Alabama Turf Times - Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Using results from the

National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) PLUS: Member Spotlight on

PHILIP HINDMAN

Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

EXTRAORDINARY DESIGN DESERVES

It Deserves the World’s One & Only

www.THETURFGRASSGROUP.com

Winter 2022

TOP FEATURES 16

12

Upcoming Events —

2022 ATA Road Shows

ATA Member Spotlight — 16 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Philip Hindman

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Cover Story —

sing Results from the National U Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP)

Feature — 22 Outbreaks of the

Broad-headed Bug Esperanza texana

18

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the President’s Pen

6

ATA Annual Sponsors

8

News from ATA

10

Calendar of Events

11

Index of Advertisers

Cover page photo taken and printed with permission by Mr. Kevin Morris, Executive Director, National Turfgrass Evaluation Program with trials conducted in over forty U.S. states and six provinces in Canada. Actual photo taken at the NTEP Tall Fescue Trial at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022

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Find this issue, Podcasts, Events and More: THETURFZONE.COM

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 © 2022 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 Jefferson City, MO. 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

www.AlaTurfgrass.org 4

and classified advertising rates and insertion please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com

From the President’s Pen >>>

A GREAT YEAR AHEAD

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022

Hi,

my name is Ben Anderson and it is my privilege to serve as the Alabama Turfgrass Association President for the upcoming year. I have been in the golf course industry for almost 20 years and I am currently the Superintendent at Arrowhead Country Club in Montgomery. I have been on the ATA board for five years now. I also serve on the Deep South Turf Expo board and I am a Grassroots Ambassador for the GCSAA. During my time so far on the ATA board, I have really enjoyed getting involved and communicating with others in the turfgrass industry. Being an ATA member, you get a completely different perspective when you learn what others in your industry are doing and, of course, I have picked up some great pointers along the way.

There is a huge value in being an ATA member. The educational opportunities with the Annual ATA Road Shows offer pesticide points, vendor booths, and great guest speakers. We host other great events such as golf tournaments, a skeet shoot, and ATA is heavily involved with the Annual Deep South Turf Expo in Biloxi. The ATA Alabama Turf Times publication always has amazing educational articles and helps keep us all connected. The excellent membership directory and resource guide not only makes it easy to connect and communicate with each other, but the guide in the back for sod resources is a huge help and time saver.

When I first became an ATA Board member, there were so many great people already serving. I immediately felt welcomed and was amazed at how much passion they all had for our industry. I have made some lasting friendships that I would have never made if I hadn’t taken the opportunity to get involved. Past President, Deven Peek and I had an instant friendship, and his passion for involvement is motivating and contagious. Kim Byram, Glen Junkin, Tres’ Wilkinson, Dr. David Han, and many other members and educational advisors have served and steered our association with great care while serving the Board during my tenure. Because of those and the many others that came before that put in all the hard work to build this Association, I am proud to be the next ATA President.

I can’t talk about hard work without mentioning Melanie Bonds and Tricia Roberts Clem. Melanie does more than most will ever know to manage the ATA in a manner that makes it easier to serve as a Board member and be involved with the Association.

Both Melanie and Tricia strive to make the DSTE a success every year since it began in 2016. James Horton served on the board and is a Past President, and he still volunteers his time to the association, especially with publications. Joe Collins, CSFM, was the 2021 ATA President during the strangest, most unpredictable year ever due to COVID. Thank you Joe for your leadership and your ability to stay calm and collected. I look forward to continuing our friendship and working together on the board. Industry vendors play a huge supporting role as “Sponsors” of ATA. Without them, we would have much less to offer. Not only do Sponsors offset the cost of events and set up booths; they also stay involved and care about the people in the industry. I for one have leaned on some of these same sponsors at work this year to help me get parts and equipment during all the back orders and delays due to COVID. Thank you, to all our sponsors for everything you do.

I look forward to the upcoming year. The 2022 Road Shows are right around the corner! If you have ever wondered about getting more involved with ATA or just have questions about the association, please contact Melanie or any of us on the board.

We want to help you any way we can. Thanks to all our members for supporting ATA and for coming out to our events and taking the time to network. We want you to feel like you are a part of something that can help you grow! Let’s make 2022 a great year for the Turfgrass Industry.

Ben Anderson ATA President 6

Ben Anderson

2022 ATA ANNUAL SPONSORS GOL D • Bayer Environmental Science • Beard Equipment Company • Greenville Turf & Tractor • Harrell’s, Inc. • Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation • Simplot, Inc.

SI L VE R • BWI Companies • Corteva Agriscience • Ewing • Nufarm, Inc. • SiteOne Landscape Supply • Syngenta

BRON ZE • Agromax • BASF • GreenPoint Pro • PBI-Gordon • Southern States Turf • Sur-Line Turf • Walker/Wright Mowers

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

GROWERS OF QUALITY TURF SINCE 1987

COOSA VALLEY TURF FARMS LLC

Executive Director Melanie Bonds

MEMBER OF

Alabama Turf Times Editor James Horton EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Ben Anderson Arrowhead Country Club Vice President Ben Williams Maxwell AF Base / Cypress Tree GC Secretary / Treasurer David White Landscape Workshop Past President Joe Collins, CSFM Samford University BOARD OF DIRECTORS Golf Patrick Pierce Grand National Golf Club

CENTIPEDE

Industry Chris Moras Ground Works Distribution

TIFWAY 419

Institution Drew Charcandy University of Alabama Lawn Care Darrell Arnold Heritage Lawn Care Parks & Recreation Jonathan Gruber City of Decatur Sod Hunter McBrayer Alabama Farmer’s Federation

FESCUE www.CoosaValleyTurfFarms.com (256) 927-4228 • (256) 927-4758 FAX • cvtf@tds.net 900 County Road 492 • Centre, AL 35960

At Large Jennifer Morgan City of Gulf Shores

Southern

Travis Stein Regal Chemical

Specialty Equipment, Inc.

EX OFFICIO / EDUCATION ADVISORS

• Ease of Operation

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

New, Used & Refurbished • Low Operating

Solid & Dependable Rotary Finishing Mowers

Over 50 Years of Harvesting Innovation

Email: jim@ssequip.net

Website: ssequip.net

Costs • Single Axle Truck Use

Office: 877-366-5399

Mobile: 352-284-8029

7

Al abam a Tu rf Ti me s >>> Winter 2022

Mark Irwin City of Foley

News from ATA

Welcome TO OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS We would like to recognize the individuals who have joined the ATA Board in 2022! Any organization is only as good as its leadership and the ATA has been blessed with wonderful members willing to serve and engage with our Association over the years. Thanks goes to all Board Members for their service.

DREW CHARCANDY — Institution

Drew Charcandy grew up in Helena, AL and resides there still with his wife, Crystal, and their three-year-old son Andrew. He is currently the assistant director of athletic fields for The University of Alabama. Drew has been in this role for two years. He has been in the sports turf industry for a total of 14 years. Drew has a wide range of work experiences in both sports and golf. He started his career at Helena Parks and Recreation, then moved on to the Birmingham Barons. From there Drew entered the golf world working at Hoover and Vestavia Country Clubs before returning back to athletic fields at the University of Alabama Athletics. Drew says, “I look forward to serving on the ATA Board!”

JONATHAN GRUBER — Parks & Recreation

Jonathan Gruber is excited about the opportunity to serve with an outstanding team of Officers and Directors on the 2022 ATA Board of Directors as liaison for Parks and Recreation.

He says, “Throughout my career I have been fortunate to have met quite of few of you.

For those that I have not met, I look forward to doing so this upcoming year as we finally begin to see each other in person again.”

Jonathan was born and raised in Fort Payne, Alabama. He attended Auburn University where he graduated in 1999. After graduation, Jonathan began working for Sunbelt Golf (The RTJ Golf Trail). He spent the next 20 years of his career working at multiple locations including Grand National, Silver Lakes, and Hampton Cove. This experience was invaluable as he worked alongside some of the best in the business.

In October of 2019, Jonathan decided it was time for a change of direction. He accepted the position of Parks and Recreation Superintendent for the City of Decatur where he is currently employed.

Jonathan has been married to his wife, Felicia, for 17 years. They have two boys – a 14 year old (Jack) and a 12 year old (Luke). They also have a six-year-old golden retriever, Molly.

JENNIFER MORGAN — At Large

Jennifer Morgan has worked for the City of Gulf Shores, Alabama for 18 years. Over the years, she has had a variety of responsibilities. Her jobs have consisted of planting, irrigation, turf management, and chemical applications, just to name a few. She now leads a crew of great guys and is in charge of field and ground maintenance at the sports complex. Jennifer loves being outdoors and when she’s not enjoying the physical labor and comradery at work, she takes vacations camping in the mountains. Hiking and kayaking are two of her favorite offduty past times. That and spending time with her three beautiful grandsons have become the best part of her personal life.

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HUNTER McBRAYER — Sod

Hunter McBrayer presently serves as the Young Farmers Director for the Alabama Farmers Federation. He holds a B. S. in Biology from the University of Alabama and a Masters in Horticulture from Auburn. Prior to his current position, he was an Alabama Cooperative Extension System agent in Northeast Alabama and before that he worked as the lab assistant in the Plant Diagnostic Lab alongside Dr. Jim Jacobi at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Hunter has seen the best of turfgrass, and some needing additional care. After beginning his role with Alabama Farmer's Federation, Hunter’s work connected him with sod producers across the state, representing them in legislative and regulatory matters, advocating for friendly production regulations and working to be a voice for growers across the state and the Southeast. His experience has placed him in direct contact with homeowners, landscapers, commercial turf producers, growers, state regulators and law makers. He is originally from Northeast Alabama, Blount County, but now lives outside of Montgomery with his wife, Brooke and eighteen month old son, Mason James.

CONTINUED on Page 10 8

Planning for weather conditions Workboard updates and task re-re-re-assignments

Accurate budget forecasts plus or minus half a penny

Maintenance schedule and equipment assignment mayhem Balancing irrigation costs with equipment and labor costs

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News from ATA >>> Continued

Calendar of Events >>>

TRAVIS STEIN — At Large

Travis Stein grew up in Monroe, MI and began working in the turf industry at 14 years old at a small, public Golf Course called Sandy Creek Golf Course. He started as a cart boy washing and parking carts.

He pursued a career in Turf Management and got his Bachelor's Degree in Crop and Soil Science with a Concentration in Turfgrass Management from Michigan State University.

While Travis was attending Michigan State, he did an internship at Shoal Creek Golf Club in Birmingham, AL. Upon graduation Travis accepted a position at Shoal Creek as the Spray Technician/AIT. He worked his way up to become the First Assistant Superintendent. In October 2015, Travis accepted the Golf Course Superintendent position at Top of the Rock in Ridgedale, Missouri. Travis’ wife Ashlee did not like living in Missouri, so they moved back to Birmingham and he became the Business Development Manager for SiteOne Landscape Supply. Travis worked for SiteOne for two years and accepted a Territory Sales Manager position with Regal Chemical. Travis has been working for Regal Chemical since June 2018.

Travis and Ashlee and have four boys; Dalton, Colton, Bryson, and Easton.

Travis enjoys spending time with his family and coaching his boys’ baseball and basketball teams.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR and

SAVE THESE DATES January 5, 2022 Auburn Road Show CASIC Building

January 12, 2022

ATA Loxley Road Show Loxley Civic Center

January 26, 2022

ATA Dothan Road Show Troy Dothan Campus

ALABAMA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 2022 Officers and Board of Directors

February 2, 2022

Montgomery Road Show EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Ben Anderson Arrowhead Country Club Vice President Ben Williams Maxwell AF Base / Cypress Tree GC Secretary / Treasurer David White Landscape Workshop Past President Joe Collins, CSFM Samford University

Lawn Care Darrell Arnold Heritage Lawn Care Parks & Recreation Jonathan Gruber City of Decatur Sod Hunter McBrayer Alabama Farmer’s Federation

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022

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February 5 – 10, 2022 GIS Show San Diego

February 16, 2022

Birmingham Road Show

At Large Jennifer Morgan City of Gulf Shores

Gardendale Civic Center

Travis Stein Regal Chemical

February 23, 2022

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Golf Patrick Pierce Grand National Golf Club

Arrowhead Country Club

Mark Irwin City of Foley EX OFFICIO / EDUCATION ADVISORS

Industry Chris Moras Ground Works Distribution

David Han, Ph.D. Auburn University

Institution Drew Charcandy University of Alabama

Jim Jacobi, Ph.D. Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Huntsville Road Show Jaycees Building

March 2022

Sports Turf Field Day

October 24 – 27, 2022 Deep South Turf Expo

Mississippi Coast Convention Center Biloxi, MS

Index of Advertisers >>>

BWI Companies, Inc....................................... 11 www.bwicompanies.com Coosa Valley Turf Farms............................... 7 www.coosavalleyturffarms.com

Greene County Fertilizer Co..................... 11 www.greenecountyfert.com

PROVIDING THE BEST SELECTION OF TURF AND LANDSCAPE PRODUCTS, COMPETITIVE PRICES, AND EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Greenville Turf & Tractor, Inc...................9 www.greenvilleturf.com

BWICOMPANIES.COM

DPP Golf...........................................Back Cover www.dppgolf.com

GURU Scapes......................................................17 www.guruscapes.com KWMI....................................................................... 5 www.KWMIequipment.com Modern Turf, Inc............................................ 19 www.modernturf.com Progressive Turf Equipment Inc.............21 www.progressiveturfequip.com Regal Chemical Company............................ 3 www.regalchem.com Riebeling Farms, Inc.....................................23 Sod Solutions......................................................15 www.sodsolutions.com Southern Specialty Equipment.................. 7 www.ssequip.net

BWI MERIDIAN

800-395-2580 5215 FAIRGROUND DR. MARION, MISSISSIPPI

BWI MEMPHIS

800-489-8873 4924 HICKORY HILL MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

MAXIMIZE YOUR FERTILIZER EFFICIENCY “What I value most about the products, especially the N-Ext RGS product, is that they are easy to use and easy to integrate into your current system...and the results are fantastic!”

– Jesse Smith, President, Royal Greens, Frederick, MD

STEC Equipment...............................................13 www.stecequipment.com Sur-Line Turf, Inc............................................23 www.surlineturf.com The Turfgrass Group.....Inside Front Cover www.theturfgrassgroup.com

615-790-3718 888-707-7141 ( TOLL FREE )

High Performance Plant Nutrients Fertilizers ▪ Specialty Products Soil Amendments ▪ Custom Blends Fertility Forward®

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GreeneCountyFert.com

Bio-based Fertilizer MFR ▪ Chemical Distributor of L&O pest control products 11

Al abam a Tu rf Ti me s >>> Winter 2022

To discuss advertising opportunities, contact Leading Edge Communications:

Upcoming Events >>>

WE’LL SEE YOU ON THE ROAD IN 2022!

2022 ROAD SHOW SCHEDULE AND SPEAKERS The ATA is looking forward to returning to our in-person Road Shows in 2022. Our education committee, Dr. David Han, Dr. Jim Jacobi and James Horton have a wonderful program lined up. We hope to see you at one of the six Road Shows in January and February! Registration for these events will begin online in November.

SCHEDULE

Please see our line-up of presentations and speakers below.

Does Your Turfgrass Have Hard Feelings?

Dr. David Han This talk will discuss the issues of compaction, hardpan, rock, and/or no topsoil that exist from construction around new developments. Solving the compaction problems will be covered.

Also, solutions will be offered for dealing with fertility, pH, pesticide application, etc. when dealing with these "hard" problem issues.

Combination Herbicides That Work Dr. Scott McElroy and Jim Harris Combination herbicide products "old and new" will be discussed. You'll get the latest information regarding the status of the ones coming on market. Plus, what does the future hold for glyphosate?

New and Emerging Insects Dr. David Held and Dr. Katelyn Kesheimer

JANUARY 5

ATA Auburn Road Show

JANUARY 12

ATA Loxley Road Show

CASIC Building, AU

Last year we saw invasions of armyworms, the most in several years! This year who knows! During this talk you'll hear about new insects attacking turfgrass and ornamentals such as Broad-Headed Bug, Crape Myrtle Scale, etc. Methods for detection and control will also be discussed.

Loxley Civic Center

Post-Emergent Herbicides

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022

JANUARY 26

ATA Dothan Road Show Troy Dothan Campus

FEBRUARY 2

Montgomery Road Show

FEBRUARY 16

Birmingham Road Show

Arrowhead Country Club

Gardendale Civic Center

Peter Lange, PBI Gordon Post-emergent herbicides with multiple modes of action are becoming very important with resistance management and hard to control weeds. New formulations are creating a lower impact on the environment. Plus, how to properly use plant growth regulation to save time with labor shortages.

Can Turfgrass Diseases Be Prevented?

Dr. Amanda Strayer-Scherer

FEBRUARY 23

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Huntsville Road Show Jaycees Building

You will hear what turfgrass managers can do to initiate Preventative Disease Control Measures for Take-All Root-Rot, Large Patch, Dollar Spot, Brown Patch and Spring Dead Spot.

When it comes to

SAND

has you covered!

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GKB Sandfiller

GKB Top Drop

(888) 325-2532

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@STECEQUIP

Upcoming Events >>> Continued

Pesticide Storage from Purchase to Application

Supply Chain Problems That Occurred During the COVID Pandemic; Are They Here to Stay?

Dr. Sonya Thomas and John Nabors

Representatives from the Manufacturers, Distributors and Equipment Companies — to be announced.

What's required for worker and environmental safety during transport and storage at your facility? What signage is required on your equipment and storage facilities? Also, an update on the new EPA proposed non-certified applicator training, testing and permit requirements.

This will be a round table panel of Industry and Extension leaders that will discuss the shortages of materials, chemicals, parts, and equipment that we've all experienced this past year.

Attendees will be able to participate, comment, and ask questions.

OUR SPEAKERS Jim Harris Jim is the retired superintendent of the Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit where he facilitated research for over 20 years. He is currently working as a researcher under the supervision of Dr. Scott McElroy in the Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Department.

David Han, Ph.D. Dr. David Han is an Associate Professor and Turfgrass Specialist for Auburn University in the Crop Soil & Environmental Science Department and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. He earned his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Cornell University. He also serves as the Educational Director for the Alabama Turfgrass Association.

David Held, Ph.D. Dr. David Held is Chair of Auburn University’s Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, His area of interest is the ecology and management of phytophagous insects. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture with a Minor in Pest Management from the University of Kentucky and a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Kentucky.

Katelyn Kesheimer, PH.D.

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Katelyn is Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist with the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology at Auburn University. She earned her Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Kentucky in 2015, her Masters in Biology at Eastern Illinois University in 2009 and her B.S. in Biology at the University of Kentucky in 2006.

Peter Lange Peter Lange is PBI Gordon’s sales representative for Alabama and surrounding areas. He earned an Educational Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Florida State University as well as an Associate of Applied Science in Golf Course and Athletic Field Turfgrass Management from Kirkwood Community

14

College. He later went on to earn a Master’s in business administration from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Prior to working with PBI Gordon, Peter was an assistant golf course superintendent at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Scott McElroy, Ph.D. Dr. Scott McElroy is a Professor of Weed Science at Auburn University’s Crop Soil and Environmental Science Department. Scott serves as the educational advisor for the Alabama Golf Course Superintendents Association as well as the Education Committee Chairman for the Deep South Turf Expo.

John Nabors John Nabors is currently employed as Alabama Extension's Green Industry Training Coordinator and serves as the Alabama Green Industry Training Center's Executive Director since 2013. John has a B.S. degree in Horticulture from Auburn University along with an Ornamental & Turf Pest Control Supervisor certification, Setting of Landscape Plants certification, and Landscape Design certification from the Alabama Department of Agriculture. He is an authorized OSHA trainer for General Industry.

Amanda Scherer, Ph.D. Amanda is an Assistant Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist at Auburn University. Amanda earned her Doctoral and Master’s degrees in Plant Pathology from the University of Florida, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida. She was also a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at North Carolina State University.

Sonja Thomas, Ph.D. Dr. Sonja Thomas is an Administrator of Outreach Programs with the ACES Administration. Her program areas include Agronomic Crops, Animal Science and Forages, and Commercial Horticulture. She also specializes in Pesticide Applicator Training Programs.

Member Spotlight >>>

A Career in Review –

PHILIP HINDMAN

By Mike Hess

F

or the last 42 years, Philip Hindman has served the golf community in both sales and as a golf course superintendent. Twenty-four of those years were dedicated to sales which trumped the 18 years spent as a Superintendent. This is surprising because, originally, Philip had no desire whatsoever to pursue a career in sales. Making it more ironic, he was one of the first ever sales reps for Harrell's outside of the state of Florida.

After he graduated from Mississippi State in 1979 with a degree in landscape architecture, Philip worked at a golf course in his hometown of Louisville, Mississippi, before moving to Arkansas to rebuild a golf course from the ground up. He stayed in Arkansas for the following two years, and then moved to North Port, Alabama where he was the Superintendent of Indian Hills Country Club for 11 years.

Soon after resigning from Indian Hills, Philip began working with a company called Goldkist (which was shortly bought out by Southern States). Philip worked alongside a sales rep named Bob Dyer about 85% of the time. Bob ended up leaving Goldkist to start his own sod farm and asked Philip to take his place as a sales rep. Philip remembers responding, “Bob, I have no desire to be a sales rep.” However, he did step into that role, and little did he know, this would launch a very successful career.

Bob Dyer met Jack Harrell, Jr. at a nursery show in Georgia. At the time, Jack was looking for two sales representatives to be the first expansion out of the state of Florida for Harrell's. Bob knew that Philip would be a great fit for the other sales position. As Philip recalls, “Bob called me and asked if I was happy at Southern States. I said, ‘Well no, not particularly,’ so he said he

Harrell’s Sales Team in 2014 – Philip third from right Philip with grandchildren, Grace Cotton and Cal Thomas

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022

Philip with his wife, Mira

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We will miss Philip, but wish him the best in his retirement!

Don’t trust your turf to anything less than the best.

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17

Al abam a Tu rf Ti me s >>> Winter 2022

would get Jack to call me.” He continued, “In the interview, he said he would need me to come to Lakeland to meet Jack Harrell, Senior.

Jack Jr. flew both Bob and I down there, we met Jack Sr. who welcomed us to the Harrell's family. I've been with Harrell’s ever since.”

Philip was hired by Harrell's in September of 2000 as one of their first two sales reps outside of the state of Florida. “It has been a phenomenal experience with this company, and I couldn't have asked them for a better experience. The Harrell's family is a great group of people, and like I tell everyone all the time, I can't think of another company I'd rather work for. Just good people with integrity.”

Philip said, hands down, the thing which kept him at Harrell's for his latter 21 years in the industry were the incredible people he worked with, and how the company held all of them in such high regard. “Jack has really surrounded himself with some truly key individuals, that just set the company on the right path.

It's a good, sound company. They put their money where their mouth is and let their faith guide them. It's incredible to see how they manage the company and how they support their people and truly believe in them.”

Stepping into this new stage of life, Philip plans to do more of what he loves with those he loves. He and his wife will do some traveling, visit their two daughters and spend much more time with their grandbabies, and maybe even go on a few mission trips along the way. He also looks forward to spending more intentional time doing his favorite hobbies, especially hunting. Overall, Philip is overwhelmingly thankful for all the love, support, care, and development he has received over the years from the Harrell's family, and he is ready for what comes next. “It's been a great ride, but I'm excited for this new chapter.”

Philip has been a longtime member and supporter of the Alabama Turfgrass Association and a true friend to many in the turfgrass industry, therefore the Board of Directors are very happy to present him the Lifetime Achievement Award. We will miss Philip, but wish him the best in his retirement!

Cover Story >>>

Using Results from the

NATIONAL TURFGRASS EVALUATION PROGRAM ( NTEP )

Ryegrass fairway overseed NTEP Test Eufaula CC

By Dave Han, Ph.D. Auburn University and Alabama Extension

T

he National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) is a fantastic source for information on newly-released and upcoming turfgrass varieties. Since 1983, NTEP has been evaluating turfgrass varieties and making data from those variety trials available for free to the public. A survey of turfgrass managers published in 2019 determined that 87% of the 306 respondents to the survey had heard of the NTEP program.

At the same time, over half of the respondents (52%) said they visited the NTEP (www.ntep.org) website to look at trial results either never or less than once per year (Yue et al., 2019).

Could NTEP be used more? I think so. I personally use their data many times per year, but along the way I have developed some tricks and tools to help me get the most out of what sometimes seems to be an overwhelming mountain of numbers.

So let’s take a quick tour of NTEP, what it is and how it works, and how to find what you need from their data reports.

How NTEP works

Auburn University Turf Unit Zoysia NTEP

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022

TABLE 1. NTEP tests data are available for these species COOL SEASON

WARM SEASON

Creeping bentgrass (putting greens)

Bermudagrass

Creeping bentgrass (fairways/tees)

Buffalograss

Fineleaf fescues

Zoysiagrass

Kentucky bluegrass

St. Augustinegrass

Perennial ryegrass

Seashore paspalum

Tall fescue 18

NTEP is a non-profit cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state universities, and turfgrass industry groups. The variety trials that NTEP sponsors, cover the most commonly-used turfgrasses (both cool season and warm season, see Table 1) in the United States. Trials typically run for five years, and are called by the year they were established.

For example, the 2013 National Bermudagrass Test was planted in 2013 and contains data from the 2013–2017 growing seasons.

The currently-running bermudagrass trial is the 2019 National Bermudagrass Test, which was established in 2019.

Tests are established at many sites throughout the regions where a particular species will grow. Typically, there are around 10 – 15 sites, though this varies with each test. The sites are usually associated with research universities – for example, at our main research facility in Auburn, Auburn University has the current bermudagrass and zoysiagrass NTEP trials. We also had the just-finished 2016 St. Augustinegrass trail and established a bentgrass trial this fall. In the past, we have also run NTEP tests at outlying research units, such as a tall fescue trial at the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center in northeastern Alabama. Occasionally, NTEP will place tests on-site, especially for tests on putting greens. NTEP also ran a perennial ryegrass overseed trial, with locations on golf course fairways.

For on-site tests, the golf course maintains the tests day-to-day, and university researchers typically evaluate the tests the same way they do on-campus ones.

Because NTEP places trials in as many places as it can where a species will grow, they are able to collect data from many different environments. This is good, but it can also trip up an end user. For example, the current bermudagrass NTEP has locations including Riverside, CA, Ft. Lauderdale FL, Wichita, KS, and West Lafayette, IN. While it is very helpful for a plant breeder at a university or a seed company to know how their new bermudagrass performs in environments as different as these, if you are a sod farmer, landscaper, sports field manager, or other end user, you probably are interested only in how the grass performs in your own environment. More on this later.

Cover Story >>> Continued

What are NTEP ratings?

There is a lot of information available from NTEP tests, but the bread and butter is the visual quality rating. There have been attempts over the years to determine whether equipment such as handheld optical sensors can provide more consistent, better, or faster ratings, but a trained observer still functions as well as equipment and has the advantage of being cheaper and more universally available. Still, the fact that different people evaluate ratings at each site is important to remember when looking at the data.

NTEP publishes guidelines on how to rate their tests on the web (https://ntep.org/pdf/ratings.pdf). Quality ratings are taken on a scale of 1 – 9, where 1 is the poorest possible rating (no turf at all) and 9 the best. A rating of 6 or above indicates acceptable turf quality. This means that a rating of “6” has a different meaning when evaluating a bentgrass putting green versus a tall fescue lawn. Quality ratings take into account the density, texture, color, and effects of pests or environmental stress on the turf. Often these individual factors are broken out and rated separately, too.

Sometimes, a location will focus on a specific factor – for example, locations in arid environments often focus on rating drought or salinity tolerance. Sometimes, a particular site will put extra stress on a test – traffic being the main examples.

Only some sites in any given test will do this. Finally, some sites may let disease or insect damage go to a certain point in order to see differences in varieties’ susceptibility – but not let plots die completely. Most sites control diseases and insects to ensure that the trial can run for the full five years.

Many of the varieties in the tests have names already and are commercially available, but some are not. Often, companies and/or universities will place varieties in the NTEP studies under their own internal code numbers, and the ones that do well will get names and be released in the future. NTEP tests also include standard varieties for comparison. These are wellestablished, popular varieties such as Tifway bermudagrass or Penn A-1 creeping bentgrass.

How do I use NTEP ratings?

Figure 1 shows the final NTEP report for the entire five years of the 2013 bermudagrass test. The first thing I always do when looking at NTEP data is to skip the overall rating mean that NTEP provides in the rightmost column (highlighted in red).

Why do this? That column is the average of ratings for each variety over the entire test. But, the entire test includes sites with radically different environments. Of course, everyone wants a variety that does well in all environments (that’s what the overall average or mean rating will tell you).

I prefer to look at individual sites first and start with ones in environments similar to where I would grow the grass.

For example, many readers of the Alabama Turf Times might be more interested in how a variety performs in Auburn, AL, Griffin, GA and Starkville, MS (highlighted in green) than in Indiana or Missouri. But if I were interested in a grass for the transition zone, then sites like West Lafayette, IN or Columbia, MO would be much more interesting to me.

Sometimes there is a variety that does really well in one part of the country and not another. This may drag down its average rating, but in the environments where it is suited, it could be a real star. You also want to avoid varieties that may do well in most environments (so they have a good overall rating) but might be weak in your particular one.

In recent years, NTEP has sorted out results by region for some tests, publishing separate data table for sites with similar environments. This is great. I hope that it continues with future tests.

The other extremely important thing to know about NTEP data is the LSD value. LSD stands for Least Significant Difference, and it’s a measure of how likely results are to be true differences in variety performance, and not just random chance.

Figure 2 shows an example of this from a bermudagrass test.

Any difference between two varieties’ ratings that is smaller than the LSD value can’t really be attributed to an actual difference between the varieties. His means that there is usually a group of varieties at the top of the ratings that statistically all performed the same. It’s almost impossible to use NTEP

Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022

FIGURE 1. A sample NTEP summary table. Although the varieties are ranked by their mean (average) quality rating over all of the sites in the test (highlighted in red), it is advisable to begin by looking at ratings from individual sites with environments that most closely match the area where an individual will grow the grass. For example, in this bermudagrass test, data from sites with environments similar to that found in Birmingham, Alabama are highlighted in green.

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data to find the “ONE TRUE BEST VARIETY!” But what NTEP does very well is give you a list of top-performing varieties you can choose from. It also tells which varieties did not perform as well as others.

Future plans for NTEP are to provide data in graphical form, which should make it easier to read than tables of numbers.

Online tables with ratings sortable by location would be on the top of my personal wishlist for new data presentation formats. But still, I think that the NTEP data are underused and many more people can benefit from all of the work that the researchers put into running the tests.

REFERENCES Bell, G. E., Martin, D. L., Koh, K., & Han, H. R. (2009). Comparison of Turfgrass Visual Quality Ratings with Ratings Determined Using a Handheld Optical Sensor, HortTechnology 19: 309-316.

Krans, J.V. and Morris, K. (2007), Determining a Profile of Protocols and Standards used in the Visual Field Assessment of Turfgrasses: A Survey of National Turfgrass Evaluation Program-Sponsored University Scientists. Applied Turfgrass Science, 4: 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1094/ ATS-2007-1130-01-TT Morris, K.N. and Shearman, R.C. NTEP Turfgrass Evaluation Guidelines.

(Undated) https://ntep.org/pdf/ratings.pdf Yue, C., Wang, J., Watkins, E., Xie, Y., Shekhar, S., Bonos, S. A., Patton, A., Morris, K., & Moncada, K. (2019). User Preferences for Accessing Publically Available Turfgrass Cultivar Performance Data, HortTechnology 29:, 599-610.

FIGURE 2. The LSD value given in the data table (highlighted in red) is critical for separating cultivar ratings. Any difference between ratings that is less than this value is not statistically significant. In this table, all of the varieties highlighted in yellow cannot be separated because the difference between them is less than the LSD of 0.3.

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OU TB REA KS O F THE BR OAD -HEADED B UG

Esperanza texana

By C.S. Clem, K. Kesheimer, and D.W. Held

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Al ab ama Tu rf Tim es > >> Wint er 2022

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his odd story begins with email or text messages from consultants, landscape managers, and agrochemical distributors about outbreaks of small bugs (they meant true bugs or hemipterans) in bermudagrass and zoysiagrass lawns. These were mostly accounts from the southern half of Alabama in 2019 with one or two incidents around Birmingham in 2015 and 2017. In most cases, there were no insects to identify, or quality pictures useful for an identification of the insects.

The small sap-sucking bugs were guilty by association with damage to turfgrass. The persons on site were certain that these outbreaks and the associated damage were not caused by chinch bugs, but it may have been damage from two-lined spittle bugs. The pests implicated with this damage were from a little-known family of true bugs, Alydidae (the broad-headed bugs). The insects that have been confirmed were the adult stages of Esperanza texana (sorry, no common name). This brownish colored, elongated sap sucking insect is approximately 5 mm (0.2 inch) long with elongated antennae and a speckled appearance to the body and legs (Figure 1).

What do we know? Esperanza texana is not a new invasive species, but it is possible humans have contributed to an expansion of its natural range. Collection records from TX to SC and FL go back to the early to mid-1900’s, but it was not documented in AL until relatively recently by Dr. Charles Ray of Auburn University. Dr. Ray and Dr. Clem published an inventory of Alabama broad-headed bugs in 2016. By examining 550 museum specimens and insects from field collections, they concluded there are eight species in six genera in the state, with E. texana reported from nine counties. Esperanza texana is a member of the subfamily Micrelytrinae, which also includes two other species in the state, Stenocoris furcifera and Stenocoris tipuloides. These three species feed exclusively on grasses or sedges as host plants. So far, E. texana alone has been associated with turfgrass damage, not the other two. When broad-headed bugs are present in damaged turfgrass, they may co-exist with other sap-sucking insects that also feed on grass, like plant bugs and spittle bugs.

There are records of E. texana occurring in only 11 counties throughout Alabama (nine noted in the previous survey plus Talladega and Jefferson counties). Given the availability of grass and sedge hosts in all counties, E. texana is likely present but undetected throughout Alabama. This year and in previous years, reports of damage to zoysiagrass (Meyer) and bermudagrass have been reported primarily in summer to early fall (most in September). The damage (Figure 2) is not distinct. Infested areas are discolored which could be mistaken for damage from other grass-feeding pests or drought. Damage has been reported in established lawns, not new, and in the literature, populations are also associated with damage to bermudagrass in pastures.

Damage is almost exclusively reported in turf exposed to direct sunlight, with one report of spring damage to bermudagrass in a shaded area.

FIGURE 1. An adult Esperanza texana. The brown coloration with a speckled appearance to the narrow body, and a head wider than the body distinguishes E. texana from other sap sucking true bugs in turfgrass. Photo by C.S. Clem.

FIGURE 2. Damage associated with populations of adult Esperanza texana. Photo taken by David DeWeese, DeWeese Lawns (Talladega County, AL, Sept 2021), used with permission.

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Continued <<< Cover Story

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Al abam a Tu rf Ti me s >>> Winter 2022

Little is known about the biology of E. texana. Related species with comparable width to length body ratios hide within, and likely feed inside, leaf axils of their grass hosts.

Seasonally, a peak of adults in late summer to early fall is consistent with other seasonal observations for the family. In south central Florida, adults have also been reported in mid to late April, suggesting at least two generations per year are possible especially in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Esperanza texana likely overwinters in lawns as adults or eggs.

Records from Auburn University Plant Diagnostic Clinics suggest 2017 was the last year when outbreaks of E. texana occurred. It is plausible that weather or rainfall patterns could drive these outbreaks. Both 2017 and 2021 had similarly high rainfall amounts in June. Because we lack details on the biology or life history, the influence of weather patterns on outbreaks are speculative at best.

Since outbreaks are uncommon, there are no published techniques for sampling or management. Simple sampling techniques used for other turf pests, like sweep nets or direct observations, can also be used to detect E. texana. This should be done on turfgrass areas that are discolored with no other apparent cause. Immature stages do not fly, so samples should be taken in mid-August to prevent populations from building to damaging levels by September. Since this insect does not appear on insecticide labels, landscape managers can only control outbreaks with products that are labeled for a specific site such as lawns or athletic fields. A landscape professional shared that a pyrethroid product labeled for use on turfgrass lawns was effective to reduce populations.

In summary, outbreaks of adult Esperanza texana, a sap sucking broadheaded true bug have occurred sporadically in AL since 2015. These outbreaks are typically in September and may be more abundant in years with above average summer rains.

The limited information on the biology and management of E. texana have enabled high populations to cause damage in zoysia and bermudagrass lawns. Outbreaks may be an annual occurrence which suggests sampling in August is the best recommendation to detect populations before they peak and cause damage.