Principles of Turfgrass Management in Spanish!
Transcripción
Principles of Turfgrass Management in Spanish!
Principles of Turfgrass Management in Spanish! Get a jump on the competition. Call toll-free at: 1-800-433-1550 Or visit our Web site: www.harrells.com Harrell’s reps will go the distance for you. That’s because – for Harrell’s – providing you with efficient, high performance service is a top priority. In addition, Harrell’s world-class, custom-blended fertilizers are formulated to give you optimum turf growth and health; state-of-the-art technology and quality ingredients guarantee it. Together we are all part of a fine-tuned team that assures you’ll get what you need, when you need it. It’s a winning combination. table of contents NORTH CAROLINA MAY/JUNE 2004 8 18 8 green light on lawns Can Biological Controls Work Against Insects in Turfgrass? 18 24 feature story Let the Games Begin… Maintaining Athletic Fields During Heavy Use more articles… 16 Report from the Turfgrass Center TurfFiles: At the “Centere” of the Industry 28 Green Light on Commercial Turf Principles of Turfgrass Management for Hispanic Turf Care Professionals departments 6 36 38 42 42 4 From the Executive Director Gatherings of the Green: Recent Events Green Report: Industry News TCNC Calendar of Events Index of Advertisers N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g 24 green light on golf Nitrogen Fertilization on Golf Courses: A Water Quality Problem? The Turfgrass Council of North Carolina (TCNC) 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, North Carolina Turfgrass, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or TCNC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright ©2004 by the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina. North Carolina Turfgrass is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of TCNC. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to TCNC, P.O. Box 289, Southern Pines, NC 28388. Postage guaranteed. Third–class postage is paid at Franklin, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: North Carolina Turfgrass allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to TCNC. 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, P.O. Box 680142, 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.) I N T R O D U C I N G • Heat Tolerant Bluegrass • Disease Resistant Bluegrass • From the Mountains to the Coast • Splendid Texture • Rich Color Developed and sold by: Vandemark Farms, LLC (252) 478-4719 3277 Chimney Rock Road Hendersonville, NC 28792 Toll Free: 888-685-3642 www.turfmountain.com Turf Mountain Sod (828) 685-3642 from the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR That’s my story… and I’m stickin’ to it! H. EUGENE MAPLES This Isn’t Your Father’s TCNC! I n the last issue, we talked about The Danger Zone. About how all of the valuable products and services that TCNC offers are affected by member support… or lack thereof. TCNC’s greatest challenge, and that of every loyal member, is to help everyone keep an eye on the big picture. We bring the industry together. In education, in government-relations protections, in research clout and in total industry recognition and economic-impact muscle, TCNC is the reason every sector of our industry is so prosperous and progressive today—period. And the credit clearly goes to all of our strong and positive members who “get it.” The challenge is to make an impression on everyone else out there. When was the last time you sorta browbeat a friend, colleague or competitor about all of the ways—or perhaps just one particular way—that TCNC works for you every day? Just looking around us, we can see that our whole industry and each of our individual business interests are growing and changing at a rapid rate. If we don’t keep up with growth and change? Well, what’s next? Look at all of the progressive and targeted ways TCNC is working for you… each and every member, in each and every industry sector! I think most of you would agree that this isn’t your father’s industry anymore! TCNC Demo Days & Knowledge Networks Our newest educational-service product is really catching on! From last October in Concord and Greensboro to Hickory on March 9, this thing is rolling! Over 250 turfgrass professional took advantage of four hours of the best golf, aquatics and lawn-care education, plus they checked out a whole soccer complex full of crank-it-up rolling stock and supply vendors. Coming up soon, on June 2, we’ll be in the labs and classrooms and on the extensive grounds of Wayne Community College in Goldsboro. Then it’s on to Concord and Greensboro again in October. TCNC TurfPAC Fundraisers Thanks to a whole host of right-on volunteers that you know and love, the new spring and fall TCNC TurfPAC Fundraiser Golf Tournaments are also really catching on. Currently the most underappreciated service that TCNC provides, TCNC TurfPAC and the TCNC Government Relations Committee are aggressively led by our industry’s very own political guru, Sam Lang. Together, they are the reasons you are not hounded by environmental extremists or regulated out of business by pesticide applicator posting and pre-notification. Together, they are solely responsible for the six-figure state and new federal funding that has made The Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research & Education at NC State University a reality. Our turfgrass faculty scientists, working within The Center, are now capable of leveraging industry-generated NC Turfgrass Foundation 6 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ contributions at a better than six-to-one rate. Believe it! If you still think bothering to support TCNC TurfPAC isn’t cool… think again! New NCSU Turf Field Lab Facility Through TCNC work and strong industry support, NC State is moving the venerable Turf Field Lab research plot site from the old eight-acre location on Hillsboro Street to a spacious new state-of-theart location at the Lake Wheeler Road Research Unit just south of Raleigh. In conjunction with a special request by the North Carolina Sod Producers Association, we are planning a come-as-you-are, workin-progress informal tour of the soon-to-be-impressive new facilities on May 18. Call if you are interested in walking and talking. New Turfgrass Field Day Speaking of Field Days, we are moving the traditional NC State Turfgrass Field Day from mid-May to August 11. Together with NC State faculty, this date move (by popular demand) will serve all of our golf, lawn-care, sports-turf and sod-producer sectors much better. There is simply a lot more to see in August in the areas of varietal performance, nutrient management, disease and weedmanagement research. Please take special note that the traditional NCSU Landscape Field Day at the JC Raulston Arboretum will still be on the thirdWednesday-in-May date of May 19. The Landscape Field Day will still include the popular NCLGA Product & Equipment Show in the afternoon. If you haven’t had time in the past because of all of the joint field day activities, check it out! Learn & remember what “TIE” Is! In the boldest move yet to serve all of you better, TIE is coming in January. TIE? Our industry’s grand showcase annual event in January is now, officially known as Turf Industry Expo. TIE. Changing yet again to meet your dynamic needs in a bold new way, we’re moving from Charlotte to the exciting and versatile multi-tower Adam’s Mark Hotel and Grand Pavilion Complex in Winston-Salem. In September or October, we’ll unveil a totally new education and TIE Showcase daily-schedule template that will max-out your learning experience and time efficiency. Stay tuned—you don’t want to miss this one! TCNC Means Business If anybody that does turfgrass in the state of North Carolina thinks that they and their business can get along without being a strong part of the big picture… think again. You may not have a burning need for everything that we do. But, for goodness sake! Try to step back and find even just one thing that you can get a’hold of with us. If we don’t stick together as a whole industry, what are we? That’s the danger zone! w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g North Carolina Turfgrass is the official publication of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina P.O. Box 289 Southern Pines, NC 28388 910–695–1333 fax 910–695–1222 www.ncturfgrass.org TCNC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR H. Eugene Maples EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Marsha Richardson Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC P.O. Box 680142 Franklin, TN 37068–0142 615–790–3718 fax 615–794–4524 [email protected] TCNC OFFICERS PRESIDENT Mike Willey Bayer Environ. Science, 919-870-8689 SOIL SAMPLE NOW!!!! IT’S NEVER TOO LATE ® All types of grasses and landscape production need fertilization to stimulate root growth and food storage to make a healthier, nicer looking landscape throughout the growing season. We’ll provide you with soil analysis results and fertility recommendations in just 3 to 4 WORKING DAYS after we receive your samples. Farms, homeowners, major golf courses, professional football fields and other institutions rely on A & L services to produce healthier turf and landscape production. A healthy landscape is an environmentally friendly landscape. Enhance your sales and customer satisfaction with an A & L soil analysis and fertility recommendation program. BUSINESS HOURS Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. For supplies: Phone (804) 743-9401 or Fax (804) 271-6446 A & L Eastern Agricultural Labs, Inc. VICE PRESIDENT Dean Baker Kinston CC, 252-527-9464 7621 Whitepine Road • Richmond, VA 23237 TREASURER Charles Tomlinson NC-DOT, 919-733-2920 SECRETARY John Clark Pro Green, Inc., 828-430-8833 PAST PRESIDENT Ron Gilmore Prestonwood CC, 919-467-6288 DIRECTORS Dean Baker, Kinston Gil Grattan, Raleigh Rob Hamrick, Ashville P.J. Lenihan, Winston–Salem Rick Neisler, Council Keith Noxon, Southport Jonathan Rigsbee, Greensboro Derek Smith, Raleigh Jeremy Boone, Western Turfgrass Assoc. Chuck Borman, Carolinas GCSA Steve Dorer, Triangle Turfgrass Assoc. Michael Haq, N–S Turfgrass Assoc. Doug Lowe, Piedmont GCSA Leon Lucas, Carolinas Golf Assoc. David McCart, NC Sod Producers Assoc. Keith Noxon, Cape Fear GCSA Chris Parham, Eastern Turfgrass Assoc. A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 7 green light ON LAWNS & LANDSCAPES Can Biological Controls Work Against Insects in Turfgrass? by Sarah R. Thompson, Ph.D. student in the Dept. of Entomology, and Rick L. Brandenburg, Ph.D., Professor of Entomology and Co-Director of the Center for Turfgrass Research and Education, North Carolina State University M ost turfgrass managers would agree that biological control is not a major component of their integrated pest management (IPM) program. Typically, their concern is that biological agents will not provide immediate results, but instead will take time to develop, allowing for damage in the meantime. Often, clientele demands do not permit the signs of damage that can be produced very quickly by many turf pests. Figure 1: Mole cricket infected with Beauveria bassiana This research is supported jointly by the North Carolina Turfgrass Foundation and the NCSU Center for Turfgrass. Our research tests indicate great potential for the use of entomogenous fungi for control of turfgrass pests. Additionally, for the turf manager, possible restrictions concerning application, follow-up procedures and/or storage of the biological control agents may not be feasible. These restrictions may involve applying the product during specific times of the day to prevent degradation in the environment, irrigation both before and after application, and storage in cool, dark places. The product’s manufacturer may make other restrictive recommendations, as well. Nonetheless, although these concerns are all valid, the use of biological products for insect control should be considered as a component in all IPM programs. To satisfy federal laws regarding the registration, sale, distribution and use of pesticides, as well as to assuage growing public concern over the negative effects of chemicals, more environmentally sound strategies for controlling pests—including biological products—must be employed. In 1996, the passing of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) called for a re-evaluation of previous laws concerning pesticides. As a result, the Act set tougher safety standards for both new and old pesticides. Since this law took effect, many of the older classes of chemicals that were heavily relied on by golf course superintendents, sod farmers and lawn-care providers are no longer available for use on turfgrass. The older groups of broad-spectrum chemicals provided quick preventative and rescue treatments against many groups of insects. These products were relatively inexpensive, readily available and had long residual activity for extended periods of control. The newer products, although very effective against target insects, are generally more expensive (due to the long and vigorous process involved to bring them to market) and may provide a narrow spectrum of control for only a few pests. Also, some of these products do not offer the same level of residual activity, meaning that the timing of application must be accurate, and preventative approaches must also be taken. The FQPA also requires continued evaluation of registered chemicals every Continued on page 10 8 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g BANKS weren’t interested. “ my WIFE was nervous. good thing there was John Deere. ” HD 45 Walk-Behind 647 stand-on Quik-Trak™ 757 Mid Z-Trak™ Brent Abshire built Earthcare Management from zero crews to 14 in two years. John Deere, with a full line of tough 7-Iron™ equipped mowers and Pro-Series™ handhelds, helped. “One day, I realized I wasn’t cut out for a desk job, so I up and quit. The banks didn’t want my kind of business. But John Deere took a leap of faith. They offered me credit—and at good rates, too. If you pay $189 a month for the first year,† they’ll set you up with a trailer’s worth of mowers. You can make money on that.” Want to grow? Visit MowPro.com now to set up your Free Demo. Nothing Runs Like A Deere™ †Offer valid 3/1/04 through 7/31/04 at participating dealers. Subject to approved credit on John Deere Credit Revolving Plan, a service of FPC Financial, f.s.b. For commercial use only. No down payment required. Reduced payments first 12 months are based on 1% of amount financed at 9.9% APR. Thereafter, payments are based on 3% of amount financed at 9.9% APR. Taxes, freight and setup may increase payments. See dealer for details. Location provided by Reserve At Cypress Creek, developed by Beazer Homes. John Deere's green and yellow color scheme, the leaping deer symbol, and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company. green light ON LAWNS & LANDSCAPES continued fifteen years and evaluation of tolerance levels every ten years. In other words, some of the products that meet today’s standards may not meet the standards of the future. Consequently, research and improvement must continue on biological control agents, so that they will be affordable, practical and safe options for pest control in the future. Another issue that has surfaced recently is growing public concern over the use of pesticides to improve the aesthetics of the environment. Many pesticide opponents feel that chemicals should be used only to help protect our food sources from crop loss or to prevent disease transmission to humans or animals. In their opinion, then, acceptable pesticide uses do not include improving the cosmetic appearance of commodities such as turfgrass and greenhouse ornamentals. In fact, in Canada, municipalities have been given the right to ban pesticides used only for cosmetic purposes within their jurisdiction, including those applied to turfgrass in public parks, commercial properties, home lawns, school grounds and golf courses. As people continue to become more environmentally conscious, these bans may spread into communities within the United States. This is another reason why biological agents must be considered for control of turfgrass pests. Biological agents in action Biological control is defined as the use of a living organism (a natural predator, parasite or pathogen) for control of a pest species. One such control agent that has been explored for turfgrass pests is the naturally occurring soil fungus, Beauveria bassiana. This fungus is insect specific, meaning that it will not cause any negative effects on the plant itself, but instead targets and kills only insects. B. bassiana works by penetrating into the insect’s body cavity, eventually causing death by depleting necessary nutrients. One of the great things about this type of biological control is that the infected insects produce additional fungal spores that remain in the soil and can infect other nearby insects. A number of factors determine the success of fungi that are entomogenous (meaning that they reproduce inside insects) for insect control, including contact between the target insect and the fungal spores, the specificity of the strain for the particular insect, and the ability of the spores to remain viable in the environment. A two-year research program at NCSU focused on these three factors by using mole crickets as the model insect pest. The project involved examining mole crickets’ avoidance responses towards the presence of the spores, testing different rates of three different strains of B. bassiana for infection, and measuring the viability of the spores over time when applied to turfgrass. The remaining sections of this article will focus on the spore viability tests that measured the persistence (lifespans) of infective spores when applied in the field. How we conducted our research The spore viability tests took place in three different parts: a preliminary Div. Carolawn, Inc. DAVE SLATER CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL AGRONOMIST (828) 894-5113 5554 HUNTING COUNTRY ROAD TRYON, NORTH CAROLINA 28782 1-800-737-TURF FAX (828) 894-6042 slaterturf.com greenhouse study (to verify techniques under controlled conditions) and two field studies, one in August 2002 at Sea Trails Plantation (Sunset Beach, NC) and the other in June 2003 at Tri-State Sod Farm (Newton Grove, NC). All three tests involved spraying the fungal spores, which were formulated in an emulsifiable oil carrier, to the surface of the turfgrass and applying post-irrigation. Three different strains of B. bassiana were included in these studies. In the greenhouse and 2002 field tests, strains DB-2 and 10-22 (JABB of the Carolinas, Pine Level, NC) were evaluated. The 2003 field test also examined DB-2 and 10-22, but added a commercially available strain formulated as BotaniGard (Emerald Bioagriculture Corporation, Butte, MT). The greenhouse test consisted of small shoebox-sized containers that were filled with approximately 3 cm of field-collected sandy soil and topped with pieces of bermudagrass sod. Both field studies took place in locations with bermudagrass on similar sandy soil conditions. Prior to application, the viability of all three strains was examined and found to be greater than 80% in all cases. The control plots in each test were sprayed only with water, so that the viability of the naturally occurring background population of B. bassiana could be determined. On all slides, only 10-30 spores were identified as B. bassiana in the control plots, so there was very limited impact on the treatment viabilities from this background population. Our research results Results from the greenhouse study showed that 17-18% of the spores from both DB-2 and 10-22 remained viable for 28 days after application. The decline in viability was similar for both of these strains during the course of this study. The background spores from the field-collected soil averaged between approximately 40% and 60% viable, showing a consistent trend in the viability of naturally occurring spores. One very interesting point to note is that at Day 0 (zero) in the greenhouse study, both of these strains were over 80% viable, while after 24 hours in the field, they had decreased to less than Continued on page 12 10 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g SPECIALIZED CONTRACT SERVICES & TURF EQUIPMENT SALES NEW SERVICE: from Harmon Turf Services SLIT DRAINAGE Move water off the playing surface. www.HarmonTurfServices.com Core Collection & Removal Deep Tine Aeration BLECavator Removation Top Dress Spreading Fairway Aeration Shallow Aeration Garden Greens Dethatch/Verti–Cutting Pro-Seed Inter-Seeding Dethatcher/verti-cutting Vacuum GPS Mapping Service For more information, call us at: 1-800-888-2493. Drill/Backfill Aeration green light ON LAWNS & LANDSCAPES continued 70% viable. It appears that the initial period of exposure to environmental conditions has a great impact on the ability of the spores to survive. However, if they make it through the first 24 hours, the rate of decline in viability remains rather constant. The 2002 field study showed a similar decrease in viability for strains DB-2 and 10-22, with the latter strain being numerically higher on all days examined. After two and a half weeks, both of these Ken Russell Sales Representative Professional Products Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. 1113 Fairweather Drive Kernersville, NC 27284 Tel. 336-996-2973 Fax 336-996-0653 Mobile 336-817-4714 www.syngenta.com [email protected] 12 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g strains persisted, and over 30% of the spores recovered were still viable and capable of infection. An average of 45% of spores collected from the control plots at this site remained viable at any given time. The field study conducted in 2003 supported the data from the previous year, with both DB-2 and 10-22 showing very consistent trends over time. The third strain tested, BotaniGard, did not perform as well in the field, with fewer spores remaining viable at all examination dates in comparison to the other two strains. Once again, background spores were detected in the control plots, but in very small numbers and averaging close to 40% viability. Significance to turfgrass managers Our research data indicate that entomogenous fungi are capable of withstanding the harsh conditions that are often present in North Carolina during the summer months, including high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, and dry and acidic soils. Strain-specific differences appear to determine the persistence of B. bassiana spores when applied to turfgrass. Strain differences were also observed in regard to infection rates and mole-cricket avoidance behaviors, and as a result, strain selection has been determined to be a critical factor for success of this biological control agent. These spore viability tests indicate great potential for the use of entomogenous fungi for control of turfgrass pests. Although mole crickets were used in these studies, the results have implications for biological control of many different turfgrass pests. Ongoing research in this area focuses on determining the specific environmental factors that contribute to spore mortality and methods to minimize them. Additional work includes examining various formulations that will minimize insect-avoidance behaviors and isolating the most efficacious strains for significant turfgrass pests found in North Carolina. With continued efforts, the goal of having every turfgrass manager incorporating biological controls agents into his/her IPM program is one step closer to becoming a reality. t o S D B A C K Y A R Drive is a registered trademark of BASF AG. © 2004 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved. A R D S Y 0 6 3 The shortest distance between broadleaf and grassy weed control. Drive® 75 DF herbicide effectively raises the bar for postemergent weed control. A single, convenient application of Drive quickly eliminates a broad spectrum of both broadleaf and grassy weeds—from crabgrass and foxtail to clover and dandelion—in a wide variety of turf species. Then Drive keeps weeds under control for 30 to 45 days—in some cases for more than 3 months. Drive also offers exceptional seeding and overseeding flexibility—allowing you to seed many varieties of turf immediately before or after application. To learn more about how Drive® 75 DF can help you in your drive for turf perfection, call 1-800-545-9525 or visit www.turffacts.com. Always read and follow label directions. Greenville Turf & Tractor 701 Sandy Springs Road, Piedmont, SC 29673, 1-866-485-8873 7526 Old Nashville Hwy., Murfreesboro, TN 37129, 1-877-647-8873 Revels Tractor Co., Inc., 1-800-849-5469, www.revelstractor.com C ontinuing funding through the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education, as well as through the North Carolina Turfgrass Foundation, is being used to redesign the TurfFiles website at NC State. The major changes promise many exciting benefits for every turfgrass manager. In the past year alone, for instance, TurfFiles (www.TurfFiles.ncsu.edu) has undergone major visual and technological restructuring, all designed to make it more user-friendly and helpful for turf managers. New pages have been designed; data files have been moved to a new, more powerful server; and new graphics and photos have been integrated into pages to enhance the information and more easily convey ideas. The type and volume of industry-specific content available on the new site has changed, as well, improving the site’s efficiency for users. Importantly, TurfFiles has become a more visual site, incorporating pictures and graphics wherever possible. After all, how many ways can you describe dollar spot and still not be certain you have dollar spot? With the new TurfFiles, if you’re reading about dollar spot, you’ll see a picture of dollar spot. These types of changes increase the information content on the site and affect the download capabilities for the average user, necessitating changes in how the site is packaged so that it is still accessible. It also increases the need for more storage capacity for that information, as well as new hardware and software for the developers. TurfFiles now incorporates many new user-friendly features for improved usability standards, data management and accessibility. Use of a re-worked navigational system coupled with a dropdown menu structure and a Microsoft database-driven backbone allow users quicker access to information and focused client requests. Additional new applications specific to the turfgrass industry include: turf career postings, a North Carolina turfgrass tour, academics, research and turf people. These new features provide turf-specific information at the click of a button. As we approach a spring deadline, development continues to progress in the plant-identification and weed-management decision aids. These decision aids will be an interactive, question-and-answer-based tool for identifying broadleaf and grassy weeds, as well as a source of site-specific management advice. Thousands of images and information have been categorized, processed and stored on the server and the database. They will be dynamically loaded into pages as requested by the user. This information is housed on a Windows 2003 server, using a Microsoft.Net development platform and XML web services to connect the data to the website dynamically. This package stands as a cutting-edge large-scale configuration, predominantly intended for high-demand, high-load and high-impact website delivery, as is required by TurfFiles. In order for TurfFiles to stay current, it is in constant need of upgrades and revisions to balance content and media technologies. Because of the high level of expertise and skill-set needed to develop and maintain a site of this complexity and magnitude, Jenifer Jordan has joined our staff as our full-time web-application engineer. The advancing technology allows us to develop better ways to present information, making TurfFiles and its content accessible to more people. For example, several of the existing extension publications are available as .pdf files. These .pdf files need to be converted to .html files so that more people can access them. This improves TurfFiles compliancy with Section 508 16 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g government standards, which dictate that information on websites that are even partially funded through the government are accessible to everyone, regardless of how slow or how fast their Internet connection is. Accessibility also refers to how easily TurfFiles is accessed through web search engines and how easily a user can find information they are looking for on the site. The avenues of accessing documents on TurfFiles have increased at least three-fold with the new database structure. Long-term goals for TurfFiles include adding programming for statistical compilation and information gathering on how TurfFiles is used. Tracking frequently accessed pages, and how users are finding TurfFiles and those pages, allows further web-page development and improved use. Eventually, content could be based on the specific user’s needs. For example, an athletic field director could request and receive site information and email alerts specific to their component of the industry. TurfFiles intends to be the best one-stop website in the country for turfgrass information. We believe we’re well on our way to reaching that goal, and we invite you to visit the site to see what you think for yourself! Go to www.TurfFiles.ncsu.edu. The Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research & Education at NC State University 2004 Board of Advisors Board Chairman Supply/Manufacturing Bob Bell (704) 393-8873 [email protected] Golf Ron Gilmore (919) 467-6288 [email protected] Lawn & Landscape Maintenance P.J. Lenihan (336) 768-7999 [email protected] Sod Production Charles Harris (910) 692-9928 [email protected] Center Co-Directors Utility and Sports Turf Chris Fay (336) 256-0437 [email protected] Dr. Rick Brandenburg (919) 515-8876 [email protected] Dr. Fred Yelverton (919) 515-5639 [email protected] Dr. Tom Rufty (919) 515-3660 [email protected] Center Associate Director Emily B. Erickson (919) 513-2034 [email protected] University Administration Dr. Steve Leath, NCSU (919) 515-1946 [email protected] Dr. Marihelen Glass, NC A&T (336) 334-7520 [email protected] A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 17 feature story by Liz Nutter 18 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g P ity the poor sports-turf manager, who carefully nurtures a smooth, green athletic field, getting it ready for game season, only to then watch it get fiercely and repeatedly trampled, torn up and pounded into the dirt. Of course, taking player abuse and intense traffic in stride is the primary point of athletic turf. Maintaining a safe and aesthetically pleasing playing surface, however, especially during heavy field use, can be a turf manager’s toughest challenge. For expert advice on helping you keep your athletic fields at peak performance, even during ball season, North Carolina Turfgrass brings you the insight and wisdom of two of the state’s most-respected sports-turf authorities—Dr. Art Bruneau, professor of Crop Science at North Carolina State University, and Tommy Walston, head groundskeeper at Grainger Stadium (home of the Kinston Indians professional baseball team) and winner of the Sports Turf Managers Association’s 2003 “National Class A Sports Turf Manager of the Year” award. According to Dr. Bruneau, bermudagrass is the predominant turf on most sports fields in North Carolina, with the exception of fields at higher elevations in the western part of the state. With any species of sports turf, attention to basic cultural practices—proper mowing, fertilizing, irrigating and aerifying—is crucial. Sometimes, though, the secret is knowing when to do what. Time and timing “The first key factor in keeping a sports field at its best is time,” says Walston. “You must really spoil your field during the playing season, and that takes a tremendous amount of time. It also takes a commitment to never settling for OK, which means a lot of attention to detail.” Consequently, Walston continues, the second key factor is timing. “Due to practices, games and weather, sports-turf managers have only a few windows of opportunity when they can get onto the field for maintenance. You must really be organized, so that you don’t miss those critical times when you can mow, fertilize, aerify or whatever needs to be done. If you wait until ‘next time,’ you may hit a long stretch of rain or wear and tear, and the turf will pay a price for that delay. Planning ahead is what makes it in sports-turf fields.” Drainage Certainly, a major problem facing some sports-turf managers is a lack of adequate drainage on their fields. “Ideally, a sports field should have been graded correctly at the time of construction,” Walston says. “If the field is properly graded, the majority of drainage problems can be eliminated.” Often, unfortunately, few school planners or administrators understand the proper design and grading of athletic surfaces. “For instance, I recently visited a new high school where the grading was horrendous,” Walston recalls. “The crown on the softball field was overkill—although it drained well, the outfielders were throwing way uphill. You need a happy medium, where you have sufficient drainage but you don’t affect the play of the game.” According to Dr. Bruneau, the proper slope for most sports fields should be between 1% and 1.75%, depending on the sport and the local conditions. Whenever possible, new-school planners should be alerted—beforehand—to the intricacies involved in athletic-field construction, says Walston. “We have great sports contractors in the industry—experts who know exactly how much slope each type of field needs—but the people who plan and build the schools don’t always use a sports contractor to grade the athletic fields. Instead, they’ll call a road grader or a local farmer with a tractor and a box blade. Then they end up with problems.” Whenever grading work is done, the contractor should be instructed to save the existing topsoil. “If you are completely renovating or building a field, make sure to stockpile any topsoil that is present on the existing site,” says Dr. Bruneau. “Once the FINDING THE FUNDING In times of tight budgets, sports turf managers frequently face difficulty in finding the money to pay for proper turf maintenance. In fact, as Walston points out, “Administrations responsible for funding decisions too often focus on the ‘glamour stuff’ like grandstands, lighting, the score board, etc. At many facilities, the last thing that gets funding is the playing surface.” For instance, despite its importance in athletic-turf maintenance, an aerator may be financially out of reach. “But let’s say you work for a county school system with four schools,” Bruneau suggests. “There’s no reason the school system needs to buy four aerators. Instead, the four turf managers could share one aerator. Or a local golf course may be willing to do the aerification from a public relations standpoint. It doesn’t hurt to ask.” Peer pressure can be equally effective in drumming up support for increased funding. “For example, you could take just one of the schools in the system and really do everything that needs to be done to upgrade that school’s field,” Bruneau says. “When parents and supporters of other schools come to a game and see how much better that one field looks, they can help put pressure on their own school administrators to find the funding for their own school.” A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 19 feature story continued WHAT DO YOU WITH WANT WITH YOUR SOD? YOUR SOD? If you’re looking for: • Weeds • Common bermudagrass • Poor root systems • Starving grass • Crumbling pieces • 20% Waste • Rude truck drivers • Excuses… Don’t call us. There are some things we promise not to deliver. When Quality Matters… Please Call Us 803-713-8873 or Toll Free @ 888-413-8873 www.modernturf.com Bermudas: Tifway 419, MiniVerde, Tifdwarf, Celebration Paspalum: Sea Isle 1, Sea Isle 2000 Zoysia: Empire, Zorro Palmetto St. Augustine, Centipede, Tall Fescue Installation & Contract Growing Now Available 20 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s subsoil is properly graded and the crown is in place, redistribute the topsoil. Uniform distribution and depth of topsoil will reduce the potential for variability in performance and future management.” Aerification Proper aerification, says Walston, can be a sports-turf manager’s most valuable tool for maintaining athletic turf during ball season. “Aerification can do an enormous amount of positive things for a field,” he explains. “Mainly, aerifying helps improve drainage and alleviates compaction. In many ways, aerification will push the turf to make it healthier, perform well and survive during heavy traffic.” Dr. Bruneau strongly agrees. A key priority for sports-turf managers, he says, “should be to aerify, aerify, aerify. I’ve never seen a field that has been over-aerified. What I mean by aerifying, though, is where you actually pull cores from the ground, not just where you punch holes in the ground. Core aerifying allows for good air exchange in the soil, which is important for root growth. Also, dragging the cores afterwards and letting them fill in low spots will help level the surface. Shatter-core aeration, which vibrates or quakes the soil, can also be used in some instances to reduce the effects of compaction, but it will not bring soil to the surface.” For the aerification to provide a true benefit to the turf, though, the equipment should leave holes every three to four inches, Bruneau says. “Some people have old drum aerifiers that they run over the field only once, so they have holes too far apart to be very beneficial. In that situation, they’re not pulling up enough soil or getting enough holes. You may have to go over the field several times in order to get twelve to sixteen holes per square foot.” In general, Bruneau does not recommend filling in low spots, holes or divots with sand on heavy soils. “That’s how you make adobe brick,” he says. “In many instances, the turf manager is better off dragging the cores to fill in the low spots.” Bruneau and Walston both point out that turf managers should carefully schedule core aerification during a break in field use, to allow time for the turf to recover. According to Bruneau, most bermudagrass fields would benefit from coring in the late spring and again in mid-summer, which is exactly what Walston does at Grainger Stadium. “In addition to our spring aerification, our most-intense aerification occurs in summer, during a two-week period when my guys are on All-Star break or on the road,” Walston says. “That’s when I can heavily aerify and verticut and still allow the field to recover by the time the team starts playing at home again. A turf manager must be organized enough to look ahead and get ready for that window, with all the needed equipment lined up and ready to go.” When he can’t core aerify, Walston slice aerifies. “During the season, we will slice aerify, and we can still play a game that night,” he says. “It doesn’t have the tremendous effect that core aerification will, but it’s better than doing nothing until after the season.” Mowing Bruneau recommends that sports-turf managers stick to the basics about mowing. In other words, keep the grass mowed at the proper height for that kind of turfgrass, and keep up with the correct frequency of mowing. Bruneau points to a Texas A&M study reporting that the shorter that bermudagrass is mowed within a given recommended range, the denser and more wear-resistant the surface. “If you mow it shorter, you get more shoots that thicken up the turf, which makes it better able to withstand traffic,” says Bruneau. “You can hold more games on those fields than you can if you don’t mow often enough.” How often is often enough? “When our team is in town, we mow our field every day. When the team is out of town, we mow every other day,” Walston says. “Realistically, a highschool turf manager may not be able to mow every day, but certainly the more often, the ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g feature American Turf Equipment Co., Inc. story continued better.” Dr. Bruneau adds that many bermudagrass fields would benefit by being mowed two to three times weekly. Fertilization Fertilization, both before and during ball season, is also important. Again, Dr. Bruneau recommends following the recommended fertilizer schedule for whatever species of grass a turf manager is trying to maintain. “Begin by taking a soil sample and submitting it for analysis,” he says. “This will determine if you need to add lime, phosphorus or potassium. A turf manager cannot visually determine these nutrient requirements. That can be done only by chemical analysis. Soil samples can be taken any time of year.” If you don’t maintain an adequate fertilization program, then the turfgrass suffers a double whammy during times of heavy use, says Walston. “Bermudagrass is a great turfgrass for athletic fields, but it does require a good bit of nitrogen, and it constantly needs to be fed. When you back off of that feeding, the turf simply won’t recover as quickly as it should during times of heavy traffic. At that point, the turf will weaken and weeds will become more prevalent.” Consider the timing needed to prepare a high-school football field. “You really have only a six-to-eight-week growing season on bermudagrass before the teams start playing on August 1,” says Walston. “So you’ve really got to be on your fertilization program in June and July, even in May, to push that grass to get thick and healthy and ready to absorb the stress of wear and tear. If it starts out weak, when you’re ready to play on it, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle all season long.” Specializing in Pre-owned Golf Course Maintenance Equipment Toro • Jacobsen • John Deere • Ransomes Contact Edward C. Balulis, Owner 2601 E. Henry Avenue, Suite B-6 Tampa, Florida 33610 1-800-350-2178 www.am-turf.com We Stand Behind What We Sell! Irrigation “Irrigation is important, but many facilities over-irrigate, due to a lack of understanding of what’s best for the turf,” Walston comments. “Often, the problem is that the person in charge of turf maintenance is the team coach or someone else who simply doesn’t have a background in turf. He or she doesn’t know that lightly watering every day A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 21 feature story continued encourages the turf roots to grow too shallow. Overwatering can also create a soggy or slippery field that is certainly not a safe surface.” Dr. Bruneau adds that playing on a wet field will also result in a very hard, compacted surface. Therefore, you should irrigate only when the turf really needs it. That also means you can’t put your irrigation on automatic timers and then walk away from them. “The best turf managers monitor their irrigation needs every day,” says Walston. “If it rains one day, they’ll shut their system down. Or if they know they need a dry field on Friday, they’ll back off on the irrigation on Wednesday or Thursday. And if it’s supposed to rain on Tuesday or Wednesday night, they may not water on Sunday or Monday, to keep their fields from being saturated by Friday. You can’t just take into account today’s weather—you need to stay aware of what kind of weather is predicted between today and your next athletic event.” PREVENTING LIPS ON BASEBALL FIELDS Weed control Most turf managers know that a thick stand of healthy turfgrass will usually choke out most weeds. But how do you prevent weeds on athletic fields that end up with bare areas from heavy use? “Dr. Fred Yelverton at North Carolina State University has convinced me that only two applications of weed-control products on bermudagrass will take care of 90% of the weed problems,” says Walston. “The first application, in February or March, should be a pre-emergent product to control warm-season weeds like crabgrass and goosegrass. That way, when the bermudagrass comes out of dormancy in spring, it won’t have to compete against weeds and it can just stretch out, grow and take over. Then, in October to early December, an application of a broad-spectrum pre-emergence/post-emergence herbicide like simazine will control most winter annual weeds. Those two applications can have a tremendous impact on weed control on athletic fields, for not a whole lot of money.” “One of the biggest safety problems I’ve seen is on baseball and softball fields where lips have been created from improper dragging of the infield dirt,” says Dr. Bruneau. “When the infield dirt is dragged outwards, toward the Make knowledge a priority “Many athletic-turf managers weren’t originally trained for turfgrass, but they’ve still been thrust into that position,” says Walston. “And too often, they do things only because the guy in that job before them did it a certain way. That’s why they should always become members of their local turfgrass and sports-turf associations, which often offer free seminars to help them learn the best ways to do things. When you’re on a limited budget and you make a mistake, you may not have the money later to come back and fix that mistake. So, it’s best to try to make the right decisions first, and your local association can really help you with that. Here locally, the Eastern North Carolina Sports Turf Association conducts several seminars to help educate sports turf managers, and we have more information on our website at www.easternncsportsturf.org.” Bruneau recommends that sports-turf managers also take advantage of the exceptional (and free!) information available on NCSU’s TurfFiles website at www.turffiles.ncsu.edu. For instance, two calendars are posted: (1) Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass Athletic Field Calendar and (2) Bermudagrass Athletic Field Calendar. The site also has information on how to renovate a field and what to do under drought-stress conditions. Keeping an athletic field in top shape even during hard play isn’t easy, but it’s well worth the effort, not only in terms of player safety and aesthetics. In fact, as Walston concludes, “A great playing surface that looks good and feels good underfoot is a real mental and motivational boost for your team. They walk out onto the field and say, ‘Hey, this is really nice. I’m ready to play.’ And, ultimately, that’s the whole purpose— and the best reward—for what we do as sports turf managers.” grass in the outfield, it catches on the edge of the grass area and starts to build lips, or small ridges or berms of dirt. Lips can trip up players and can also cause a ball to bounce in an unpredictable direction like a skeet. You can avoid creating lips by dragging the infield skinned areas correctly, parallel with the grass. Or you can use a power rake or even hand brooms to brush the dirt out of the grass back onto the skinned area. Basically, if you avoid that build-up of dirt right at the edge of the grass, you won’t have a problem with lips.” 22 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g NO PAIN - ALL GAIN with Bowie Hydromulchers You’ve Got a Business To Build . . . AND WE’VE GOT THE TOOLS TO HELP YOU DO IT RIGHT! WE HAVE OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE SEEDING INDUSTRY. PIONEER SEED SUPPLY IS YOUR ONE STOP SHOPPING FOR ALL OF YOUR HYDRO-MULCHING NEEDS. WE CARRY A COMPLETE LINE OF CONWED MULCHERS, GRASS SEEDS, LIMES, FERTILIZERS & HARD TO FIND DYES AND TACKIFIERS. BOWIE IS THE BEST MACHINE ON THE MARKET BECAUSE IT IS ECONOMICALLY PRICED, SIMPLICITY OF OPERATION AND THE LONGEST WORKING LIFE. AT PIONEER SEED SUPPLY WE CONCENTRATE ON AFTER THE SALE SERVICE. Pioneer Seed Supply SUMMER SPECIAL! Purchase any Bowie Equip and receive between $500$1500 worth of materials *limited time only. 1-828-452-1197 PO BOX 3615 HAZELWOOD, NC 28738 1-828-452-7995 FAX green light ON GOLF Nitrogen Fertilization on Golf Courses: A WaterQuality Problem? by Tom Rufty, Ph.D., and Dan Bowman, Ph.D., Research Professors with the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education, North Carolina State University A three-year field study was conducted to determine whether golf courses were a major cause of nitrogen pollution of ground and surface water in eastern North Carolina. At experimental sites on ten golf courses, intensive testing indicated that little inorganic nitrogen leached from the turfgrass system and the potential for water pollution was very low. Figure 1. Experimental design for environmental studies at 10 golf courses in eastern NC. Nitrogen fate was followed by analysis of samples from clippings, soil cores, soil solution, shallow wells, and streams. This research is supported jointly by the North Carolina Turfgrass Foundation and the NCSU Center for Turfgrass. Although this research was conducted on golf courses, the results are also applicable to other warm-season turfgrass areas in North Carolina. 24 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ As is the case in many areas of the United States, there is concern in North Carolina about the quality of water supplies, especially in the eastern part of the state where periodic algal blooms and fish kills occur. The main culprit in these environmental systems is nitrate nitrogen. Many articles have been published in the popular press stating that golf course fertilization is a main cause of the water-quality problem, but there has been little scientific basis for this conclusion. We initiated a study several years ago to determine whether golf course fertilization might actually be an environmental problem. When the project began, it quickly became obvious that past research would not supply the answer. Many recent water-quality research projects had focused on fertilizer run-off. It seemed unlikely, however, that run-off was a major problem in North Carolina river basins, because best management practices (BMPs) are commonly used. The BMPs for turfgrass fertilization were established by N.C. State research/extension faculty many years ago and are widely followed by turfgrass managers throughout the state. These practices specify that fertilizers should not be applied before anticipated rain events, and the practices prescribe light watering at the time of application to ensure rapid biological use. Most golf course superintendents are well informed, and they closely adhere to BMPs to minimize adverse environmental impacts and to control their own costs! If fertilizer run-off were not a problem, then the main concern would be nitrogen leaching downward in the soil. Indeed, information coming from environmental studies with natural and agronomic systems indicated that nitrate losses occurred primarily through leaching and not surface run-off. Research funded by the USGA had addressed nitrate leaching in turfgrass systems, but almost all experiments were done on newly constructed plots. Because soil characteristics and the ecology of established turfgrass fairways would be very different from those in constructed plots, there was no way to extrapolate results from the USGA project to a landscape scale. May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g green light ON GOLF continued Our research approach To try to clear up the issue of whether North Carolina golf courses were a major cause of water pollution, we initiated an extensive field-research project to follow the fate of nitrogen in bermudagrass fairways. The goal was to develop a nitrogen budget that would account for uptake by bermudagrass, retention and downward movement of nitrogen (N) in the soil profile, as well as any loss of N into adjacent streams and lakes. The scope of the project dictated its complexity. Detailing N movement requires crossing several scientific disciplines, including turfgrass agronomy and physiology, soil physics and hydrology, and soil microbiology. As a consequence, a group of research faculty was assembled with expertise in each of the disciplines. The large project was made possible by environmental research grants from the North Carolina Legislature. Funding also was provided by the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina, which offered support even with the prospect of negative results for the turfgrass industry. Experimental sites were established on ten golf courses in eastern North Carolina. The locations were chosen based on several criteria. One was that they represented a variety of soil types, because soil texture strongly influences leaching. Secondly, we wanted to examine golf courses of different ages, thinking that older courses could have very different levels of organic matter and compaction compared to younger ones. Thirdly, it was important that the research be located on golf courses willing to cooperate and put up with our intrusion. As shown in Figure 1, multiple plots were established on each site for periodic collection of clippings during the bermudagrass growing season. Transects were run from adjacent natural areas, across roughs and fairways to a stream. Four transects were used at each site to allow appropriate statistical analysis of data. Along the transects, soil cores were taken to a depth of 4 feet, four times a year (bracketing fertilization periods), to resolve patterns of nitrate accumulation in the soil profile. Suction lysimeters were installed at 6", 12" and 18" depths, which allowed direct sampling of soil solution for nitrate analysis. The lysimeter samples were collected on a weekly basis. “Nests” of shallow wells, 8' to 20' deep, were installed for sampling of subsurface water flows. Water samples were collected weekly from streams at points where they entered and exited the golf course. As implied above, this was the first comprehensive study of nitrogen fate in bermudagrass fairways in a natural setting. The experiment ran for three years, and the golf course superintendents were asked to maintain their normal management practices throughout. The general fertilization protocol in this geographical area is to supply 2.5 lbs. to 3.5 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft./year, mostly during the bermudagrass growing season from May through September. Expected results Our initial expectation was that we would find high nitrate levels in soil solution and subsurface water beneath the turfgrass system and, consequently, a high potential for water pollution. This came from simple reasoning: • The golf courses ranged from 10 to 100 years old, and even in the youngest, soil organic-nitrogen levels should have been in equilibrium or approaching equilibrium. That meant soil organic-nitrogen levels were stabilized and would not increase from year to year. • Since clippings were not removed from any of the sites, fertilizer inputs should approximate losses. Taking into account fertilization rates and yearly rainfall (~ 45 in/yr), it was estimated that groundwater should contain about 50 – 100 ppm nitrate. From the earliest analyses, it became evident that our initial expectations were wrong. Nitrogen in the turfgrass/soil system One of the initial surprises in the study was the realization that more nitrogen was being incorporated into clippings during the growing season than was being supplied in fertilizer. Nitrogen uptake efficiency was calculated from the clipping harvests and analyses, and values generally ranged from just over 100% to as high as 300%. The calculation indicates that nitrogen was being rapidly cycled in the system. In other words, fertilizer N was taken up into the grass; cut clippings were rapidly being degraded by soil microbes, releasing N back into the soil; and the soil N was being reabsorbed by the turfgrass. The soil cores revealed that nitrate levels in the soil profile beneath the turf always were very low, ranging from 1 to 3 mg/kg of soil. The levels were similar to those found in natural areas adjacent to the course that were not fertilized, and the levels were much lower than those reported in studies with fertilized agricultural crops. The nitrate levels were uniformly low with depth from the soil surface, so there was no indication of accumulation anywhere within the soil profile. Also, nitrate was not elevated in the days and weeks following fertilizations, probably reflecting the high uptake efficiency by the turfgrass. Samples from the lysimeters, which were taken with greater frequency, also indicated that soil-solution nitrate was low. The placement of wells allowed sampling of subsurface water as it flowed beneath fertilized fairways from higher natural areas to low-lying streams. The subsurface flows would contain nitrate that leached downward through the soil to the water table. There were two major findings. First, some elevation in nitrate could be seen as subsurface water moved from unfertilized, natural areas to the fairways, but levels were relatively low, ranging from ~ 2 to 8 ppm. This is much lower than the predicted range of 50 to 100 ppm. Second, and most importantly, nitrate declined to almost undetectable levels (less than 1 ppm) as the flow approached streams. The water samples contained high levels of dissolved organic carbon (~ 8 to 20 ppm). The high carbon levels, coupled with anaerobic conditions, presumably led to denitrification, i.e. transformation of nitrate to nitrogen gas that was released into the atmosphere. In agricultural fields, leaching of fertilizer nitrate generally leads to nitrate accumulation in the soil that “bleeds” into adjacent streams or lakes over extended time periods. We have found no A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 25 green light ON GOLF continued evidence that fertilization of fairways causes an increase in nitrate in adjacent streams. Stream nitrate levels generally were low (less than 0.5 ppm) and actually tended to decrease during water passage through the golf course. All of the superintendents maintained vegetation along streams, which evidently absorbed a portion of the available nitrate. Significance to the industry The results from the field studies are consistent among all locations, always indicating a very low potential for nitrate contamination of ground and surface waters. In the past two years, the research has been expanded to include five additional sites in other parts of North Carolina where soils and topographies are different than those in the East. Up to this time, we have not found any evidence indicating significant pollution problems. Our findings may come as a surprise to many people working in the water-quality area, just as they were to us. Turfgrass systems have particular characteristics, however, that are atypical of the agricultural world, where almost all previous landscape-scale research has been done. One is the fertility approach. Turfgrasses are usually fertilized three or four times during the growing season with relatively small amounts of nitrogen (~ 42 lbs./ac.), so the system is not overloaded and predisposed to leaching. Also, most of the root system is fully developed when the fertilizer is added. By contrast, a corn crop would receive the same total amount of fertilizer, but in one or two applications early in the growing season. It has been estimated that corn takes up only about 50% of the nitrogen applied. A second notable difference with COMPANY HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA (336) 869-9550 FAX: (336) 869-9513 SPECIALIZING IN USGA S P E C I F I C AT I O N G R E E N S M I X SPORTS FIELDS ACTIVITY FIELDS FOOTBALL FIELDS BASEBALL FIELDS GREENSMIX MORGAN WASHED BAGGED/DRY SAND TOP DRESSING SPECIAL CUT SPECIALIZING 26 IN N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ CUSTOM May/June 2004 BLENDS ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g turfgrasses is the density of the root system. Nitrogen uptake efficiency is a function of root absorption surface. The fine roots of turfgrasses typically form a dense matrix several inches into the soil, and individual roots can extend downward as much as two to three feet. Nitrogen entering the root zone is rapidly taken up from the soil solution. A third difference is the very high microbial activity in the soil just beneath turfgrasses. The thatch layer at the soil surface provides an ideal environment for microbial communities, and microbial biomass greatly exceeds that found in natural or agricultural soils. High microbial activity and efficient uptake by the root are key components of efficient nitrogen cycling, which causes fertilizer N to be retained within the system. Another key characteristic of turfgrasses that is different from traditional agriculture is the large amount of carbon being deposited into the soil. With irrigation and frequent fertilizations, bermudagrass is grown in a relatively stress-free environment. Large amounts of organic material are generated, and none is removed by harvesting. The carbon in the organic material provides an energy source for microbial activity that, in turn, drives degradation and de-nitrification processes. The evidence that we have assembled thus far suggests that managed turfgrasses may serve a similar function as the riparian buffers being constructed to protect streams and lakes from nitrate contamination. The purpose of the riparian buffers is, primarily, to intercept nitrate in subsurface water flows. Buffers function by providing a carbon source that is used by microbes for denitrification in the anaerobic conditions present close to stream banks, an effect analogous to that observed in our research. With this in mind, it is conceivable that turfgrass systems may occupy an important role in strategies to protect water supplies in the future. 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We b u i l d i t y o u r w a y ! 7305 Brent Haigler Road • Indian Trail, NC 28079 704-753-4919 • 800-735-1523 www.hhspray.com • [email protected] A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 27 green light ON COMMERCIAL TURF Principles of Turfgrass Management for Hispanic Turf Care Professionals by Dr. Alfredo Martínez, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia (Experiment Station, Griffin, GA) and MSc. Marco T. Fonseca, Horticulture Department of Horticulture and State Master Gardener Coordinator [Editor’s note: This article recaps a seminar presented during the 42nd Annual Turfgrass Conference and Show (Turfgrass Council of North Carolina), January 5-7, 2004, in Charlotte North Carolina. The authors would like to acknowledge the support of TCNC.] F ollowing the English version of this article is the exact same article in Spanish. Feel free to make copies of this article and distribute them to your Hispanic employees. Plant species used as turfgrass are a diverse group of plants. Therefore they have very different characteristics. However, general characteristics can be observed. Crown: Growing point at the base of the plant. Root: Originates from the crown and absorbs nutrients, water and anchors the plant. The aboveground part of the plant groups the stems and leaf blades and takes in light and carbon dioxide, producing nutrients and sugars through photosynthesis. A leaf consists of a blade and a sheath; the blade is the broad upper portion, and the sheath is the lower portion that encircles the stem. The ligule is a thin membranous band or ring of hairs which ends in ear-like lobes called auricles. Nodes are the bulbous joints on stems. Some turfgrass species produce one plant, while others produce stems called rhizomes and stolons that grow horizontally below and above ground. Rhizomes and stolons produce new plants at their nodes. Proper mowing, along with proper watering, can be the critical factor in the appearance of established turfgrass. 28 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g P a r t s green light a n d E q u i p m e n t ON COMMERCIAL TURF continued Classes of grasses Turfgrasses can be classified according to their botanical differences, but on a practical level it is useful to consider them in terms of the climates they prefer and the times of the year they grow best. They fall into two categories: cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses. Cool-season species Cool-season grasses grow well in the northern United States. They grow actively in cool spring weather and slow down or go dormant in the heat of the summer when temperatures reach 30°C. In areas with hot summers, they usually must be grown with irrigation. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a dense, clumping grass that is able to grow in the sun or shade. It is fast growing and drought tolerant, and it requires relatively low nitrogen regimes. Sow 8 to 10 pounds of seed per 1,000 sq. ft. Tall fescue will germinate in 7 to 10 days and requires a mowing height of 1 to 3 inches. Fertilize with 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. per year. Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is a cool-season grass that forms a medium-tocoarse textured lawn. It is used as a temporary turfgrass or as overseeding on a dormant warmseason turfgrass such as bermudagrass. Sow 5 to 10 pounds per 1,000 sq. ft. Mow at 1 to 2 inches and fertilize with 2 to 3 pounds of nitrogen for every 1,000 sq. ft. Williamston, NC 27892 800.334.3388 Email: [email protected] Hydro Seeder Warm-season grasses These turfgrass species grow most vigorously during warm summer months. Some undergo dormancy and turn brown or yellow in fall or winter. Others, particularly those grown in mild winters, may stay green all year. Some of the most popular warm-season turfgrass species include zoysiagrass, bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass and centipede. Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp) is a tough, aggressive, creeping grass with a fine-to-rough leaf texture. It is tolerant to heat and drought and is able to endure some cool shade and cool temperatures. Sow 1 to 2 lbs. of hulled seed per 1,000 sq. ft. (or plant plugs 6" apart). Keep turfgrass weed-free while it becomes established. Bermudagrass (Cyanodon spp) is a warmseason grass that grows by sod, sprigs or stolons; newer varieties included seeded types. It is a good-looking dense grass. It stands up to wear and tear, as well as hot summer weather. It is A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 29 green light ON COMMERCIAL TURF continued one of the most popular grasses in the South, including North Carolina. There are two types of bermudagrass in the market: common bermudagrass and hybrid bermudagrass. Sow 1 to 2 lbs. of seed per 1,000 sq. ft. (up to 10 lbs. in the Southeast). Seed germinates in 10 to 30 days. Mow at 1", as frequently as every two weeks. On hybrid bermuda, plant 2" sprigs at 12" apart. Fertilize with 2 to 4 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is a robust, fast-growing, coarse-textured warm-season grass with broad dark grass blades. St. Augustinegrass is one of the most shadeand heat-tolerant species, and it is somewhat tolerant to salt. It requires intensive maintenance and fertility. Plant 3" to 4" sod plugs at 1-foot intervals any time during the growing season. During slow growth in spring and fall, keep the grass free of weeds while it becomes established. Mow regularly at 1" to 3". Fertilize frequently with up to 3 to 6 pounds of nitrogen for every 1,000 sq. ft. per year. Applications of ferrous sulfate or chelated iron will enhance the appearance and help to prevent chlorosis or yellowing. Centipede (Eremochloa ophiuroides) is a relatively finebladed, dense-growing turfgrass that thrives in sandy, acidic soils and requires low fertility. Centipede presents light green 30 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ blades with leafy stolons. Sow seed at 1 to 2 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. Plant sprigs or sod plugs on one-foot centers. Water thoroughly when centipede shows signs of stress wilted and discolored leaves. Apply iron sulfate if chlorosis appears. Mow at 1" to 2". Fertilize with 2 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. per year on heavy soils and 2 to 3 lbs. of nitrogen on sandy soils. Establishment, maintenance and fertilization Turfgrasses can be established by seeding or vegetative planting. Buying poor quality plants or seed often results in less-than-satisfactory performance, pest problems and general disappointment. Selection is especially important when establishing a turf species. Read the information on the seed tag carefully, and make sure you purchase seed with no noxious weed seed and low levels of other crop seed. One way to be sure you have seed or planting material that is true to type, free of noxious weed seed and contains low levels of other crop seed is to purchase certified seed or sod. Control perennial weeds with a nonselective herbicide. Remove debris and clear ground of paint, concrete and other materials. Plan for easy maintenance and a pleasing appearance of turf. Avoid terraces, steep grades, poorly drained w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g green light ON COMMERCIAL TURF Feed Your Turf Beautiful With continued areas and heavily shaded spots. Install tile drain in poorly drained areas. Get professional advice about the type of drain and installation. A 2% to 3% percent slope is needed for proper drainage away from buildings. If grading is needed, remove the topsoil (usually 4" to 8") and stockpile it nearby. If the final grade is to be appreciably higher than the present level, build protective walls to save trees. Shape the underlying subsoil to the desired contour and redistribute the topsoil uniformly above the subsoil. Water the area to enhance settling. To avoid standing water, fill areas that settle unevenly. Mix 1 to 2 cubic yards of peat moss per 1,000 sq. ft. into the top 6" to 8" of subsoil if heavy clay or very sandy soils are present. Clay soils are prone to compaction and require frequent aerification. Following modification, take soil samples from the areas, to determine soil pH and nutrient requirements. A single soil test may be all that is necessary, provided there are no obvious differences in soil texture, terrain or trouble spots in the various areas. Collect soil samples to a depth of 3" to 4" from several locations, and mix them together to produce a composite sample. Send or take approximately 1 cup of the air-dried soil sample to your county Cooperative Extension Center. Incorporate lime and fertilizer (as needed) into the top 6" to 8" of the soil using a rototiller. Unless the entire potential root zone is uniformly limed and fertilized, turfgrass roots will never successfully occupy this zone and will die during stress periods. 18-24-12 25-5-15 14-28-14 30-5-10 Unlimited Custom Formulations – Various Slow Release Sources Iron and Minor Elements – Palletized and Delivered Local NC Fertilizer Manufacturer for over 80 Years Buy Direct or Through Local Dealer Call for Quotation Thank You for Considering GREEN EAGLE Quality Turf Fertilizers Camp Chemical Corporation Roxboro, NC 1-800-682-3165 or 336-597-2214 Mowing Proper mowing, along with proper watering, can be the most critical factor in the appearance of established turfgrass. Good mowing techniques enhance the appearance of the turf and increase its vigor. Turfgrass stressed by mowing too low is more prone to disease, weed invasion, drought and traffic stress. Also, removal of most of the leaf blade limits food production. Limited food production decreases root, rhizome and stolon growth. Plants with limited food production and a limited root system will not have vigorous growth. A vigorous, dense turfgrass area is one of the best defenses against weed invasion. Weak grass plants with a limited root system are more prone to drought damage. A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 31 green light ON COMMERCIAL TURF continued It is particularly important to mow high during dry weather. Mowing height varies for different turfgrass species. The second critical factor is mowing the lawn on a frequent basis. The grass should be mowed so that no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade is removed. If the desired height is 3", mow the grass when it has grown to 4". Mowing frequency will change throughout the year with different weather patterns. Cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass may require mowing twice a week in the spring, but only every 7 to 10 days in the summer. Warmseason grasses such as bermudagrass may need more frequent mowing in the summer than in the fall or spring. Watering As a general rule, turfgrass species in North Carolina will need 1" of water every week. However, many factors determine watering amount and frequency. The best way to irrigate an established turfgrass is on an asneeded basis. Grass blades will begin to wilt as the moisture begins to be depleted in the soil. If 30% to 50% of the turf shows signs of slight wilting—such as curled blades and a gray appearance—it is then time to water with 1" of irrigation. The turf should fully recover within 24 hours. Then wait until the turf shows signs of wilting again before watering. Localized dry areas or hot spots should be watered by hand or by a separate sprinkler to those spots only and not the whole area. This method of watering works for any soil type and environmental condition. Proper watering practices will help maintain turfgrass species with less mowing and thatch buildup. Proper watering will also help develop a deep root system, making plants less susceptible to damage by pest and environmental stresses. Diseases Brown patch is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani. This disease is characterized by circular patterns of dead grass. The turf turns brown, and the grass blades rot off. Brown patch can spread in an area from 1 inch to 20 feet. In numerous cases, new leaves may emerge in the center of the circular patch, giving the diseased areas a doughnut-shaped appearance. Brown patch is most common in St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, bentgrass and ryegrass. The disease is less common in centipede and bermudagrass. Brown patch occurs from late spring through early fall (temperatures between 65-85°F). High humidity and high nitrogen fertility contribute to rapid disease spread. Control: Scout often, as early detection is key to controlling the disease. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization. Water timely and deeply. Avoid frequent light irrigation to reduce humidity. Increase air circulation. Reduce thatch (no more than 1/2" thick). Dollar spot is caused by the fungus Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. The disease is characterized by the appearance of white patches of up to 2 inches in diameter. The 32 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ infection requirements of the disease are 50°F to 85°F (early spring and late fall), with cool nights and warm days and more than 10 hours of leaf wetness per day. Dry soil and low nitrogen fertility promotes growth of the fungus. Control: Maintain adequate nitrogen levels. Avoid drought stress. Water deeply. Avoid extended moisture on leaves, and remove dew in morning. Increase air circulation. Mow at recommended height. Pythium blight is caused by the fungus named Pythium spp. The disease is characterized by the presence of small, irregular water-soaked areas. Turf can turn brown, orange/bronze and light/tan color. Highly infected areas are characterized by numerous spots, which merge in the wettest areas. The turf dies rapidly, collapses and appears matted. Infected tissue feels oily to touch. If high humidity is present, fluffy and cottony white mycelium can be seen early in the morning. Control: Use treated seed when reseeding. Water management is essential. Correct overwatering and drainage problems. Do not over-fertilize with nitrogen. Promote light and air penetration. Avoid pockets of excessive humidity. Fading and melting out are caused by the fungi Curvularia and Helminthosporium sp, respectively. Both fungi are common inhibitants of thatch and soil and can cause disease when potassium is low and drought stress occurs. They are most common in bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and centipedegrass. Factors that promote disease incidence include high temperature, drought stress, low aeration, shade and excessive nitrogen. Control: Prevent drought stress to the turf. Water properly. Perform a soil test to insure adequate potassium. Address excessive thatch. Protectant fungicides are available to control the disease. Fairy ring is produced by different Basidiomycetous fungi and affects all turf types. The disease is most common and damaging on centipede, zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass. The symptoms are circular or semi-circular bands. The disease is caused by different types of fungi and is most damaging on sandy soils of low fertility. The disease is favored by heavy thatch. Control: Spike or aerate affected areas. Water heavily, use extra fertilizer where appropriate, replace soil and/or treat with fungicide. Centipede decline is a disorder (not a disease) mostly caused by improper and excessive fertility and high pH, heavy thatch and compacted soils. Nematodes have been associated with the disease. Control: Perform a soil test and avoid over- or improper fertilization. Use a 3-1-2 fertilizer ratio. Aerate to improve root growth. De-thatch. Gray leaf spot, or Pyricularia grisea, affects St. Augustinegrass and tall fescue. The leaf-spot disease is favored by high nitrogen and excess moisture. Optimal temps 77°F to 86°F. Control: Avoid excessive applications of nitrogen, and follow proper watering practices. Reduce thatch when excessive. Reduce shade. Avoid herbicide use when temperatures are above 85°F. Protectant fungicides are available. w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g green light ON COMMERCIAL TURF continued Los Principios y Bases del Manejo de los Céspedes Dr. Alfredo Martínez, Programa de Céspedes y Plantas Ornamentales Urbanos. Departamento de Fitopatología, Universidad de Georgia. Experiment Station, Griffin GA. y MC. Marco T. Fonseca, Departamento de Horticultura y Coordinador Estatal del Programa de Maestros en Jardinería Introducción Los céspedes son un grupo diverso de plantas que agrupan una variedad de especies, por lo tanto estos pueden tener características muy diferentes. A pesar de su diversidad, se pueden apreciar algunas características generales. Corona: Es la base de la planta. Raíz. La raíz se origina de la corona y es la parte de la planta que absorbe los nutrientes y el agua del suelo y sirve como ancla de la planta. Zacate. Es la parte aérea de la planta y agrupa a los tallos y las hojas, todo este conjunto de órganos toma luz y bióxido de carbono produciendo nutrientes y oxigeno a través de la fotosíntesis. Hojas. Consisten de la lámina de la hoja y el cuello de la hoja; La lámina es la parte superior de la hoja y el cuello se forma en la parte inferior y envuelve al tallo. Lígula: Esta es una membrana ligera que envuelve a tallo, usualmente abajo del cuello. Lo nudos son las uniones que se encuentran en los tallos. Algunos céspedes producen solo una planta y una raíz, sin embargo algunos otros producen rizomas y estolones los cuales crecen horizontalmente dentro y sobre el suelo, de estos crecen otras plantas. Clases De Céspedes Los céspedes han sido clasificados de acuerdo a sus diferencias botánicas, pero a nivel practico, ellos han sido considerados de acuerdo a el clima y a las estaciones en los que crecen mejor. De acuerdo a estos parámetros, los céspedes se pueden clasificar en dos categorías: Céspedes de invierno (temperaturas templadas) y céspedes de verano (temperatura calientes) Céspedes de invierno Estos céspedes crecen en temperaturas frescas y templadas. La mayoría de estos céspedes se utilizan en la parte norte de Estados Unidos, ya que crecen activamente durante la primavera sin embargo entran en dormacia durante los meses de verano cuando la temperatura sobrepasa los 30 grados Centígrados. En área donde la temperaturas no son tan extremosas durante el verano, estos céspedes se pueden mantener verdes a través de una irrigación intensa. Tall Fescue (Festuca Arundinacea) es un césped denso, de bajo mantenimiento, tolerante a la sombra, de crecimiento rápido y tolerante a la sequía, además de que necesita muy poco nitrógeno. Siembre 4-5 Kg. de semilla por 1000 pies cuadrados. Este césped germina a los 7-10 días y requiere de una altura de poda 1 ? -3 pulgadas. Fertilice este césped utilizando medio a un Kg. de nitrógeno por cada 1000 pies cuadrados. Centeno anual. (Lolium multiflorum) es un césped de textura media, usado mayoritariamente como un césped temporal. Este césped se utiliza como sobresiembra de un césped de verano que esta dormante como lo es el césped Bermuda. Siembre 2.5 a 5 Kg. por cada 1000 pies cuadrados (5 a 10 Kg. por cada 1000 pies cuadrados si se sobresiembra). Requiere de una alturas de poda de 1 ? -2 pulgadas. Fertilice con 1 a 1.5 Kg. de nitrógeno por cada 1000 pies cuadrados Céspedes de verano Estos céspedes crecen vigorosamente durante los meses de verano, algunos de ellos se tornan dormantes y tienen un color Amarillo o café durante el otoño y el invierno. Sin embargo algunos pueden sobrevivir el frió o adaptase y seguir verdes durante todo el año. Algunos de los céspedes de verano mas populares son: el césped tipo Zoysia, el césped Bermuda, el San Agustín y el Césped Ciempiés. Tipo Zoysia (Zoysia spp). Es un césped de verano que crece por medio de estolones y tiene una hoja de textura fina. Es tolerante al calor y la sequía y que tolera algo de sombra y temperaturas frescas. Siembra 0.5 a 1 Kg. de semilla por cada 1000 pies cuadrados (o plante estolones cada 6 pulgadas). Manténgalo libre de malezas hasta que se establezca por completo Césped tipo Bermuda (Cyanodon spp). Es un césped de verano que crece por medio de estolones, tolerante a veranos y climas calurosos, es también tolerante a un uso fuerte y a la sequía. El césped Bermuda es muy popular en el área del sur de Estados Unidos incluyendo Carolina de Norte. Existen dos tipos principales de zacate Bermuda. El Bermuda común y el Bermuda híbrido. Siembre 0.5 a 1 Kg. de semilla por 1000 pies cuadrados por ano (hasta 5 Kg. en el sur/suroeste). La semilla germina en 10-30 días. Pode hasta una altura de ? pulgada por 1000 pies cuadrados. En el césped Bermuda híbrido, plante cuadritos de 2 pulgadas cada 12 pulgadas. Pode una altura de ? -1 pulgada, y con una frecuencia de 2 semanas durante todo el estadio de crecimiento. Fertilice con 1o dos kilos por cada 1000 pies cuadrados por ano. Césped tipo San Agustin (Stenotaphrum secundatum). Es un césped de verano con una complexión gruesa y robusta con hojas verde oscuro. El césped San Agustín tolera la sombra, el calor y suelos salinos, requiere de suelos fértiles y de un buen manejo. Plante pedazos de césped de 3-4 pulgadas con un intervalo de 1 pie entre cada trozo, plante durante cualquier estadio de crecimiento. Durante la primavera y el otoño especialmente mantenga libre de malezas hasta que se establezca. Pode a una altura de 1-3 pulgadas. Fertilice frecuentemente y use de 1.5 a 3 Kg. de nitrógeno por cada 1000 pies cuadrados. Las aplicaciones de sulfato ferroso o hierro quelado pueden mejorar A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 33 green light ON COMMERCIAL TURF continued la apariencia del césped San Agustín previniendo clorosis o amarillamiento. Césped Ciempiés (Eremochloa ophiuroides). Es un césped de color verde claro con hojas de lámina fina y una textura de dura a medio. Debido a sus bajos requerimientos de manejo y fertilización este césped se le ha llamado césped del hombre flojo. Siembre la semilla de ciempiés a una cantidad de 0.5 –1 Kg. por cada 1000 pies cuadrados. Plante estolones o pedazos de césped a una distancia de 1 pie. Riegue profusamente cuando el césped Ciempiés muestre signos de estrés como lo son: marchito o con las hojas decoloradas. Aplique hierro si aparece clorosis en las hojas. Pode a 1-2 pulgadas, fertilice con 1 Kg. De nitrógeno por cada 1000 pies cuadrados por año en suelos arcillosos y 1 a 1.5 Kg. En suelos arenosos. Establecimiento, Mantenimiento y Fertilización Hay dos maneras de establecer un césped. El primero es usando semillas y el segundo es usando material vegetativo como estolones y rizomas. Casi todos lo céspedes de invierno se establecen usando semillas. La mayoría de los céspedes de verano se establecen usando material vegetativo. El primer paso para tener éxito en el establecimiento de céspedes es la preparación adecuada del suelo. Sin importar si se usa semilla o material vegetativo el suelo debe ser cuidadosamente cultivado. Antes de sembrar la semilla o usar estolones o “sod”. Haga muestras y análisis de suelo para determinar las necesidades de fertilizante y cal. Cualquier oficina de extensión agrícola le puede ayudar a hacer este análisis. Elimine material o residuos de la construcción como ser rocas, cemento y madera. Al igual que troncones de árboles que fueron cortados durante la nivelación y construcción. Si estos materiales no son removidos terminan causando depresiones y áreas con problemas de enfermedades y pobre crecimiento en el césped. Una vez arado y hechas todas las preparaciones el suelo debe ser nivelado permitiendo un drenaje adecuado. Si durante el nivelado se elimino la capa superficial o capa organiza del suelo, será necesario agregar material orgánico. Se debe mezclar completamente alrededor de 10 yardas cúbicas de material orgánico por cada 1000 pies cuadrados de césped. Mezcle al mismo tiempo el fertilizante y cal dolomítica recomendados por el análisis de suelo. Al finalizar todos estos preparativos se tendrá un perfil de 8 a 10 pulgadas de suelo con todas las condiciones adecuadas pare el crecimiento vigoroso de las raíces de un césped de superior calidad. En general los céspedes de invierno son establecidos usando semillas. Seleccione semillas con alto porcentaje de germinación y libres de impurezas y malezas. Disperse las semillas usando un sembrador. Hay varios tipos de sembradores; inyección, boleo y aspersión. Para aseguras una distribución uniforme divida las semillas en mitad o cuartos y siembra áreas pequeñas. Siembre en ambas direcciones nortesur, este-oeste. Una vez sembradas las semillas deben ser mojadas para agilizar la germinación. En algunos casos será necesario usar una cobertura de paja para proteger las semillas y evitar se sequen o sean lavados en la escorrentía del riego o lluvia. La época más adecuada para la siembra de céspedes de invierno es en el otoño, En Carolina de Norte entre septiembre y octubre. Por el contrario la mayoría de los 34 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ céspedes de verano se establecen usando material vegetativo. Se siembran a finales de la primavera. En Carolina de Norte la mejor época para establecer céspedes de verano es mayo y junio. Durante el periodo inicial de establecimiento es importante mantener un buen nivel de fertilidad y de humedad haciendo los riegos y fertilizaciones siguiendo las recomendaciones del análisis de suelo. En ausencia de un análisis la aplicación de formula completa de fertilizante en una proporción no mayor a dos libras por 1000 pies cuadrados proveerá los nutrientes necesarios. Si las condiciones de crecimiento son adecuadas el césped estará firmemente establecido en uno a dos meses. Un programa de mantenimiento garantizara un césped vigoroso y de alta calidad. Las siguientes son algunas de las prácticas agronómicas requeridas para obtener un césped de primera calidad. Los céspedes pertenecen al grupo de plantas que crecen en cualquier parte del mundo y son plantas muy eficientes. La mayoría de los granos que alimentan al mundo pertenecen a las gramíneas. Son plantas que requieren un balance de los tres elementos principales de toda formula de fertilizante Nitrógeno (N), fósforo (P) y potasio (k). Nitrógeno es quizás el nutriente más importante en el cultivo de céspedes. Es el elemento que las plantas requieren en mayor cantidad, el nitrógeno es también muy soluble lo que hace que se pierda rápidamente. La aplicación de fertilizante debe hacerse de acuerdo a las demandas de la planta y periodos de rápido crecimiento. El nitrógeno puede existir en dos formas, sintético y orgánico. Urea, Sulfato de amonio y nitrato de amonio son ejemplos de fertilizantes inorgánicos o sintéticos. La mayoría de estas formas de nitrógeno son fáciles de aplicar, económicos y rápida absorción. Algunos por su alta concentración pueden causar daños foliares y quemar raíces cuando se aplican en cantidades inadecuadas. Las fuentes de nitrógeno orgánico como las compuestas y aboneras. Son buenas fuentes de nitrógeno orgánico pero se encuentra en forma no disponible para el uso inmediato de la planta. El nitrógeno está amarrado en los diferentes tejidos orgánicos y dependen de microorganismos y temperatura para descomponer y poder ser usados por los céspedes. Durante la estación de frió la actividad de los microorganismos es muy limitada y mucho de los nitrógenos orgánicos no están disponible a las gramas. Poda El corte del césped tendrá mucha influencia en la apariencia del césped. La altura, frecuencia y filo de las podaras son componentes importantes del corte del césped. Hoy dos tipos de chapeadores o podadoras de césped. Las de cuchillas rotatorias o tambor de 5 a 6 cuchillas y las una cuchillas circular. Las cuchillas deben tener buen filo para hacer corte limpio de las hojas de la grama. Nunca se debe corta más de un tercio de la altura de la hoja. La altura a que se corta el césped depende en parte de la especie de grama y las condiciones de crecimiento. La mayoría de los céspedes se deben podar a una altura de dos pulgadas. Cuando se usan cuchillas podadoras sin filo los céspedes tienen una apariencia de desgarre y descolorido. Cuando se w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g green light ON COMMERCIAL TURF continued deja crecer mucho las hojas tiene a acamarse y a menudo hay un aumento de enfermedades. Recuerde recortar gradualmente para lograr establecer la altura adecuada. Durante periodos de sequía es preferible corta media o una pulgada más alta de lo normal. Al final de la primavera se puede cortar el césped al ras del suelo para estimula un crecimiento rápido y reverdecimiento del césped. Riego Como regla general los céspedes que crecen en Carolina de Norte necesitan una pulgada de agua por semana. Sin embargo hay otros factores que determinan la cantidad y frecuencia del riego. Los más importantes son: el tipo de suelo, el tipo de grama, la frecuencia de las lluvias, la temperatura y el viento. Durante periodos de sequía y altas temperaturas el riego en cantidades adecuadas es importante para mantener la buena apariencia y calidad del césped. La mejor hora para regar es durante las primeras horas del día, antes de la salida del sol. Los riegos a esta hora del día evita que los céspedes permanezcan húmedos por mas de lo necesario y evitan el crecimiento de enfermedades. Trate de mojar completamente un perfil de suelo de 6 o más pulgadas de profundidad. Usando aspersores esta puede tardar alrededor de 3 horas. Sin embargo, un riego de esta duración produce escorrentías y pérdidas de agua. La duración del riego debe ser ajustada a la capacidad de absorción o infiltración del suelo. La otra práctica que se debe evitar es riegos superficiales y frecuentes. Esta práctica de riego solo humedece la capa superficial de suelo y produce el crecimiento de raíces superficiales que tienden a ser dañados por extremas temperaturas altas del verano y bajas durante el invierno. Renovación Las renovaciones se hacen cuando más del 50% del césped ha perdido la calidad y apariencia. Lo primero que se debe hacer antes de iniciar cualquier renovación del césped es determinar la causa del daño. Considere si el daño fue causado por prácticas agronómicas inadecuadas (riego, fertilización, poda, herbicidas) por exceso de humedad, heladas del invierno, sombra excesiva, insectos o enfermedades. O simplemente es una variedad de césped no adaptado a la región. Una vez determinada la razón del daño haga las renovaciones durante los periodos de óptimo crecimiento del tipo de césped dañado. Si es césped de verano a principios de verano y si es de invierno a finales del otoño. Revise las épocas de establecimiento para determinar la mejor época de hacer trabajos de renovación. Una práctica que mejora las condiciones de crecimiento de césped es la aeración del suelo. Especialmente en suelos muy compactos, las prácticas de aeración mejoran la penetración del agua y oxigeno en las zonas crecimiento de las raíces. Plagas de los Céspedes Mancha Parda La enfermedad es causada por el hongo Rhizoctonia solani y se caracteriza por la aparición de manchas circulares de césped seco y muerto. El césped se torna café y las hojas se pudren en desde la base. La enfermedad puede ocupar unas áreas que van desde unos centímetros en área hasta varios metros. En la mayoría de los casos, plantas nuevas empiezan a crecer en el centro de la mancha dando una apariencia de una rueda o un dona. La enfermedad es común en los céspedes San Agustín, Zoysia, Zacate Bent y el Centeno anual y poco menos común en los céspedes Ciempiés y Bermuda. Control. Vigilancia: La detección temprana es clave en el control de la enfermedad. Evite una fertilización excesiva de Nitrógeno. Riegue a tiempo y de una forma profunda. Evite irrigación leve y frecuente para reducir humedad. Reduzca el <thatch> (no mas de 2 cm. de profundidad) Mancha Dólar El agente causal de la enfermedad es el hongo Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. La enfermedad se caracteriza por la aparición de manchas blancas de unos 4 cm. en diámetro. Control. Mantenga niveles nitrógeno adecuados. Evite el estrés por sequía. Aplique riego pesado. Evite humedad en las hojas por mucho tiempo/quite el roció en la mañana. Incremente la circulación del viento. Pode a la altura recomendada. Tizon por Pythium El agente causal de la enfermedad es el hongo llamado Pythium spp. La enfermedad se caracteriza por la presencia de áreas irregulares acuosas. El césped se torna café, anaranjado o de color plomizo. Las áreas afectadas se caracterizan por la aparición de numerosas manchas las cuales coalecen en las zonas mas húmedas. El césped muere rápidamente. Los tejidos infectados tienen una consistencia aceitosa. Si persiste la alta humedad, en las mañanas se puede observar un micelio blanco y algodonoso. Control. Use semilla tratada cuando resiembre. El manejo del agua es esencial. Corrija riego excesivo/problemas de drenaje. No sobre fertilice con N. Promueva la penetración de luz y aire. Evite áreas de humedad excesiva. Senescencia prematura y quemadura Estas dos enfermedades son causadas por los hongos Curvularia y Helminthosporium sp respectivamente. Los dos hongos son habitantes comunes del suelo y pueden causar enfermedades cuando el Potasio en el suelo esta muy bajo y hay condiciones de sequía. La enfermedad es más común en los céspedes Bermuda, Zoysia y Ciempiés. La enfermedad se ha manifestado más comúnmente en los pasados 2-3 anos. Control Evite estrés por sequía al césped; riegue apropiadamente; prueba de fertilidad del suelo asegurese de que tenga una buena cantidad de Potasio. Maneje la cantidad de humus. Existen fungicidas para su combate. Anillos de hada La enfermedad es causada por varios hongos de la clase de los basidiomicetos.Afecta todas las clases céspedes. Es más común y devastadora en ciempiés, zoysia y San. Agustín. Los síntomas son bandas circulares o semicirculares. La enfermedad es causada por diferentes tipos de hongos. La enfermedad es más dañina en los suelos arenosos y de baja fertilidad, también se favorece por la acumulación. Control. Haga hoyos o airee las áreas afectadas. Riegue abundantemente. Fertilice apropiadamente. Remplace el suelo afectado. Trate con fungicida. A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e Tu r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f N o r t h C a r o l i n a 35 gatherings of the green RECENT EVENTS TCNC Demo Days & Knowledge Networks… in Hickory, a record crowd attended on March 9! by Gene Maples, TCNC Executive Director O On March 9, a record attendance of more than 250 enthusiastic turfgrass-management professionals gathered in the classrooms and on the soccer-baseball complex of Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory for the western version of the popular new TCNC Demo Days & Knowledge Networks regional program series. Maples photo/TCNC For many attendees, the best golf program of the day may have been headliners Dr. Bruce Martin from Clemson and Dr. Leon Lucas from the Carolinas Golf Association. 36 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ The exciting day was co-hosted and ably manned by volunteers from the Western Turfgrass Association, the Foothills Landscape Management Association and students and staff from CVCC. Golf course superintendents from far and wide came to hear Dr. Lane Tredway report the latest dollar-spot management. They also filled the classrooms for Leon Warren’s program on “The Top 10 Worst Weeds in Turf.” For many attendees, the best golf program of the day may have been headliners Dr. Bruce Martin from Clemson and Dr. Leon Lucas from the Carolinas Golf Association. Complete with a panel of professionals, the program gave the most extensive information ever heard in these parts on “The Management & Performance of the New Putting Green Varieties.” The real-life, under-the-gun panel consisted of TCNC member experts Guy Hollar (Rock Bark GC), Robert Arrington (Catawba CC) and John Clark (ProGreen, Inc.), who all did a marvelous job of relating their hands-on experiences. Lawn and landscape managers were treated to Dr. Joe Neal’s “The Dirty Dozen Weeds in the Landscape” and Dr. Lane Tredway’s “Tall Fescue Disease Management” program. Perhaps the most eager audience of all earned two hours of Aquatics license credit by completing Steve Hoyle’s “Aquatic Weed Management” class. TCNC is committed to providing additional aquatics class opportunities at other Demo Days & Knowledge Networks locations this year. Midway through the spectacular outdoor equipment-and-supply demo period, a worth-the-trip indoor lunch of famous Bennett’s Barbeque was literally consumed by the capacity crowd of attendees and vendors. Introduced by CVCC Environmental & Life Sciences Division Chair Darrell Kiser, CVCC President Dr. Cuyler A. Dunbar spoke to the lunch assembly with highly complimentary and motivational comments about our industry’s professionalism and constant quest for knowledge. Both before and after lunch, some 25 equipment-and-supply vendors were busy with inquisitive customers from all over the western Piedmont and mountain areas at this real live crank-it-up event. Other TCNC Demo Days & Knowledge Networks locations this year include Wayne Community College in Goldsboro on June 2, and Concord and Greensboro in October. May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g Helping you l o o k 1004 Washington Post Road New Bern, NC 28560 phone: 252-637-9261 • fax: 252-636-1965 website: www.mackilweanturffarm.com email: [email protected] y o u r • 419 Bermuda Celebration Bermuda • El Toro Zoysia Cavalier Zoysia • Centipede • St.Augustine b e s t • 42'' Big Rolls • Standard 1 yd rolls • Installation Available • Sprigs: Bermuda or Zoysia • Broadcast or Row Planting green report INDUSTRY NEWS TCNC member Lou Ballew honored as “First Lady of the Green Industry” T his past January, Mrs. Louise Jenkins Ballew received a Special Recognition Award at the 2004 Green & Growin’ show Awards Banquet in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Clark Wooten of Tri-State Turf presented Lou with the award and honored her as the “First Lady of the Green Industry.” Lou started in the green industry in marketing and sales in 1968, at a time when women were not foremost in the agricultural industry. Lou built the company she worked for, Oakland Plantation Turf, to a level of national status, and along the way, she built an industry. Her involvement in legislative activities for nurserymen, landscapers, turfgrass managers and sod producers has helped the industry grow and contribute millions of dollars towards agricultural expansion in North Carolina. At the presentation of her award, Gene Maples and Marsha Richardson of TCNC, made the following comments: "Lou Ballew is a positive thinker and doer. Her cheerfulness, insightfulness and creativity are an absolute inspiration. Her compelling presence, her energy and the gleam in her eyes are purely contagious. She can brighten a room, spark an idea, advance a project or give you a hug when you need it. She is, without question, a true friend, a mentor and a role model. Lou harbors within, a productive, loving concern for each one of us and for our Industry that is without equal in this or any other day. With love, admiration and best wishes!" Cape Fear High School baseball field named STMA’s Baseball Field of the Year T he baseball field of Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, earned the 2003 Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) “Baseball Field of the Year Award” in the High School/Parks and Recreation division. The Award presentation took place during the STMA Awards Banquet held on January 23, 2004, in San Diego, California, in conjunction with the Association’s annual conference. The Cape Fear High School baseball field was first established in 1969. The first step of renovation began with the sodding of the infield during the summer of 1989. Continual improvements have been made to the field since that time, as Horticulture Instructor Terry W. Nance has incorporated sports-field maintenance educational programs and hands-on training into his classes. For the past two years, he has established a sports-field management crew of students who provide the pre-game, game-time and postgame baseball field maintenance. The commitment to excellence in overall field quality, safety, playability and appearance earned the Cape Fear High School Baseball Field the Field of the Year honors. The Field of the Year Awards are presented for top maintenance of natural playing surfaces and support facilities in four major sports areas: baseball, softball, football and soccer. The Field of the Year and Sports Field Complex of the Year Awards are the highest honor STMA bestows upon a facility. Matthew Martin, area turfgrass agent and TCNC member, receives award M atthew Martin, area specialized agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, has been recognized by the state’s local chapter of Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP), a national honor society for Extension professionals. ESP is an honorary fraternity dedicated to fostering standards of excellence in the Extension System and to developing the Extension profession and the professional. Martin received the State Early Career Award from the Xi Chapter of ESP at its 2003 annual meeting in Raleigh. Based in Brunswick County, Martin also serves New Hanover, Onslow and Pender counties, providing diverse and valuable research-based turfgrass information programs. He teaches and promotes Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs for golf course superintendents, landscape contractors, homeowners and other turfgrass managers. 38 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g 6441 North Tryon Street Charlotte, North Carolina Pickups Dump Trucks Van Bodies Build to Your Specs We Deliver Anything in North Carolina John Olivera 704.634.7022 • 800.821.6087 green report INDUSTRY NEWS continued Legislative Update: Competing for Research Grant Money N orth Carolina needs to loosen rules on hiring, purchasing and construction if it wants its public research universities to remain competitive for grant money, according to a study presented by Huron Consulting Group to a legislative committee. The consulting company also recommended that the state resist the temptation to dip into university overhead receipts—the portion of research grants earmarked to pay for building space, utilities and other costs of businesses. Some legislators have argued in the past that the state should receive a portion of those funds. Election 2004, Ag Endorsement Although he was the only candidate for NC Agriculture Commissioner that did NOT visit the NC Turfgrass Show in January to meet and greet (although his company did exhibit), Tom Gilmore announced he has received endorsements from several prominent Democrats, including former Governor Jim Hunt. Gilmore, a plant nursery co-owner in Guilford County, is a former House member and deputy human resources secretary. Research funded by federal and private dollars has resulted in the formation of 54 startup companies and 409 patents since 1997. Legislators were told that some state policies could dampen that kind of economic development and recommended several changes, including allowing universities to have more flexibility in salaries and health benefits so they can recruit more and better researchers; changing state purchasing rules to allow schools to choose vendors who offer better services and products; and easing of restrictions on construction and leasing so that researchers can move into research space more quickly and easily. Education News, NCSU Golf North Carolina State University is trying to figure out whether it can raise $15.8 million from private donors to build the golf course on Centennial Campus, along with a research-and-training center and a two-story clubhouse with an outdoor terrace. If the answer is positive, the golf course could become part of NCSU’s capital campaign, which will be publicly started in the fall. The university said it needs the golf course as soon as possible for academic and athletic reasons. The university is teaching its second class of majors in the professional golf-management program, a degree that leads graduates to jobs as golf professionals. The golf course would also be used by the men’s and women’s golf teams, which now have no home course, and by students in the turfgrass research program in NCSU’s College of Ag and Life Sciences. News from Washington To combat activist groups’ endless flow of lawsuits against the EPA, the turfgrass industry has been called upon to speak out to protect both endangered species and the use of turf pesticide products. The activists’ lawsuits accuse the EPA of failure to implement the Endangered Species Act compliance process for registering pesticides. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) supports the regulatory process, developed jointly with the EPA, US Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries Service. This process establishes a formal, comprehensive multi-agency review procedure to protect endangered species while minimizing impacts to users of professional and consumer pesticides for both specialty and agricultural uses. One lawsuit already won in the Western District of Washington state ordered unnecessary buffer zones up to 300 feet for certain pesticide applications close to waterways, along with a redundant consumer-education program for pesticides already approved for use by the EPA. N E W S F R O M T H E N O R T H C A R O L I N A S O D P R O D U C E R S A S S O C I AT I O N Marketing funds requested for promoting NC-grown turfgrass sod On February 24, 2004, the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Sod Producers Association (NC-SPA) met with John Aydlett, marketing specialist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, to plan a major marketing grant proposal to increase demand for North Carolina-grown turfgrass sod. The grant-funding availability comes to the state through the USDA Specialty Crops Marketing program. See page 42 for more information about requesting a copy of the North Carolina Sod Producers Association Membership Directory. 40 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 On February 24, 2004, members from the North Carolina Sod Producers Association (NC-SPA) met at the NC. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services for a marketing-planning session. Pictured above is NC-SPA president Keaton Vandemark (seated) with Commissioner of Agriculture Britt Cobb. Maples photo/TCNC. ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g Pictured (left to right) are Greg Craver (Bellevue Manor Turf, Morgantown), Al Wooten (Quality Turf, Burgaw), John Aydlett (NC Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services), Keaton Vandemark (Vandemark Farms, Spring Hope), Commissioner of Agriculture Britt Cobb, and David McCart (Piedmont Turf, a BuySod producer, Maiden). Maples photo/TCNC. JULY 26-27 PLCAA Legislative Day on the Hill & Cemetery Project Washington, DC calendar of events JULY 27-30 TPI Summer Convention & Field Days Manheim, PA TCNC EVENTS MAY 4 NC TurfPAC Eastern Golf Tournament Wallace, NC AUGUST 11 NSCU Turfgrass Field Day Sandhills Research Station Jackson Springs, NC MAY 18 Tour of the new NCSU Turf Field Lab Facility Lake Wheeler Road Research Unit Raleigh, NC SEPTEMBER 24-26 International Lawn, Garden & Power Equipment Expo Louisville, KY MAY 19 NCSU Landscape Field Day & NCLGA Product & Equipment Show JC Raulston Arboretum Raleigh, NC OCTOBER 6 TCNC Demo Day & Knowledge Network Concord, NC OCTOBER TBA NC TurfPAC Western Golf Tournament Location TBA JUNE 2 TCNC Demo Day & Knowledge Network Wayne Community College Goldsboro, NC OCTOBER 27 TCNC Demo Day & Knowledge Network Greensboro, NC JUNE 22-23 Turfgrass Regional Seminar and Demo Day (partnership between TCNC & VTC) Virginia Beach, VA JANUARY 17-19, 2005 Turfgrass Industry Expo (formerly known as the TCNC Annual Conference & Show) Adam’s Mark Hotel & Grand Pavilion Complex Winston-Salem, NC index of advertisers A & L Eastern Agricultural Labs, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 American Turf Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 BASF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 BuySod, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Camp Chemical Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Carolina Green Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Carolina Turf Farms, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 E & S Soil and Peat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 G & S Turf Equipment Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Harmon Turf Services, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Harrell’s Fertilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover H & H Farm Machine Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Hunter Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 John Deere Landscapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 John Deere Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 J.W. Burress, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Lawn Pro, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 LESCO, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Mackilwean Turf Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Modern Turf, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Morgan Sand Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Oakland Plantation Turf Farm, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Outdoor Equipment Distributors, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Parks Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Patten Seed Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Pioneer Seed Supply, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Quality Turf, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Reddick Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Revels Tractor/Greenville Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Slater Turf Farm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Smith Turf & Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover Southern Agricultural Insecticides, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Syngenta Professional Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Turf Mountain Sod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 NC-SPA Membership Directories now available For your sod ordering convenience, the 2004 North Carolina Sod Producers Association Membership Directories are now available. Request your copy by calling NC-SPA at 910/695-1333 or visit www.ncsod.org. Copies will also be available through your local county cooperative extension agent’s office. For easy reference and contact information, the Directory lists each sod-farm member in North Carolina, their location and the varieties of sod that they grow. 42 N o r t h C a r o l i n a Tu r f g r a s s ■ May/June 2004 ■ w w w. n c t u r f g r a s s . o r g Greensboro Office: Pineville Office: G & S Turf Equipment Co. G & S Turf Equipment Co. 3507 Associate Dr. Greensboro, NC 27405 10901 Downs Rd. Pineville, NC 28134 ph. 888-447-8873 fax 336-621-5949 website www.gsturf.com ph. 800-732-6567 fax 704-504-5809