Alabama Turf Times - Winter 2019

Winter 2019

Shade and Implications for Turfgrass Health

Plus, Member Spotlight on 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner

James Simmons

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Winter 2019

Top Features 12

Save these Dates — 12 Road Show Seminars And More

Cover Story — 14 Shade and Implications for Turfgrass Health

Turf Tips — 18 New Technology to Improve

Turfgrass Management Efficiency?

The Future May Be Here!

Member Spotlight – 22 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, James Simmons

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Departments 6

From the President’s Pen

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ATA Annual Sponsors

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Welcome, New Board Members!

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ATA Membership & Sponsorship Application

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Auburn University Turf Team

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Calendar of Events

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Advertiser Index

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www.AlaTurfgrass.org 4

The Alabama Turfgrass Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation.

The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Alabama Turf Times, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Alabama Turfgrass Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright © 2018 by the Alabama Turfgrass Association. Alabama Turf Times is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Alabama Turfgrass Association. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. 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 insertion please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com

From the President’s Pen >>>

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G

reetings and Happy Holidays ATA members! You may have been surprised to find this 2019 Winter Issue of Alabama Turf Times in your mailbox so early. The reason this issue was mailed earlier than normal is because our editorial staff made a decision that they wanted you to receive the magazine consistently every three months.

The Fall Issue has and will always reach you before the Deep South Turf Expo, and the winter issue before the Road Shows so you can make plans to attend both events in a timely manner. As you know, each issue carries articles about upcoming and recent events, so be sure to read each Alabama Turf Times and make plans to attend our many educational events.

Let me also thank the many professors and others who have written articles for Alabama Turf Times and especially Melanie Bonds who coordinates everything with our publisher, Leading Edge Communications, LLC. We should all support and thank those vendors who advertise in our magazine because Alabama Turf Times will not grow unless ads are sold. There is a direct correlation between pages of advertisement and the amount of editorial content we can place in the magazine each issue. I encourage more of our vendors to contact Kristin Kash with Leading Edge Communications, LLC at 1-615-790-3718 to discuss placing ads in upcoming issues.

With that being said, as this issue goes to press our new president hasn’t yet been sworn in and I’ve been asked to write one final president’s letter. As you know, Kim Byram will be the 2019 ATA president, and I look forward to him serving as president. Kim has great energy, passion and loyalty toward ATA. Having served on the board with him since 2014, I can tell you that he is solid; he has good ideas, is willing to volunteer and is always there when you need him. Make sure you introduce yourself to him at any of our events next year, and if you have any comments or suggestions, share those as well. He’s a good listener and will do what he can to make your voice heard.

Reading over this issue, you will see the schedule for all the 2019 Road Shows with the speakers and topics mentioned. As usual, the meetings start early in the New Year with the Montgomery and Loxley meetings taking place January 9th and 16th and the Huntsville, Dothan and Birmingham stops on February 13th, 20th and 27th. It’s a good time to bring your co-workers for some good basic training and the pesticide points are always good to get!

Also, don’t forget to attend the Lawn and Landscape Workshop held March 13, 2019 at the Ingalls Center in Decatur, Alabama. Ingalls Center is part of Ingalls Harbor, a beautiful 27-acre venue on the south side of the Tennessee River not far from Interstate 65. Thanks to our board member Heath Puckett who works for Decatur Parks and Recreation Department for his help securing this location. The Lawn and Landscape Workshop is held every other year at different locations with the Sport Turf Field Day held on the alternate years.

Regarding events, the 2018 Deep South Turf Expo is behind us, and if you didn’t fill-out any evaluation forms concerning this event, please take time now to share your comments with the ATA Board and Melanie Bonds. They will make sure your comments are discussed at the next DSTE Board meeting. They want to hear from you. This meeting is about you, so your opinions are important! As a reminder, there was a scheduling issue for the 2019 meeting so next year’s DSTE will be early. It will take place October 1-3, 2019 in Biloxi. Don’t forget to place these dates on your calendars now.

Well, I only have a few more weeks to serve as ATA president and didn’t expect the chance to write this final message. In the fall issue, I thanked everyone but it bears repeating. I want to thank all those that have helped me during this past year. First let me thank Melanie Bonds, current ATA Executive Director and Tricia Roberts, our past Executive Director for their encouragement, help and guidance.

Both women have meant so much to me and ATA. Also, I want to thank this year’s ATA Board for serving with such dedication; they are true leaders in the turfgrass industry today. And once again, thank you for allowing me to serve ATA. It has been my honor and pleasure! I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year. v

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Tres Wilkinson

2018 ATA Annual Sponsors Gold • Bayer Environmental Science • Beard Equipment Company • Greenville Turf & Tractor • Harrell’s, Inc. • Jacobsen • Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation • Simplot, Inc.

Silver • BWI Companies • Dow Agrosciences • Ewing • Residex • SiteOne Landscape Supply • Syngenta

Bronze • AGRI-AFC, LLC • Agromax • Aquatrols • BASF • Diamond R Fertilizers • Humphries Turf Supply • PBI-Gordon • Southern States Turf • Sur-Line Turf

Alabama Turf Times is the official publication of the: Alabama Turfgrass Association P.O. Box 70 Auburn, Alabama 36831 Tel: (334) 821-3000 Fax: (334) 821-3800 Email: mailbox@alaturfgrass.org www.alaturfgrass.org Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 Tel: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedge communications.com Executive Director Melanie Bonds Alabama Turf Times Editor James Horton EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Kim Byram University of Alabama

Vice President Deven Peek

Full Bloom Landscapes, LLC

Secretary/Treasurer Joe Collins, CSFM Samford University

Past President Tres’ Wilkinson South Dallas Turf

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Golf Tim Etheridge Dothan Country Club

Industry Scott Wanzor PBI-Gordon

Institution David White

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Lawn Care Darrel Arnold

Heritage Lawn & Tree Care

Park & Recreation Heath Puckett City of Decator

Sod Greg Jones

New Market Sod Farm

At Large Ben Anderson

Arrowhead Country Club

Tony Culberson Bayer, Inc.

City of Alabaster

EX OFFICIO/EDUCATION ADVISORS David Han, Ph.D. Auburn University (334) 844-3980 handavi@auburn.edu

Jim Jacobi, Ph.D.

Alabama Cooperative Extension System (205) 879-6964, Ext. 19 jacobjc@auburn.edu

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Ben Williams

Southern Specialty Equipment, Inc.

News from ATA >>>

Welcome to the New Board Members on the 2019 Slate Serving on the Board of Directors “At Large” Tony Culberson is from Sylacauga, Alabama. He graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture. Tony and his wife, Jen, live in Birmingham with their two children, Kinley and Graham. Tony has worked in the green industry for almost ten years as a distributor sales representative and manufacturer representative. He began working with Bayer in March of 2018, covering Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. Tony looks forward to helping and working alongside professionals in the turf industry every day.

Serving on the Board of Directors for Golf Tim Etheridge is a 1981 graduate of Lake City Community College with an Associates degree in Golf Course Operations. After graduation Tim worked as Assistant Superintendent for Ken Dillard at Olympia Spa Golf Resort in Dothan, Alabama for two years. In 1983 Tim accepted the Superintendent position at the Dothan Country Club and has been the Superintendent there for the past thirty-five years. Tim is married to Linda Etheridge and they have a daughter, Mollie, who is currently a senior at Troy University.

Serving on the Board of Directors for Institution

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David White was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated high school from Marion Military Institute and then attended Auburn University, obtaining a degree in Agronomy and Soils with a Turfgrass Management specialization. He has spent 23 years in the golf course management and landscape industry. The first twelve were in the golf course business at courses such as Hoover Country Club, Shoal Creek, Auburn Links, Tannehill National and Terry Walker Country Club. For the past eleven years he has worked in the landscaping side of the industry for Enviro-Tech Landscapes as a chemical manager, manager and then owner.

For the past three years David has worked for the University of Alabama in Birmingham in the Campus Services and Grounds Department as the Landscape Horticulturist. David and his wife, Joy White, will celebrate 20 years of marriage this year, and they have two daughters, Morgan (16) and Emily (14). When not working around the campus and athletic fields of UAB, David is watching his girls playing sports and enjoying time on Lake Martin. It is a privilege for him to serve the members of the ATA!

Serving on the Board of Directors “At Large” Ben Williams is the Parks Superintendent for the City of Alabaster. His work history includes The Grand Hotel/Lakewood Golf Club in Point Clear, Alabama and Marcus Pointe Golf Club in Pensacola, FL. He is a graduate of Auburn University. War Eagle! He is a native of Alexander City, Alabama, where he still enjoys visiting Lake Martin. He has a beautiful wife, Ashley, and two wonderful children, Mattie and Sanders. He enjoys playing golf and fishing. v

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Membership & Sponsorship Application >>>

ATA Membership & Sponsorship Application Name:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City:________________________________________________________________________________ State:_____________ Zip:_______________________________ Phone:__________________________________________ Cell:________________________________________ Fax:_________________________________________ Website:_____________________________________________________________ Email:_______________________________________________________________

Industry Category: Golf Course Superintendent Industry/Supplier Representative Institution (Corporate/University) Landscape Services

Lawn Care Specialist Parks & Recreation/Municipality Sod Producer Sports Turf Manager

Student, Name of School: _______________________________________ _______________________________________ Other

Dues:

$100

Individual Membership Dues

$25

Individual Student/ Educator Dues

$50

Additional Members From Same Company

All Annual Sponsors will receive recognition at all ATA events, publications and signage, plus discounts on advertising and tradeshow booths. Please be sure to include the name and address of each company representative that should receive ATA memberships included in your sponsorship.

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$2,500

$1,500

Gold Sponsorship

Silver Sponsorship

Bronze Sponsorship

Includes 5 memberships, tee signs at golf tournaments and one comp registration at educational seminars.

Includes 3 memberships, tee signs at golf tournaments and one comp registration at educational seminars.

includes 2 memberships and one comp registration at educational seminars.

Please make checks payable to ATA and remit it with your application to:

Alabama Turfgrass Association Post Office Box 70 • Auburn, AL 36831 Phone: 334-821-3000 • Fax: 334-821-3800 10

$800

Providing the best selection of turf and landscape products, competitive prices, and excellent customer service.

BWI Meridian

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5215 Fairground Dr Marion, MS 39342 800-395-2580 bwicompanies.com

Save These Dates! >>>

Preview of the

2019 ATA Road Shows Weed Management in Southern Turfgrass

Speaker: Jim Harris, Auburn University A look at problem weeds and chemistry for controlling them.

Principles of Turfgrass Irrigation and Water Conservation

Speaker: Adam Boyd, Auburn University Basic irrigation topics will cover maintenance and design of residential, commercial, sports field and golf course systems. Water conservation techniques will also be discussed.

Identification of Turfgrass Insects: Yes, It Matters!

Speaker: David Held, Ph.D., Auburn University Identification of the pest is one of the pillars of integrated pest management. In this session, participants will learn how to identify the damaging life stages of common insects associated with turfgrass, their biology and management. We have very effective insecticides available now for insect control in turfgrass, but the correct timing of those applications begins with proper identification.

Save the Date for these

Upcoming Events March 13, 2019 Lawn and Landscape Workshop Our Lawn and Landscape Workshop is scheduled for March 13, 2019 at the Ingalls Center in Decatur, Alabama. We will have an excellent program – stay tuned for further details!

Lunch Sponsored by PBI Gordon with Scott Wanzor

March 25, 2019 Poa Annua Classic

Turfgrass Troubleshooting – Identifying Common Turfgrass Diseases

Speaker: Jim Jacobi, Ph.D., Alabama Cooperative Extension Specialist Learn how to identify and manage common disease problems in residential and commercial turf.

Sprayer Calibration for Turfgrass Applications

The Poa Annua Classic will return to Farm Links Golf Club in 2019.

Be sure to save the date for our Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation Fundraiser!

Speaker: Dave Han, Ph.D., Auburn University Calibrating a sprayer ensures that you are applying the correct rate of fertilizer or chemical. This is critical in most aspects of turfgrass management. Many pesticides and liquid fertilizers are expensive and applying too much can make them unprofitable to use. Over-applying also risks damaging the turf and/or nearby desirable plants and causing runoff into nearby streams and lakes. Applying too little can result in not obtaining the desired result in terms of turfgrass growth or pest control and, with pesticides, can even encourage resistance. The key to using a sprayer successfully is knowing that you are applying the right rate of product to the turf. v

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Thank You to Our Mole Unfortunately, the 2018 Mole Cricket Classic Fishing Tournament was cancelled due to a variety of factors. It did not help that Hurricane Michael made landfall the previous week in the panhandle. The Mole Cricket has traditionally raised money for turfgrass research.

We want to thank our sponsors who support this tournament! v 12

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Cover Story >>>

Shade and Implications for Turfgrass Health

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

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M

anaging turfgrasses in shade can be one of the more challenging aspects encountered by turfgrass managers everywhere.

Unlike weeds, insects, or diseases you can’t simply spray something to correct the problem. Furthermore, who doesn’t love a good shade tree on a hot summer day? Privacy fences, homes or other structures, trees, shrubs, etc. all have the capacity to block sunlight from reaching turfgrasses and thereby create shade. In this article, we’ll explore the fundamentals behind shade, its impact on turfgrass health, and recent research designed to determine exactly how much sunlight is necessary to meet the needs of various turfgrass species.

In order to understand shade, it’s important to first understand the sunlight that it’s blocking. Sunlight has properties of both particles and waves.

Particles of light called photons contain energy that is delivered in various wavelengths which are defined by the distance between successive crests. The electromagnetic spectrum (Figure 1) includes the entire range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation delivered to the Earth’s surface by the sun. Unfortunately, not all of

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these wavelengths are useful for plant growth. In fact, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which is what drives growth in plants, makes up a very small amount of this spectrum.

The entire 300 nanometer (nm) range of PAR from 400-700 nm, when compared to the entire electromagnetic spectrum, is equivalent to the width of a dime when compared to the distance in driving from New York, NY to Los Angeles, CA. This tiny portion of light is all that’s useful to plants. As a result, one can imagine that it doesn’t take much additional shade from cloud cover, trees, homes, etc. to limit turfgrass growth in shade.

Turfgrasses, like all plants, require sunlight in order to supply energy to support photosynthesis, which literally means “synthesis using light”. As photosynthesis occurs, solar energy is used to drive the synthesis of carbohydrates and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water. In shaded environments, photosynthesis is reduced which can result in decreased growth rates of turfgrasses, thinning, and even death. This is because plant survival dictates that net photosynthesis (carbon gains) exceed respiration (carbon losses) in order

for the plant to continue to grow, produce new tissues, store carbon, etc. The point at which this pendulum swings in either direction is called the light compensation point, or the point at which photosynthetic CO2 uptake exactly balances CO2 release through respiration.

Generally speaking, cool-season turfgrasses reach light saturation, the point at which any additional sunlight cannot be effectively used for photosynthesis, at approximately 50% of full sunlight. By contrast, warm-season turfgrasses typically require full sunlight to reach light saturation. This introduces a series of questions such as “how much full sunlight do various turfgrass species and varieties need to grow?”, “is afternoon sun better than morning sun?”, “is 4 hours of shade/partial sun better or worse than 2 hours of full sun?”, “how do we measure it?”, and so on.

Light intensity varies by location, diurnal cycle, time of year, atmospheric conditions, cloud cover, shade, etc.

Sometimes this is measured as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) in units of μmol m-2 s-1, which provides an instantaneous value for how much PAR is reaching a leaf’s surface. However, the item of most interest to turfgrass

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Figure 2

Outdoor Daily Light Integral Maps for the continental United States.

Developed by Jim Faust, Clemson University

January

April

February

May

March

June

Outdoor Average daily light integral (mol • m-2 • d-1) 5 - 10 10 - 15

July

August

September

15 - 20 20 - 25 25 - 30 30 - 35 35 - 40

October

November

December

40 - 45 45 - 50 50 - 55 55 - 60

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researchers is how much photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) strikes a surface throughout the course of a day, season, or year. This integrates PPFD into a term called the Daily Light Integral (DLI) and is much more useful for quantifying shade tolerance in plants.

They are also useful because there are simple, inexpensive devices capable of measuring DLI that are commercially available to turfgrass managers.

Publicly available data on DLIs, such as the information in Figure 2, illustrate the amount of PAR striking the Earth’s surface at various points in the United States at different times of year. One can see from this data the substantial differences that exist based on location and season. For example, during the spring months there can be 46% more PAR in the desert southwest than the northeast United States and from January to August in Houston, TX the amount of PAR increases by 142%. These types of baseline data are important for calculating percent reductions using light meters under various shade levels.

Much of the current turfgrass shade research with regard to determining minimum required DLIs is focused primarily on warm-season turfgrasses.

Figure 1

Cover Story >>> Continued

Table 1

Relative shade tolerance of turfgrasses

Tolerance

Cool-season species

Warm-season species

Highly Shade Tolerant

Annual bluegrass Fine fescue Tall fescue

None

Shade Tolerant

Roughstalk bluegrass

Centipedegrass Seashore paspalum St. Augustinegrass Zoysiagrass

Shade Intolerant

Kentucky bluegrass

Bermudagrass

Highly Shade Intolerant

Creeping bentgrass Perennial ryegrass

Bahiagrass Buffalograss Carpetgrass

Gardner and Goss, 2013. Management of Turfgrass in Shade and Turgeon, 1995.

Table 2

1 2

Species/Cultivar

Spring/Fall

Tifeagle bermudagrass

n/a1

32.6

Tifway bermudagrass

17.4 – 18.6

21.4 – 22.4

Celebration bermudagrass

14.2 – 15.7

19.5 – 20.2

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Summer

Tifgrand bermudagrass

13.9 – 15.4

18.6 – 20.9

Tifblair centipedegrass

13.4 – 14.7

13.3 – 14.7

Seadwarf seashore paspalum

11.1

13.0

Captiva St. Augustinegrass

10.8

10.6

Floratam St. Augustinegrass

10.8

11.5

Palisades zoysiagrass

10.5 – 11.3

10.9 – 11.3

Diamond zoysiagrass

10.1 – 11.1

11.0 – 11.1

Jamur zoysiagrass

9.7

9.9

data not available Data compiled from Bunnell et al. (2005) Glenn et al. (2012) and Zhang et al. (2017)

Figure 3

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Reported DLI values (mol m-2 d-1) for various warm-season turfgrass species.

Commercially Available Light Meter for determining DLI.

Cool-season turfgrasses are typically more shade tolerant than warm-season turfgrass species, so generally speaking DLIs for cool-season turfgrass are lower than those for many warmseason turfgrasses. Reported DLIs for several warm-season species and cultivars are reported in Table 2. Bermudagrass, as expected, has the highest DLIs ranging from 13.9 – 18.6 mol m-2 d-1 in the spring/fall and 18.6 – 22.4 mol m-2 d-1 in the summer. This was followed

by Centipedegrass (13.4 – 14.7), Seashore paspalum (11.1 – 13.0), St. Augustinegrass (10.6 – 11.5), and Zoysiagrass (9.7 – 11.3).

Therefore, for clients dealing with substantial shade in southern environments, zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass offer the highest shade tolerance (lowest DLI) and greatest likelihood for success. Within zoysiagrass varieties, additional research has shown that fine textured species that are often interspecific crosses of Z. japonica and Z. matrella or Z. pacifica typically have better shade tolerance than coarse textured varieties of Z. japonica.

While the order in which these warm-season turfgrass species ranked with regard to shade tolerance is not ground-breaking, this type of research begins to establish known DLI values that turfgrass producers, managers, and clients can measure for success. Reliable, relatively inexpensive light meters (Figure 3) can be purchased online that will allow users to document DLIs in their lawns, stadiums, or golf courses to determine which turfgrass species and varieties are best suited for use.

Future research is also currently being conducted to relate these known DLIs to hours of morning or afternoon sun such that new guidelines can be designed to determine the hours of sunlight needed for adequate growth.

It is important to remember that most, if not all, turfgrass species will perform best in full sun. Shade tolerance varies among species and cultivar and selecting the appropriate one for use is the first line of defense in managing healthy turfgrass in moderate to dense shade. Also, next time you see your shadow on the lawn remember that the particles of sunlight hitting your back just traveled 93 million miles only to be obstructed from hitting your turfgrass in the last few feet thanks to you!

Tips for growing turfgrass in shade S elect the appropriate species and cultivar.

St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass provide the highest shade-tolerance in warm-season turfgrasses.

S hade source matters: Trees are more likely to alter light quality (red light, blue light, red/ far red ratios) than buildings or other structures which primarily reduce light quantity Tree species matters: Evergreen trees provide more shade than deciduous trees owing height: Mow turfgrasses on the upper M end of their recommended height range F ertilization: Reduce nitrogen applications.

Excessive leaf growth comes at the expense of roots and other stored carbon sources. raffic: Limit traffic when possible, turfgrasses T under shade grow less vigorously and therefore won’t recover as rapidly as in full sun Plant growth regulators: PGRs have been shown to increase turfgrass quality in closely-mowed turf when grown under moderate shade.

Daily Regional DeliveRy Tennessee Kentucky

Citations Bell, G.E., T.K. Danneberger, and M.J. McMahon. 2000. Spectral irradiance available for turfgrass growth in sun and shade. Crop Sci. 40:189–195.

Bunnell, B. T., L. B. McCarty, J. E. Faust, W. C. Bridges, N. C. Rajapakse, and W. C. Bridges. 2005. Quantifying a daily light integral requirement of a ‘TifEagle’ bermudagrass golf green. Crop Sci. 45(2):p.

569-574.

Gardner, D. S. and R. M. Goss. 2013. Management of Turfgrass in Shade.

P. 219-247. In. Stier et al. (ed.) Turfgrass: Biology, Use, and Management. Agron. Monogr. 56. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA. Madison, WI. Glenn, B., J. Kruse, and J. B. Unruh. 2012. Daily light integral require ments for twelve warm-season turfgrasses. Int. Ann. Meet. p. 72111.

Korczynski, P.C., J. Logan, and J.E. Faust. Mapping Monthly Distribution of Daily Light Integrals across the Contiguous United States.

HortTech. 12(1): 12-16.

Turgeon, A.J. 1995. Turfgrass Management. 4th ed. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Wherley, B.G., P. Skulkaew, A. Chandra, A.D. Genovesi, and M.C. Engelke. 2011. Low-input Performance of Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.)

Cultivars Maintained under Dense Tree Shade. HortSci. 46(7):10331037.

Zhang, J., B. Gleen, J.B. Unruh, J. Kruse, K. Kenworthy, J. Erickson, D. Rowland, and L. Trenholm. 2017. Comparative performance and daily light integral requirements of warm-season turfgrasses in different seasons. Crop Sci. 57: 2273-2282. v

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Turf Tips >>>

New Technology to Improve Turfgrass Management Efficiency?

The Future May Be Here!

By James Horton

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Wi nter 201 9

T

oday’s turfgrass managers have seen unbelievable change in equipment, tools and technology during their careers. New innovations have allowed turfgrass managers to become more efficient with manpower and budgets. The best turfgrass managers have been trained to look for the latest innovations, however small or large, that will give them an edge in performing their jobs. We’ve all seen those new inventions that made huge, positive impacts in our daily tasks. Some seemed so simple that we wished we had thought of it first. Others we didn’t even see on the horizon, and the next one is no exception. In fact, you will have to look skyward to see it coming.

Drones are here! It may seem farfetched but in the near future drones may be standard equipment for turfgrass managers across our industry.

Sod producers, sports field managers,

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golf course superintendents, lawn care companies, institutions, etc., may very well own and use drones in conducting daily business, maintenance and sales in the years to come.

Introduction to Drones

Satellites and low-altitude aircraft have been commonly used in agriculture, especially row crops, for a variety of reasons, but only minimally in turfgrass due to the smaller acreage. However, all types of turfgrass venues could be ideal niches for drones, or more correctly stated, small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS).

The word drone was coined from the buzzing hum made by this small aircraft’s propellers, which is similar to that of a male honeybee known as a drone. A grading system is used to classify sUAS by use and delineates which drones are toys and which are

not. The grading criteria considers the overall size of the unit (sUAS are defined as weighing 55 pounds or less, while full-scale UAS weigh more than 55 pounds), plus its capabilities such as flight endurance, method of operation and type of payload. There are three categories of sUAS; Hobbyist, Enforcement, and Commercial. The hobbyist grade has been available at almost every hobby and toy store for several years. The enforcement grade is used by military and law enforcement and are not available to the average citizen due to the array of sensors and weapons they could carry. The commercial grade is the type used for agricultural research and by serious pilots for business and profit. The use of drones by turfgrass managers would be considered commercial.

The pilotless nature of these unmanned aircraft raised the concern of

Above: Cullman High School Sports Complex. Photo courtesy David Warren, www.cullmanaerialphotography.com

the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) years ago since it has jurisdiction over the National Airspace through its network of air navigation facilities using Air Traffic Control centers and airports. In 2007, the FAA issued a policy that stated “no person may operate a UAS in the National Airspace System without specific authority.” In 2013, the FAA created six UAS testing sites to better understand the use and safety of UAS. The government has primarily been concerned over safety as it relates to crashes, radio frequency, insurance issues and privacy. As usual, government is trying to play catch up with technology. For now, UAS operators/ pilots must comply with the FAA’s current licensing policy which has two certifications: Certification of Authorization only for public entities such as government agencies and universities; and for all others a Certification of Airworthiness is required to ensure the aircraft and its systems will not pose a public threat. Incidentally, public entities also are required to attain a Certificate of Airworthiness. Those seeking to operate a drone should first understand the regulatory process to legally pilot a sUAS. To that point, passing Part 107 FAA Drone Pilot Exam is required to pilot commercial sUAS aircraft, and this is not an easy test. In fact, there are study courses that you can pay to take that will prepare you for this test.

Other Details You Should Know

Remote controller using an IPad to view live camera stream of flight

Drone directly overhead hovering in flight

speed, range and attitude via WiFi. It should be noted, the FAA has placed altitude restrictions over the entire country. Drone pilots can use an app called AirMap to see the restrictions.

Drones cannot fly above 400 feet so not to interfere with commercial airplanes, in some areas less and still other areas not at all. In addition, the range of the aircraft is constrained within the Line-of-Sight (LOS) of the pilot or visual observer. This has been an FAA rule, but one that doesn’t seem to be enforced very often. In fact, many new sUAS models now have auto-pilot capability.

Auto-pilot software has gotten easier to program and is available to the public.

One such software is Arduino. This software works with the pilot manually flying the drone to certain locations and marking the location with GPS coordinates. Once that information is input, along with the desired attitude and speed for the drone to reach each location in the sequence selected, the drone will fly itself and return to the start point. If the drone is equipped

with a real-time imaging camera, the image will be seen on the controller’s laptop or IPad. This will allow the remote control operator to virtually sit in the “cockpit” of the drone and see exactly what the drone sees on the controller’s screen. It’s not uncommon for drones to have 20 Megapixel still picture and 4K video camera capability and with lithium batteries supplying 30 minutes of flight time (less in windy conditions) abundant images can be captured.

As you can see, drones have amazing capability and, since they are unmanned, they can handle certain jobs that are considered laborious, routine and in some cases too dangerous for humans. Here is a short list of how drones have been used: Aerial photography; agricultural applications; border surveillance; bio-security; suspect tracking; surveying forest and structure fires; traffic monitoring; disaster response, relief and rescue; damage assessment and surveying; atmospheric and weather research; infrastructure monitoring;

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There are two basic body styles for sUAS: Rotary and Fixed-wing.

• Rotary drones are helicopter-like, with multiple propellers depending on its size and payload, and can take off from its current position unassisted as long as it has minimal clearance. These aircraft are highly maneuverable and capable of hovering or flying at slow or fast speeds. Twothirds of all sUAS aircraft are rotary.

• Fixed-wing drones are plane-like, vary in size depending on their payloads, and require some kind of launch assistance or runway for take-off. These aren’t used as often as rotary but do offer certain advantages such as longer flight times and greater distances covered.

Flying sUAS takes skill and practice since they are controlled remotely using handheld radio controllers equipped with joy sticks to adjust the drones

Drone Kit containing the DJI Phantom 4Pro V2.0

Turf Tips >>> Continued

wildlife monitoring; power, pipe line and mining surveillance; movie production; aerial news coverage; mail and freight transport; flood mapping; real estate mapping; and sporting event coverage.

Sensors Used by Drones

Engineers and system designers have been working with other researchers to meet the growing uses and needs of sUAS users across the many applications

they could be used. One of the biggest challenges has been the miniaturization of sensors so that the payload did not over tax the light weight aircraft.

Drones normally carry built-in sensors to aid in navigation, collision avoidance and flight operation. Collision avoidance can be turned off to allow the drone to fly closer to objects such as trees or buildings. Additionally, sensors can be added for specific data collection. The type and sophistication

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of sensors being used in agricultural research is growing with potentially endless types of information being collected. Below are some of the sensors currently being used in agriculture that could have roles in managing turfgrass in the near future.

•G lobal Information Systems (GIS) to track the unit’s location during flight and to collect data on a target subject.

• RGB Digital Cameras are full frame digital cameras using a variety of special filters to capture red, green and blue (RGB) photons to create a high quality visible-band image.

• Modified RGB Digital Cameras are RGB cameras that have been modified with different filters for specific data acquisition.

• Multispectral sensors can discriminate specific wavelengths, and use this information compared to correlations developed with plant biophysical processes using vegetation indices for specific plant targets being scanned.

These scanners can be used for nutrient, water stress, disease, weed and general crop monitoring.

• Hyperspectral sensors capture narrow spectral bands over a continuous spectral range, thus capturing more detailed information than multispectral sensors.

• Laser scanning can be used to capture the shape of objects, including plants, by steering laser beams in a controlled fashion at the target and then measure the distance at every pointing direction. Lasers have been used in construction and surveying for years and are very accurate for measurements. They can then be used to generate two- and three-dimensional images of the target. A laser system known as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) is used in forestry to measure canopy cover, biomass, tree count and height. Other laser scanners are used for 3-D mapping.

• Thermal infrared imaging sensors for sUAS are becoming more common as both weight and size are reduced.

They are mostly used to monitor water stress and disease detection.

• Spectrometer sensors measure the electromagnetic spectrum and can show intensity as a function of

wavelength or frequency. One such system is used to assess “soil health”.

Processing the Data

This is a relatively new field of study with emerging technology, and researchers are learning how to best use drones to provide fast, affordable and useful surveys. Some of the research approaches are broad-scale, but as time passes, more specific surveys will be designed. Researchers are continuing to develop algorithms and methodology for collecting and analyzing the airborne data being collected by the various specific sensors placed on drones.

Phenotyping, spatial analysis and vegetation indices are all being used to interpret the aerial data being collected per specific surveys. The aerial data is then compared to on-ground tests and observations to make sure the researchers understand the results, and using that understanding, re-calibrate the instruments on board the drone as needed.

So What Can Drones Do For Turfgrass Managers?

Currently, drones with a good camera can be used by turfgrass managers to view obvious, real time conditions of their turf, but from an entirely different bird’s eye view perspective. Here are some of the ways drones could be used today: • Aerial photos of complexes, courses, fields, farms and client lawns • Before and after photos of projects • Use photos as sales promotion • Monitor “grow-in” rates • Monitor sod harvesting • Track and monitor fertilizer and pesticide applications • Monitor research plots • Irrigation system mapping and “as-built” documentation • Monitor health and level of irrigation ponds • Drought stress mapping • Flood plain mapping • Identify weak turf • Document storm damage • Monitor storm damage clean-up • Map persistent disease incident locations • Monitor tree health and identify weak upper limbs or trunks not easily seen The possible uses for drone photography are endless!

Flying into the Future It’s an exciting time and we’re just at the beginning of this new field of drone-aided data collection. Agricultural research using drones will only increase and as it does, applications will be developed for turfgrass managers to become more efficient with their manpower and budgets. Certainly it won’t take researchers, engineers and designers long to produce newer generations of drones that will do even more tasks accurately, in less time and at a lower cost than conventional methods. With future drone sales predicted to increase exponentially, they may very well become as ubiquitous as the lawn mower.

The big question is…. Will drones prove as important a game changer as any innovation to date to move turfgrass management efficiency forward?

Hummmm…. only time will tell! v

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Current agricultural research, some of which includes turfgrass applications, uses drones to identify, monitor and study the following: • Nutrient Status • Water Stress • Disease Incidence • Weed Infestation • Chemical and Nutrient Applications • Asset Tracking, Management and Mapping • Turf Inventory Management • Species Classification • Crop Yield > Growth, Biomass, Canopy Density • Monitoring of Invasive Grasses and Vegetation, Especially in Remote Areas When the day comes that turfgrass managers are able to use drone technology on their fields, courses and lawns, they could more precisely apply chemicals, fertilizers, water and other materials, not to mention more efficient allocation of manpower and assets to give turfgrass exactly what it needs for optimum health and productivity.

This approach is known as Precision Agriculture and has the goal of ensuring profitability, providing sustainability and protecting the environment.

Until Then

ATA Member Spotlight >>>

James Simmons, CGCS

A World Class Superintendent for a World Class Course

By Melanie Bonds, ATA Executive Director

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim e s > >> Wi nter 201 9

H

all Thompson’s dream was to create a world-class golf course in Alabama. The dream was realized when he enlisted Jack Nicklaus to design Shoal Creek Golf Club in 1975 and, just as importantly, hired Jim Simmons, CGCS, as his superintendent.

Jim held the position as superintendent at Shoal Creek from November of 1975 until he retired in June of 2018.

“What really sets Shoal Creek apart from others is its uniqueness,” according to Jim. “Not only is every hole set off by itself, each one plays differently. And that came as much from Mr. Thompson as Nicklaus. Mr. Thompson was very hands-on during the development of the course. Hall Thompson wanted a championship course, but at the end of the day he also wanted to be sure the course was fun for its members. Nicklaus achieved both goals.”

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And if a world-class course is measured by the quality of tournaments it collects, then Mr. Thompson achieved his goal. Seven years after its opening in 1977, Shoal Creek hosted the PGA Championship. That was just the beginning. It has since hosted two PGA Championships (1984 and 1990), the 1986 U.S. Amateur, the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur and the Southern Amateur in 2010. Following the Southern Amateur, Shoal Creek began hosting the Regions Tradition on the Champions Tour in 2011. Considered one of the five majors on the Champions tour and drawing top players, The Regions Tradition is a landmark in the Alabama golf world.

This rigorous schedule is not for the faint hearted, and when it comes to heart and the commitment to hard work, Shoal Creek scored a hole in one with the Simmons hire. Jim says his

James Simmons, CGCS

budget course as a “so-called superintendent. My two friends and I made up the entire maintenance crew. It was hard work and I earned $2.25 per hour.

I thought was doing well!”

Jim’s career had a guardian angel in a good friend of the family named Jack Welch. Jack encouraged Jim to join the Central Ohio GCSA. Networking there led to a job as an assistant at Brookside Country Club in Worthington. Jim worked under superintendent, Ed Etchells, and this move jump-started his career.

It also taught Jim to be self-disciplined, efficient and organized with his jobs.

When Jack Nicklaus built Muirfield Village Golf Club, Ed Etchells became the superintendent. Ed hired Jim as his assistant. Jim says, “I then had two demanding individuals to answer to. Many of the skills I learned from my two previous courses paid off, and though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was laying the foundation for the next challenge in my life.”

Jim worked at Muirfield for four years. Jack Nicklaus started designing his own courses, and Ed Etchells began providing agronomic consulting on all the Nicklaus courses. Shoal Creek was the first course Nicklaus designed himself in the United States. The story goes that Hall Thompson asked Jack during one of his site visits, “What type

of grass are we planning for the putting greens?” Without flinching, Jack said, “Bentgrass.” In the next breath he mentioned that he had a young man at Muirfield Village who was knowledgeable and ready to grow Bentgrass. There began a forty-two year career for Jim. On June 30, 2018 Jim walked off property of Shoal Creek, no longer responsible for the golf course. He had worked in the business for 52 years and at Shoal Creek as superintendent for 42. “It felt like an anchor had lifted from my back.

Superintendents often don’t realize just how much pressure they work under every day. It’s just part of the daily routine, and we learn how to handle it, but suddenly I found that I didn’t have to deal with weather, diseases, expectations. I was amazed at how much more at ease I suddenly felt.”

Jim recounts the events that led to his retirement. “Once we did the Junior Amateur in 2008, then the Southern Amateur in 2010, we started preparing immediately afterwards for the 2011 Regions Tradition. The Tradition is in May. Afterwards, as soon as we got everything off the course we would go into a restoration project. Starting in March and all the way through September, it was non-stop, because we did all the changes in house. By 2014 I was tired.”

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goal in becoming a golf course superintendent was to “become the best superintendent in the business at the best course in the country. Throughout my career I have been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. But any success I have achieved has not come without hard work and long hours.”

Jim began his career working on his hometown course in Ohio in 1966. “Two of my friends and I were hired for what would turn out to be the job of a lifetime, at least for a hometown boy. I enjoyed the work and being on a golf course. My father, who was not known for the art of conversation, made a single comment to me. ‘Why don’t you consider going to turf school?’ From that point on my career began.”

Enrolling at Michigan State University in their new two-year turfgrass management program, Jim was fortunate to have such legendary professors as James Beard, John King, Al Turgeon, Ken Payne, Paul Rieke and Joe Vargas.

“Their interest and enthusiasm really motivated many of us in the class and some of us needed motivating at that age.”

Jim’s internship was done under Jack Hart at the NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio in 1969. The Club hosted the PGA Championship that same year.

“Interns were unheard of at that time.

Though Jack Hart was forthcoming with helpful information, many of his assistants and foremen (who did not possess turf degrees) were skeptical of college students, and it was difficult to gain their confidence. Nonetheless, I worked hard and gained valuable insight into the profession. Jack Hart told me something as I was leaving that stayed with me for my whole career: ‘Once you feel you do not have to get down on your hands and knees to evaluate your golf course, you will be thrown out of the business.’ To this day, I value the truth of that statement.”

Upon graduation, Jim returned to his home town and worked at a low

ATA Member Spotlight >>> Continued

In 2014 when Shoal Creek considered doing the Women’s Open, Jim thought it would be a good idea to transition to the Tournament Chair and hire a new superintendent. Before he could put his proposal to Mike Thompson, Mike made an announcement during a board meeting that the USGA would manage the Women’s Open from start to finish. This seemed to put an end to Jim’s idea of

transitioning as tournament chair, but in 2015 Mike called Jim into his office.

He told Jim that he had been thinking about moving all operations (everything outside the ropes) to Shoal Creek Tournament Operations to give Jim the opportunity to transition out of the superintendent’s position. Jim said, “I could tell he was nervous. After all, I would be 68 and had 42 years at Shoal Creek

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at that point. We shook hands on it.

Then, they put together a committee to hire the new superintendent.”

As soon as the Women’s Open was finished Jim took a month’s vacation in Rhode Island. “I was born in Rhode Island and my parents were raised there. I felt like I hadn’t been involved with my family there since 2000 and I wanted to reconnect. It was a great vacation. I played golf and ate sea food and visited.”

Jim plans to continue to work in some capacity during his retirement.

“I’m going to be doing something.

Everyone says, ‘Be a consultant.’ I don’t mind helping someone, but I wouldn’t feel right going to a course and telling a superintendent how to run his course on a day to day basis. If nothing comes around that I feel comfortable with, I might just work on a golf course somewhere.”

Shoal Creek benefited greatly from Jim’s talents through the years and they were good to him on retirement.

He was made an honorary member and they gave him a signed painting of the 14th hole that now hangs in his foyer. They also gave him a truck. Jim feels like the most lasting gift was given a few years earlier when they named the Shoal Creek Member/Member Golf Tournament prize the Simmons Cup. A Simmons Cup flag signed by Jack Nicklaus was also presented to Jim by Rex Davis.

Being a great superintendent on a great course is one thing. But Jim’s contributions to the industry go far beyond that. Anyone who has seen the volunteer turn-out for Shoal Creek’s premier tournaments can sense that something special is going on. Jim’s interns and past assistants are scattered around the globe and have come from as far away as Australia to help out when volunteers are needed. Jim did not forget the precepts of motivating and mentoring young people that he was first taught at Michigan State.

Superintendents and greens industry professionals from all over the world have benefited from his tutelage.

The Alabama Turfgrass Association is proud to designate Jim as the winner of the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award! v

<<< Auburn Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Turf Team

Auburn Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Turf John Beasley Jr., Ph.D. Department Head, Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences 204 Funchess Hall Auburn, AL 36849 P 334-844-3850 jpb0035@auburn.edu Fudd Graham, Ph.D. Researcher/Entomology 301 Funchess Hall Auburn University, AL 36849 P 334-844-2563 grahalc@auburn.edu

Elizabeth Guertal, Ph.D. Professor/Turfgrass Soil Fertility 263 Funchess Hall Auburn University, AL 36849 P 334-844-3999 guertea@auburn.edu Austin Hagan, Ph.D. Extension Plant Pathologist 143 ALFA Building Auburn University, AL 36849 P 334-844-5503 haganak@auburn.edu Dave Han, Ph.D. Assoc. Professor/ Extension Specialist, Turfgrass Management 252 Funchess Hall Auburn University, AL 36849 P 334-844-3980 handavi@auburn.edu

David Held, Ph.D. Asst. Professor/Entomology 301 Funchess Hall Auburn University, AL 36849 P 334-844-3818 dwhooo4@auburn.edu Jim Jacobi, Ph.D. Extension Plant Pathologist 2612 Lane Park Road Birmingham, AL 35223 P 205-879-6964, ext. 19 jacobjc@auburn.edu David Lawrence Superintendent, Turfgrass Research Center 201 Funchess Hall Auburn University, AL 36849 P 334-844-4100 lawreda@auburn.edu

Team Scott McElroy, Ph.D. Assoc. Professor, Turfgrass Weed Science 233B Funchess Hall Auburn University, AL 36849 P 334-844-3992 jsm0010@auburn.edu Paul Patterson, Ph.D. Dean, College of Agriculture 107 Comer Hall Auburn University, AL 36849 P 334-844-3254 pmp0003@auburn.edu

A l ab ama Tu rf T im es >> > Wint er 201 9

25

Calendar of Events >>>

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2019 Calendar of Events

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ATA Road Show Seminar Dothan, AL

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February 27

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