Virginia Turfgrass Journal - November / December 2019

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

Market Research Explores Considerations Among Decision-Makers in

CHOOSING PLAYING SURFACES Save the Date for M-A-T-E January 21-23, 2020

November/December 2019

Give water a break tiftuf bermudagrass is the new drought-tolerance superstar.

The newest edition in the “Tif” (Tifton) series of bermudagrasses to originate from the renowned University of Georgia turfgrass breeding program, TifTuf promises to be a true game-changer in stellar yet environmentally friendly performance. Providing unbeatable drought tolerance, it uses 38% less water than Tifway 419, and it is significantly more drought resistant than all other bermudagrasses.

In addition to its incredible drought tolerance, TifTuf is more aggressive than Tifway and provides superior wear and traffic tolerance (even better than Celebration), excellent cold tolerance (equal to Latitude 36 at Kansas State University), fast spring green-up and excellent fall color retention. In the 2015 NTEP trials, TifTuf was the highest-ranked cultivar in North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi, and across all 17 locations overall, it was the highest-ranked, commercially available cultivar.

TifTuf will not only pay for itself in water savings, but more importantly, it will create more-sustainable athletic fields for the future.

In fact, it will soon become the ultimate must-have grass for sports turf managers who want to take a break from water use.

www.buysod.com | 866-428-9763 World Class Service On Demand Buy Sod VarietieS:

Golf Putting Greens: Prizm Zoysia, Bentgrass and Champion Dwarf bermudagrass Bermudagrass: TifTuf, TifGrand, Patriot, TifSport and Tifway • St. Augustine: Raleigh Zoysiagrass: Zeon and El Toro • Centipedegrass: TifBlair and Common • Fescue/Bluegrass Mixtures

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | November/December 2019

22

18 14 Upcoming Event: Save the Date for Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo

18 Cover Story

Market Research

Explores Considerations Among Decision-Makers in Choosing Playing Surfaces 22 Member Spotlight On Brian Glass 24 An Overview of Postemergence Growth Regulator Herbicide Use in Turfgrass

4 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

24 DEPARTMENTS 6 President’s Message

from Scott Woodward

8 Director’s Corner

from Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

8 Virginia Tech Turf Team 9 Index of Advertisers 10 Legislative Update from NALP 11 News from Virginia Tech 12 VTC Membership Benefits and Application

27 Turfgrass Calendar

UPGRADE TO FIRST CLASS 38% Less Water Greater Fall Color Retention

Earlier Spring Transition Increased Wear Tolerance

Reduced Fertility Requirement Extremely Rapid Grow-In

www.TheTurfgrassGroup.com

President’s Message

EDUCATION TIME

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

Scott Woodward 2019 President

Hello Fellow VTC Members, I’m writing this column in September so it is hard to imagine by the time you read this, our warm season grasses will be shutting down for the winter.

Cool seasons will be getting a break from over 50 days of 90 degree heat and soon it will be time for some education, re-certifications and camaraderie with our peers in the turf industry. VTC has plenty of opportunities coming up, below are a few: December 9 – 12: Turfgrass and Horticulture Short Courses in Henrico, VA January 21 – 23: M-A-T-E Conference in Fredericksburg, VA February 25 – 26: “Come to the Bay” in Virginia Beach, VA

A lot of new and exciting things are happening at the M-A-T-E conference this year. The conference committee is still working on the educational lineup and additional speakers. Some that we have lined up so far are: Logan Freeman – A Maryland Golf Course Superintendent who will be speaking on Fostering Cooperation Across the Turf Industry. Mr. Freeman was featured in a recent GCSAA publication.

The popular Virginia Tech Graduate Student Research Contest returns on Wednesday of the conference.

Josh McPherson – A Virginia native who is now with the University of Missouri speaks on Positive Coaching for Turf Managers Tyler Bloom and Dean Graves – Maryland Golf Course Superintendents speak on Recruiting and Retraining Green Industry Employees

The M-A-T-E conference will not disappoint! We will once again hold our annual Corn Hole Tournament, so sign up today. There will also be some great educational tracks and as always there will be plenty of time for networking.

See y’all there!

Scott H. Woodward

President, Virginia Turfgrass Council

6 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

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 Scott Woodward Woodward Turf Farms (540) 727-0020 Vice President Michael Skelton Culpeper County (540) 727-3412 Treasurer Jimmy Viars, CGM Gloucester County Public Schools (804) 815-2779 Secretary Phil Bailey, CGCS Virginia Green Lawn Care (757) 572-1981 Past President Rick Owens, CGCS Laurel Hill Golf Club (703) 674-6934 VTC DIRECTORS Wes Bray Scott Caskie Tony Montgomery David Smith T.J. Skirsky Craig Zeigler ­ VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. David McCall Ph.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004 VIRGINIA TURFGRASS FOUNDATION Brandyn Baty (757) 585-3058

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Virginia Tech Turf Team

Director’s Corner

OUR Grass is Greener

“His

Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D.

Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-5807 askew@vt.edu

Jeffrey F. Derr, Ph.D.

Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

Grass is Greener: Minneapolis Homeowner Rips Out Lawn, Puts in Artificial Turf” is not a fabricated headline.

It appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on May 30, 2018. The writer describes how the homeowner’s new plastic front yard is better for the environment than properly maintained turfgrass. Although a university expert is allowed to mention the benefits of real plants, the author’s tone clearly favors the artificial. In addition to the so-called environmental benefits of the plastic yard, its perceived economic benefits are also praised since the new yard only cost about $14,000. And that price does not include the fee of yearly visits by the installer to reset the yard. Nor does the article mention the product’s lifespan. Will it even last ten years?

The Minneapolis article is an indicator of the challenges our industry faces.

Although persons and associations are slowly beginning to understand the environmental and economic value we provide, much work is still ahead. Even here in Virginia forces are allied against us. At a recent state-wide event hosted by a green industry association, the keynote speaker repeatedly disparaged turfgrass.

She stumbled when a VTC member who was in the audience asked for facts to support her allegations. She had none. In another case, the director of a regional association told me she is against all home lawns.

Sadly, anti-turfgrass agendas and false narratives find their way into laws and regulations. For instance, last year, well-meaning members of the General Assembly introduced anti green-industry legislation. What is our reaction? In addition to reacting to specific bills that find their way to Richmond, most of our efforts are directed towards education. We continually seek to let key persons know about the value we provide.

The VTC is working hard to ensure we can continue to properly practice our trade. We are visiting legislators. We are hosting a legislative day during the winter’s General Assembly session. We initiated the Come to the Bay Conference. We spent two years providing a program designed to train homeowners and Master Gardeners. And more recently, we added a “Legislative Update” column to this Journal. The first one is in this issue and is written by Andrew Bray of the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Mr. Bray provides a national overview on two subjects that affect us here in Virginia.

I am sorry to say that some persons will always be against our industry. After all, creating and maintaining division by vilifying their perceived opposition is a way for them to increase support – and readership. Our best counter is to consistently — and calmly — share facts while we continue to base our practices on science.

Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

8 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 (757) 363-3912 jderr@vt.edu

Mike Goatley Jr., Ph.D.

Virginia Tech 420 Smyth Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-2951 goatley@vt.edu

David McCall, Ph.D.

Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-9598 dsmccall@vt.edu

WITH SUPPORT FROM: Thomas P. Kuhar, Ph.D.

Virginia Tech Dept. of Entomology 216 Price Hall 170 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-6129 tkuhar@vt.edu

Index of Advertisers Agronomic Lawn Management.................. 27 www.FertilizerWithALM.com Alliance Material Handling, Inc................. 23 www.alliancemat.com Buy Sod, Inc......................Inside Front Cover www.buysod.com Carolina Green Corp................................... 27 www.cgcfields.com Collins Wharf Sod Farm................................ 9 www.collinswharfsod.com CoverSports USA......................................... 17 www.coversports.com Daniel Sod Farms......................................... 27 www.danielsodfarm.com East Coast Sod & Seed................................. 27 www.eastcoastsod.com Leading Edge Communications................. 17 www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com Luck Ecosystems............................................ 3 www.luckstone.com McGill Premium Compost.......................... 27 www.mcgillsoilbuilder.com Mid-Atlantic STIHL....................................... 7 www.stihldealers.com Modern Turf, Inc........................................... 9 www.modernturf.com Progressive Turf Equipment Inc................. 21 www.progressiveturfequip.com Smith Seed Services....................................... 9 www.smithseed.com Smith Turf & Irrigation................ Back Cover www.smithturf.com The Cutting Edge of VA.............................. 23 www.tce-va.com The Turfgrass Group..................................... 5 www.theturfgrassgroup.com Virginia Sand & Stone................................. 12 www.virginiasand.com Weed Man.................................................... 27 www.weedmanfranchise.com Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

|9

Legislative Update

NALP Government Relations Update (This article was written on September 12, 2019.

For Current Information or questions please contact Andrew Bray andrew@landscapeprofessionals.org)

the lawncare industry in Virginia. If you have questions or want to be involved or receive updates please contact Bob Mann (bob@landscapeprofessionals.org)

Assault on Lawncare Products Continue — Defend the Regulatory Process!

Lawncare products are under a tremendous amount of scrutiny. Negative press, misguided information, biased opinions and a fundamental lack of understanding of how lawncare products are evaluated and approved for use are placing immense pressures on the lawncare industry.

Pesticides are regulated under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and undergo rigorous testing before the US EPA approves them. EPA approval of a pesticide application is based on voluminous scientific studies reviewed by many EPA experts across a number of scientific disciplines. This regulatory review is important in ensuring that products are safe for people, pets, wildlife and the environment. In addition, under law, EPA must review all pesticide products at a minimum every 15 years or if substantiated concerns about a product’s safety are raised. Following EPA approval, pesticides must be registered in each individual state where they will be used.

Ensuring the safety, health and well-being of our members, their employees, the general public and the environment is the top priority of NALP. Our association fully supports documented research conducted by regulatory bodies and the established framework of FIFRA, and we continually and closely monitor for regulatory and research developments.

FIFRA prescribes and implements a robust federal and state pesticide registration and review process. NALP believes this process is the foundation for our industry to responsibly manage landscapes using federally and state approved pesticides. We rely on our regulators, as the experts, to make sound scientific decisions on pesticide registration approvals.

The EPA and the 50-state pesticide lead regulatory agencies are our pesticide regulators, and the landscape industry will continue to comply with all federal and state laws and regulations that are supported by the review processes, science, evaluations, decisions and enforcement pursuant to FIFRA. We are working tirelessly to ensure that Congress or state legislatures around the country refrain from enacting restrictive legislation that is not rooted in science and are the result of political pressure based on uninformed emotions.

As the Virginia legislative cycle kicks into gear in 2020 we will be actively monitoring and engaging the Virginia General Assembly. VTC and NALP have begun working very closely on Government relations issues this past year and we look forward to a close partnership in advocacy efforts to protect

Increasing Available H-2B Visas — The Fight Continues!

This past spring NALP lobbied Congress to provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the discretionary authority to release an additional 69,320 H-2B visas “upon the determination that the needs of American businesses cannot be satisfied.” NALP promptly urged DHS to immediately release the available visas. In May 30,000 additional visas were released, a significant win for the landscape industry.

Now the fight for 2020 continues. In June, the full House Committee on Appropriations passed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) FY 20 appropriations legislation.

Included within the DHS Appropriations legislation is an H-2B amendment introduced by Reps. Pingree (D-ME), Harris (R-MD), and Ruppersburger (D-MD) that would require DHS to release additional visas if certified need surpasses the 66,000 cap. This amendment is similar to the language in current law that states that DHS “may” allow additional visas if the needs of seasonal businesses cannot be filled with US workers but it says that DHS “shall” release additional visas if the needs of seasonal businesses cannot be filled by US workers. This word change takes some of the discretion for releasing additional visas away from DHS. In addition to the amendment sponsors, Ranking Member Granger (R-TX), Subcommittee Ranking Member Fleischmann (R-TX) and Rep. Rutherford (R-FL) all expressed support for the amendment. This is a very positive step in the Democratic controlled House and Appropriations Committee, but there are still many more hurdles before a DHS appropriations bill passes both chambers and is signed by the President. To date the DHS appropriations measure has stalled and continues to be THE most controversial spending package due to ongoing debate on issues involving the southern border.

Congress passed a continuing resolution in September as both the Senate and the House negotiate final spending packages. NALP is aggressively pursuing fixes for 2020 through the annual appropriations process.

Substantive Permanent Solutions NALP and the H-2B coalition are in the process of negotiating a permanent fix for H-2B with the House Judiciary Committee, primarily committee staff and Rep. Lofgren’s staff. NALP is working with committee staff, interested stakeholders and members of Congress to reach a permanent, bipartisan reform bill to increase the cap and improve the process. c

10 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

News from VT

WELCOME New Virginia Tech Faculty Member,

DR. DANIEL SANDOR The

Virginia Tech Turf Team is excited to announce the addition of Daniel Sandor, Ph.D. to the Turfgrass Science faculty. Dr. Sandor will be an integral part of the team and his duties will include teaching, mentoring undergraduate research projects, conducting pedagogical research, mentoring students, and participating in professional service. Dr. Sandor will also take a lead role in enhancing curricula, developing an outstanding turf teaching program, and expanding visibility of the School’s Turfgrass Management concentration. He will do this in collaboration with associated turf and plant science faculty, staff, and students in teaching, research and other scholarly endeavors.

“My teaching philosophy is centered on students being focused and driven toward earning their degree and not simply getting a passing grade,” says Dr. Sandor. “Taking advantage of opportunities for myself and for VT turf students to both learn and grow, in the classroom, in the field, and at professional and industry conferences and events will enable all groups to become more aware of and qualified in current turfgrass practices and research findings and expose them to dynamic, unique, and practical learning opportunities outside of traditional classroom settings.”

Dr. Sandor received his B.S. in Agriculture with a concentration in Turfgrass Management from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green and went on to complete his M.S. in Agriculture with a concentration in Plant Science at WKU as well. He earned his Ph.D. in Plant Science at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Dr. Sandor served as a

graduate research assistant and a graduate teaching assistant during his post-graduate studies. Most recently he worked as a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Minnesota in Rochester.

As a researcher, Dr. Sandor is most interested in investigating and improving upon Best Management Practices (BMPs) for lawns, and turfgrass in general, in urban/suburban environments and learning more about public beliefs, preferences, and behaviors/norms regarding turfgrass lawns.

These include, but are not limited to, selection & utilization of improved turfgrass varieties and cultivars (e.g., drought-, heat-, disease-resistant), the implementation of smart irrigation tools and technologies, combined use of cultural & chemical BMPs for weed control, and refining current turfgrass beliefs, behaviors, and preferences toward lawns in the public environment.

Virginia Turfgrass Council members can be on the lookout for Dr. Sandor’s extension and outreach-education efforts which are centered upon irrigation and water conservation practices for lawns and cover topics including turfgrass selection and establishment, mowing, fertility, cultivation, and other cultural practices and BMPs. “I am a strong, passionate advocate of turfgrasses and lawns in the urban environment. I am devoted to sharing the multitude of environmental, functional, aesthetic, and recreational benefits they provide,” he says. “In addition to a multitude of talks with the general public, my outreach-education programming efforts have been shared with audiences ranging from small handfuls of municipal officials, water utility managers, city and state administrators and officials, to large crowds of turf, landscape, and irrigation professionals/contractors.”

Dr. Sandor is originally from Chesterville, OH and has been interested in turfgrass from an early age — he was mowing lawns and doing outdoor work in high school. He has always had an interest in the education profession as well. He is a sports fan — college football and basketball, NBA, tennis, and golf, specifically. In his free time, he enjoys reading non-fiction (memoirs/biographies, consumer/social behavior) and spending time outdoors, hiking, canoeing, photography. c The VTC is excited to welcome Dr. Sandor to the Virginia turfgrass community!

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 11

VTC Membership

JOIN THE

Membership Benefits For ALL members include: REE pesticide recertification training at the one-day F regional seminars.

REE Certified Fertilizer Applicator training at the MidF Atlantic Turfgrass Expo in January (M-A-T-E) and the Come to the Bay (February) and Come to the Valley (April) regional conferences.

REE entry to the research tour of turfgrass studies in F June at the Hampton Roads AREC. REE subscription to our bi-monthly Virginia Turfgrass F Journal, offering research and industry updates.

Valuable assistance on state and local legislative and bureaucratic issues. Do you know that every member of Virginia’s General Assembly receives our bi-monthly Virginia Turfgrass Journal? Several Delegates and Senators have said how much they appreciate being on our mailing list.

Monthly email of job postings.

Discounts to every one of our activities.

TODAY!

Join as a GROUP or as an INDIVIDUAL Individual Membership One Year — $85 Individual Membership Two Years — $150 Diamond Group Membership Benefits of Platinum Group Membership plus assist with our government relations activities.

Minimum of $3,000 Platinum Group Membership Membership fee of $1,500 includes: 11 to 20 members.

Send up to 50 of your employees to one of our Regional Pesticide Training Classes — AT NO COST. Year-round membership listing and link from VTC website.

Fertilizer Certification Training or Pesticide Recertification Training (3A, 3B 60) at your site.

Gold Group Membership Membership fee of $800 includes: 6 to 10 members Silver Group Membership Membership fee of $400 includes: 1 to 5 members

12 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

Membership Application Complete this application form and —

OR Join/Renew online at

www.vaturf.org

• Mail it to the address at the bottom of this page.

• Or fax it to 757-282-2693

Member Information First Name____________________________________________ Last Name___________________________________________ Company or Organization____________________________________________________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________________________________________________________ City__________________________________________________ State__________ Zip____________________________________ Phone________________________________________________ Fax__________________________________________________ E-Mail_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Payment SELECT ONE Diamond Group Membership............................................................................................................................. At least $3,000 Platinum Group Membership (11 or more members + Year-round listing and link from VTC website)...................$1,500 Gold Group Membership (6 – 10 members)...................................................................................................................$800 Silver Group Membership (1 – 5 members)....................................................................................................................$400 Individual for Two Years...................................................................................................................................................$150 Individual for One Year....................................................................................................................................................$85

Pay by Check or by Credit Card Please check appropriate box:

Check

AMEX

VISA

MasterCard

Card #:_______________________________________________ Print Cardholder Name:_______________________________ Security Code:_________________________________________ Expiration Date:______________________________________

Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 • Phone: 757-464-1004 • Fax: 757-282-2693 Email: vaturf@verizon.net • Web: www.vaturf.org Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 13

Upcoming Event

M-A-T-E

MID-ATLANTIC TURFGRASS EXPO January 21 – 23, 2020 Fredericksburg Expo Center Fredericksburg, Virginia

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS Day One (Tuesday, January 21)

Day Two (Wednesday, January 22)

Focus is on Meeting Needs for the Entire Green Industry

Topics are Tailored to Specific Green Industry Segments

TOPICS INCLUDE:

(Lawn & Landscape, Golf, Sod, Sports)

• Fostering Cooperation Across The Turf Industry Logan Freeman, Mountain Branch Golf Club

•V irginia Tech Graduate Student Research Contest

• Positive Coaching for Turf Managers Josh McPherson, University of Missouri

• Lunch Provided

• Recruiting Minorities Tiffany Drape, Virginia Tech • Recruiting and Retraining Green Industry Employees Tyler Bloom, Sparrows Point Country Club Dean Graves, Chevy Chase Country Club • Vendor Time • Lunch Provided • Corn Hole Tournament

SPONSORS Presenting Sponsors

Lunch Sponsors

•P esticide Recertification in Categories 3A, 3B & 60 • Vendor Time

Day Three (Thursday, January 23) The Focus is on Pesticide and Fertilizer Certifications

Fellowship Breakfast Sponsor

For a full conference schedule and other information, please visit us at

TurfConference.org

14 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

Coffee/Snack Sponsor

MID-ATLANTIC TURFGRASS EXPO PROGRAM Tuesday, January 21

Wednesday, January 22

Thursday, January 23

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

General Session

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Fellowship Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Pesticide Recertification

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Break and Visit Vendors

8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

General Session Virginia Tech Student Research Contest

Categories 3A, 3B, 5A, 6, 8, 10 and 60 ( Categories 3A, 3B and 60 are finished by 2:00 p.m.)

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Classes for the Entire Green Industry 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Lunch (Provided) and Visit Vendors 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Classes for the Entire Green Industry 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Break and Visit Vendors 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Classes for the Entire Green Industry

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Break and Visit Vendors

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Review for General Initial Pesticide Certification

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions Limited Pesticide Recertification (Part 1)

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Fertilizer Certification and Recertification

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Lunch (Provided) and Visit Vendors

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

VA Pesticide Certification Exams

1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Limited Pesticide Recertification (Part 2) 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Mechanic’s Seminar (Day 1 of 3)

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Mechanic’s Seminar (Day 2 of 3)

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Certified Turfgrass Professional (Day 1 of 3)

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Certified Turfgrass Professional (Day 2 of 3)

(Recertification Ends 12:30 p.m.)

(Must have letter from VDACS)

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Mechanic’s Seminar (Day 3 of 3) 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Certified Turfgrass Professional (Day 3 of 3)

VENDORS A1 Aerification

Nedia Enterprises

Advanced Turf Solutions

Newsom Seed

Aqua Aid

PBI Gordon

Ballard Sports Bayer

Pennington ProTurf

Buy Sod, Inc

RainBird Golf

Chesapeake Valley Seed

RainBird Landscape

Harmon Turf

Sod Solutions

Luck Ecosystems

Trinity Turf

McGill Premium Compost

Woodward Turf

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 15

Registration Form

MID-ATLANTIC TURFGRASS EXPO (M-A-T-E) January 21 – 23, 2020 • Fredericksburg Expo Center • Fredericksburg, Virginia Check the appropriate box or boxes. – You may also register and pay online at www.turfconference.org VTC MEMBERSHIP – JOIN or RENEW (January 01 – December 31).............................................................Regular: $85 CORN HOLE TOURNAMENT – TEAM OF TWO (January 21) (Include Names)........................................................$20 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ REGISTRATION: VTC MEMBER

REGISTRATION: NON VTC MEMBER

Thursday ONLY................................................... FREE

Thursday ONLY....................................................... $85

One Day ONLY (NOT Thursday)........................ $115

One Day ONLY (NOT Thursday)........................ $150

Any Two Days........................................................ $195

Any Two Days........................................................ $230

Any Three Days..................................................... $275

Any Three Days..................................................... $310

Mechanics Seminar ONLY..................................... $95

Mechanics Seminar ONLY................................... $120

Certified Turfgrass Professional ONLY............... $355

Certified Turfgrass Professional ONLY............... $395

WHEN ARE YOU ATTENDING? Circle the day(s).

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

or

Mechanic’s Seminar

or

Certified Turfgrass Professional

Amount Enclosed:_________________ Make checks payable to: Virginia Turfgrass Council, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Or charge to credit card:

AMEX

VISA

MasterCard

Card #:_______________________________________________ Cardholder Name:____________________________________ Verification Code:______________________________________ Expiration Date:______________________________________ Please type or print clearly: Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company:__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________________ City:__________________________________________________ State:______________ Zip Code:_________________________ Telephone:(______)_________________________________________________________________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Information: Virginia Turfgrass Council, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471 (757) 464-1004 • virginiaturf@gmail.com

16 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

Get ahead of the game in the cold months with FieldSaver® Winter Turf Blankets/Growth Covers.

Cover Story continued

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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 17

DECISION-MAKERS’ POSITIONS

Cover Story

(n=141)

An athletic director or assistant athletic director

Market Research Explores Considerations Among Decision-Makers in

CHOOSING PLAYING SURFACES

By Casey Reynolds, Ph.D., Executive Director, Turfgrass Producers International

A committee and/or board member for my city, county or state

17%

An elected official in my city, county or state

17%

A parks and recreation manager and/or superintendent from the local community/county

15%

A city manager, assistant city manager, city administrator or assistant city administrator

13%

A groundskeeper / grounds manager / athletic field manager

13%

A member of my community’s athletic association A community leader (serves on local boards, etc.)

C

ollege and professional football season are upon us, and sports fans can feel the excitement in the air. As always, preseason polls, national championship predictions, and other team chatter is in the news, but also making headlines this year are several recent retirements of prominent football players citing in part, concerns over their long-term safety and health. The safety and health of athletes is and should be a top priority for leagues, coaches, parents, and others. However, what other factors are considered when installing new athletic fields? Is it maintenance, costs, environment, or other factors? Is it all of the above?

If so, which factors play most heavily in these decisions? This was the topic of research targeted in recent market research conducted in 2018 in the United States and Canada.

Six companies submitted proposals for this market research and FleishmanHillard, a global PR firm and digital marketing agency based in St. Louis, MO was selected as the winning proposal. FleishmanHillard is an internationally recognized PR firm that was founded in 1946 that represents businesses including Barnes & Noble, Proctor & Gamble, General Motors, Energizer, EA Sports, and more.

They have over 80 offices in 30 countries and as such are able to reach audiences domestically and internationally.

18%

6%

1%

FIGURE 1

If all NFL games played on synthetic turf were played on natural grass during the study period,

319 FEWER

18 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

lower body injuries would be expected.

When examining non-contact knee, ankle and foot injuries, play on synthetic turf had a 56% higher rate of injuries resulting in any time loss and a 67% higher rate of injuries resulting in more than eight days of time loss.

The greatest difference in non-contact injury rates between synthetic turf and natural grass were to the ankle/foot: synthetic turf resulted in a 68% higher rate of injuries resulting in any time loss and a 103% higher rate of injuries resulting in more than eight days of time loss.

Athletes in Division I competitions experienced 199% higher PCL injury rates on artificial turf than on natural grass.

Athletes in Division II and III competitions experienced 213% higher PCL injury rates on artificial turf than on natural grass.

Athletes in Division II and III competitions experienced 63% higher ACL injury rates on artificial turf than on natural grass.

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Cover Story continued

First, FleishmanHillard analyzed the current state of affairs in print and social media with regard to natural grass and synthetic turf. Natural grass proponents and synthetic turf companies tout many of the same benefits including cost, environmental impact, durability and safety — many of consumers’ major concerns. They also analyzed the share of each group’s voice in digital media as well as the positive, neutral, and negative perceptions by subject for natural grass and artificial turf. One of the key items that jumped out was that it appears natural grass fields are taken for granted. There are fewer arguments for natural grass, rather than against artificial turf, because natural grass is in the default position. Artificial turf often gets more coverage and has non-neutral articles, in part simply because it is new and debated.

In addition to an analysis of print and digital media, FleishmanHillard surveyed 141 decision-makers (coaches, athletic directors, city employees, etc.) in the United States and Canada (Figure 1) to get an idea of what they determined as motivating factors when selecting new playing surfaces for their communities. These respondents were presented with a series of statements revolving around considerations of various playing surfaces and asked for their feedback. Their knowledge and responses to these statements were then compiled for analysis to determine the many factors that go into deciding between natural grass or synthetic turf athletic fields, mulch or rubber playground surfaces, and more.

As you can imagine, the safety and health of users was a top response. There are many factors that contribute to the safety of various types of playing surfaces, including but not limited to construction and management practices, heat, surface hardness, consistency, others, and even footwear.

There are many types of playing surfaces that each have a role in communities everywhere. For example, a playground at a child’s daycare center in the southern U.S. may be more concerned about heat loading than a multi-use event complex in the pacific northwest. Inversely, a collegiate or professional soccer or football complex may be more concerned about traction/footing than an outdoor concert venue. As you can imagine, each of these types of venues lend themselves to different playing surfaces and management techniques but a common theme throughout each of them is user safety.

Field safety has long been a research topic among the scientific and medical professions and there have been many research papers published in academic journals citing varying differences in surface types. Many of these studies use some type of injury surveillance reporting system to seek out and analyze trends in injuries in different playing surfaces.

For example the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has collected injury data through their Injury Surveillance System (ISS) since 1982 (Kerr et al 2014). The National Football league (NFL) has recorded and reported injuries using a similar system since 1980 (Hershman et al

2012). These types of injury recording systems are capable of capturing data on injury type, weather conditions, playing surface, athlete exposures (AE), and more. These reporting systems allow medical trainers and researchers to access and analyze vast sets of comprehensive data over extended periods of time.

Two papers that have been recently published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine focus on injury data analysis from the National Football League (NFL) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Previous research has revealed that football cleats interact differently on synthetic and natural turf, which may lead to a different risk of injury. Divots — when a cleat creates a hole in the field — signal that the grass has absorbed force from the cleat and released the cleat back again, rather than capturing the cleat and releasing the force through a players’ foot, ankle or knee, which could cause injury. Since cleats can easily create divots on natural grass less force is placed on the lower body, which may help prevent injury.

Data for the NFL study came from the analysis of all 1,280 NFL regular season games and 213,935 distinct plays from 2012 through 2016, 555 of which were on synthetic turf and 725 on natural grass. All 32 NFL teams reported injuries through an electronic health record system, and each injury report gives full details of the injury and circumstance, such as the contact, impact, activity, time lost, game-day weather, and surface type and conditions. The researchers then examined all cases of lower body injuries along two outcomes: any time loss, and greater than eight days of time loss. They also examined the rates of contact-related injuries and noncontact-related injuries, since noncontact injuries are more likely to be related to the playing surface.

A total of 4,801 lower body injuries occurred from 2012 to 2016 affecting 2,032 players. Play on synthetic turf had a 16 percent higher rate of lower body injuries than on natural grass. This included contact and noncontact that resulted in any time loss. For noncontact injuries, synthetic turf injury rates were 27 percent higher than injury rates on natural grass. However, when examining noncontact knee, ankle and foot injuries, play on synthetic turf had a 56 percent higher rate of injuries resulting in any time loss and a 67 percent higher rate of injuries resulting in more than eight days of time loss. The greatest difference in noncontact injury rates between synthetic and natural turf were to the ankle: synthetic turf resulted in a 68 percent higher rate of injuries resulting in any time loss and a 103 percent higher rate of injuries resulting in more than eight days of time loss.

In the NCAA research, there were a total of 3,009,205 athlete exposures and 2,460 knee ligament and meniscal tears reported by the NCAA Injury Surveillance System throughout the 2004– 2005 to 2013–2014 NCAA playing seasons. Injury rates for all knee ligament and meniscal tears examined during this period were higher during competitions than in practices. Analysis of this data indicate a significantly increased rate of posterior cruciate ligament

20 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

Cover Story continued

(PCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on artificial turf compared to natural grass during competitive events.

Although, there were no differences in the rate of medial collateral ligament (MCL), medial meniscal, or lateral meniscal injuries.

Specifically, athletes in Division I competitions experienced PCL tears at 2.99 times the rate on artificial turf (199% increase) as they did on natural grass. Division II and III athletes experience ACL tears at 1.63 times the rate of those playing on natural grass and 3.13 times the number of PCL tears as those playing on natural grass. This equates to a 63% increase in ACL tears and a 213% increase in PCL tears to Division II and III football players on artificial turf.

Furthermore, the rate of PCL tears during competition in all divisions on artificial turf was 2.94 times higher (194% increase) than on natural grass.

The research and scientific communities will undoubtedly continue to investigate injuries among athletes, causal mechanisms, relationships between cleats and playing surfaces, and more. More information on each of these two studies can be found in the original research manuscripts at the citations below. You can also visit www.TurfgrassSod.org/ Resources.

Citations Hershman E, Anderson R, Bergfeld J, et al. An analysis of specific lower extremity injury rates on grass and FieldTurf playing surfaces in National Football League games. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2012; 40(10):2200-2205.

Kerr Z, Dompier T, Snook E, et al. National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System: review of methods for 2004-2005 through 2013-2014 data collection.

J Athl Train. 2014;49(4):552-560.

Loughran, Galvin J., Vulpis, Christian T., Murphy, Jordan P., Weiner, David A., Svoboda, Steven J. Hinton, Richard Y., and Dave P. Milzman. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 2019;47(6):1294–1301 Mack C, Hershman E, Anderson R, et al. Higher rates of lower extremity injury on synthetic turf compared with natural turf among National Football League athletes: epidemiologic confirmation of a biomechanical hypothesis. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019;47(6): 1294–1301 c

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Member Spotlight

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON

BRIAN GLASS

We

sat down with Brian Glass, Athletic Field Manager for the City of Lynchburg Parks and Rec to talk about working in sports turf, lessons learned and the Certified Turfgrass Professional program.

Virginia Turfgrass Journal: How did you decide to pursue a career in turfgrass management?

Brian Glass: It started when I was pretty young and I played a lot of golf. I was always curious about the grass on the golf course and how they took care of it, so I pursued a golf course job when I was 14 years old. I worked my way up and then when I went to college, I went to a turf school, Eastern Kentucky University and got a Bachelor’s Degree in turf.

I started off on golf courses and worked there about four years, then got kind of burnt out with it. I switched to a college, Sweetbriar College, and started working on the athletic fields there and I’ve been working on athletic fields for the last 17 or 18 years.

VTJ: How many and what type of sports fields are under your management?

BG: I take care of right at 10 acres — 10 or 11 acres — of sports turf. Pretty much all of it is Bermuda, but we’re overseeding two acres this year — a lacrosse field. We’re trying that out with the sports turf blend. It’s a ryegrass/bluegrass blend. For lacrosse, they like to have green grass in March and April, and that just doesn’t work very well with Bermuda, so we’re going to try it and see how it works this year.

My team does 11 acres and also maintains some infields and softball fields, we do various jobs with parks and rec. You never do the same thing each day, there’s always something different.

VTJ: With a busy work schedule and unexpected challenges, how do you maintain work/life balance — what do you do away from your turf management job?

BG: I do love turf. When I go home, I find myself working in the yard a lot. But that’s a stress reliever for me. When I look out the window of my house, I like to see a nice landscaped yard. That’ll never change. My wife and I go to a lot of sporting events, a lot of local festivals. I play golf some.

Not as much as I probably want to, and I stay plenty busy.

VTJ: Do you have a mentor in the turf industry who’s guided and directed your career?

BG: I would have to say it would be Dr. Mike Goatley from Virginia Tech. I met Dr. Goatley my first year at Sweetbriar College, at a conference in Roanoke. I was trying to learn about athletic fields and the difference between sports fields and golf courses and he answered all my questions. I’ve looked up to him ever since. Whenever I have questions,

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Cover Story continued

when I get in a tough job or something I don’t understand, I shoot him an email and he always answers. I’d say for the east coast, he’s probably the man to turn to.

VTJ: You recently completed the Certified Turfgrass Professional course.

Can you tell us a little bit about that and what that looked like for you to go through the course and get the certification?

BG: It’s been about 21 years since I graduated college and went through the turf program. I thought it was pretty basic, and the last couple of years I’ve been wanting an extra challenge. It’s been a while since I’ve been challenged bookwise. I went to the Short Course in 2016 and that was a refresher and was a great course in Richmond, Virginia.

Two years later, I took the CTP class. I was amazed by the material they covered and the book that was given. They do cover a lot of material and it was not easy — a lot more weed ID than I was used to. I studied for the test and I think I did fairly well, but it was not an easy test. I think it will challenge just about anybody, even people who have been in the turf industry for 40 years. I say that the test will challenge you to do your best and it’s not an easy test.

VTJ: Aside from gaining the knowledge and spending the time to advance that element, what’s another benefit of having that certification?

BG: I think it increases your job opportunities and your professionalism. Dr. Goatley said in the class right before we started that they designed this course and this test so that if someone made it through, that he would feel comfortable recommending them for any turf job they applied for. That’s what made me want to do it even more. It’s always making your résumé better, it never hurts. c

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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Feature Story

AN OVERVIEW OF POSTEMERGENCE GROWTH REGULATOR HERBICIDE USE IN TURFGRASS

By Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D., Professor of Weed Science, Virginia Tech

A

nnual and perennial broadleaf weeds are management issues for those maintaining turfgrass, be it golf courses, sports turf, residential or commercial lawns, and roadside turf, among other areas, as well as in sod production. A common way that broadleaf weeds are controlled in turfgrass situations is through the use of postemergence herbicides, generally through the use of growth regulator herbicides. Although most of the available chemicals in this group were commercialized years ago, there is one new herbicide to discuss in the growth regulator group.

With the availability of a number of active ingredients, most broadleaf weeds can be selectively controlled in warm and cool-season turf. Use of postemergence herbicides allows for spot treatment instead of broadcast applications, especially for perennial weeds that often occur in clumps.

A downside to postemergence herbicide use is that it may take a while after application for the weeds to die off. Henbit, for example, is one species that goes out slowly. Also, application of a postemergence herbicide results in dead weed foliage, which can be unsightly. Preemergence herbicides control weeds before they are established, avoiding this issue. Most preemergence herbicides, however, are ineffective against perennial weeds, while there are effective postemergence herbicides for perennial broadleaf weeds.

A. Available active ingredients

There are multiple herbicides in the growth regulator class.

They are sold individually or more commonly in combinations with other growth regulator herbicides. The list includes subgroups: phenoxies [2,4-D, 2,4-DP (also referred to as dichlorprop), MCPP (also referred to as mecoprop), and MCPA], benzoic acids (dicamba), pyridines (triclopyr, fluroxypyr), and the newest addition halauxifen in the picolinic acid group. These herbicides all have the same mode of action and act as synthetic auxins. Natural auxins in plants, such as IAA, are involved in root and shoot development.

The synthetic auxins promote uncontrolled cell growth,

1 Henbit, a common winter annual weed.

plugging vascular tissue. This explains the wilted appearance of injured broadleaf plants from this class of herbicides.

The herbicide 2,4-D was discovered in the 1940s and found to selectively control broadleaf weeds in grass crops.

The term 2,4-D refers to the chemical structure, which is 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid. A closely related structure is 2,4-DP, which is 2,4-dichlorophenoxy propionic acid.

Companies, once they identify an active molecule, will test variations to that structure, either to improve control, broaden the spectrum of control, or to improve crop safety.

The herbicide 2,4-D effectively controls dandelion, plantains, bittercress, and wild carrot, while relatively ineffective for controlling common chickweed, India mock strawberry, prostrate knotweed, white clover, Virginia buttonweed, yellow woodsorrel, and wild violet. Other herbicides are generally added to 2,4-D to improve control of these species. Adding MCPP to 2,4-D, for example, improves control of common chickweed and white clover compared to 2,4-D alone.

These herbicides are systemic, meaning they move throughout the plant after being absorbed. These compounds are both leaf and root absorbed, although leaf uptake is the best target for applicators. Granular formulations of these herbicides can control weeds. Ideally these granular

24 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

2 Wild violet, one of the hardest to control perennial broadleaf weeds.

forms are applied when there is dew on the weed foliage so that the granules stick and there is some leaf uptake.

In general, sprayed applications of these herbicides work better than granular formulations. Granular formulations eliminate the issue of spray drift onto sensitive broadleaf crops, though. Granular formulations can still damage vegetables and ornamentals through root uptake. We suggest using a separate sprayer for turf applications as this class of herbicides is hard to clean out and low levels could injure ornamentals if the sprayer was also used to apply a fungicide or insecticide to trees, shrubs, or flowers.

B. Formulation

These active ingredients are sometimes available as the parent acid, but usually are formulated as either an ester or as an amine salt. Ester formulations, being lipophilic or fat loving, penetrate better through the waxy layer on leaf surfaces, resulting in better herbicide absorption and therefore better weed control. So why use any other formulation?

Esters are more volatile and thus more likely to drift as a vapor, potentially damaging sensitive broadleaf plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, marigolds, and other desired broadleaf vegetables, flowers, trees, and shrubs. Volatility is

driven by higher temperatures so there is less risk of offsite damage during cooler times of the year. Since deciduous trees and shrubs have dropped their leaves, late fall through early spring are good times to use an ester formulation as they are less likely to be damaged from vapor drift than during periods of active growth. Also, summer annual vegetables and bedding plants are not in the landscape during this time. So esters are the preferred formulation during the cooler months of the year. Under warmer times of the year, one should consider only spot application of these formulations or consider use of an amine if a broadcast treatment is needed.

Some examples of products that utilized ester formulations include Turflon Ester (triclopyr), Super Trimec (ester forms of 2,4-D and 2,4-DP), Speedzone Broadleaf Herbicide (ester of 2,4-D), 4-Speed XT (ester forms of 2,4-D and triclopyr), and Cool Power (esters of MCPP and triclopyr).

Amine formulations have lower volatility so they are less likely to drift as a vapor and therefore less likely to injure sensitive broadleaf crops. Amines are therefore the preferred formulation during late spring through early fall.

They are more water soluble, so they do not penetrate the waxy layer on leaves as readily as ester forms.

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Feature Story continued

Some examples of products that use amine forms include Triplet SF (amine salts of 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba), Surge (amine salts of 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba), Horsepower (amine forms of MCPA, triclopyr, and dicamba), Triamine (amine forms of 2,4-D, MCPP, and 2,4-DP), and Trimec Classic (amine forms of 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba).

Chemical companies, through biotechnology, have developed soybean lines resistant to 2,4-D and dicamba to control weeds that have developed resistance to glyphosate.

Drift of 2,4-D or dicamba poses a significant risk to other broadleaf crops so companies have developed formulations with reduced volatility. This technology is working its way into the turf market. One example is 2,4-D choline, which is a component of the herbicide GameOn being developed

by Corteva. Keep in mind, though, that even if an herbicide has low volatility and thus not likely to result in vapor drift, it can still injure plants through spray drift.

C. Combinations

Generally, this class of chemistry is applied as a combination of active ingredients. This is done to broaden the spectrum of control. For example, adding dicamba to 2,4-D improves control of weeds like prostrate knotweed or white clover compared to 2,4-D applied alone. A common mixture are the 3-ways — often 2,4-D plus MCPP plus dicamba, such as Trimec Classic. If one prefers not to use a product containing 2,4-D, there are alternatives, such as Powerzone (carfentrazone plus MCPA plus MCPP plus dicamba). Since each of these herbicides controls a slightly different weed spectrum, different combinations will vary in their effectiveness on a given weed species. In Virginia Tech’s Pest management Guide for Horticultural crop (https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/ 456/456-017/456-017.html), the effectiveness of various combinations on common turf weeds are listed.

A new combination is GameOn, which is a combination of halauxifen (also referred to as Arylex), 2,4-D, and fluroxypyr. Other formulations being tested that have this new active ingredient include Relzar, which combines halauxifen with florasulam, the active in Defendor and Switchblade, a combination of halauxifen, fluroxypyr, and dicamba.

One more use of combinations is the addition of a contact herbicide to increase the speed of action. These contact herbicides include carfentrazone-ethyl, sulfentrazone, flumioxazin and pyraflufen-ethyl. These have a different mode of action from the growth regulator herbicides as they inhibit the Protox enzyme and are referred to as PPO inhibitors. These PPO inhibitors have limited movement in plants after foliar uptake due to their rapid contact action.

These PPO inhibitors are in general more effective on broadleaf weeds than grasses. These herbicides are sold by themselves: carfentrazone-ethyl is sold as QuickSilver, sulfentrazone as Dismiss, and flumioxazin as SureGuard. So, one can add one of these contact herbicides to a formulation containing just growth regulator herbicides. For example, one could add QuickSilver to Trimec Classic.

One can purchase premixes as well. For example, Speedzone is a mixture of carfentrazone plus 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba, Surge is a mixture of sulfentrazone plus 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba, 4-Speed XT is a combination of pyraflufen, 2,4-D, triclopyr, and dicamba, and SurePower is a combination of flumioxazin, 2,4-D, fluroxypyr, and triclopyr.

In these cases, we have turned a 3-way into a 4-way product.

Another type of combination is the addition of an herbicide for crabgrass control to the growth regulator herbicides.

One common addition is quinclorac, which is sold by itself as Drive. One combination is Q4 Plus, which is a mixture of quinclorac, sulfentrazone, 2,4-D, and dicamba. As with the addition of a contact herbicide, Drive could be added to a product containing only growth regulator herbicides.

Another available combination is the addition of fenoxaprop, the active ingredient in Acclaim Extra, with fluroxypyr and dicamba in the product Last Call.

D. Turf safety

Established tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass generally have good tolerance to the growth regulator herbicides. Established generally means at least three mowings for a new seeding. Bentgrass and St. Augustine have less tolerance to this group so one needs to use products labeled for these species and follow label directions, which often involve using lower application rates of these herbicides compared to that used for other turfgrasses.

Bermudagrass and certain other warm season turf species can be injured by products containing triclopyr or fluroxypyr.

Check the label to make sure the turf species you are maintaining can be treated with a given product.

E. Summary

3 The structure for 2,4-D (parent acid).

The growth regulator herbicides are systemic in plants and used for control of annual and perennial broadleaf weeds.

They are usually sold as combinations using two or three of the active ingredients on this class. Contact herbicides are added to increase the speed of action. Choose the appropriate herbicide for the turf species being treated. Mention of trade names are for information purposes only and not to discriminate against products not mentioned. c

26 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL November/December 2019 www.vaturf.org

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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 ©2019 by the Virginia Turfgrass Council. Virginia Turfgrass Journal is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of VTC. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to VTC, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471. Postage guaranteed. Third-class postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. 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 37064-3394, (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.)

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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