Tennessee Turfgrass - February / March 2012

february / march 2012

The Official Publication of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association, the Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers Association and the Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

Getting Your Sports Fields Ready for Fall Starts Soon!

Planning Your Grub Control Strategy for 2012 Plus, Snapshots from TTA’s 46th Annual Conference & Trade Show

The Official Publication of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association, Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers Association and the Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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february / march 2012

FEATURED ARTICLES

12

Recent Event — Snapshots from TTA’s 46th Annual Conference & Trade Show

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Cover Story — Getting Your Sports Fields Ready for Fall Starts Soon!

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Turf Talk — Planning Your Grub Control Strategy for 2012

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DEPARTMENTS From the TTA President, Bob McCurdy

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From the TVSTMA President, Wayne Treadway

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From the MAGCSA President, Ben Haddad

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In Tribute to Scott McNeer

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News from TTA (Meet Your New Leaders)

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Calendar of Events

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Index of Advertisers

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From the TTA P resident

Never Change.

There

Bob McCurdy

Some Things

are about 50 old TTA publications in my office. I’m not much of a pack rat, but for some reason I’ve saved most of the issues since the mid-nineties. So, in preparation for my first article as your president, I’ve found myself scanning back through all of those issues to see what other presidents wrote about. I’m just a sod farmer, and these articles were written by folks that I consider giants in our industry. Each paragraph had its own personality, as did the men who wrote them.

Back in 1998, Lynn Ray wrote about a trip with his family to the park and what he observed about how different age groups view opportunities to learn. Bob Hogan quoted Luke 9:62 about plowing and how important it is to keep our rows straight. When I

read about how Dr. Samples had inspired Dan Stump many years ago, I was reminded of how my own life has been influenced by Dr. Tom and the difference he has made in this industry, as our state knows it.

Bill Blackburn relayed a story of an employee who gave him an article about attitude (I never figured out whose attitude was in question). Jay Willis entertained us with his impression of Keith Jackson saying “Whoa, Nelly,” and Jeff Case inspired us with his passion and appreciation of being an American. Jeff Rumph described turfgrass in Tennessee as living in the “Bermuda Triangle” where we are too far north to grow warmseason grasses, too far south to grow cool-season grasses and too stubborn to stop growing either one.

Each message written, though, had the same underlying theme about how important our support of TTA is, and how we miss out when we don’t get involved with others in our profession. I think that those who attended the 2012 conference can testify that it was a great success and that those turf professionals who did not attend missed an opportunity to enhance their skills and expand the turfgrass network. Many thanks to Jim Uden with TTA and Dr. Brosnan and the staff at UT for the efforts they exerted to make TTA 2012 such a success.

Bob McCurdy 2012–2013 TTA President

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

From the TVST M A President

2012 Resolution:

Learn Additional Skills!

Hello,

everyone! When I think back about past presidents of our organization, I realize what a tough position I’m in, as president for TVSTMA for 2012. Our past presidents have been professional turf managers for professional baseball, football and university schools. Thanks to Larry Berry, our past president, for the time he devoted to TVSTMA in 2011. As I stated at the TTA annual conference in Nashville, I know the least about turf management than anyone in our organization. My knowledge of turf management came by trial and error (mostly error). My knowledge might not be as great, but I am excited, and I promise to work for our organization.

With your help, I believe this will be an outstanding year for TVSTMA. Plans have not been finalized for all the meetings in 2012. You have offered some great suggestion for the meetings and topics you would like presented. More suggestions are needed and will be considered.

I enjoy seeing how other managers apply their skills. Classroom education is important, certainly, but I like hands-on learning. For me, watching a professional apply his or her skill is fascinating. Being able to learn the skill myself, though, is really exciting. I find myself watching carpenters, masons, mechanics and other skilled laborers. The same is true in sports turf management, whether it’s building a mound, painting lines or sodding a field. If the job is done professionally, that is fascinating to watch. I hope in 2012, we can all learn additional skills needed to be professional sports turf managers.

Wayne Treadway

Your TVSTMA Leaders for 2012 PRESIDENT

Wayne Treadway Town of Dandridge Dandridge, TN WORK: (865) 654-0394 wtreadway@bellsouth.net PRESIDENT-ELECT (2011)

(to be announced soon) COMMERCIAL VICE PRESIDENT

T.J. Derrick Southern Athletic Fields Columbia, TN (931) 797-8470 tj@mulemix.com TREASURER

Wayne Treadway 2012 TVSTMA President

Stephen Callis The Hogan Co. Springfield, TN (888) 224-6426 stephen@thehogancompany.us PAST PRESIDENT

Larry Berry, CSFM Lee University Physical Plant Cleveland, TN (423) 614-8086 lberry@leeuniversity.edu EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jim Uden Franklin, TN (615) 591-8286 tnturfgrass@aol.com

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

The Official Publication of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association, the Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers Association and the Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

Tennessee Turfgrass is the official publication of The Tennessee Turfgrass Association 400 Franklin Road Franklin, Tennessee 37069 (615) 591-8286 tnturfgrassassn@aol.com www.ttaonline.org Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax (615) 794-4524 Email:info@leadingedge communications.com Editor Mr. Bill Marbet TTA OFFICERS President Bob McCurdy McCurdy Sod Farms (731) 692-3515 Vice President Paul Carter Bear Trace at Harrison Bay (423) 344-6374 Secretary/Treasurer Theo Lankford Clarkland Sports Fields (615) 799-8664 Past President Jay Willis Glen Eagle Golf Course (901) 508-1986 Executive Secretary Jim Uden Tennessee Turfgrass Assn.

(615) 591-8286 TTA 2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thomas Garner Cal Hill Joe Hill Robert A. Main, CGCS Mitch Parker Jason Pooler Jason Sanderson Chris Simon Sean VanHoose Doug Ward TTA ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Bill Blackburn Lynn Ray Jeff Rumph Dr. Tom Samples Dr. Dennis Shepard Dr. John Sorochan

From the M AGC SA Presid ent Ben Haddad

News from

MAGCSA With

the off-season winding down, I hope everyone feels rejuvenated and refreshed for another crazy Tennessee growing season.

Following one of the warmest winters I can remember, I’m sure this summer will continue the trend of brutal extreme temperatures. While I know you ultradwarf guys relish those hot and humid summer days, we C3 guys are hoping that this evil trend is broken.

On a different note, I am honored and excited to serve as the 2012 MAGCSA president. The MAGCSA has a busy year planned (see below); our schedule is not only hosted by great venues, but we also have great topics. These will include CPR and first-aid training, as well as a skin-cancer prevention class.

As many of you know, Scott McNeer lost his battle with cancer on February 8 this year. Despite his much-too-early departure from our world, his impact on the lives he touched will continue to mold those lucky enough to have known him and called him friend. His love and dedication to our profession and his reputation as an industry leader are beyond reproof. While there are many things we can learn from how he lived life to the fullest over his first 37 years, his attitude, composure, and faith over his last 11 months are what we should strive to emulate. While I know that Scott would want us to go on with “business as usual,” the 2012 MAGCSA season will undoubtedly be marked with the sadness that an untimely death of a family member brings. Please continue to keep Kim, Molly and Emma in your prayers.

2012 MAGCSA Officers President

Ben Haddad

Olive Branch C.C. Vice President

Nate Sullivan

Fair Oaks Golf Club Secretary

Robert Main Colonial C.C.

Treasurer

Cal Hill

Winfield Solutions Past President

Scott McNeer

Spring Creek Ranch

Ben Haddad 2012 MAGCSA President

2012 MAGCSA Schedule March 13 —

Spring Creek Ranch

April 19 —

Chickasaw Country Club

May 14 —

First Tee of Memphis

June 12 —

Galloway Golf Course

July 16 —

Covington Country Club

September —

To Be Announced

October 15 —

Stonebridge Golf Club 10

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

November 13 —

Cherokee Valley Golf Club

Rec ent E vent Snapshots from TTA’s

46th Annual

Conference & Trade Show

Kudos to TTA’s Scholarship Winners!

Ernest Hardison Memorial Scholarship Mr. Kylie Dickson

University of Tennessee (with Paul Carter, right)

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Legacy Scholarship

Legacy Scholarship

(daughter of Tim Long) Maryville, TN (with Paul Carter, left)

(son of Mr. Lynn Ray) Nashville, TN (with Paul Carter, right)

Ms. Rachael Long

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

Mr. Hayden Ray

Congratulations to

TTA’s

Award Winners for 2011!

Professional of the Year

Environmental Stewardship Award

Chickasaw Country Club Memphis, TN (with Mitch Parker, right)

Superintendent: J.D. Murr Maryville, TN (with Paul Carter, right)

Dan Stump, Superintendent

Lambert Acres Golf Course

Private Golf Course of the Year

Municipal Golf Course of the Year

Municipal Sports Field of the Year

Superintendent: Jason Sanderson Knoxville, TN (with Paul Carter, right)

Superintendent: Dustin Green Millington, TN (with Paul Carter, right)

Field Manager: Kenny Franks Jackson, TN (with Paul Carter, right)

Cherokee Country Club

Mirimichi Golf Course

West Tennessee Healthcare Sportsplex

High School Sports Field of the Year

Collegiate Sports Field of the Year

Professional Sports Field of the Year

Field Manager: Martin Kaufman, CSFM Nashville, TN (Ben Spurlock, left, accepted the award from Paul Carter, right)

Field Manager: Bill Randles Nashville, TN (with Paul Carter, right)

Field Manager: Tyler Brewer Jackson, TN (with Paul Carter, left)

Ensworth High School

Vanderbilt University

Pringle Park (Jackson Generals)

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION • Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

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Rec ent E vent A Very Special Thanks to

Our Trade Show

Exhibitors!

Grassroots, Inc.

MiniVerde

TGCSA

Greenville Turf

New Life Turf

Harrell’s

Plant Health Services

The Andersons Turf & Specialty

Bayer

Huntsville Tractor & Equip.

ProSolutions

BWI

Jackson Sand

Champion Turf Farms

John Bouchard & Sons

Cleary Chemical Co.

John Deere Landscape

Dickens Supply

JRM, Inc.

Ewing Irrigation

Keeling Company

Geoponics Earth Chemistries

Ladd’s

Agrium Advanced Technologies A.M. Buckler Sand BASF

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Mid Tenn Turf

Redexim Regal Chemical Sigma Organics Smith Turf & Irrigation Sunbelt Rentals Sur-Line Turf Syngenta

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

The Hogan Company The Pond Lady TriGreen Equipment Tri-Turf Sod Farms Turf Pride, LLC Turf Time Equipment TVSTMA

In Tribute

In Memory of My Friend,

Scott McNeer

By Jay Willis, TTA Immediate Past President

As

most of you know by now, we lost a very dear friend in the turfgrass industry on February 8, when Scott McNeer passed away after a yearlong battle with stage IV colon cancer.

I first met Scott while attending Mississippi State University in the turfgrass management curriculum. We both had a strong interest in golf, and a tight group of about eight of us would play on State’s course, no matter what. Scott enjoyed being the “victor” more times than I can remember. If it was a Thursday, we all had Turf Seminar that evening with Dr. Goatley and Dr. Krans. Usually, on the last few holes, a bet would be settled on who was buying the first round at The Grill before Turf Seminar. We had such good times and great fellowship.

After we all graduated and found jobs in the golf industry, five of us ended up in the Memphis market. Scott spread our fellowship through the MAGCSA chapter and helped make it what it is today. He never knew a stranger, always wanting you to be a part of the great time he was having, whether it was at work, playing golf or cheering for his beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs.

When Scott came to the Memphis area as superintendent at Spring Creek Ranch golf club, he set out to run a firstclass operation. He poured so much energy into his job as a superintendent and in public relations for the course, it was fitting that he moved up to general

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manager. At that point, the effort Scott had put into educating and preparing his assistants for the next level truly showed. With the transition of positions, his first assistant, Scott Newman, never skipped a beat, with the course looking as good as it ever has.

This passion and eagerness to teach and learn from others is a tribute to the superintendent that Scott was. Several assistants that worked under Scott have moved on to superintendent positions, excelling in their own jobs, and they can attest to the dedication Scott showed to them and their careers.

As a leader, Scott was a current TTA board member when he was diagnosed and had a true passion for growing the TTA and its members, helping use his networking ability to bring in top speakers for the association. As MAGCSA’s president, he was instrumental in changing the way that the organization raises funds through the vendor membership tier. He also took part in setting up a solid foundation with me for the association to thrive in the future.

A devoted husband to Kim and father to Molly and Emma, Scott always put his faith and family first, supporting all three of his girls in their activities. My wife and I had two girls close to the same age as Scott’s girls, so it was always nice for all of us to get together. This past year, my daughter’s softball team hosted a huge tournament, and Emma’s softball team played in it. Being the great dad

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

that Scott was, he came and watched Emma play. Traveling softball is an allday deal, with the girls often playing three to four games a day. Kim helped coach the team, and Scott cheered as loudly as he could, giving his full strength to all his girls (even though, at the time, he tired quickly from his chemo treatments).

Since Scott’s home was on the other side of Memphis, I offered for him and his family to go to our nearby house to relax and rest, but Scott refused to miss a single play in his little girl’s game.

Just like in that game, Scott never wanted to miss any game in life. He will always be with us and be watching over his girls.

I am proud to have known Scott McNeer and honored to call him my friend. Scott, you will be sorely missed, my friend, and never forgotten.

Go Dawgs! T

The McNeer family

Cover St ory

Getting Your

Bermudagrass Field ready for Fall Starts Soon!

By Tom Samples, Ph.D., and John Sorochan, Ph.D., Plant Sciences Department, The University of Tennessee; with Scott McElroy, Ph.D., Auburn University

Managing

a healthy and high-quality bermudagrass sports field requires year-round efforts but especially in late spring and summer, as you’re trying to get your fields in their best possible shape for upcoming fall sports. During the slower pace of late winter, it’s the perfect time to start planning the cultural practices that will optimize your field’s growth and density.

Irrigating

It is nearly impossible to maintain a healthy and dense bermudagrass field without irrigating. In summer, actively growing bermudagrass fields use from 1/10" to 3/10" of water each day, typi-

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cally requiring 1" of water or more each week (about 27,000 gallons per acre).

A key to irrigating is to moisten the entire rootzone with deep irrigation each time the field is watered. Watering fields too often with too little water results in

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

very shallowly rooted plants that are more subject to drought stress. (However, newly seeded, sprigged or plugged areas require light, frequent watering and should be irrigated independent of the rest of the field.)

A properly designed sprinkler system can uniformly apply water to the entire field surface. Below-ground moisture sensors can be installed and set to activate the system before the first signs of drought stress (e.g., foot printing and/ or a bluish-gray color) and to turn off the system before the soil becomes saturated and water begins to move off-site or below turfgrass roots. A well-main-

tained irrigation system is the backbone of a field-maintenance program.

Fertilizing Healthy, actively growing bermudagrass usually requires 44 pounds of nitrogen per acre per growing month. This nitrogen requirement can be met by applying 44 pounds of highly water-soluble nitrogen (e.g., about 100 pounds of urea per acre or 200 pounds of ammonium sulfate per acre) in early June, early July and again in early August.

Or, for more uniform growth of leaves and roots, an extended-release nitrogen source — such as methylene urea (MU),

polymer-coated urea (PCU), sulfur-coated urea (SCU), polymer-coated, sulfurcoated urea (PCSCU) or urea formaldehyde (UF) — can be applied less often at a higher application rate (e.g., once in early June and once in mid-July, at a rate of 66 pounds of nitrogen per acre per application).

Core aerifying Core aerification helps loosen the soil, which (1) softens a hard, compacted playing surface and (2) enables irrigation and fertilizer/pesticide applications to move more quickly into the rootzone.

Because core aerifying generally culti-

vates less than 10% of the field surface area, high-use, heavily compacted sports fields should be aerified at least twice each year (preferably more often).

Consider first aerifying in mid- to late May, after the bermudagrass has begun actively growing. In summer, bermudagrass plants injured by coring tines usually recover and grow over exposed aeration channels very quickly (during favorable weather, many bermudagrass cultivars grow laterally at the rate of 1 or more inches in 24 hours). Fertilizing immediately after aerating will speed the rate at which bermudagrass grows and covers the aeration channels. Fields

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION • Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

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Cover St ory can usually be routinely aerified every four to six weeks throughout the bermudagrass growing season.

For best results when using a rotarymotion core aerifier, aerify in several directions each time. After aerifying, use a drag or irrigate the field to break up the soil cores on the turf surface.

Topdressing After core aerifying, the soil surface can be leveled by topdressing. Coarse sand (1 to 2 mm diameter) that is topdressed after core aerification will gradually improve the texture of soils that contain large amounts of clay and silt, allowing

High-use, heavily compacted sports fields should be aerified at least two times each year.

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

CONTINUED for better drainage and movement of air, irrigation and fertilizer to the rootzone.

Topdressing mature compost after core aerifying may improve the nutrient-holding capacity of the soil.

Multiple, light (e.g., no more than 3/8") topdressings are preferred to a single, heavy topdressing. Applying too much topdressing material at one time can cover leaves and reduce the energy level in plants.

After topdressing, use a steel drag or brush to move the topdressing material from the surface of turfgrass leaves into aeration channels. Allow enough time between topdressing and the first game for sand or compost to move into thatch.

Mowing Warm air temperatures and cloudless skies in summer result in rapid leaf and stem growth (bermudagrass grows best at air temperatures from 80°F to 95°F).

The roots of bermudagrass mowed just once each week through the summer are usually less dense and very shallow compared to those of plants mowed several times weekly.

Mow the field whenever the bermudagrass plants reach an average height that is 1-1/2 times the intended cutting height. For example, if the cutting height of the mower is set at 1", mow when the bermudagrass reaches an average height of 1-1/2" inches. Minimize mowing injury by removing no more than onethird of the leaves each time the field is mowed and by keeping mower blades and bedknives sharp.

Changing the direction of mowing will limit soil compaction from mower wheels and cutting units, and it will help prevent the development of “grain.”

Controlling insects White grubs, the larval form of scarab beetles (including May beetles, green June beetles and Japanese beetles), may severely injure turf by feeding on the roots. Also, green June beetle grubs can injure sports fields by loosening the soil around plants and exposing roots.

Each year, in late summer, fall armyworm moths make their way to Tennes-

Cover St ory see from Central and South America.

Female moths lay masses of eggs at night. Eggs usually hatch within four days. Fully developed larvae (caterpillars) range from light green to black and have several stripes along the body. Fall armyworms can severely injure bermudagrass after only a few hours of feeding.

White grubs and fall armyworms can be controlled by the timely application of an appropriate insecticide. To be effective, most insecticides must directly contact the target insect pest. Some (carbaryl and trichlorfon) act quickly, within one to four days after treatment, and they provide control for about two weeks. Others (including imidicloprid, which must be

The best weed control on sports fields is healthy, dense turf.

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

CONTINUED applied before eggs hatch) may require 10 or more days to have a noticeable effect on the target insect pest, but they remain active for more than a month.

Controlling weeds The best weed control is healthy, dense turf. To reduce the need for herbicides: mow often at a height of cut from 3/4" to 2"; water to prevent drought; fertilize and lime according to soil-test recommendations; aerify to loosen soil; topdress to improve the turfgrass rootzone; install a drainage system to speed water movement through the soil; and control insect pests.

To control grassy weeds such as crabgrass and goosegrass, apply a pre-emergence herbicide in early or mid-spring.

A post-emergence herbicide application, however, may still be needed to control broadleaf weeds such as prostrate knotweed, spurge, white clover and wild garlic. Herbicides including 2,4-D, chlorsulfuron (Corsair®), dicamba, MCPA, MCPP, metsulfuron (Blade® and Manor®) and trifloxysulfuron (Monument®) are labeled for broadleaf weed control in bermudagrass turf.

Carfentrazone added to phenoxy herbicides such as 2,4-D, MCPA and MCPP (e.g., Power Zone® and Speed Zone®) increases the cool-weather performance of these herbicides and the time before injury symptoms appear on weeds. These herbicide mixtures should not be applied to bermudagrass turf at air temperatures above 90°F. T

The use of brand or trade names in this article is for clarity and information, and does not imply the endorsement of a product to the exclusion of others that may be of similar, suitable composition.

It does not guarantee or warrant the standard of a product. Pesticide labels are constantly reviewed and revised.

Should the registration or prescribed use of a particular pesticide be cancelled, that pesticide would no longer be recommended by The University of Tennessee.

News fr om TTA

Announcing

TTA’s Officers & Directors for 2012 PRESIDENT

PAST PRESIDENT

McCurdy Farms • Dyer, TN (731) 692-3515 • Fax: (731) 692-3596 mccurdyb@bellsouth.net

Glen Eagle Golf Course • Millington, TN (901) 508-1986 • Fax: (901) 874-5630 jwillisgleneagle@gmail.com

Bob McCurdy

VICE PRESIDENT

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Bear Trace at Harrison Bay • Harrison, TN (423) 344-6374 • Fax: (423) 344-6281 pmc@att.worldnet.com

Tennessee Turfgrass Assn.

400 Franklin Road • Franklin, TN 37069 (615) 591-8286 • Fax: (615) 790-8600 tnturfgrass@aol.com

Paul Carter

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Theo Lankford

Clarkland Sports Fields • Fairview, TN (615) 799-8664 • theo@clarkland sportsfields.com

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Jay Willis

Jim Uden

DIRECTORS

Thomas Garner

Pigeon Forge Parks & Rec. • Pigeon Forge, TN (865) 428-3113 • Fax: (865) 774-2141 tgarner@cityofpigeonforge.com

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

Cal Hill

ProSource One • Memphis, TN WORK: (901) 412-0121 cchill@landolakes.com

Joe Hill

ProSolutions • Maryville, TN WORK: (865) 983-1454 FAX: (865) 983-6947 jhill@ourprosolutions.com

Robert A. Main, CGCS

Colonial Country Club Cordova, TN • (901) 377-7349 rmain@colonialcountryclub.org

Bill Marbet

Southern Athletic Fields, Inc. • Columbia, TN (800) 837-8062 • Fax: (931) 380-0145 bill@mulemix.com

CONTINUED Mitch Parker

Ladd’s • Memphis, TN (901) 324-8801 • Fax: (901) 324-6814 mparker@bobladd.com

Jason Pooler

Tri-Turf Sod Farms, Inc. • Paris, TN (731) 642-3092 triturfsodfarms@bellsouth.net

Jason Sanderson

Cherokee Country Club P.O. Box 10987 • Knoxville, TN (865) 588-2208 jsanderson1907@bellsouth.net

Chris Simon

Signal Mountain Golf & CC Signal Mountain, TN (423) 886-5126 • FAX: (423) 886-3140 csimon@smgcc.org

Sean VanHoose

Dorchester Golf Course • Fairfield Glade, TN (931) 484-3743 • Fax: (931) 484-3773 svanhoose@fairfieldglade.cc

Doug Ward

Belle Meade Country Club • Nashville, TN (615) 292-6752 • Fax: (615) 385-6214 dougw@comcast.com TTA ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Bill Blackburn

Smith Turf & Irrigation Co. • Nashville, TN (615) 726-8811 • Fax: (615) 242-3274 bill.blackburn@smithturf.com

Lynn Ray

Golf Management Group • Brentwood, TN (615) 373-9400 • Fax: (615) 370-2585

Jeff Rumph

Gatlinburg Country Club • Gatlinburg, TN (865) 453-3638 • Fax: (865) 429-1945 fourlakebums@msn.com

Dr. Tom Samples

University of Tennessee • Knoxville, TN (865) 974-2595 • Fax: (865) 974-6421 tsamples@utk.edu

Dr. Dennis Shepard

Franklin, TN • (615) 794-1730 dennis.go@comcast.net

Dr. John Sorochan

University of Tennessee • Knoxville, TN (865) 974-7324 • Fax: (865) 974-8850 sorochan@utk.edu

Turf T alk

Planning Your

Grub Control Strategy for 2012

By David Shetlar, Ph.D., Professor of Urban Landscape Entomology, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center & OSU Extension, and Frank A. Hale, Ph.D., Professor of Horticultural Crop Entomology, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee Extension

“Where

did they go?!” and “Where did they come from?!” are two common questions that turfgrass entomologists hear when Japanese beetles and/or masked chafers seem to mysteriously show up in — or disappear from — local areas. Until the past two years, our standard response about white-grub population fluctuations has been pretty standard: the major factor determining the rise and fall of white grubs has been WEATHER.

Over the last two decades, we have seen significant population drops due to dry soils in late June through early August — during the time of egg laying.

Virtually all species of annual white grubs lay dehydrated eggs that, in order to develop, require absorbing of water from the surrounding soil. Japanese beetle adults fly during the daytime and locate green turf in which to lay eggs (green turf generally means that there is sufficient soil moisture to promote egg development). Masked chafers, European chafers, Oriental beetles and Asiatic garden beetles, on the other hand, fly at dusk and into the night, so they often lay their eggs in or near the soil from which they emerged. If that soil is dry, the eggs won’t hatch, and the grub populations will crash.

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Two years ago in Ohio, we saw the effects of dry weather during June and July. In 2009, we had a major drought across most of the state, except for a strip of land that ran from Toledo through Akron and Cleveland. Twice, that strip was covered by a rather narrow rain front during egg lay. Consequently, in 2010, folks in Akron, Canton and Cleveland claimed that they hadn’t seen so many Japanese beetles in their lives!

However, a dry spell in 2010 in this same zone seems to have caused Japanese beetles last year to be a rare sighting.

Ohio State University’s trapping data suggest that white grub species usually need two years of “good” soil conditions in June and July to recover and reach damaging levels. This was seen this past year when we had plenty of rain in June

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

and July, but grub damage was not major and widespread.

In Tennessee, hot, dry summers are common. Occasionally, serious drought conditions can occur. In summer 2007, following a dry winter, most of the state was in either severe or extreme drought.

A few counties along the southern border (where Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama meet) were in an exceptional drought. The conditions in 2008 improved to abnormally dry in portions of Middle Tennessee, with moderate drought in eastern and southeastern Middle Tennessee and all of East Tennessee. In 2009, there was generally adequate moisture across the state. In 2010, the moisture levels were adequate in all but the eastern and western edges of the state, which were abnormally dry. In 2011, moisture levels were adequate, except for abnormally dry conditions in small portions of West Tennessee. Current and past drought conditions in the continental U.S. (Drought Monitor Archives) can be viewed online at: http://drought monitor.unl.edu/archive.html.

During the 2007 and 2008 drought, white grubs could only survive in irrigated turfgrass areas. Since the vast majority of turfgrass acreage in Tennessee is not irrigated and since water restric-

tions were implemented, the droughts of 2007 and 2008 severely impacted Japanese beetle and other annual white grub species. Japanese beetle adults in the Nashville area had reached their most damaging levels to date during the summer of 2006. In 2011, Japanese beetle populations were still well below the numbers found in 2006.

Cold winter conditions don’t seem to have much effect on annual white grubs. All the grubs can well withstand extremely cold weather. Instead, grub populations are often damaged by mild winters that have a cold snap at the end.

Mild weather can bring the grubs out of their winter diapause, which entails converting their body “antifreeze” back into sugar. If this happens, the grubs can be frozen during a late spring freeze.

Saturated soil is a different situation, depending on the time of the year. If saturation occurs when the grubs are active, they can come to the surface or trap air in soil chambers, thereby avoiding suffocation. A few springs ago in Ohio, we had saturated soils in late May and early June when most of the grubs had pupated.

The pupae are unable to move, and many seemingly drowned. A similar soil saturation event in Tennessee started during the first two days of May 2010 in the Nashville area. Over 14" of rain fell across the area in two days, and widespread flooding occurred. Some turfgrass areas were under water for several days to a week or more.

Photo 1: Two masked chafer eggs. The larger one has been in moist soil for several days and has doubled in size by absorbing moisture. The other egg has been freshly laid and won’t develop unless it also absorbs moisture.

Photo 2: White grub pupae cannot move when the soil becomes saturated. If kept under water for a couple of days, these pupae will die.

So what’s going on now?

Some entomologists have noted that Japanese beetle populations appear to be depressed in many states where this insect has been a perennial pest. Some are claiming that they are seeing more of the grubs infected with various diseases, primarily fungal, protozoan, viral and some bacterial (not milky disease bacteria). The problems with these claims are multiple.

First, many of these diseases take out the first and second instar grubs. If you aren’t regularly sampling these life stages, you’ll miss the true effects of the disease.

There have been almost no widespread,

Photo 3: The target of most grub insecticides should be the first instar grub when it hatches from the egg (far left). Second instar and third instar grubs are much larger and can withstand more pesticide exposure.

Turf T alk

Photo 4: No grub damage had been seen for two years on this golf course hole, so no treatment was made. Oops!

Photo 5: This lawn had gone dormant during a dry summer, and when September rains returned, a large patch was discovered to have been infested with white grubs. This is one of the reasons why turf managers should always be checking the turf for insects or disease activity.

comparative samplings of grub populations to determine the actual incidence of these diseases, either in the past (as a baseline) or in the present.

In 2007 and 2008, however, Dr. Carl Redmond (working with Dr. Dan Potter at the University of Kentucky) did an extensive sampling of Japanese beetle grubs in Kentucky to determine disease incidence (the Ohio State lab cooperated in the study). While a variety of diseases were detected, no single disease seemed out of the norm. Since that study was done when Japanese beetles were generally common over northeastern North America, we probably need to do it again to see if there have been any unusual shifts in the disease agents.

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Bottom line, we’re betting on the grubs’ recovery. This past summer, we had an ideal year for them to begin recovery, and if we have another wetter-thannormal June and July in 2012, we will definitely see widespread grub damage.

So, as a turf manager, what should you do?

Options for a grub-control strategy Risk-based strategy

“Should I treat this year or not?” Our normal response to this question is based on the studies performed by Dr. Mike Villani, who was a professor at Cornell before his untimely death. His team sam-

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

pled grub populations in lawns and on golf courses for several years, and they came up with two important concepts.

First, Japanese beetle adults are very adept at laying their eggs where soil conditions are ideal. In wetter-than-normal summers, they laid their eggs on high ground and during drought summers, they laid the eggs in low areas. Second, if you experience a damaging population of grubs in an area in one year, you are at an 80% chance of the same damage the following year.

Insurance strategy Let’s face facts. Season-long grub control can be had for $40 to $50 per acre.

Imidacloprid-containing products (Merit and generics) can be applied in June, July and August, and on average, these applications will achieve 90% or better grub control. This is a pretty inexpensive “insurance” policy to take out, especially if you factor in the costs of emergency treatments and repair of damaged turf.

Neonicotinoids, thiamethoxam (Meridian) and clothianidin (Arena and the combo product, Aloft) also give excellent grub control when applied in July through August. We’re hearing that the prices of these products continue to drop, so check with your vendor to find out which product is best for your operation.

In our Ohio studies, products containing imidacloprid or thiamethoxam can run out of efficacy if applied too early (mid-May or earlier). On the other hand, clothianidin seems to hang in, even when applied in early to mid-May. It is important to understand this residual action because these three insecticides can also kill billbugs and knock back chinch bug populations. However, to achieve maximum billbug control, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam need to be applied in May. If you apply these in early May, you get excellent billbug control, but you run the risk of having subsequent white grub damage. The last two weeks of May and first week of June, if you can schedule the applications then, seem to be the “sweet spot” — you’ll get the billbugs and chinch bugs and still have sufficient residual action to take out the white grubs.

CONTINUE D Clothianidin doesn’t seem to have this issue, since applications any time in May control billbugs and chinch bugs, as well as the white grubs that arrive later.

Of course, the ultimate “insurance” insecticide is chlorantraniliprole (Acelepryn). This product can be applied in April through July for excellent white grub control. The downside of Acelepryn is that it is still under patent, and it is still the most expensive turf insecticide. However, Acelepryn is actually better at controlling turf-infesting caterpillars (sod webworms and cutworms) than any other insect pest. This isn’t of much concern to lawncare and sports field managers, but this really gets the attention of golf course superintendents. Even so, more and more lawncare managers are using Acelepryn because of its extended residual action and its low toxicity profile.

Using “least toxic” pesticides is another important factor.

Early curative strategy When it comes to grub control, more and more turfgrass managers are adopting a wait-and-see stance. If you have total control over the turf under your care (mainly managers at golf courses, sports fields and sod farms), you can wait to see what the weather has been like and determine if the conditions have been conducive or detrimental to grub populations. Even when applied in late August and early September, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin products have been very good (better than Dylox even) at knocking out second instar white grubs. At this time, you can also use products containing carbaryl (Sevin and Duocide), which is also an inexpensive chemistry.

Rescue strategy

We’re not real proponents of just waiting until the turf dies off or until skunks and raccoons “show” you where the

grubs are! For golf course superintendents, this strategy is fine for roughs and other out-of-play areas, although it can still make the course look unthrifty. Some sports field managers may have to do this if the municipality has cut funds so severely that insecticides are simply too expensive. In this case, reseeding is about the only option.

However, waiting for damage is a pretty poor strategy for lawncare managers. Damaged turf will lessen your professional stature with the customer, and you will have to pay to repair the damage. You would have been better off making the “insurance” application.

True rescue treatments are usually made in late September through October.

At this time, Dylox remains the fastestacting insecticide, but efficacy data indicate that carbaryl and clothianidin products are not that far behind in efficacy or speed of control. T

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION • Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

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Calendar o f Events

advert iser inde x

March 13

May 15

July 30 – August 3

MAGCSA Meeting Spring Creek Ranch Collierville, TN

MTGCSA Meeting Legacy G.C. Springfield, TN

April 17

May 14–15

TPI Summer Convention & Field Days (Turfgrass Producers International) Asheville, NC

ETGCSA Meeting Laurel Valley G.C. Townsend, TN

TVSTMA Sports Turf Field Day (in conjunction with ATA) Univ. of Alabama– Huntsville Huntsville, AL

April 17 MTGCSA Meeting Richland C.C. Nashville, TN

April 19 MAGCSA Meeting Chickasaw C.C. Memphis, TN

May 8 ETGCSA Meeting Johnson City C.C. Johnson City, TN

May 14 MAGCSA Meeting First Tee of Memphis Memphis, TN

June 14

September 13 UT Turfgrass & Ornamental Field Day Knoxville, TN

October 24–26

ETGCSA Meeting Lookout Mountain C.C. Lookout Mountain, GA

Green Industry & Equipment Expo Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville, KY

June 26–27

November 12–14

STMA Mid-American Regional Conference & Trade Show Cincinnati, OH

Carolinas GCSA Annual Conference & Show Myrtle Beach Convention Center Myrtle Beach, SC

July 25 West TN TVSTMA Meeting Pringles Park (home of the Jackson Generals) Jackson, TN

January 2013 47th Annual TTA Conference and Trade Show Location: Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, TN

Bayer....................................7, Back Cover www.bayerprocentral.com BWI Companies Inc.................................15 www.bwicompanies.com Cane Creek Sod......................................10 www.canecreeksod.com Covermaster Inc.....................................22 www.covermaster.com Ewing Irrigation.......................................29 www.Ewing1.com Firestone Specialty Products......................9 www.firestonesp.com Greenville Turf & Tractor.........................11 www.JohnDeere.com Jackson Sand...........................................8 www.jacksonsand.com John Deere Landscapes..........................25 www.johndeerelandscapes.com Kesmac....................................................3 www.kesmac.com Kirk Grading and Sodding........................21 Mid Tenn Turf Inc...................................23 www.midtennturf.com Modern Turf Inc......................................15 www.modernturf.com NewLife Turf Inc.............. Inside Back Cover www.newlifeturf.com Penn State World Campus......................20 www.worldcampus.psu.edu/turfgrass Redexim Turf Products..............................6 www.redexim.com Sigma Organics Inc.................................15 www.sigmaturf.com Sur-Line Turf Inc.....................................24 Syngenta Turf & Ornamental...................23 www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com The Andersons Technologies Inc.............25 www.andersonsgolfproducts.com The Pond Lady.......................................21 www.thepondlady.com The Turfgrass Group.......................... 5, 17 www.theturfgrassgroup.com Turf Mountain Sod Inc.............................30 www.turfmountain.com Turfgrass of Tennessee...........................21 Winstead Turf..................Inside Front Cover www.winsteadturf.com

The Tennessee Turfgrass Association 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, Tennessee Turfgrass Magazine, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or Turfgrass Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright ©2012 by the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. Tennessee Turfgrass is published bi-monthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Tennessee Turfgrass allows reprinting of material. Permission requests should be directed to the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. 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, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com