years by USGA Green Section agronomist Stan Zontek (1949 – 2012).

Dr. Paul Heller (1948 – 2010), Penn State turf entomologist, was always a favorite speaker as well. Dr. Heller presented with such excitement, passion, and extension knowledge of all things turf-and-bugs related.

In the early 2000s, a Silent Auction was added to the trade show to raise needed funds to support the Penn State turf program (Table 2). A favorite item for sale was the autographed football from Penn State’s legendary coach, Joe Paterno (Figure 3).

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Feature • continued

Figure 4. Silent Auction at the Philadelphia Golf Show.

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Many companies generously donated products and services, and many golf course superintendents donated rounds of golf. The Silent Auction was an excellent example of an industryuniversity partnership.

From the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, The Eastern was a 2½ day conference. From 2011 to 2014, The Eastern was moved from the Valley Forge Convention Center across the street to a hotel next to the King of Prussia Mall, in King of Prussia, PA. The conference also downsized into two full days, and the traditional tradeshow booth layout was replaced with tabletops, along with lunch being served at the conference. From 2015 to 2017, The Eastern returned to the Valley Forge Convention Center, which was now renovated into the Valley Forge Casino Resort. In 2017, an Industry Committee within the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council was assembled to help strengthen and improve the conference and their fundraising efforts, and they even occupied a booth at the nearby Philadelphia Golf Show in Oaks, PA, to auction rounds of golf (Figure 4), thus promoting the Penn State turf program and raising much needed financial support at the same time.

In 2018, The Eastern was relocated to South-Central Pennsylvania, at the famous Shady Maple Smorgasbord in East Earl, PA, and restructured into a one-day conference with industry participation as well in the form of modified table-tops trade show. Also for 2018, the conference rebranded the name as: “Eastern Pennsylvania Golf, Lawn, Landscape and Sports Turf Conference.”

In 2024, The Eastern will be conducted for the 54th time. We are grateful for those forward-thinking pioneers that started The Eastern, for those that followed and nurtured it to grow and prosper, and to those today that volunteer, attend, and participate to make The Eastern a success! The diverse geography and population regions in Pennsylvania warrant the presentation of turfgrass conferences throughout the Commonwealth (Figure 5), and our turfgrass industry looks forward to more education and outreach in 2024!

Figure 5. Turfgrass conferences throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Turfgrass Education Conferences and Outreach Events Organized and conducted in collaboration with Penn State Turfgrass Science, Penn State Cooperative Extension, and the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council

Penn State Golf Turf Conference and the Penn State Turf Field Day University Park, PA

Turf and Ornamentals Conference

The very first Penn State Golf Turf Conference occurred in 1929. Dr. Burt Musser (1893 – 1968) organized that first conference, followed by Dr. Joe Duich (1928 – 2013), and currently Dr. John Kaminski manages this conference.

Meadville, PA This conference was started in 1998 by Jeff Fowler. The 2024 conference – still hosted by Jeff – will represent the 27th year for this event.

The 100th anniversary of the Penn State Golf Turf Conference will occur in 2029. The very first Penn State Turf Field Day at University Park was held in 1937; also originally organized by Dr. Burt Musser. The 100th anniversary of the Penn State Turf Field Day will occur in 2037.

Northeastern PA Golf, Lawn, Landscape and Sports Turf Conference Wilkes-Barre, PA This conference was started in 1992 by Dr. Peter Landschoot, followed by Dr. Andy McNitt. The 2024 conference will represent the 33rd year for this event.

Western PA Golf, Lawn, Landscape and Sports Turf Conference Pittsburgh, PA Area This conference began in 1985, and has been led

by Tom Bettle for many years. The 2024 conference will represent the 40th year for this event.

Southeastern PA Green Industry Field Day

KAFMO Athletic Field Conference Lancaster County, PA This conference is organized and conducted by the the Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization. Dan Douglas started it in 1998, and he continues to lead this event in 2024 which will represent its’ 27th year.

Reading, PA

Eastern PA Golf, Lawn, Landscape and Sports Turf Conference Lancaster County, PA This conference was first offered in 1971, and the 2024 conference will represent the 54th year for this event.

This field day was hosted by Dr. Mike Fidanza at Penn State’s Berks Campus only once in 2017. Many green industry outreach events have been held at this location since 2005, including the Certified Landscape Technician Exam for the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association. The Lawncare Association of Pennsylvania often conducts their annual summer field day here.

Fall 2023 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 23

BETWEEN THE LINES Section Name • continued

JOHN G R O SS F I EL D Groundskeeping Team Receives Field of Distinction Award

K

AFMO’s annual Field of Distinction award recipients for 2023 are East Pennsboro Area School District, John Gross Field in Enola, PA and Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, the home of the Williamsport Crosscutters. Both facilities deserve recognition for their outstanding record of providing safe, playable conditions for their users. Both fields are also successful examples of an increasingly common arrangement: they are maintained by teams of outside contractors. In the Summer installment of Between the Lines, we took a look at Historic Bowman Field, maintained by BrightView Landscapes. John Gross Field at George R. Saxton Jr. Memorial Stadium is under the care of a groundskeeping team from Aramark. We talked with Grounds Project Manager Keith Evans of Aramark about his experience working with the school district.

Aramark is a facilities services provider to client organizations in education, healthcare, business, and leisure.

It operates in North America and internationally and is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. According to their website, Aramark assembles service teams which bring “passion, experience, and local knowledge” to meet the needs of their client organizations.

Keith Evans certainly brings that promise to life on the groundskeeping team at East Pennsboro. He is passionate

Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization 1451 Peter’s Mountain Road Dauphin, PA 17018-9504 www.KAFMO.org • Email: KAFMO@aol.com

24 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

about his work, has been working in turf management for over 25 years, and has been an active member of KAFMO since its inception. He is on the KAFMO Board of Directors and is currently serving as Board Secretary.

Professional Networks Evans understands the value of a professional network.

“KAFMO has played a huge role in my career,” he says. “I’ve attended every conference since it was established. The education sessions and the ability to network is priceless.

They are constantly providing the latest updates in the industry and staying on top of where the industry is going as technology advances. The nice part about KAFMO is someone with the same issues is just a phone call away.”

The same might be said of his Aramark connections.

When asked about the pros and cons of the contract service model for turf management, for example, Keith responded in positive terms. “I can tell you that working with a company like Aramark gives school districts access to a vast community of expertise and resources due to the company’s scale.”

Contact: Linda Kulp, Executive Secretary Phone: 717-497-4154 kulp1451@gmail.com

Contact: Dan Douglas, President Phone: 610-375-8469 x 212 KAFMO@aol.com

Field of Distinction The Field of Distinction award is the fulfillment of a goal for Keith Evans and his team at the East Pennsboro Area School District: to have a top athletic facility for their programs. John Gross Field, home of the Panthers, is mainly used for football, but it also hosts soccer and band events as well as community events during the season. The field was originally built in the early 1950’s and underwent renovation in 2020 when Hummer Turfgrass Systems installed a sand grid drainage system and a Hunter automatic irrigation system. The field was finished with 90,000 square feet of Kentucky Bluegrass big roll sod on top of the sand capped field. Evans describes the field as “a showcase for a sense of pride in the school district and the community.”

In 2019, the field was renamed in honor of coach and administrator John Gross. The late John H. Gross Jr. had been inducted into the West Shore Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame as a distinguished coach for his many coaching awards, including his undefeated football team in 1959, the Lower Susquehanna Football Championship in 1959, and the Blue Mountain Football Championship in 1962 and 1963. The KAFMO Field of Distinction award constitutes yet another tribute to a respected coach as well as a recognition of the high quality of the field itself.

The grounds team has worked hard to provide a high-level High School field and The Field of Distinction award validates their efforts, Evans says. “Winning Field of Distinction is a strong demonstration of what our staff can accomplish. This award provides us with a sense of accomplishment toward achieving our goal.”

Communication is Key East Pennsboro Area School District’s goal for the athletics they offer is to provide the students with the opportunity to participate safely in something they enjoy and to equip them with skills they can utilize to prepare for a productive future. A solid relationship between the school district and the grounds crew is of paramount importance in meeting goals and in making sure that the groundskeeping crew is aligned with the larger goals of the school district. And the basis for any good relationship is good communication, according to Evans. “We feel in order to have a strong relationship with the school district, it all starts with communication. Staying in constant communication, we can make sure our goals, methods, and process are all in line. At the end of the day, we all work together to provide positive outcomes for our student-athletes. When challenges come up, communicating with one another is essential for overcoming them.”

Fall 2023 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 25

KAFMO Between the Lines • continued

Meeting Challenges Challenges certainly arise. Keith Evans and his team have had to deal with drought issues, disease pressure, and finding the right balance of usage for the field. Having a positive relationship with the school district enables them to overcome these challenges. In times of drought or disease, Evans notes, it has been especially helpful to be able to work with the school’s athletic director to restrict field usage until the drought was over. On other occasions, it may have been necessary to change

26 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Fall 2023

the mowing and painting schedule due to a game or event that was rescheduled. “We face the same challenges that most groundskeepers at the high school level deal with during the year,” says Evans. “But every challenge can be met with good communication.”

Keith Evans is justifiably proud of the work that his staff has put in and the award they have earned. “The team has grown tremendously over the years with skills and knowledge. Considering the amount of time and energy they have devoted to our student-athletes, it’s great to see them get some recognition!”

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EVERYTHING TURF!

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