Virginia Turfgrass Journal - March / April 2012

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

Lime and Turf

What You Need to Know Do DMI Fungicides Affect the Suppression of Poa annua Seedheads?

Plus, Highlights from the VTC’s 2012 Turf and Landscape Conference and Tradeshow

March/April 2012

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | March/April 2012

18

14 14 Recent Event

Highlights from the VTC’s 2012 Turf and Landscape Conference and Tradeshow 18 Turf Talk

Lime and Turf… What You Need to Know about Soil pH, Nutrient Availability and Liming

24 Research Brief

Impact of DMI Fungicides on Suppression of Poa annua Seedheads

24 Departments 6 President’s Message

from Frank Flannagan

8 Director’s Corner

from Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

10 Editor’s Perspective

from Mark Vaughn, CGCS

12 VTF Report

from Betty Parker

28 News from the VTC

Membership Drive and Your New 2012 Leaders

29 Turfgrass Calendar 30 Index of Advertisers

Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) 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, Virginia Turfgrass Journal, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or VTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright ©2012 by the Virginia Turfgrass Council. Virginia Turfgrass Journal is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of VTC. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Virginia Turfgrass Journal allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to VTC. 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 37068-0142, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524. Deadlines are the first of the month prior to the following month’s publication. (Example: August 1 for the September issue.)

4 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012 www.vaturf.org

Virginia Turfgrass Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Office: (757) 464-1004 Fax: (757) 282-2693 vaturf@verizon.net Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Editor Mark Vaughn, CGCS VTC OFFICERS President Frank Flannagan Belmont Golf Course (804) 262-4939 Vice President Fredrick Biggers, CGCS Wintergreen Resort (434) 325-8252 Treasurer Brian Vincel, CGCS Spring Creek Golf Club (434) 566-2580 Past President Melissa Reynolds Dura Turf Service Corp.

(804) 233-4972 VTC DIRECTORS Gil Grattan Rick Owens, CGCS Marc Petrus Steve Slominski Steve Smith Rick Viancour, CGCS Scott Woodward ­ VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. Erik Ervin, Ph.D. Rajandra Waghray, Ph.D. Rod Youngman, Ph.D. Executive Director/ Director of PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 681-6065 Virginia Turfgrass Foundation Betty Parker (757) 574-9061

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President’s Message

Our Plans Frank Flannagan 2012–2013 VTC President

W

hat happened to winter this year? Who would have believed that January’s weather would be so unusually warm!

With temperatures above normal, golf courses had tons of play, landscape contractors were busy with mulching projects, and sod producers were lining up projects for early spring.

Likewise, the Virginia Turfgrass Council’s board of directors began gearing up to set priorities and is making plans for an exciting year for its members: planning pesticide recertification and Short Course classes, assisting with preparation for Field Days, organizing the VTC’s Turfgrass Research Golf Tournament and planning our Annual Conference for January 2013.

So far, I have identified three goals that I would like to work toward: • Increase our membership and participation in our education programs.

• Increase donations to the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation for research.

• Continue to represent you and the turfgrass industry at the state and local levels on legislative matters.

Steve Smith will chair the Membership Committee and is planning new membership initiatives to increase enrollment (see page 28 for details).

Gil Grattan will continue as chair of the Legislative Committee. He will continue to advance the turfgrass industry by meeting state and local officials

for the Coming Year and educating them on the benefits of our industry to the environment.

Rick Owens will chair the education and programming portion of our board. This committee plans the annual conference in January 2013.

Committee members invite speakers to discuss the latest research, including the newest chemicals that have been released and their effects on turf. If you have a particular topic of interest, please contact Rick or Dr. Tom Tracy, our executive director for VTC. Marc Petrus will again chair our Turfgrass Research Golf Tournament.

This event has enabled the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation to use tournament proceeds to fund research at Virginia Tech and at the Hampton

6 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012 www.vaturf.org

Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HRAREC). We need to increase donations toward our endowment so that we may continue to provide funding for our researchers.

With the downturn in the economy, research funding is scarce. I would challenge each member and member organization to increase his or her donation to the foundation.

Unofficial conference participation numbers look good; we should have the final tally at our March board meeting.

I want to thank Melissa Reynolds, our immediate past president, for her hard work and dedication to the Virginia Turfgrass Council. It is my goal to live up to her example of leadership during my tenure as your president. c

Director’s Corner

We’re Giving Decision-Makers

Science-Based Information Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

V

irginia is a state that adheres to the primacy of state sovereignty; within allowed parameters, however, cities, counties and school divisions have tremendous power. Building inspectors, code writers, division managers and leaders (both appointed and elected) all can make decisions that affect our industry.

For instance, the school division of a major Virginia city recently unilaterally banned all fertilizer applications on its properties. The ban was overturned after a few days because of industry response, but the point is made — localities within the state have within their grasp the ability to harm our industry by rapidly making decisions that are not based in science.

How should the industry respond to the power wielded by local decisionmakers? The task is enormous. At last count, Virginia has 95 counties, 39 cities, 190 incorporated towns and 134 school divisions. People within each of these 458 entities need to be educated about the value of managed turfgrass and the scientific foundation for what we do. Why should we focus on education? As Benjamin Disraeli said, “As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information.”

We must assume that local decisionmakers want to do the right thing.

Further, we must endeavor to ensure that they have the right information.

Our first major information initiative is taking place this coming June.

8 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal

On Wednesday, June 27, we will hold a legislative information day at the Hampton Roads AREC, which is a research and outreach center of Virginia Tech located in Virginia Beach.

Our purpose for the event is for decision-makers to recognize the tremendous resource they have with Virginia Tech. The day will be considered a success when these same decisionmakers consult university experts when-

ever they have a turfgrass question.

The June legislative information day is our first major attempt to educate local leaders. We hope it is just the first of many such events. Our challenge is monumental — there are 458 separate entities across the state that we must reach. The potential benefits to our industry from educating local decision-makers, however, are astronomical! c

Editor’s Perspective

Appreciation Mark Vaughn, CGCS Virginia Turfgrass Journal Editor

Wow!

After only two months, 2012 is rapidly becoming one of my favorite years.

For starters, winter has yet to arrive, and golfers have taken notice. It’s nice to enter the growing season with a little cushion in the cash register. My apologies to you guys (Fred Biggers, Ron Parker, et. al.) who manage a fourseason resort and really depend on Mother Nature to transform snow into dollars. But, let’s be fair; you’ve had quite a run for several years.

In mid-January at the annual meeting of the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association, I was honored and humbled to receive the Distinguished Service award. I hear there is a recall petition circulating after I donned a blonde mullet wig for the presentation (thanks for the loaner, Matt Boyce). Seriously, recognition in any form is nice, but recognition from your peers is the best.

A couple of days after I’d returned home from the VTC conference in January, my oldest daughter (who is a middle-school math teacher and passionate about her profession) forwarded me an open email from a teacher in Florida, lamenting what had become of the teaching profession, at least as it relates to K–12 public education. Public perception is that kids aren’t achieving; there-

fore it is primarily the fault of slacking, tenured, overpaid teachers.

The political response has been “No Child Left Behind” and the “Standards of Learning” testing system.

The SOLs are a lightning rod better left to a lengthier debate, but I would challenge you to find a teacher that believes the learning environment is BETTER and not WORSE since they were instituted At any rate, the underlying theme of the email (for me) was that people do not understand and do not APPRECIATE what teachers do. “Welcome to the real world, sucker,” was my first condescending thought. We live in a world that is long on demands and short on patience. Just ask anyone in any number of occupations.

But, really, why is that? After all, didn’t I just enjoy the high that appreciation and recognition brings? Before that, didn’t we go through a 30–40day holiday season that is built on the premise of giving thanks for the ultimate gift and what we have been given, and letting those close to us know how much we appreciate them? Is this a sentiment that should be packed up and put back in the attic after January 1?

The old sage Jack McClenahan wrote an article years ago that I will never forget. It was about a long-time, loyal staff member of an unnamed club that

10 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012 www.vaturf.org

Jack called on during his days with G.L. Cornell Co. Like most did in times past, he worked in summer’s heat and the biting cold of winter, year after year, without much thought of the future. His wages were meager, and club-sponsored retirement plans were non-existent. Jack stopped by the maintenance facility one day after the old-timer had been put out to pasture.

He found him rummaging through the trash, looking for anything he could use or sell. A human discard looking through the discards of the facility.

Hopefully, we’re pretty good at letting family and close friends know how grateful we are for them. What kind of job are we doing, though, in recognizing the people that pick up our garbage every week, serve us in a restaurant, dry clean our shirts, offer words of encouragement when we need them, teach/coach our kids or make us look good in our jobs?

So, here’s a New Year’s Resolution (in the middle of spring) that doesn’t require a special diet or hours of pain on the Stairmaster. I, ______________, resolve to become cognizant of people I encounter in my life who make the crooked road a little straighter and the rough places a little smoother through deeds big and small, and to find ways to let them KNOW they are appreciated. c

Report from the VTF

Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Assn.

Betty Parker VTF Manager

Joins VTF’s Platinum Turf Club

At

the General membership meeting of the 2012 Virginia Turfgrass Conference, the Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Association (SVTA) presented the VTF with a check for $5,000. This is the same organization that, after donating $5,000 to the BMP (Better Management Practices) project last year, dug deep and donated an additional $1,000 to show its continued faith in supporting the…

Mission of the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation: To develop funds to support and promote research, education and Extension programs in the management and science of turfgrass and its related environment in Virginia.

Each year, the SVTA holds a golf tournament to benefit Virginia’s turfgrass research. This year’s golf tournament will be held on June 19 at Rock Harbor GC. For more information you can visit the SVTA online site at www. vgcsa.org/view.asp?id=373&page =9712.

This recent donation brought the total that the SVTA has contributed to $51,497.33 and places them in the Platinum Turf Club, the pinnacle of our turf club. There are now two organizations that can boast this level of commitment: the Virginia Turfgrass Association and the Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Association.

The Virginia Sod Growers also met at this year’s turf conference and voted to make a very generous donation to the VTF. This small organization has only about 30 members, but yet its members also feel it is important to 12 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal

support the turfgrass research in our state. They did this by donating $4,000 to the VTF. The group has now moved up to the Palladium Turf Club.

Thank you to Rick Viancour, who made a personal donation to the VTF as he stepped down as one of our exofficio board members. Sterling Caudle moved off the board this year, as well, after serving as our vice president, pres-

ident and a director for over 10 years.

We have been truly blessed with the quality of the leadership that we experience on our board of directors.

Thanks to all of our board members who step up to serve their industry. c For more information about the VTF, you can contact: Betty Parker 757-574-9061 • thevtf@gmail.com

Recent Event

Highlights from the VTC’s

2012 Turf & Landscape Conference & Tradeshow January 16–19

The

VTC’s annual gathering of turfgrass professionals from across the MidAtlantic region continues to shine, despite attendance continuing to drop at many other shows around the country. This year’s event welcomed well over 800 attendees to the tradeshow, and a record 130+ turfies

participated in the pesticide certification classes. The education sessions were packed, and as usual, networking on the tradeshow floor was a highly popular activity!

Next year, the 53rd VTC Annual Conference and Marketplace will again be held at the Fredericksburg Expo Center.

Mark your calendars for January 28–31, 2013!

14 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012 www.vaturf.org

Congratulations to the 2012 VTC Award Winners

Our Scholarship Winners Thomas Hutcheson Jr. Memorial Scholarship Jeff Henderson, Virginia Tech

Robert Ruff Sr. Memorial Scholarship Wesley Chiles, Virginia Tech Camden Shelton, Virginia Tech

R.D. Cake/ Silver Tray Awards

VTC Lifetime Membership Award

Steve Smith and Wayne Smith

Jack Kidwell, former VTC President

Smith Turf & Irrigation

(shown with daughter Melissa Reynolds, VTC Immediate Past President)

The VTC Award

VTC President’s Award

Peter McDonough

Fred Biggers

The Keswick Club

Wintergreen Resort

W.S. “Bill” Connelly Scholarship Eric Reasor, Virginia Tech

Louis & Ginger Brooking Turfgrass Graduate Student Scholarship Nate Reams, Virginia Tech Shaohui Wu, Virginia Tech

VGCSA Scholarship Jeff Henderson, Virginia Tech

VSTMA Scholarship Eric Reasor, Virginia Tech

Golf Course Builders Assn. of America Scholarship Logan Horne, Virginia Tech

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Recent Event continued

Seen on the

Tradeshow Floor!

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Recent Event continued

Thanks to Our Generous

2012 Conference Sponsors Platinum Sponsors

Silver Sponsor

Buy Sod Fisher & Son Co. Grigg Brothers Precision Labs Quali-Pro Riverside Turf The Andersons

Leading Edge Communications

Gold Sponsor Bayer Environmental Science

Wednesday Golf Track Sponsor Bayer Environmental Science

Bronze Sponsors Clarke Winfield Solutions

Wi-Fi Sponsor Quali-Pro

Wednesday Sports Turf Track Sponsor Fisher & Son Co.

Fellowship Breakfast Specialty Turf Services

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Turf Talk

Lime Turf and

What You Need to Know about Soil pH, Nutrient Availability and Liming

By Mike Goatley Jr., Ph.D., Virginia Tech

W

hy do the soils in this region persistently need lime? Answer: to neutralize the naturally acidic soil in our region. Soil that is more than slightly acidic makes many key nutrients — including phosphorus, calcium and magnesium — much less unavailable to plants, and it increases the soil levels of aluminum, manganese and iron metals, creating possible toxicity. Both situations create an inhospitable growing environment for most plants, including turfgrass.

Unfortunately, acidification is a natural process that occurs continuously in soils throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

Nitrogen fertilization is one of the several factors that speeds up its development, as does the breakdown of organic matter (i.e., thatch). Since most turf managers routinely apply nitrogen fertilizers and battle the resulting buildup (and consequent breakdown) of organic matter, they also must periodically apply lime to reduce soil acidity and its potentially damaging results. Liming is a critical

management practice for maintaining soil pH at optimal levels for plant growth.

pH basics

A measurement of the acidity in the soil’s water, soil pH is responsible for the solubility of many nutritional elements. Figure 1 (opposite page) illustrates the relationship between soil pH and the relative plant availability of nutrients.

The majority of nutrients become most available to plants in a slightly

18 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012 www.vaturf.org

acidic soil — between 5.8 and 6.5 pH. When a soil is strongly acidic (lower than 5.0 to 5.5 pH), plant growth is limited by aluminum toxicity. Also, when a soil is strongly acidic, many herbicides lose effectiveness. When soils are alkaline (higher than 7.0 pH), micronutrients such as manganese and zinc become much less available to plants.

The benefits of liming

By reducing soil acidity, liming increases the availability of several

Figure 1. Relationship between soil pH and nutrient availability.

essential nutrients. Phosphorus (P) solubility and plant availability, for instance, are controlled by complex soil chemical reactions, which are often pH-dependent. Plant availability of P is generally greatest in the pH range of 5.5 to 6.8. When soil pH falls below 5.8, P reacts with iron and aluminum to produce insoluble iron and aluminum phosphates that are not readily available for plant uptake. At high pH values, phosphorus reacts with calcium to form calcium phosphates that are also relatively insoluble and have low availability to plants.

Liming reduces the solubility and potential toxicity of aluminum and manganese. It also supplies the essential elements of calcium and/ or magnesium.

Finally, soil organisms also grow best in near-neutral soil. In general, acidic soil inhibits the growth of most organisms, including many bacteria

and earthworms. Thus, acidic soil slows many important activities carried on by soil microbes, including nitrogen fixation, nitrification and organic matter decay.

Determining lime requirements

The need for — and rate of — limestone applied to any area should be based on a soil-test recommendation.

If the soil pH is above the plant’s target pH, then no lime is recommended.

If needed, a lime application should last two to three years.

Sandy soils generally require less lime at any one application than silt loam or clay soils to decrease soil acidity by a given amount. Sandy soils, however, usually need to be limed more frequently because their buffering capacity is low.

If the pH is well above the ideal range, then sometimes an application

of sulfur is recommended to help lower the pH faster; however, most of the time, you can just let the soil pH drop on its own.

Liming materials and chemical composition

A number of materials are available for liming acid soils. The selection of a liming material should be based on its ability to neutralize soil acidity, chemical composition, fineness of grind, ease of handling and cost.

Limestone is a naturally occurring sedimentary rock that is rich in the minerals calcite or dolomite. Relatively pure deposits of calcite are called “calcitic” limestone, while materials containing more magnesium are called “dolomitic” limestone. In the MidAtlantic, dolomitic limestone is widely used as a lime (and magnesium) source.

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Turf Talk continued

As with most sedimentary materials, limestone varies in purity and chemical composition. In order to compare the acid-neutralizing value of var-

ious liming materials of differing purity levels, the calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE) test uses pure calcite (CaCO3) as the standard, with an arbitrarily

assigned value of 100 percent. A CCE value greater than 100 simply indicates that the material has a higher neutralizing capacity than pure calcite.

Table 1. The neutralizing value (calcium carbonate equivalent, CCE) of the pure forms of commonly used liming materials.

Lime material

Neutralizing value (%)

CaO (calcium oxide)

179

Ca(OH)2 (calcium hydroxide)

136

MgCO3 (magnesium carbonate)

119

CaMg(CO3)2 (dolomitic limestone)

109

CaCO3 (calcium carbonate)

100

Source: Data from Tisdale, Nelson, and Beaton 1985.

20 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012 www.vaturf.org

You can use this information when you select and apply a lime source. For example, if the soil test recommendation indicates that 50 pounds of lime are recommended per 1,000 ft2 (the recommendation is on the basis of pure calcite) and if the lime source available has a CCE of 90 percent, you will need to apply 55.5 pounds of the source (50 pounds per 0.9 = 55.5 pounds) per 1,000 ft2 to achieve the recommended liming rate. Conversely, if dolomitic limestone (with a CCE on the label of 109 percent) is selected, only 46 pounds (50 pounds per 1.09 = 46 pounds) per 1,000 ft2 are required.

Fineness of grind

Because liming materials have a limited solubility, the rate of reaction is largely determined by the amount of the material’s surface area exposed to acid soil. As fineness of the liming material increases, the rate of its reaction increases.

Agricultural lime, which has a wide variety of particle sizes, is particularly cost effective for new establishment sites where it can be incorporated into the seedbed prior to planting. Ag-lime, though, is more difficult to apply because of its non-uniform particle size. Powdered lime provides a rapid response, but it is extremely difficult to handle and apply.

Instead, in turf settings, pelletized lime — finely ground limestone made into pellets by using a binding agent — is commonly used. It is more expensive than powdered lime, but the ease in handling and application makes it a very popular choice. The large pellets retain the quick reaction time of fine particles, without the dust of the powdered form.

Pellets break down when wetted to release the finely ground particles.

When applied to bare ground, pelletized lime should be wetted and allowed time for particles to break down prior to tillage or incorporation into the soil. Otherwise, the particles will be in contact with much less of the soil surface and will not be as effective in neutralizing soil acidity.

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Turf Talk continued

Managing lime applications

The general recommendation is to apply no more than 50 pounds of lime per 1,000 ft2 at any one time to established turf (25 pounds per application to golf putting greens). If the soil test suggests more, then the amount should be applied monthly in incremental amounts.

All the beneficial effects of liming occur only where lime and soil are in contact. Liming materials are sparingly soluble and react strongly with the soils with which they come in contact. As a result, lime is relatively immobile in the soil, and surface applications generally affect no more than the top 2" or 3" during a growing season.

For this reason, it is imperative to adjust the pH of soils prior to turf establishment and to incorporate the lime early enough so that neutralization of the acidity has time (two to four weeks for finely ground lime) to

take place. Thorough incorporation throughout the rooting zone increases the rate of reaction and treats a larger volume of the soil, maximizing the benefits of lime.

Attempting to change the pH in the deep rooting zone of an established turf is difficult, at best. When applied only to the soil surface (i.e., not tilled into the soil), lime is slow to react, and it affects only a fraction of an inch of soil per year. One method of getting lime somewhat deeper in established turf areas is to apply lime in conjunction with core aeration events. Applying lime in the fall and winter months is also possible because the potential for leaf burn is very low, and the freezing and thawing of the soil aid in mixing lime throughout the rootzone.

Over-liming

Again, lime application should be based on soil tests to ensure that exces-

sive lime is not added. When no information on the soil sample information sheet is provided regarding the last lime application, the lab assumes that you have not applied lime in the past 18 months. Do not overlime! Too much lime can be as harmful as too little. Over-liming dramatically reduces the availability of micronutrients and can result in deficiencies that are very difficult to correct.

While a good liming program usually provides adequate levels of calcium and magnesium, there are times when lime is not recommended but additional calcium and/or magnesium are required. Sources such as gypsum (calcium sulfate), magnesium sulfate and potassium-magnesium sulfate should be used in this instance to supply needed nutrients without the addition of pH-increasing lime. c

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Research Brief

Impact of

DMI Fungicides

n io ss re p p u S d ea h d ee S a u n an oa P n o

By David McCall, Research Specialist, Dept. of Plant Pathology, and Shawn Askew, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Turfgrass Weed Science, Virginia Tech

M

any golf course superintendents have adopted the strategy of making a fungicide application during the spring in advance of dollar spot symptom development. The justification behind this lies in delaying the onset of disease and reducing the rate of progression heading into the season.

Demethylation inhibitors (DMI) are some of the most commonly used fungicides for early season prevention.

These fungicides are typically applied within the same short window as annual bluegrass (ABG) seedhead suppression chemicals. The use of growing degree days (GDD50) is a common tool for determining the

timing for each application. Typical recommendations for seedhead suppression and dollar spot are 50 GDD50 and 140 GDD50, respectively. In the Mid-Atlantic region, these timings are often two to three weeks apart.

A side effect of DMI fungicides is growth regulation of the turf, however, and they could affect ABG seed-

Figure 1. Timing of applications for annual bluegrass seedhead suppression (PGR) and early-season dollar spot control (DMI), based on growing degree day models (base 50). Initial PRG applications are made at 50 GDD50, while DMI applications are made at 140 GDD50.

Interval between applications varied from 12 days in 2010 to 20 days in 2011.

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head suppression programs by altering suppression efforts or turf tolerance.

To evaluate these interactions, trials were established at the Virginia Tech Golf Course in Blacksburg, VA.

Our research

Initial PGR treatments (for ABG seedhead suppression) were applied on April 1, 2010, and March 29, 2011, at 50 GDD50 (Figure 1, page 24). PGRs evaluated were: • mefluidide (Embark 2S, 0.05 oz./1,000 ft2) • a tank mixture of ethephon (Proxy, 5 oz./1,000 ft2) and trinexypac-ethyl (Primo MAXX, 0.125 oz./1,000 ft2) DMI fungicides were applied on April 14, 2010, and April 20, 2011, at 140 GDD50 (Figure 1). DMIs evaluated were: • fenarimol (Rubigan A.S., 1.5 oz./1,000 ft2) • metconazole (Tourney, 0.37 oz./1,000 ft2) • myclobutanil (Eagle EW, 1.2 oz./1,000 ft2) • propiconazole (Banner MAXX, 2 oz./1,000 ft2) • triadimefon (Bayleton SC, 1 oz./1,000 ft2) • triticonazole (Trinity, 0.75 oz./1,000 ft2) Data were collected on plant health, phytotoxicity and ABG seedhead suppression. Plant health measurements were obtained by visual observation (1 to 9 scale, where 9 equals maximum health) and multispectral radiometry.

Plant health indices included red vegetative index (RVI) and normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI).

Results summary

In 2010, plots treated with mefluidide (Embark 2S) were the lowest for each plant health measurement, regardless of DMI use (Figure 2, page 26). Significant phytotoxicity was observed in all plots treated with mefluidide, but not with other PGR and DMI combinations.

In 2011, some treatments resulted in reduced quality, although the differences were much less dramatic.

More injury was observed in 2010 than 2011. Due to a more rapid rise in tem-

Research Brief continued

peratures in 2010, the interval between applications was 13 days, compared with 22 in 2011. Though data indicated variability among fungicides,

none had consistent positive or negative impacts on PGR. Seedheads were suppressed most effectively with mefluidide alone or with DMI fungi-

cides (Figure 3, below). No DMI significantly reduced seedhead development alone or increased the likelihood of injury by PGR. c

Figure 2. Although seedheads were suppressed most successfully with mefluidide in 2010, the drawback was that each mefluidide treatment, regardless of DMI combination, had significantly lower quality for approximately three weeks after application in 2010 (red).

Injury was much less pronounced in 2011 (blue), and seedhead suppression was compromised (data not shown).

• F en: Fenarimol (Rubigan A.S., 4.78 L-ha) •M et: Metconazole (Tourney, 1.13 Kg-ha) •M yc: Myclobutanil (Eagle 20 EW, 3.82 L-ha) •P ro: Propiconazole (Banner MAXX, 6.37 L-ha) • T rd: Triadimefon (Bayleton SC, 3.18 L-ha) • T ri: Triticonazole (Trinity, 2.39 L-ha) •M : Mefluidide (Embark T&O, 1.59 L-ha) • E TE: Ethephon (Proxy, 15.92 L-ha) + Trinexapac-ethyl (Primo MAXX, 0.40 L-ha)

Figure 3. Seedhead cover (%) of annual bluegrass in 2010. All mefluidide treated plots had the fewest seedheads produced, regardless of DMI fungicide application.

26 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012 www.vaturf.org

News from the VTC

Help Us with the VTC’s Spring Membership Drive

and Win Valuable Prizes!

Contest Rules

To be eligible to win the contest prizes, participants must sign up 10 new members. Also, the participant must already be a VTC member (or group) in good standing.

To be considered as a new member for this contest, the person must: • not be listed in the VTC’s 2011 membership directory.

• not have renewed or enrolled in membership by February 17, 2012.

Prizes

The VTC member who signs up the most new members wins the following: • free tradeshow booth at the 2013 VTC conference: value, $900.00

• free paid team entrance fee for the 2012 Bob Ruff Jr. Memorial Research Golf Tournament (June 4).

• free Gold group VTC Membership for 2013 • 1 free pesticide recertification value • lodging for 1 room for 2 nights at the 2013 VTC conference The second-place winner and/or any VTC member or group that signs up 10 new members will receive a free trade show booth for 2013.

All ties will be resolved by the date that each eligible new member was signed up and paid, so that the person or group with the earlier dates will win.

The contest will end on May 21 (two weeks before the Golf Tournament).

Meet Your New 2012 VTC Leaders PRESIDENT Frank Flannagan Belmont Golf Course Henrico, VA (804) 262-4939 fla20@co.henrico.va.us VICE PRESIDENT Fredrick Biggers, CGCS Wintergreen Resort Wintergreen, VA (434) 325-8252 fbiggers@wintergreen resort.com TREASURER Brian Vincel, CGCS Spring Creek Golf Club Gordonsville, VA (434) 566-2580 bvincel@springcreek living.com PAST PRESIDENT Melissa Reynolds Dura Turf Service Corp.

Richmond, VA (804) 233-4972 duraturfservice@ verizon.net

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tom Tracy, Ph.D. Virginia Turfgrass Council Virginia Beach, VA (757) 464-1004 vaturf@verizon.net DIRECTORS Gil Grattan Virginia Green Lawn Care Richmond, VA (804) 285-6200 gil.grattan@virginiagreen lawncare.com Rick Owens, CGCS Laurel Hill Golf Club Lorton, VA (703) 674-6934 rickjowens@yahoo.com Marc Petrus Innovative Turf Services Rockville, VA (540) 220-7883 marcpetrus@aol.com

Steve Slominski Fisher & Son Co. Richmond, VA (540) 760-8873 steves@fisherandson.com Steve Smith Specialty Turf Services Chester, VA (804) 796-1498 ssmith@cwtg.com Rick Viancour, CGCS Golden Horseshoe Golf Club Williamsburg, VA (757) 220-7489 rviancour@cwf.org Scott Woodward Woodward Turf Farms Nokesville, VA (540) 727-0020 shwturf1@aol.com

28 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012 www.vaturf.org

VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Erik Ervin, Ph.D. Virginia Tech, CSES Dept.

Blacksburg, VA (540) 231-5208 ervin@vt.edu

Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (chair) Virginia Tech, CSES Dept.

Rajandra Blacksburg, VA Waghray, Ph.D. (540) 231-2951 Virginia Tech Extension goatley@vt.edu (retired) Manassas, VA Shawn Askew, Ph.D. (703) 331-5732 Virginia Tech devandra@juno.com Blacksburg, VA (540) 231-5807 Rod Youngman, Ph.D. saskew@vt.edu Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. (540) 231-9118 Virginia Tech Email: youngman@vt.edu Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station Virginia Beach, VA (757) 363-3912 jderr@vt.edu

Calendar of Events

Turf Industry Events May 22

Pesticide Recertification

Gypsy Hill Park’s Gymnasium Staunton, VA

June 4

Bob Ruff Jr. Memorial Research Golf Tournament

Spring Creek Golf Course Gordonsville, VA

June 12

Pesticide Recertification

Hamption, VA

June 19

SVTA Research Golf Tournament

(Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Assn.)

Rock Harbor Golf Course Winchester, VA

June 26

Hampton Roads AREC Turfgrass Field Day and Pesticide Recertification

Virginia Beach, VA

June 26–27

STMA Mid-American Regional Conference & Trade Show

Cincinnati, OH

July 8–10

PLANET Legislative Day

Washington, DC Contact: 800-395-2522 www.landcarenetwork.org

July 30 – August 3

TPI Summer Convention & Field Days

(Turfgrass Producers International) Asheville, NC

August TBD

Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Days

Blacksburg, VA

December 11–13

Virginia Tech’s Turfgrass Short Course

Fredericksburg, VA

January 28–31, 2013

VTC 53rd Annual Turf & Landscape Conference and Trade Show

Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center Fredericksburg, VA

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 29

Index of Advertisers Alliance Material Handling, Inc.............................. 29 www.alliancemat.com BASF.......................................................................... 27 www.basf.com Bayer........................................................................3, 9 www.bayerprocentral.com Buy Sod, Inc................................................................ 5 www.buysod.com Collins Wharf Sod Farm............................................ 8 www.collinswharfsod.com East Coast Sod & Seed...................... Inside Back Cover www.eastcoastsod.com Egypt Farms, Inc...................................................... 29 www.egyptfarms.com Ernst Conservation Seeds....................................... 21 www.ernstseed.com Fisher & Son Company, Inc..................................... 17 www.fisherandson.com Harmon Turf Services, Inc....................................... 30 www.harmonturfservices.com Harrell’s, LLC............................................................ 30 www.harrells.com Jacklin Seed, A Division of Simplot......................Inside Front Cover www.jacklin.com Kesmac/Brouwer, Inc.............................................. 11 www.kesmac.com Landscape Supply, Inc............................................ 20 www.landscapesupplyva.com Luck Stone Specialty Products............................... 25 www.luckstone.com Mid Atlantic Sports Turf........................................... 21 Modern Turf, Inc....................................................... 12 www.modernturf.com Newsom Seed, Inc..................................................... 13 www.newsomseed.com Oakwood Sod Farm, Inc........................................... 22 www.oakwoodsod.com RBB Sales & Consulting Inc....................................... 27 www.rbbturflandscapeconsultants.com Roxbury Farm & Garden Center................................ 5 www.roxburyfarmgarden.com Smith Seed Services.................................................. 30 www.smithseed.com Southern States Cooperative........................................ 23 www.southernstates.com The Andersons Technologies, Inc................................. 25 www.andersonsgolfproducts.com The Turfgrass Group................................. 7, Back Cover www.theturfgrassgroup.com Weedman..................................................................... 30 www.weedmanfranchise.com Winfield Solutions, LLC................................................8 www.winfieldsolutionsllc.com Woodward Turf Farm, Inc................................................. 6 www.woodwardturf.com

30 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal March/April 2012

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