Winter 2020 • Vol. 9/No. 1
SYNTHETIC TURF & Human Health KAFMO Founder Don Fowler Says, “Never Stop Learning!”
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Vol. 9 / No. 1 • Winter 2020
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Publisher: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge St. • Franklin, TN 37064 Phone: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 info@leadingedge communications.com Pennsylvania Turfgrass Editor Max Schlossberg, Ph.D. Penn State University • mjs38@psu.edu Pennsylvania Turfgrass Associate Editors Maria Landschoot maria.landschoot3@gmail.com Heather Welch Penn State University • hgw1@psu.edu President Chase Rogan GCSAA Field Staff • Mid-Atlantic Region Allison Park, PA (614) 241-3037 Vice President Tom Fisher Wildwood Golf Club • Allison Park, PA (412) 518-8384 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Catalogna Walker Supply, Inc. (412) 897-0480 Past President Pete Ramsey Messiah College • Mechanicsburg, PA (717) 577-5401
16
Directors
Features
Departments
7 Save the Date for These Upcoming Events
6 President’s Update
8 Cover Story
16 Penn State News
Synthetic Turf & Human Health
12 Between the Lines
KAFMO Founder Don Fowler Says, “Never Stop Learning!”
6 Penn State Turf Team 19 Advertiser Index
Tom Bettle Penn State University Tanner Delvalle Penn State University Dan Douglas Reading Fightin Phils Elliott Dowling USGA Agronomist, Northeast Region Nick Huttie Muhlenberg College Shawn Kister Longwood Gardens Tim Wilk Scotch Valley Country Club Matt Wolf Penn State University
4 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2020
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Winter 2020 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass
5
President’s Update
Nutrient Management Plans Could be Coming to PA
F
or years, the Chesapeake Bay watershed has been undergoing a major cleanup initiative. As part of this initiative, golf has been engaged on varying levels from state to state. In Virginia, the VGCSA worked with the Virginia Department of Conservation to create a model that would require every golf course to have a nutrient management plan written by a certified nutrient management planner. In Maryland, the state enacted a nutrient applicator certification, not dissimilar from a pesticide applicator’s license, which requires continuing education to keep the license current. However, in Pennsylvania, the state has been slow to mandate any type of specific program, as they have relied more heavily on voluntary programs to achieve the same goal — reducing nutrients that enter the bay through runoff, erosion, and leaching. What type of programs? Mostly education, funding for programs such as stream bank restoration, and programs centering on Best Management Practices. But that could change soon. Recently, state legislation was proposed in Pennsylvania that would require some type of combination for a nutrient applicator certification and/or written nutrient management plans. From what I understand, without certification or a written plan, the nutrient applicator would be subject to restricted application rates. This bill was not voted into law when it was proposed, but that doesn’t mean that it (or an amended version) couldn’t pass in the future. One thing is for sure, this (proposed) bill certainly further emphasizes our need to update our golf BMP manual and publish it on the GCSAA website so that we can begin facility adoption. BMPs are by far the best advocacy tool we can use to show the state legislature that we are being responsible with our nutrient application. We are moving much closer to publication of our BMPs and will even have a separate website like Delaware (delawaregolfbmp.org), that will be very useful for sharing and promoting our responsible practices with the greater community, including our state legislature. If you are a practitioner in lawn and landscape, I would suggest a similar effort on your end to create documented BMPs that will help the industry better represent itself and enhance responsible practices. In the end, each sector of turfgrass that can adopt documented BMPs will help the greater turfgrass industry. Continue to use your nutrients responsibly and look to adopt a golf facility BMP as soon as our state model is published, hopefully no later than early 2020. And as always, continue to promote our responsible environmental stewardship to the local and greater community at large. Best of luck heading into the cold season, and I hope to see you on the conference circuit!
Penn State Turf Team
Jeffrey A. Borger Senior Instructor 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
Andrew S. McNitt, Ph.D. Professor 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
Yours truly,
Al J. Turgeon, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Turfgrass Management aturgeon@psu.edu
Chase Rogan PTC President
Wakar Uddin, Ph.D. Professor of Plant Pathology 814-863-4498 • wxu2@psu.edu
6 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2020
Upcoming Events
EASTERN CONFERENCE Friday, January 24, 2020 The Shady Maple East Earl, PA
SAVE THE DATE
for these Upcoming Events
You are invited to attend the 2020 Eastern Pennsylvania Turfgrass Conference. We hope you can join us!
NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE Thursday, February 6, 2020 The Woodlands Wilkes-Barre, PA The Northeastern Pennsylvania Turf Conference and Trade Show has been the premier turfgrass industry event in the Pocono region for decades. Penn State’s Turfgrass Program, The Cooperative Extension and the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council are continuing this tradition and the 2020 show will be held on Thursday, February 6 at The Woodlands Inn & Resort, Wilkes-Barre, PA. This event is administered by Penn State University and typically draws about 300 participants for the full day show. We believe we have a great educational program, and you’ll get a chance to visit with the many vendors exhibiting there.
WESTERN CONFERENCE Wednesday, February 26, 2020 the Doubletree by Hilton Mars, PA
Join the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council for the 2020 Western Pennsylvania Golf, Lawn, Landscape and Sports Turf Conference. The conference will be held on February 26 at the Double Tree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Cranberry in Mars, PA. Winter 2020 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass
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Cover Story
SYNTHETIC TURF & HUMAN HEALTH By Thomas Serensits, Manager, Center for Sports Surface Research, Penn State Department of Plant Science
The
topic of synthetic turf is likely to spark spirited debate among sports field managers, athletes and even just your average sports fans. Strong opinions certainly exist and can make for entertaining conversation. While a number of issues are likely to be covered in such a discussion, none are more important than potential impacts of synthetic turf on human health. Fortunately, a growing collection of research is providing valuable information. Research on human health and synthetic turf can be broadly divided into two categories — 1) potential health effects from exposure to synthetic turf components and 2) injuries. Both have been the subject of numerous research studies. Studies that are subjected to the peer review process and those conducted by governmental agencies are designed to provide scientifically-sound, unbiased results and will be the focus of this article. Of course, the entire volume of related studies cannot be presented in a magazine article. This article focuses on some of the most recent and pertinent research.
8 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2020
Potential Health Effects from Exposure to Synthetic Turf Components The vast majority of synthetic turf fields currently in use today consist of plastic fibers measuring 2 to 2 ½" tall stitched into a backing and then infilled with a combination of crumb rubber and sand. The crumb rubber is typically manufactured by grinding used tires. Crumb rubber is the subject of most research studies that focus on potential health effects from exposure to synthetic turf components. There is no debate that potentially harmful chemicals are present in crumb rubber. The question is how much of a risk do those chemicals pose to field users? Potentially harmful chemicals are all around us — from naturally occurring compounds in soil to cleaning products to cosmetic products — the mere presence of chemicals does not necessarily equate to a risk to human health. It is the potential exposure risk, or what many researchers refer to as “bioavailability,” that is the subject of numerous research studies.
Cover Story • continued
In July 2019, a federal agency group led by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released one of the most extensive evaluations to date of the crumb rubber used on sports fields and playgrounds1. In agreement with other studies, the researchers reported the presence of various compounds found in tires such as semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), along with bacteria on samples of crumb rubber collected across the country. As noted by the researchers, while chemicals were present, the amount of chemicals available for exposure through release into the air and simulated biological fluids is relatively low. The conclusion of the report was “These findings support the premise that while many chemicals are present in the recycled tire crumb rubber, exposure may be limited based on what is released into air or biological fluids.” A potential link between synthetic turf and cancer has received considerable attention in the national media and has spurred a number of research studies. While no study has included a comprehensive, definitive cancer risk assessment, two recent studies have focused on cancer rates and synthetic turf. A 2018 study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology evaluated malignant lymphoma rates in California as a function of synthetic turf density2. The authors of the study reported that “In California, there was no evidence at the county-level that synthetic turf fields are associated with an increased incidence of lymphoma in adolescents and young adults.” Their conclusion was “avoidance of synthetic turf fields for fear of increased cancer risk is not warranted.” Similarly, a study released by the Washington State Department of Health in 2017 did not find increased cancer risk among a select group of soccer players based on expected cancer rates of Washington residents of the same ages3. While the majority of studies have not reported a link between synthetic turf and health risks, several environmental and health advocacy groups have been critical of the methods and conclusions drawn by researchers. Several research reports such as an article published by several Yale University researchers emphasize that numerous carcinogens are present in crumb rubber and that human exposure pathways in relation to crumb rubber are poorly known4.
Injuries The impact of synthetic turf on athlete injuries is another human health-related issue that receives considerable attention. Although today’s synthetic turf systems are designed to mimic natural turf, there is scientific evidence based on rotational traction testing that under certain conditions, an athlete’s shoe may not “release” as easily as it would on natural turf 5. A player’s ankle or knee may be spared significant injury as a divot is created on natural turf, but that same release mechanism of divoting does not occur on synthetic turf. Instead, the forces are transferred to the ligaments of the lower extremities, potentially increasing injury risk.
10 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2020
A 2019 study comparing injury rates of NFL players on synthetic and natural turf provides real world evidence that aligns with rotational traction research6. The authors of the study tracked lower extremity injuries in the NFL from 2012– 2016. Game play on synthetic turf resulted in a 16% increase in lower extremity injuries per play compared to natural turf. The effect of playing surface was greater for non-contact injuries as lower extremity injuries were 35% higher on synthetic versus natural turf. A 2019 study examining knee injuries suffered by collegiate football players reported similar results7. Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) were approximately three times greater on synthetic versus natural turf in the study that tracked injuries from 2004–2014. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) were 1.6 times more likely on synthetic turf for NCAA divisions II and III, although playing surface did not affect ACL injury rate in Division 1. While recent NFL and NCAA football studies reported higher knee injury rates on synthetic turf, a 2019 study that tracked injuries in Major League Soccer (MLS), reported that playing surface type did not affect the occurrence of knee injuries8. However, injuries to ankles and Achilles injuries occurred at a higher rate on synthetic turf. The authors of the study concluded “the overall rate of injury on artificial turf was noninferior to that on natural grass” and that “artificial turf is a viable alternative to natural grass in elite-level soccer.” A number of additional studies focusing on injuries in soccer reported no difference in injury rate between synthetic and natural turf. Research related to human health is much different from the typical turf-related research we normally see. Whether or not a particular herbicide kills a dandelion or how long a fungicide prevents dollar spot are fairly straightforward and relatively simple research questions to answer. Conversely, epidemiological studies, such as those examining effects of synthetic turf on human health, require much more data and cause and effect relationships are often difficult to confirm. It is impossible to conduct a study that takes into account all variables associated with human health, but with the release of each research report, more knowledge is gained. I invite you to visit the Penn State Center for Sports Surface Research website (ssrc.psu.edu) and read some of the research studies related to synthetic turf and human health. Links to each of the studies referenced in this article are provided along with links to numerous other studies. There are currently links to more than 50 scientific, peer-reviewed and government studies related to exposure to synthetic turf components and more than 40 scientific studies comparing injury rates on synthetic and natural turf.
1
nited State Environmental Protection U Agency. 2019. Synthetic Turf Field Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Research Under the Federal Research Action Plant – Final Report Part 1 – Tire Crumb Rubber Characterization Volume 1. EPA/600/R-19/051.1
2
leyer A. and T. Keegan. 2018. B Incidence of malignant lymphoma in adolescents and young adults in the 58 counties of California with varying synthetic turf field density. Cancer Epidemiol. Apr 53:129-136.
3
ashington State Department of W Health. 2017. Investigation of Reported Cancer among Soccer Players in Washington State. https://www.doh. wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/ 210-091.pdf.
4
enoit, G. and S. Demars. 2018. B Evaluation of Organic and Inorganic Compounds Extractable by Multiple Methods from Commercially Available Crumb Rubber Mulch. Water Air Soil Pollut 229:64.
5
ent, R., Forman J.L., Lessley, D., and K J. Crandall. 2015. The mechanics of American football cleats on natural grass and infill-type artificial playing surfaces with loads relevant to elite athletes. Sports Biomech 14(2):246-257.
6
ack, C.D, Hershman, E.B., Anderson, M R.B., Coughlin, M.J., McNitt, A.S., and R.W. Kent. 2019. Am J Sports Med 47(1)189-196.
7
oughran, G.J., Vulpis, C.T., Murphy, L J.P., Weiner, D.A., Svoboda, S.J., Hinton, R.Y., and D.P. Milzman. 2019. Incidence of knee injuries on artificial turf versus natural grass in National Collegiate Athletic Association American football: 2004-2005 through 2013–2014 Seasons. Am J Sports Med 47(6)1294-1301.
8
alloway S.P., Hardin D.M., Crawford C M.D., Hardin J.M., Lemak L.J., Giza E., Forsythe B., Lu Y., Patel B.H., Osbahr D.C., Gerhardt M.B., Mandelbaum B.R., and W.W. Baldwin. 2019. Injury surveillance in Major League Soccer: A 4-Year comparison of injury on natural grass versus artificial turf field.
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Winter 2020 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 11
Between the Lines
Between the Lines KAFMO Founder Don Fowler Says, “Never Stop Learning!”
The annual KAFMO Fowler Founder’s Award Over the past 25 years, the Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization has become a legendary support organization in the turfgrass community. Its beginnings and subsequent
Left to Right: Don Fowler; Dick Buffington, ABC executive and producer for LLWS; Dave Fowler
Fowler Founder’s Award
development into a premier professional organization owe much to the vision and efforts of founder Don Fowler. The annual KAFMO Fowler Founder’s Award, a bronze-cast replica of one of Fowler’s worn-out work boots, stands for the hard work demonstrated by the field managers being honored and by Fowler himself. We asked Don to look back and tell us about KAFMO’s beginnings.
KAFMO’s Beginnings Don Fowler’s interest in turfgrass management began in 1987 when he saw that McConnellsburg High School’s fields, where his sons played, were becoming unplayable. He decided to help. “I saw Dan Douglas’s field and wondered what those at the professional level did to make their fields look so good. We needed that kind of information at the community, park and playground level,” he recalls. Don started KAFMO in 1995 as a means of helping groundskeepers at the local level learn from the professionals. He gathered an interested group together and they decided that an organization made up of local groundskeepers and professionals could help everyone learn how to improve their fields. The first activity of this new group was a field day. They held their first clinic at the Farm Show building in Harrisburg and all who attended became KAFMO founding members. That was the beginning of an organization that would eventually become one of the strongest chapters in STMA. It now has over 350 members who can share their experience and field managers at the local level can now learn from the professionals.
The Little League Connection At about the same time that Don Fowler was bringing together his group of athletic field professionals and volunteers, Little League decided to renovate Lamade Stadium for the 50th Little League World Series. They reached out to the newly formed group, now called the Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization, and asked them to support what was a landmark renovation at the time. Alpine Services, Inc. had been hired to redo the stadium and Don was asked to be the “clerk of the works” for Little League. Little did he know
Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization 1451 Peter’s Mountain Road Dauphin, PA 17018-9504 www.KAFMO.org • Email: KAFMO@aol.com
12 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2020
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
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Winter 2020 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 13
Between the Lines • continued
at the time that this would lead to what has amounted to a second career! “KAFMO members were asked to help with the job and we responded. I had just retired from Penn State Extension after 32 years of service and was able to go to Williamsport and work with Alpine Services to rebuild Lamade Stadium field in 1995,” he recalls. “Then Alpine asked me to travel with them to other jobs.” Don and his twin brother Dave ended up working on building five minor league fields and then on rebuilding the California Angels field. After that they spent two springs in Arizona working on the spring training fields for major league facilities. “All of this helped me to learn what it took to make fields more playable,” he says. After the Lamade Stadium renovation, Don put together a fertilization and maintenance plan for the new field. Then he was asked to recruit a few helpers to prepare the field for the Little League World Series that year, and so it went on. “I have been working for the Little League World Series for the past 24 years now,” Don says with pride. It has become a family affair for the Fowlers. Don’s son Jeff is a turf expert in his own right and has taken over the job of coordinating the volunteers who come for the series; grandson Evan grew up on the field, studied Turf Management through the Penn State World Campus and spent five seasons on the grounds crew of the Kansas City Royals. Don’s handwritten list of volunteers has grown to more than 100 people from 21 states that come to help. Over time, the event has become bigger and more popular on TV and has grown from one week to two and from 8 teams to 16 teams currently with 20 teams scheduled for 2021.
Changes and Accomplishments When asked about what changes he has seen in the industry over the last 25 years, Don Fowler’s mind goes immediately to the quality of fields being played on by local athletics groups. It’s no surprise to hear that his starting point in 1987, McConnellsburg High School, has since been named one of the best sports complexes in the area. Parks, playgrounds, and school playing fields in Pennsylvania have seen an enormous change for the better since then, and that is something for which KAFMO can certainly take credit. KAFMO and STMA offer ongoing support to turf managers through conferences, educational opportunities, grants and scholarships, and publications. Awards like the Field of Distinction Award and the Fowler Founder’s Award recognize outstanding accomplishments in the field. But when thinking about the value of the professional organization he helped to found, Don always comes back to the individual members who offer their expertise to one another. “The professionals belonging to STMA and KAFMO have been the most valuable part of the organizations,” he says. “The interaction between the two groups has been a great learning experience.” It makes sense that Don Fowler’s advice to professionals and volunteers who care for athletic fields is a reflection of his own professional life, as well as of KAFMO: “Never stop learning.” 14 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2020
19th Annual KAFMO Cup GOLF TOURNAMENT The 19th Annual KAFMO Cup Golf Tournament was held on a beautiful Columbus Day at the Foxchase Golf Club in Denver, PA. All proceeds of the event went to KAFMO’s Waddington/Harper Scholarship Fund. Since 2001, funds from the tournament have provided 54 turfgrass students with financial support. Thank you to the 19-hole sponsors and a special thank you to the 2019 KAFMO Cup Scholarship Partners: Hummer Turfgrass Systems and Fisher & Son, who sponsored a foursome and donated generously to the scholarship fund. The 20th Annual KAFMO Cup Golf Tournament will be held on Columbus Day at the Foxchase Golf Club.
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Winter 2020 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 15
Penn State News: Research Updates
Evaluation of a Copper-Plated Roller for Dollar Spot Management By Michael Fidanza, Ph.D., Professor of Plant and Soil Science
D
ollar spot (Clarireedia jacksonii, formerly Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) is a major disease of golf course fairways in the Mid-Atlantic USA region. In addition to proper cultural practices and a responsible fungicide program, rolling the turf has a beneficial effect at reducing the incidence and severity of dollar spot. This field trial was conducted in 2018 on fairway-height ‘PennTrio’ creeping bentgrass at the Center for the Agricultural Sciences and a Sustainable Environment (Penn State Berks Campus, Reading, PA). The rootzone is 100% sand with pH 7.3 and 0.31% organic matter. Individual plot size was 3 × 5-ft and all plots were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Fungicides were applied every 21 days to attempt to “stretch” the application interval. Some plots received a rolling treatment from a new and unique, copper-plated metal roller measuring 4-in. diameter × 27-in. length and weighing 340 lbs. Dollar spot first appeared in early June.
KEY RESULTS: • Plots that received only the rolling treatment had a noticeable reduction in dollar spot compared to untreated plots. • Plots that received fungicides only at the lower label rate and extended 21-day interval, or those plots that received fungicides with the weekly rolling, also had a noticeable reduction in dollar spot compared to untreated plots.
Bert Brace testing the copper-plated roller.
Average number of dollar spot infection centers per plot for each treatment from June 6 to August 1, 2018. Untreated = check plot; DA = Daconil Action 6.1SC (contact site of activity), 2 fl oz/1000 ft2; X = Xzemplar 2.47SC (acropetal penetrant site of activity), 0.21 oz/1000 ft2. R = Rolling one time/week. Fungicides applied in 1 gal water-carrier per 1000 sq ft at 21-day intervals on May 23, June 13, and July 25. Rolling conducted once per week from May 21 through August 1, two passes (up-and-back) per rolled plot. Source: Plant Disease Management Reports (www.apsnet.org).
Soil Amendment by Ca- and Mg-Silicates and Perennial Ryegrass Wear Resistance By Derek Pruyne, MS Agronomy ’14; Max Schlossberg, Assoc. Prof. Turfgrass Nutrition; and Wakar Uddin, Prof. Turfgrass Pathology; Center for Turfgrass Science, Pennsylvania State Univ.
W
hile not recognized as a plant essential nutrient, silicon (Si) accumulates in epidermal and vascular tissue of grasses. A field study of ‘CrossOver’ Ca/ Mg-silicate (SiO3) pelletized soil conditioner/liming agent (Harsco Minerals Intl., Sarver, PA) was conducted on a neutral perennial ryegrass field within the J. Valentine Turfgrass Research Center (University Park, PA). Plots were trafficked weekly by a dedicated wear simulator, June through Sept. Multispectral radiometric canopy quality measures, clipping yield, clipping/tissue composition, soil pH, and plant-available soil Si levels from the 0–3" and 3–6" depths were regularly collected over the two-year study. Similar multiyear field
16 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2020
experiments, employing identical products and methods on creeping bentgrass fairways and putting greens, were inconclusive. However, perennial ryegrass plots under intense wear/ traffic and treated annually by granular application of Ca/ Mg-silicates at 25 or 50 lbs per 1000 ft2, showed significantly improved mean canopy quality relative to adjacent plots receiving equal Ca and Mg as lime. This improved canopy density and color coincided with acetic-acid-extractable soil Si levels >70 ppm in the 0–3" soil depth. Further field trials are being initiated on perennial ryegrass and turf-type tall fescue to confirm these results and identify a critical leaf Si concentration for improved wear tolerance.
TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT, Edition 1.0 Released
Drs.
Turgeon and Kaminski recently came together to release the latest update to the Turfgrass Management text. Building on the previous editions of Turfgrass Management by Dr. Al Turgeon, Edition 1.0 is the latest book for turfgrass managers. With 400 pages and 300+ color images and illustrations, this book has been designed as a basic text for beginning students of turfgrass science and management. In covering the important features of turfgrass systems, interactions between and among system components, and principles of turfgrass management, it attempts to unlock some of the mysteries of turf and establish the role of cultural interventions for achieving specific objectives. Illustrations and images are used generously throughout the text to help students grasp concepts, processes and relationships of importance in turfgrass systems. Each chapter concludes with a series of questions to test the reader’s comprehension of the material.
Books are available at www.turfpath.com/book
Winter 2020 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 17
Penn State News: Alumni Updates
Alum Creates Turfgrass Scholarship
Alum Named Businessperson of the Year
The Penn State Turfgrass Program thanks recent turf alum Ryan Hillert, who recently established the Hillert Family Turfgrass Scholarship at Penn State.
Congratulations to Penn State Turf Alum Alan FitzGerald, who was recently named 2019 Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year by Golfdom Magazine !
Turf Students Receive GCSAA Scholarships
T
his year, The GCSAA Scholars Competition awarded scholarships to six Penn State Turf students. The GCSAA Scholars Competition is funded primarily by the Robert Trent Jones Endowment and is administered by the Environmental Institute for Golf, GCSAA’s philanthropic organization. Scholars Competition scholarships range from $500 to $6,000.
Penn State Junior Billy Covert Named 2019 Stanley Zontek Memorial Scholarship Recipient
P
enn State junior Billy Covert has been named the 2019 recipient of the Stanley Zontek Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship, an unrestricted $2,500 grant, supports a turf student with a passion for the game and honors Stanley J. Zontek, the former director of the USGA Green Section’s Mid-Atlantic Region. Zontek died after suffering a heart attack at age 63 in 2012. Covert has already walked some of the same land as Zontek. A Penn State graduate, Zontek was based in suburban Philadelphia at the time of his death. Zontek worked diligently with superintendents to improve playing conditions in the golf-rich Philadelphia region, which extends into southern New Jersey and northern Delaware. Zontek’s Philadelphia and Penn State ties intrigued Covert as he composed his scholarship essay. “I learned he’s very hard-working and he loved his craft. He prepped for major tournaments and worked with the research behind everything,” Covert says. “I’m going to try to work at the research, learning more of the science behind what we’re doing.” Covert, a turfgrass science major with a 3.73 GPA, spent the bulk of his first two academic years completing core courses. He’s stoked about delving into the turfgrass science portion of the Penn State curriculum, which will include visits to the University Park research plots.
18 Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Winter 2020
Daniel Allison, who hails from Greenville, PA, received the MacCurrach Award. It is named in honor of the late Allan MacCurrach, who became the PGA Tour’s first staff agronomist in 1974 and was the winner of GCSAA’s Distinguished Service Award in 1997. The PGA Tour funds the MacCurrach Award. Along with his scholarships, Allison will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2020 Golf Industry Show in Orlando. Cody Sanders, Paul J. Baich, and Spencer H. Hoffman received the Scholars Award. Kevan McDonald and Vikas K. Pandey received the Merit Award.
At Pine Valley, Covert works under longtime superintendent Rick Christian and receives hands-on training from assistant William Rocco. Covert averages 60 hours per week at the course and his bosses incorporate interns into a variety of assignments and projects, including spraying, mowing, irrigating, fertilization and sod work. “I have been very fortunate with my internships,” he says. “It has been awesome to work for John Gosselin and Rick Christian. You learn a lot with them, especially from their assistants who are very helpful with guiding you.” The past two summers have reaffirmed the reasons Covert pursued a turf career at a young age. And when he peers into his long-term future, he already sees a geographic fit. “I want to end up in the Philly area,” he says.
Billy Covert
Advertiser Index
Aer-Core, Inc............................................ 15 www.aer-core.com
Coombs Sod Farms................................ 19 www.coombsfarms.com
Covermaster, Inc....................................... 7 www.covermaster.com
CoverSports USA...................................... 5 www.coversports.com
East Coast Sod & Seed.......................... 15 www.eastcoastsod.com
Fisher & Son Company, Inc...................... 3 www.fisherandson.com
FM Brown’s & Sons................................. 11 www.fmbrown.com
Forse Design Incorporated..................... 13 George E. Ley Co.................................... 15 www.gelcogolf.com
Leading Edge Communications......... 5, 13 www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com
Beam Clay............................................... 11 www.BEAMCLAY.com • www.PARTAC.com
Progressive Turf Equipment Inc............. 17 www.progressiveturfequip.com
Quest Products Corp................................ 9 www.questproducts.us
Seedway.................................................. 19 www.seedway.com
Shreiner Tree Care................................... 11 www.shreinertreecare.com
Smith Seed Services............................... 11 www.smithseed.com
Soil Technologies / American Natural Products / Amorex Goose Repellent......... Back Cover www.soiltechcorp.com
Tomlinson Bomberger............................. 15 www.mytombom.com
Wood Bay Turf Technologies..........Inside Front Cover www.woodbayturftech.com
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Winter 2020 • Pennsylvania Turfgrass 19
GeTTinG Tired of SprayinG and Then juST prayinG??? Bac-pack, beneficial microbial blend, is changing the way golf course supers manage disease control. Bac-pack has solved disease problems for supers since it was developed as the original biofungicide for turf in the 1980’s. “Bac-pack has worked as well as any fungicide I’ve used and it’s less money per application than any fungicide I’ve used. We’ve cut our greens fungicides about 65%, right about 2/3 for this year, compared to last. We’re making Bac-pack a cornerstone of our Agronomic program for next year.” — Mike Greene, Supt., downriver Golf Course
anthracnose evaluation using Microbial inoculant (Bac-pack) Disease Severity
6 5 4 3 2 1 Untreated
Bac-Pack
Plots treated with Bac-Pack (3 apps./2 week intervals) showed reduced levels of Anthracnose disease compared to the untreated control plots. — Cornell University, Dept. of Plant Pathology, Ithica N.Y. Evaluation was conducted on bentgrass/Poa annua putting green at the R.T. Jones Golf Course at Cornell University.
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