Mississippi Turfgrass - Winter 2016

WINTER 2016

The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine

REDUCING THE HAZARDS OF TURFGRASS INSECTICIDES

to Bees

Diagnosing Nutrient Deficiencies in Ornamental Plants PLUS, Highlights from the

MSU Turfgrass Research Field Day and the Deep South Turf Expo

WINTER 2016

CONTENTS • The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine FEATURES

8 Upcoming Event — MTA Hospitality Night at the GIS Show, February 10

10 Recent Event —

10

MSU Turfgrass Research Field Day

12 Recent Event — Deep South Turf Expo

14 Cover Story — Reducing the Hazards of Turfgrass Insecticides to Bees

16 Landscaper’s Corner — Diagnosing Nutrient Deficiencies in Ornamental Plants

DEPARTMENTS

6 From the MTA President 7 MTA Membership Application

12

9 News from MTA 18 Calendar of Events 18 Index of Advertisers Mississippi Turfgrass is the Mississippi Turfgrass Association magazine. Subscriptions are complimentary to MTA members. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, its board of directors, Mississippi Turfgrass, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as MTA members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in any issue of Mississippi Turfgrass. Copyright ©2016 by the Mississippi Turfgrass Association. Mississippi Turfgrass is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of MTA. Presorted standard postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: MTA allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to MTA. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

4 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2016

14

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Here’s to

Paul Welborn

ANOTHER GREAT YEAR FOR MTA!

G

reetings! I hope the year has gotten off to a great start for everyone. It’s my honor to serve as your president for the next year. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the advancement of this association or the turfgrass industry in our state, I would love to hear from you, and I know the same is true for any of our board members! Our association needs to be a champion for our industry, and we have a strong base of membership that it would be great to see grow even stronger. If you know someone who is not a member of MTA, please encourage him or her to join. Our industry is an important one, giving folks the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, whether on the golf course, sports field or their own back yard.

If you missed the inaugural Deep South Turf Expo in October, you missed one of the best conferences and tradeshows that we have hosted in recent memory. Dr. Mike Goatley delivered the keynote address and reminded us all of how much goes into being a turfgrass professional. We had many other great speakers and returned to a format that we used many years ago with different learning tracks for golf course maintenance, sports turf management and landscape/lawn care. I know the committee is already making plans for the 2016 DSTE and working to make the educational offerings as inclusive as possible. As a partnership with our neighboring states, we will again host the expo on the coast in October 2016. Please make plans to attend, and watch for news about the 2016 DSTE in our next issue.

Thanks to all of those who attended our MTA Roadshow at the experiment station in Verona on January 14. It was great to see so many folks from the northern part of the state to take part in a day of education. If you are headed to the Golf Industry Show in San Diego, don’t forget the MTA Hospitality Night on February 10. Coming up on February 18, we have the North Mississippi Producer Advisory Council meeting, which is an opportunity for turfgrass folks to share ideas with University and Extension administration. For the YardDawg Classic this year, we decided as a board to try a new format. The YardDawg will be held in conjunction with the Golf Course Management Workshop on May 17 at Dancing Rabbit Golf Course in Choctaw, MS. This is an important fundraiser for our association, and I know that we’ll have a crowd for education followed by golf.

May your spring be just as temperate and dry as you need it to be so you can all get your spring preemergent applications out at the perfect time! I am looking forward to a productive year, and I trust yours will be the same.

Paul Welborn 2015/2016 MTA President

Mississippi Turfgrass Association Box 9555 MS State, MS 39762 Office: (662) 325-0517 Fax: (662) 325-2705 www.msturfassociation.org Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, TN 37064 Office: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 info@leadingedgecommunications.com MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS EDITOR James D. McCurdy, Ph.D.

MTA OFFICERS PRESIDENT Paul Welborn Lawn and Pest Solutions (662) 316-1347 VICE PRESIDENT Erick Coomer The Bridges Golf Course (228) 860-5292 SECRETARY/TREASURER Wayne Philley Mississippi State University (662) 325-2728 PAST PRESIDENT Toby Thornton Shell Landing Golf Course (601) 507-4254 ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY Linda Wells Mississippi State University Box 9555 MS State, MS 39762 Office: (662) 325-0517 Cell: (662) 769-7558 lmw218@pss.msstate.edu

DIRECTORS Jordan Carlisle LADD’S (601) 818-7586 Jay Coalter Patrick Farms Golf Club (601) 317-1641 Dan Crumpton Oasis Sod Farm (662) 621-2040 Ken Edwards City of Gulfport (228) 861-5641 Jeremy Ely Sunkist Country Club (228) 669-6745 David Leon Turf & Aquatic Specialties, Inc. (601) 529-2458 Wayne Wells MSU Professor Emeritus (662) 418-4205

6 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2016

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Mississippi Turfgrass Association • Box 9555 • Mississippi State, MS 39762 • Office: 662-325-0517 • Fax: 662-325-2705 The Mississippi Turfgrass Association is a non-profit organization of individuals interested in promoting and expanding the turf and landscape industry in Mississippi and surrounding states.

MTA’s objectives are to: Promote quality turf and landscape management.

Sponsor needed research, scholarships for deserving students and conferences on timely topics.

Disseminate information and educational material on turf and landscape culture.

Cooperate with other organizations in advancing educational opportunities in turf and landscape management.

Any individual interested in the advancement of turfgrass or landscape management is invited to join the organization. This includes professionals in golf course and grounds maintenance, sod and seed producers, landscape contractors, landscape architects, horticulturists, agronomists, nurserymen, educators, athletic field managers, park managers and representatives of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of turf and landscape equipment, chemicals and supplies.

Annual Dues: $75

for individuals and single business representative membership

$100

for businesses requesting two to four individuals receiving the Mississippi Turfgrass magazine (attach names and addresses for additional newsletter mailings, business only)

$15

for students

Membership year runs January 1 through December 31.

Name: __________________________________________________________ Firm or Club Name: _________________________________________________ Street Address: ____________________________________________________ City: ________________________________State: _____ Zip: _____________

Work Association Golf Course Grounds Maintenance

Telephone (Work): __________________________________________________

City/State Park Maintenance

Telephone (Cell): ___________________________________________________

Lawn Care

Email: __________________________________________________________

Sod

Product Representative Education Athletic Fields Other

Make check payable to Mississippi Turfgrass Association (MTA) Mail to: MTA, Box 9555, Mississippi State, MS 39762 If you prefer, you may pay by credit card:

Visa

MasterCard

Card # ______________________________________________

American Express Expiration Date:________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE • 7

“Hospitality UPCOMING EVENT

Night ”

GCSAA Conference & GIS

Wednesday, February 10, 2016 • 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Knotty Barrel • 44 Market Street • San Diego, California

Knotty Barrel

Located in the Gaslamp Quarter across from the Convention Center

is home to East Village’s newest Gastropub — we will have exclusive use of the Pub!

Name: _________________________________________________________

Hosted By

Company: _______________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________State: _____ Zip: ____________

Individual: ................................................................................................ $25 Couple: ..................................................................................................... $45 Total Enclosed: ......................................................................................... $ __________

Payment Method (Pre-Payment is Suggested): Check*

Visa

MasterCard

American Express

MSU Alumni • LMGCSA AGCSA • GCGCSA

Questions?

Call Linda Wells (662) 769-7558 or email lmw218@msstate.edu Send Registration Form to: Linda Wells, MTA Box 9555 Mississippi State, MS 39762 Fax to: (662) 325-2705

Card # _________________________________________________________ Expiration Date: __________________________________________________ Signature: ______________________________________________________

**Make check payable to Mississippi Turfgrass Association (MTA) Mail to: MTA, Box 9555, Mississippi State, MS 39762

8 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2016

Catch Up

with all your peers and classmates!!

Appetizers & Cash Bar $25/Person • $45/Couple RSVP January 31, 2016

NEWS FROM MTA

MEET YOUR NEW LEADERS for 2015–2016

On

October 14, during the MTA Annual Business Meeting at the Deep South Turf Expo in Biloxi, MS, the following officers and directors were elected to lead the association in 2016.

PRESIDENT Paul Welborn Lawn and Pest Solutions P.O. Box 1146 New Albany, MS 39565 (662) 316-1347 pwelborn3@aol.com

VICE PRESIDENT Erick Coomer The Bridges Golf Course 711 Hollywood Blvd.

Bay St. Louis, MS 39520 (228) 860-5292 decoomer@gmail.com

DIRECTORS SECRETARY/TREASURER Wayne Philley Mississippi State University Box 9555 MS State, MS 39762 (662) 325-2728 (office) (662) 312-5701 (cell) wphilley@pss.msstate.edu PAST PRESIDENT Toby Thornton Shell Landing Golf Course 3301 Joy Lane Ocean Springs, MS 39565 (601) 507-4254 tthornton@shelllanding.com ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY Linda Wells Mississippi State University Box 9555 MS State, MS 39762 (662) 325-0517 (office) (662) 769-7558 (cell) lmw218@pss.msstate.edu

Jordan Carlisle LADD’S 60 Lampton Lane Purvis, MS 39475 (601) 818-7586 jcarlisle@bobladd.com

Jeremy Ely Sunkist Country Club 2381 Sunkist Country Club Rd. Biloxi, MS 39532 (228) 669-6745 superintendent@sunkistcc.com

Jay Coalter Patrick Farms Golf Club 3403 Greenfield Road Jackson, MS 39208 (601) 317-1641 jtkmcoalter@bellsouth.net

David Leon Turf & Aquatic Specialties, Inc. P.O. Box 1797 Ridgeland, MS 39158 (601) 529-2458 turfaquatic@yahoo.com

Dan Crumpton Oasis Sod Farm P.O. Box 2020 Clarksdale, MS 38614 (662) 621-2040

Wayne Wells MSU Professor Emeritus 7799 Self Creek Road Starkville, MS 39759 (662) 418-4205 wwells@pss.msstate.edu

Ken Edwards City of Gulfport 114 Reservation Drive Gulfport, MS 39503 (228) 861-5641 kedwa37326@aol.com

EX-OFFICIO EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR Jay McCurdy, Ph.D. Assistant Professor & MSU Turf Extension Specialist

THE MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE • 9

RECENT EVENT

MSU TURFGRASS RESEARCH FIELD DAY, August 25, 2015

THANK YOU TO OUR FIELD DAY 2016 SPONSORS

Rodney Foil Plant Science Research Center Starkville, MS GOLD

By Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Assistant Extension Professor and Weed Scientist, Mississippi State University

The

Mississippi State University 2015 Turfgrass Field Day was a huge success, with more than 175 turf professionals in attendance. MSU turf faculty and staff conducted nearly 80 field trials during 2015.

For us, field days are more than just the culmination of a long season. They’re also a necessary part of our program’s mission to educate industry stakeholders and students while encouraging research and innovation.

Please join us August 23, 2016, for this year’s event. ❖

Photo by Jay McCurdy, MSU.

SILVER

Photo by Lauren Lindley, MSU.

Photo by Jay McCurdy, MSU.

Spectrum Technologies

Photo by Sarah Buckleitner, MSU.

BRONZE Photo by Jay McCurdy, MSU.

10 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2016

Photo by Sarah Buckleitner, MSU.

THE MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE • 11

RECENT EVENT

THE DEEP SOUTH TURF EXPO, Held October 13–15, 2015, Was a Great Success!

By Linda Wells, MTA Administrative Secretary

Our

first Deep South Turf Expo was a very successful event for all the associations involved — the Mississippi Turfgrass Association, the Alabama Turfgrass Association and Golf Course Associations of Louisiana-Mississippi, Alabama and Gulf Coast Florida.

There were 700 in attendance! We were pleased that more than 180 attended from the Mississippi Turfgrass Association.

The tradeshow was terrific, education seminars were very

Bud Thigpen Distinguished Service Award

Jim Kwasinski, Tupelo Country Club

well received, and all the “fun” events were very popular!

At the annual MTA Business Meeting held on October 14 during the Deep South Turf Expo, MTA members voted in the officers and board of directors for 2015/2016. See page 9 for details. Also, the membership voted to raise the annual dues for MTA from $50 per year to $75 per year. The new dues will take effect January 1, 2016.

Also at the meeting, the following awards were presented. ❖

Distinguished Service Award

MTA Honorary Membership

Mitch Parker, LADD’S

Harold Burt, Fernwood Country Club

MTA Scholarships ($500 each)

Marcus Franklin Hinds Community College

Blake Bradford East Mississippi Community College

12 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2016

Jed McCoy

Jonathan Fredricks

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University

THANKS TO OUR DSTE SPONSORS Surf ‘n Turf Dinner

Past Presidents’ Breakfast

Bayer Harrell’s, Inc. Stephen Miles, CGCS, president of the Deep South Expo, welcomes attendees to the inaugural event.

Beard Equipment Company Greenville Turf & Tractor

Lunch

BASF

Sporting Clay Tournament

Continental Breakfast

Nufarm Americas

Syngenta

Tradeshow Bags

Reception

Sod Solutions

Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation 2016 MTA board of directors (left to right): Dr. Wayne Wells, Jay Coalter, Jeremy Ely, Jordan Carlisle, Paul Welborn (president), Wayne Philley (secretary/ treasurer), David Leon and Toby Thornton (past president). Not in photo: Erick Coomer (vice president), Dan Crumpton and Ken Edwards.

THANKS TO OUR DSTE EXHIBITORS Agri-AFC, LLC

A great time was had by all, with a beautiful view of the Gulf Coast, during the Surf ‘n Turf Dinner.

Alternative Turf Specialists

Performance Tire & Wheel

Aquatrols

Residex

BASF

SePRO

BWI Companies, Inc.

Sod Solutions

Davison Fuels

Southern Aggregates, LLC

First Products

Southern Athletic Fields, Inc.

FMC

Southern Specialty Equipment, Inc.

Graham Spray Equipment

Educational classes were packed with turf professionals.

Various exhibitors gave presentations on the Expo floor.

Greenleaf Technologies

Southern States Coop Turf Division

Growth Products

Specialty Turf Supply, Inc.

GT Airinject, Inc.

Sports Turf Services

Howard Fertilizer & Chemical

Standard Golf Company

Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation

Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.

John Deere Landscapes

Sur-Line Turf

Keeling Company

Syngenta

Moose River Media

The Turfgrass Group

Net Connection, LLC

Tebro Manufacturing

Nufarm Americas

Trimax Mowing Service

Par Aide Products

Turf Fuel – Residex

Pennington Seed

Watermark Golf

THE MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE • 13

COVER STORY

REDUCING THE HAZARDS OF TURFGRASS INSECTICIDES

to Bees

By Murphey Coy and David W. Held, Ph.D., Dept. of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University

The

European honey bee, Apis mellifera, was introduced to the Americas by European settlers in the 1600s.

Among insects, bees have adaptations, like pollen baskets and hairy bodies, that make them efficient and important pollinators of an estimated one-third of the food we eat. Bees also feed their larvae pollen, so flower foraging is critical to the bee life cycle.

Apis mellifera and bumblebees (Bombus spp.) are the most common species in the commercial beekeeping industry. Commercial beekeeping has an economic impact valued in the billions of dollars and is critical to the stability of our food supply and economy. Many crops depend on bee polli-

14 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2016

nation, and certain crops (like almonds) are solely dependent on bee pollination for producing yield.

After the winter of 2006, a drastic decline in honey bee populations occurred. Losses reported by beekeepers ranged from 30% to 90% of bee colonies and hives lost. Since then, the decline in honey bee populations has continued. This decline in bee populations has been characterized by the phrase Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Declines in bee populations are linked to a combination of many factors, including parasitic mites, viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, poor nutrition, loss of habitat, genetics and pesticides with emphasis placed on neonicotinoids.

Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that were introduced in the mid1990s. These insecticides act similarly to nicotine, binding to sites so the neurotransmitter acetycholine cannot transmit the nerve impulse across the synapse. Neonicotinoid insecticides include imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, acetamiprid, thiacloprid and nitenpyram. Neonicotinoids are used widely throughout the world in both agricultural and horticultural settings because they are effective, convenient and much less toxic to vertebrates than older pesticide chemistries. In fact, imidacloprid was registered under the EPA’s Conventional Reduced Risk Program.

Neonicotinoids are also systemic and have long residual activity in soils. The most common use of neonicotinoids in turfgrass is for white grubs preventative control, chinch bugs resistance management and mole cricket suppression.

Unfortunately, there are also nontarget lethal and sublethal effects of neonicotinoids, with the effects on bees getting the most attention. Recently, the European Union banned the use of neonicotinoids for two years while it conducts more studies on nontarget effects. This summer in Oregon, neonicotinoids were widely discussed in the news after an applicator made an illegal, foliar spray application of Safari to blooming European lindens.

The application to trees in a shopping mall parking lot was targeting aphids but resulted in the non-target deaths of 50,000 bees.

Sublethal effects, those that may not outright kill, but reduce health and/or vigor, documented in bees in response to neonicotinoids include reduced colony vitality, foraging behavior and honey production, as well as delayed development, impaired navigational and memory skills and failure to produce new queens.

So, how do applications of insecticides to turfgrass, including neonicotinoids, affect bees?

We have two studies to provide insight on this. In the early 2000s, Gels, Held and Potter evaluated the impact on bumble bees that foraged on white clover in turfgrass from applications of neonicotinoids, carbamates, organophosphate and pyrethroids. In that study, insecticides were applied as a foliar spray or granules, with or without post-treatment irrigation. When the treatments received post-treatment irrigation, no adverse impacts were observed on the bee colony’s health.

Colonies exposed to non-irrigated turfgrass, however, had reduced foraging behavior, fewer live workers and larvae and reduced colony weight.

In 2012, another trial (Larson, Redmond, and Potter) evaluated

the impact of mowing to remove flowering heads of white clover in turfgrass stands before treatment with a neonicotinoid (clothianidin) or a diamide (chlorantraniliprole). Stands of grass with white clover were either left intact or mowed to remove flowers before treatment. Bees were then caged over plots and allowed to forage for a week before being transferred to another location with untreated flowers for the rest of the summer. The results showed that with the neonicotinoid application, it was important to mow the area prior to a treatment to remove flowers so that bees would not be exposed to the insecticide after treatment. The diamide application had no adverse impact on bees whether or not the treated area was mowed, and it provides an alternative control

for white grubs that does not impact bee health.

The risks that neonicotinoids pose to non-targets can be mitigated through proper usage. Applicators have a legal responsibility to read and understand pesticide labels and the new bee-hazard guidelines to ensure that their usage is judicious. With neonicotinoids in turfgrass, it is important to mow an area before treatment to remove flowering heads of weeds, especially for applications for surface-feeding insects like chinch bugs or armyworms. When applied for grubs or mole crickets, post-treatment irrigation is often recommended on labels to move the insecticide into the root zone. This simple practice will also reduce pesticide residues on the grass and associated flowering weeds. ❖

COMMON NEONICOTIINOIDS Used on Turfgrass and Ornamentals ACTIVE INGREDIENT

TRADE NAMES

Clothianidin

Arena, Aloft

Dinotefuran

Safari, Zylam

Imidacloprid

Allectus, Merit

Thiamethozam

Meridian

KEY POINTS for Mitigating Non-Target Hazards Follow the insecticide label (it’s the law).

Mow the area prior to treatment to remove the flowering heads of weeds (clover, dandelions, etc.).

Irrigate the area after treatment to move the treatment/residues into the soil.

Spray in calm wind conditions to prevent drift.

THE MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE • 15

LANDSCAPE CORNER

DIAGNOSING NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES in Ornamental Plants

By Geoff Denny, Ph.D., Assistant Extension Professor, Mississippi State University

W

hen your plants start to look bad, there are many possible causes. One common culprit is a nutrient deficiency. Nutrient deficiencies happen when a plant lacks one of the many “essential nutrients.” This is similar to a vitamin deficiency in people.

Determining which plant nutrient is missing can be a challenge. The first step is to rule out any other potential causes of the symptoms you see. Below is a list of common causes of symptoms similar to plant nutrient deficiency.

• Insects/mites • Nematodes • Diseases

Key for identifying ornamental-plant nutrient deficiencies based on visual symptoms.

Symptoms start on old leaves, but spread to whole plant.

Old Leaves Symptoms on older leaves only.

Plant is pale green. Lower leaves yellow and dry to brown.

Nitrogen

Plant is dark green with purple or red coloration. Lower leaves are yellow and dry to dark green.

Phosphorus

Leaves yellow at the edges, but remain green in the middle.

Magnesium

Leaves wilted or scorched.

Edges and spots on leaf necrotic.

Potassium

Stems are shortened and rosetted Symptoms first appear on:

Yellowing between leaf veins Stems not shortened or rosetted

Leaves yellowing

Zinc Leaves develop necrotic spots Leaves do not develop necrotic spots

Entire leaf yellow, spreading to the whole plant

Young Leaves

Iron

Sulfur

Boron

Terminal bud dying Leaves deformed and/or necrotic

Manganese

New leaves deformed.

Leaf tips and edges are necrotic.

Calcium

Plant is shunted.

Leaves bluish-green, small & deformed

Copper

Terminal bud not dying

Redrawn from Shober & Denny, 2010.

Caution: This information is for educational and preliminary planning purposes only. Use this key as a guide only. The user assumes the risk of using or otherwise relying on the output of the key. Mississippi State Extension Service does not warranty the functionality of the key or that errors can or will be discovered or corrected. Mississippi State Extension Service does not warranty the accuracy or completeness of any output from the key. The key, its use and output are provided “as is” and without any expressed or implied warranty, including merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Mississippi State Extension Service shall not be bound by any key output and is not responsible for use or reliance on any such output.

16 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2016

• Too much water • Not enough water • Cold damage • Pesticide damage • Soil compaction • Air pollution

Plan A — soil and tissue tests The best way to find out what your plants lack is by soil and tissue testing.

Soil tests are a good way to determine which nutrients are available to your plants and to identify other factors that might cause nutritional problems (such as pH or salinity). Mississippi State University Extension offers affordable soil-testing services.

Plant tissue tests will tell you how much of each nutrient is in the plant.

This shows you what the plant lacks and which nutrients are too high, possibly causing nutrient toxicity.

Having both the soil and plant tissue tested will give you the most complete picture of what is going on with your plant. This is the most accurate way of deciding what nutrient is missing from your plants and what to do about it.

For more info on these tests, contact your county Extension agent, or visit http://msucares.com/crops/soils/ testing.html.

Plan B — use visual symptoms to diagnose deficiency Many plant nutrient deficiencies can be diagnosed based on their visual symptoms. This is a convenient method, but it is not as accurate or dependable as soil and tissue testing. Some symptoms take longer to develop than others, and if more than one nutrient is deficient, it can be difficult to tell what is missing.

This method is not intended to replace tissue and soil tests, but it can be used when testing is impractical. The diagram in this article will help you

determine which nutrients your plants lack based on visual symptoms.

To use the diagram, follow these steps: 1. Begin on the left side of the diagram.

2. Select the option that matches the plant’s symptoms.

3. Move to the next choice.

4. Do this until you reach one of the plant nutrient deficiencies on the right side.

Remember, using visual symptoms to diagnose nutrient deficiencies should only be used for preliminary planning purposes. ❖

THE MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE • 17

DIGITAL MARKETPLACE

Scan the QR code: Download your favorite QR reader to your phone and scan the code to learn more about this company.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FEBRUARY 6–11

MAY 17

Golf Industry Show Golf Course Management San Diego Convention Center Workshop and the 2016 YardDawg Classic San Diego, CA Dancing Rabbit G.C. FEBRUARY 10 Choctaw, MS MTA Hospitality Night AUGUST 23 (at the Golf Industry Show) Mississippi State Turfgrass The Knotty Barrel Research Field Day San Diego, CA Rodney Foil Plant Science FEBRUARY 18 Research Center North Mississippi Producer Starkville, MS Advisory Council Meeting OCTOBER 11–13 Lee County Agri-Center Deep South Turf Expo Verona, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum FEBRUARY 22–25 & Conference Center TPI International Education Biloxi, MS Conference & Field Day (Turfgrass Producers Intl.)

Hyatt Regency Houston Houston, Texas

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Agra Turf, Inc. .................................... 18

O2YS Corporation ............................... 17

www.agrainc.com

www.o2yscorp.com

Agri-AFC,LLC......................................... 3

Oasis Sod Farm .................................. 17

www.agri-afc.com

www.oasissod.com

Battle Sod Farm ................................. 11

Riebeling Farms, Inc. ......................... 11

www.battlesodfarm.com Bayou Bend Turfgrass ........................ 18

www.bayoubendturf.com Boshancee Nursery, Inc. .................... 11

www.boshanceensy.com CoverSports USA .................................. 9

www.coversports.com Harrell’s LLC .........................Back Cover

www.harrells.com Humphries Turf Supply ....................... 11

www.humphriesturf.com Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation .................. 5

www.jerrypate.com

18 • MISSISSIPPI TURFGRASS • WINTER 2016

Smith Seed Services .......................... 18

www.smithseed.com Southern Athletic Fields..................... 18

www.safdirt.com Sur-Line Turf, Inc. .............................. 18

www.surlineturf.com The Turfgrass Group ...Inside Front Cover

www.theturfgrassgroup.com Winstead Turf Farms ..Inside Back Cover

www.winsteadturffarms.com