Nozzle knowledge
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Although they may seem trivial, nozzles have a dramatic impact on product distribution and the performance of every spray application write USGA agronomists Steve Kammerer and Brian Whitlark.
GRASS-ROOTS WITH JOHN NEYLAN Summer stresses
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ATM’s resident agronomic expert John Neylan looks back at the extreme summer endured by many superintendents and turf managers and discusses the impact such conditions have on cool-season grasses and their management.
Also in this edition… Foreword Thinking 4 AGCSATech Update - Drones 44 Regional Profile – South West Rocks, NSW 64 Around the Trade 70 Association Reports 72 Up the last... 80
Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Journal Volume 19.2 (March-April 2017) Nathan Bennett (Royal Adelaide GC); David Brushfield (Nudgee GC); Bazz Bryant (SAGCSA); Chris Chapman (STA NSW/STA Australia); Dan Cook (Elanora CC); Neil Crafter (Golf Strategies); Richard Forsyth (Royal Melbourne GC); Jason Foster (Townsville GC); Peter Fraser (Hervey Bay GC); Jake Gibbs (Royal Sydney GC); Charlie Giffard (Indooroopilly GC); Stuart Gill (NSWGCSA); Neil Graham (GCSAWA); Tony Guy (STA WA); John Halter (City GC, Toowoomba); Kirsty Herring (Katherine GC); David Hobday (South West Rocks CC); Steve Kammerer (USGA); Peter Lonergan (Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC); Ben Lucas (Tocumwal GC); Bruce Macphee (AGCSATech); Matt Mamone (Bear Mountain Golf Resort, Canada); Adam Marchant (Royal Sydney GC); John Nelson (Grafton District GC); John Neylan (Turfgrass Consulting and Research); Kelvin Nicholson (Pacific Harbour G&CC); Pat Pauli (Maroochy River GC); Mat Poultney (VGCSA); Phil Soegaard (Lakelands GC); Dave Thomson (Bermagui CC); Ben Tilley (Headland GC); David Warwick (Avondale GC); Rob Weiks (Brookwater G&CC); Craig Wood (AGCSA); Brian Whitlark (USGA); Darren Wilson (Wembley GC); Garry Woolard (STA Victoria); Brian Worboys (Maitland City Council).
Losses all round
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here do you begin to describe the recent summer that superintendents and turf managers have had to endure? While we had it pretty good down here in Melbourne, in NSW and Queensland records were broken, turf was lost and, most troubling, some superintendents were lost. As someone who has dealt with words and their meaning for much of my career, it’s obvious that my understanding of the meaning of the word ‘resign’ was completely incorrect all these years… The stresses turf management can present are far greater than most other professions and this past summer certainly tested the professional and mental fortitude of all practitioners around the country. And it wasn’t just because of the weather! Having spoken to a number of superintendents, it was again the unrealistic expectations and demands placed upon them and their staff during such extreme times that pushed many to their wits end. It got to such a level that the NSWGCSA felt compelled to issue a missive to Golf Management Australia NSW on behalf of their members requesting the need for support from club general managers and boards during such a difficult period and that every club was in the same boat. Obviously the message got through to some, but not others. In this edition we canvass superintendents up and down the eastern seaboard and across other parts of the country to see how they fared this summer. All have differing stories but one thing stands out above all – they did their utmost to provide playing surfaces under what were some very trying conditions. ATM columnist and one of this country’s foremost agronomists John Neylan makes a very pertinent point in his column in this edition, one which I encourage all superintendents and turf managers to slip under the noses of their boards and general managers, in regards to the management of turf in the sorts of conditions we saw over the past summer: “Turf management under extreme temperatures is a matter of survival and has little to do with presenting an elite playing surface,” writes Neylan. “Once temperatures are well outside of the accepted norm for turfgrasses, it is about minimising the stresses the turf manager can control. That is, lifting cutting heights, reducing shade and increasing air movement, hollow-tine aerification and topdressing in the spring, regular solid-tine aerification prior to and during heat stress and preventative fungicide programmes.” And while we are on the topic of losses, it is with great sadness that the AGCSA will shortly bid farewell to its senior agronomist. Andrew Peart has decided to put the Clegg hammer in the box for the final time and is off to manage the family’s newly-acquired farm east of Melbourne (where they will be growing medicinal poppies of all things!) Andrew has been an absolute stalwart of the association over the past 15 years and his departure from the industry, of which he has been a part of for more than 20, is a significant loss. While his ability to mangle the English language and his misguided loyalty to the Geelong Football Club won’t be missed (and don’t even get me started on his IT skills…), Andrew’s agronomic expertise, unique sense of humour, no-nonsense and selfless manner and his ability to stomach an ouzo and coke will be. All the best Pearty – you have been a fantastic servant for the AGCSA and the industry as a whole and many thanks for your wisdom, friendship and the many (well-edited) contributions to this journal during your time at Clayton HQ. You will be sorely missed. Enjoy the read mate...
Brett Robinson, Editor
33rd Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition TwinWaters, June 26-29 2017 For information visit www.agcsa.com.au/conference or contact Simone Staples on (03) 9548 8600 or simone@agcsa.com.au
AGCSA
Many Paths, One Goal MARCH-APRIL 2017
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