North Carolina Turfgrass - July / August 2021

July / August 2021

A Publication of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina

Turfgrass Research Aims to Improve NC Roadsides Zoysiagrass Putting Greens: WHAT WE’VE LEARNED SO FAR PLUS

31°28’36.5” N x 83°31’33.3” W

Marks the Spot

UGA Tifton, GA

Table of Contents July / August 2021

16 C O V ER

STO RY

T URFGRASS

G U ES T C OLUMN

MOR E FE ATUR E S

14 When Doing Good is

5 From the President 6 TCNC Deluxe Members 8 NC State Turf Team 8 TCNC Membership Renewal 10 Welcome, New Members 13 Calendar of Events 13 Index of Advertisers

Good Business

RESEARCH AIMS TO IMPROVE NC ROADSIDES

F EA T U RE AR TICLE S

22 Better Planning and Execution Through Weather App Use

28 Zoysiagrass Putting Greens:

What We’ve Learned So Far

FIND THIS ISSUE, PODCASTS, EVENTS AND MORE: THETURFZONE.COM

22

28 16 4 North Caro lina Turf gra ss

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Index of Advertisers Amick's Superstore............................. 23 www.amickssuperstore.com Burlingham Seeds............................... 17 www.burlinghamseeds.com Buy Sod, Inc.......................................... 5 www.buysod.com Carolina Fresh Farms.......................... 21 www.carolinafreshfarms.com Carolina Green Corp........................... 35 www.cgcfields.com Carolina Turf Farms, Inc..................... 13 carolinaturffarms.com Divots, Inc........................................... 35 www.divotssand.com Revels Tractor Co. Inc........................... 7 www.revelstractor.com Green Resource....................Back Cover www.green-resource.com Kesmac................................................ 19 www.brouwerkesmac.com Leading Edge Communications.......... 15 www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PLAY WITH

Mid-Atlantic STIHL.............................. 25 www.stihldealers.com Modern Turf, Inc................................... 9 www.modernturf.com Morgan Sand Company...................... 34 morgansandco.com Progressive Turf Equipment Inc......... 21 www.progressiveturfequip.com Quality Turf, Inc.................................. 35 www.qualityturfnc.com Sod Solutions........................................ 3 www.sodsolutions.com

Neil Jones, Territory Manager – Virginia & Eastern NC njones@buysod.com • 910-975-0002 Mark Harris – Territory Manager – Western NC/SC mharris@buysod.com • 910-992-6519

Southeastern Materials....................... 29 soematerials.com Southern Agricultural Insecticides, Inc................................... 31 www.southernag.com Southern Seeds, Inc............................ 33 www.southernseedsinc.com Southern Specialty Equipment........... 33 www.ssequip.net Super-Sod............................................ 27 www.supersod.com Triangle Turf and Ornamental............ 15 www.cardinalturf.com The Turfgrass Group... Inside Front Cover www.theturfgrassgroup.com Turf Mountain Sod, Inc....................... 35 www.turfmountain.com Vandemark Farms................................. 9 www.vandemarkfarms.com

A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e T u r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f No rth C aro l i n a 5

From the President

Do

North Carolina Turfgrass is the official publication of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina 110 Horizon Drive Suite 210 Raleigh, NC 27615 919.459.2070 Fax 919.459.2075 www.ncturfgrass.org

you want to be part of a select group of turfgrass professionals?

Consider becoming a North Carolina Certified Turfgrass Professional.

TCNC is the only association that facilitates the North Carolina Certified Turfgrass Profession certification (NCCTP). The NCCTP designation is the only certification program dedicated to turfgrass professionals in North Carolina.

BENEFITS INCLUDE • Technical competency in turfgrass management professionals.

• Professional credibility as a turfgrass industry leader.

•C onfirms your expertise in turfgrass management to customers and employers.

•R eceive support when needed from other NCCTPs within the association.

• Can be used for better visibility to the public and peers.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Marcy Cottle IMI Association Executives info@ncturfgrass.org 919.459.2070 Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, TN 37064 615.790.3718 Fax 615.794.4524 info@leadingedgecommunications.com

TCNC OFFICERS PRESIDENT

• Access to tools and resources for marketability.

Kevin Herrmann Fairway Green Inc. Raleigh, NC

There are currently 57 active North Carolina Certified Turfgrass Professionals in this state.

However, we have several hundred turfgrass professionals in NC that we would like to add to this esteemed certification.

VICE PRESIDENT

The North Carolina Certified Turfgrass Professional certification is excellent for individuals that did not get formally educated in turfgrass management and want to excel in the industry. This designation affirms you have the knowledge to manage turf in the most scientific way. Even if you did receive a turfgrass degree, NCCTP is an excellent addition to your credentials

PAST PRESIDENT

You will need to maintain and be a current TCNC member and pay for the certification annually. You will also need to maintain your NCDA Pesticide License. Study material is purchased at the time you register for the certification. You will schedule a time to take the exam within a year of receiving the study material. The exam will be open book. The goal of the test is to demonstrate you know how to find the correct answer.

NC State’s Short Course has all of the information needed to take the NCCTP exam.

Taking the exam right after participating in the NC State Short Course makes the exam much easier since the knowledge is fresh.

Wilson Sutton Falling Creek Golf Club Kinston, NC

Gene Queen Nature's Select Winston Salem, NC

TREASURER Jonathan Richardson, NCCTP NCCTP Chairman Green Resource Dunn, NC

Clifford Ruth, Area Agent and Regional Certification Program Coordinator, Agriculture Buncombe County Center executes the exam in the western part of the state. He offers a course with study material that makes the exam easier to manage.

DIRECTORS

Please visit ncturfgrass.org or contact us at 919-459-270 or info@ncturfgrass.org to receive additional information about this certification or sign up to receive your North Carolina Certified Turfgrass Professional.

Brian Beane Nature's Select Premium Turf Services Winston-Salem, NC

Kevin Herrmann 2021 TCNC President

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Damon Dean Keith Hills Country Club Lillington, NC

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July / August 2021

You never get a do over when purchasing equipment. That’s why you need John Deere. Our fairway mowers bring meticulous consistency and precision to every pass. And thanks to our passcode-protected TechControl, you can lock-in every operators’ mower speed, turn speed and transport speed, so they hit the sweet spot every time.

Learn more about the full line of John Deere golf turf equipment at Revelstractor.com or Finchinc.com

TCNC Deluxe Members

NC State Turf Team

Companies wishing to support TCNC with multiple members can join as Deluxe Members. Deluxe Memberships can be purchased in one of three tiers: 1–5 employees; 6–10 employees; or 11+ employees.

If you'd like to learn more about the Deluxe Membership, please contact the TCNC office at 919.459.2070 or info@ncturfgrass.org.

Thank You to Our DELUXE MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS The Biltmore Company Barefoot & Associates Inc. Buy Sod Inc Carolina Farm Credit Carolina Green Corp.

North Carolina A&T State University Nufarm Americas, Inc.

Quality Turf

City of Raleigh Parks & Recreation

Smith Turf & Irrigation

Country Boy Landscaping Inc

Sod Solutions Inc.

Fairway Green Fayetteville Technical Community College Givens Estates Green Resource JRM Inc. Keith Hills Country Club Leap Frog Landcare, Inc. McConnell Golf LLC Murray's Landscape Maintenance and Horticultural Services

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Dr. Richard Cooper Professor 919.515.7600 rich_cooper@ncsu.edu

Dr. Charles Peacock Professor 919.515.3667 charles_peacock@ncsu.edu

Emily Erickson Lecturer 919.513.2034 emily_erickson@ncsu.edu

Dr. Rob Richardson Associate Professor & Extension Specialist 919.515.5653 rob_richardson@ncsu.edu

Dr. Travis Gannon Assistant Professor 919.515.2647 travis_gannon@ncsu.edu

Nature's Select Premium Turf Services

Pennington Seed – ProTurf Division

CROP AND SOIL SCIENCES

Matt Martin Extension Associate, Turfgrass 910.675.2314 matthew_martin@ncsu.edu

Dr. Wei Shi Professor 919.513.4641 wei_shi@ncsu.edu

Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis Associate Professor 919.515.3196 susana_milla-lewis@ncsu.edu

Dr. Fred Yelverton Professor & Extension Specialist 919.515.5639 fred_yelverton@ncsu.edu

Dr. Grady Miller Professor & Extension Specialist 919.515.5656 grady_miller@ncsu.edu

ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY

Southern Ag Southern Seeds Inc Town of Cary Public Works Town of Garner Triangle Turf and Ornamentals

Dr. Thomas Rufty Jr. Professor 919.515.3660 tom_rufty@ncsu.edu

Dr. Terri Billeisen Extension Associate 919.515.7464 tlhoctor@ncsu.edu

Lee Butler Extension Coordinator 919.513.3878 elbutler@ncsu.edu

Dr. Rick Brandenburg Wm. Neal Reynolds Professor 919.515.8876 rick_brandenburg@ncsu.edu

Dr. James Kerns Associate Professor 919.513.4820 jpkerns@ncsu.edu

Turf Mountain Sod Inc

HORTICULTURE SCIENCE

Vandemark Farms LLC Dr. Danesha Seth Carley Director, Southern IPM Center & Associate Professor 919.513.8189 danesha_carley@ncsu.edu

Wake Forest University Weed Man

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July / August 2021

The Turfgrass Council of North Carolina (TCNC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, North Carolina Turfgrass, or its editors.

Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or TCNC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright © 2021 by the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina. North Carolina Turfgrass is published bi-monthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of TCNC. Presorted standard postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: North Carolina Turfgrass allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to TCNC. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information.

Advertising:

For

display

and

classified

advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064, 615.790.3718, Fax 615.794.4524.

A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e T u r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f No rth C aro l i n a 9

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A Pu b l i c a t i o n o f t h e T u r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f No rth C aro l i n a 11

NCCTP DESIGNATION RENEWAL INFORMATION

PAYMENT INFORMATION

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July / August 2021

Welcome New Members!

Hunter Campbell Garner, NC

Matt Nihoa

Barefoot Lawn Care Inc. Smithfield, NC

Michael Blazek Go Unmanned Raleigh, NC

Matthew Gutierrez Carolina Farm Credit Statesville, NC

Congratulations New NCCTP

Brian Best

City of Raleigh Raleigh, NC

CALENDAR OF EVENTS TCNC Knowledge Series

Green & Growin’ 22

July 22nd & July 29th, 2021

January 10th – 14th, 2022

ZOOM

Greensboro, NC

Turfgrass Producers International Education Conference

February 14th – 17th, 2022 San Diego, CA

A Pu b l i c a t i o n o f t h e T u r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f No rth C aro l i n a 13

W HEN

Guest Column

DOING GOOD IS GOOD BUSINESS

By Neal Glatt, CSP, ASM

Almost every organization is facing unprecedented difficulty in recruiting and hiring employees today. Whether the hesitancy to return to work is due to elevated unemployment benefits, lack of vaccination adoption, inconsistent childcare, or family health concerns, the labor problem remains. Quite simply the standard job offering isn’t sufficient to move the needle anymore. Here’s how to change the outcome and do good in the process.

In an effort to find workers, many entry-level jobs have prominently advertised wages starting at $15/hour. Others have created giant signs touting signing bonuses of $250. Some have proclaimed retirement matching. But none of these are compelling anymore.

What is compelling is creating an opportunity for people to find the skills they need to literally change their lives for the better. People will sign up for an established program of mentorship that will help them achieve their potential and realize their dreams. Jobs that enable people to thrive will always find willing applicants, and it’s possible to implement in any organization.

The clothing retailer Old Navy has made a commitment to hire 20,000 underprivileged youth by 2025, representing a full 5% of all new hires. Their program, called This Way ONward, has been in existence since 2007 and is active in 576 cities across the US. Through the program, Old Navy works with community partners like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to provide youth with job mentoring opportunities. Managers interview youth and are directed to “hire for potential, not credential.” What’s more, youth receive post-hire support through coaching from managers, a job coach, and experienced peers.

The results? 10-year alumni of the program have found stable employment 72% of the time compared with 55% of their peers.

68% report a significant increase in self-confidence, enabling success in life. And Old Navy hired more than 2,500 youth last year for jobs that may have otherwise been unfilled. Clearly, doing good for the community is good business.

But can small teams adopt the same approach without huge budgets and years of experience? Absolutely. The first step is to make a commitment to coaching others. Investing an hour per week of time with each person is a prerequisite to successfully mentoring staff. When time and space is given towards coaching conversations without daily work pressures, a real human connection can be established, and people can start to thrive.

What do coaching conversations sound like? I prefer to start with hopes and dreams. What’s your dream job? What do you want your life to look like? What do you want to provide for

your family? What do these look like in six months and one year and five years and ten years? People usually don’t have all the answers upfront and they often change over months and years, but these are the motivations we’ll use to fuel growth.

Next, I try to collaboratively build individualized action steps which consider the person’s unique talents, benefit on-the-job outcomes, and lead toward realization of their goals. For this step I use specialized assessments to provide self-awareness and idea generation. As a result, the coaching is always relevant, well-received, and applicable.

Finally, we shift to driving accountability by setting short-term commitments and ensuring that success is realized. When obstacles arise, I guide mentees through self-reflection to overcome them in the future. This is where skill training tends to enter, either directly or through third-party resources. When priorities change, we rework the process.

It can be an awkward process to start, but as one of my direct reports recently told me, “Our coaching conversations are by far my favorite part of the job.” Every week I’m helping her develop skills and experience. And doing good to help someone else has become my favorite part of the job.

But, as I said, doing good is good business. Those who I’ve been blessed to coach thrive in life and on the job. Their performance is higher, they contribute more positive energy, and work gets done with less stress. I’ve successfully recruited from partners including colleges, halfway houses, faith-based recovery programs, and job-training organizations. The people who participate are some of the most appreciative employees because they have a chance to significantly improve their lives.

If you’re seeking your next employee, maybe it’s time to rethink the approach. Save the money from the job boards and invest the time to find community organizations like vocational schools, foster care programs, churches, homeless shelters, or after-school youth programs. If you need help training them, we’d love to partner with you with our industry-specific courses on www.GrowTheBench.com. Commit to doing good for people who want jobs but lack skills and filling positions will no longer be such a challenge. It’s just good business.

Neal Glatt is the Managing Partner of GrowTheBench, an online training platform for the green industry. You can learn more about him and his solutions at www.NealGlatt.com.

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NO NEED TO SWEAT THIS SUMMER!

continued | Green Light on Sod

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A Pu b l i c a t i o n o f t h e T u r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f No rth C aro l i n a 15

COVE R S T O R Y

TURFGRASS RESEARCH AIMS TO

IMPROVE NC ROADSIDES

By Jennifer Howard Communications Specialist, NC State

NORTH CAROLINA IS HOME TO 80,000 MILES O F D E PA R T M E N T O F T R A N S P O R TAT I O N MANAGED

R O A D WAY S .

ALONGSIDE

O U R H I G H WAY S I S U S UA L LY A S H O U L D E R I N C L U D I N G G R E E N G R A S S T H AT H A S TO BE REGUL ARLY AND SAFELY MAINTAINED, A PAR TICUL AR CHALLENGE AROUND ROA D WAYS WITH MEDIAN RAILS.

Maintaining NC’s stretches of roadway grass is time-consuming, expensive, and potentially risky. Researchers with NC State’s turfgrass program are breeding and testing a low-growing, low-maintenance turfgrass that could significantly reduce the management cost and risks.

THE BENEFITS OF ROADSIDE TURFGRASS Highway vegetation is valuable for drivers and our ecosystems.

Turfgrass provides a safe place for travelers to pull off roadways, reduces dust and glare, and mitigates heat from adjacent asphalt. But it also acts as an important buffer to the natural waterways near highways. Turfgrass physically and chemically filters air and road pollutants that would otherwise be washed directly into neighboring streams or lakes.

To reduce the costs and risks of mechanical and chemical maintenance around median rails, NCDOT has tapped NC State turfgrass researchers for alternative turfgrass options.

Zoysiagrass is a top contender.

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For test results check www.ntep.org

www.burlinghamseeds.com

Cover Story | continued

ZOYSIAGRASS GOES BEYOND THE LANDSCAPE Zoysiagrass is known for producing a thick, smothering grass stand that, once established, can outcompete weeds and remains short. It’s a lower input grass — with virtually no maintenance required in its dormant season — is drought tolerant, and thrives in a variety of soils, which NC has in abundance.

Zoysiagrass is usually installed as sod for home or commercial landscape applications and is known to be expensive. But NC State researchers are working to identify the most economical roadside zoysiagrass cultivar and method of establishment to cover NCDOT’s many miles.

NC State researchers Susana Milla-Lewis and Grady Miller are leading the project which seeks to compare the establishment and economic viability of roadside zoysiagrass by seeding or planting sprigs.

“Zoysiagrass varieties have generally been developed for landscape use targeting traits such as shade tolerance and dark green color when managed with at least moderate inputs. These traits are largely irrelevant for roadside use,” Miller said.

BREEDING ZOYSIAGRASS FOR LOW-INPUT ENVIRONMENTS

One of the most important considerations for the trial is the ability of the grass to establish with minimal input — including irrigation which is impractical on a large scale. The group is evaluating the time of year for planting and some alternative strategies to improve establishment.

“In some of our studies, we saw sprigs performing as well as seeds, but those trials were watered at establishment. For some of the field-scale locations, a lack of irrigation was a significant problem,” Milla-Lewis said. “So, we are also evaluating companion crops as an alternative to help retain moisture during initial establishment.”

Researchers hope their findings will save on turfgrass management and inputs.

“The results of this study may cause a shift in how roadsides are planted and maintained. With the successful establishment of zoysiagrass, there should be a reduction in chemical and mechanical maintenance,” Miller said. “The long-term benefit will be less cost to maintain NC roadsides.”

HOMEGROWN ZOYSIAGRASSES HOLD POSSIBILITIES While the turfgrasses in this project are geared to highway road use, the outcomes may have implications for NC home and commercial landscapes too.

NC State developed two of the roadside zoysiagrass cultivars being evaluated. “Two of the zoysiagrasses that have shown excellent performance are currently being grown in on-farm trials in NC, SC, and VA to evaluate sod production traits. One of these lines could be commercially released as soon as next year,” Milla-Lewis said.

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Cover Story | continued

“While the speed of establishment was an important trait for NCDOT, persistence under low inputs was also at the top of the list,” Milla-Lewis said. “These zoysiagrass lines have been tested in Arizona and California under very little irrigation and they maintained superior performance. While some of them are rougher and don’t have the superior turf quality required for a lawn setting, at least one of them would be very suitable for that environment and should be of interest for those homeowners who are more interested in less maintenance rather than perfect beauty.”

NEW WARM-SEASON TURFGRASSES TO BE RELEASED THIS YEAR NC State has an active turfgrass research and breeding program, especially in drought-tolerant warm-season varieties. But plant breeding is a long game taking 10-15 years to develop, evaluate and release new cultivars. Milla-Lewis has been with the university’s turfgrass breeding program since 2009 and is excited to introduce two new turfgrasses this year.

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“Our breeding program is releasing our first warm-season cultivars within a year. We’ll be releasing one St. Augustinegrass and one Zoysiagrass cultivar. As these are vegetatively-propagated species, it takes a while to ramp up enough material for distribution to interested sod farms,” Milla-Lewis said.

Her turfgrass breeding program ramped up from a handful of turfgrass types in 2009 to more than 18,000 unique genotypes that have been developed and tested to date. Because of NC’s unique geographic location in the transitional climatic transition zone of the US, much of NC State’s turfgrass breeding work focuses on improving cold tolerance in warm-season grasses and heat and drought tolerances in cool-season grasses. Forthcoming varieties will increasingly allow homeowners, golf course superintendents, and government entities to save on water and management costs.

LOOKING FOR MORE INNOVATION? Crop and Soil Sciences’ research impacts citizens and students, from the mountains to the coast and everywhere turfgrass grows.

Follow how our innovations affect agriculture and environmental science by joining our weekly newsfeed.

If you are a student interested in turfgrass science, investigate our undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including a deep dive into our turfgrass program. Then join us for a guided email tour of our department and university.

Enhancing NC’s greenspaces through plant breeding is just part of how we are growing the future.

July / August 2021

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A Pu b l i c a t i o n o f t h e T u r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f No rth C aro l i n a 21

FEA T U R E

BETTER PLANNING AND EXECUTION THROUGH

WEATHER APP ADOPTION

By Brad Jakubowski – Instructor in Agronomy, Center for Turfgrass Science

K

eeping an eye on the weather is something professional turfgrass managers have ingrained into our systems. Can I mow today? We check our phones for the most recent forecast. Should I spray today? We monitor dewpoints, humidity and temperatures.

Will I pull the tarp prior to today’s game? We study the weather radar. There is a tremendous amount of weather information out there and nearly all of us have some form of a weather app on our phones or a link to our favorite weather website to help us make day-to-day management decisions. Let’s take a journey, to see what is out there and what information will help us make the best weatherbased decisions possible.

W H I C H AP P I S T H E B E S T ?

Honestly, there is no one best app so it is important to find an app or a number of apps that provide you the most reliable and quickly available information.

Basic Information that is important to have available with the least number of clicks would be: • • • •

High and Low Temperatures (including overnight lows) Dewpoint Relative Humidity Short-Term Weather Forecasts

Intermediate Information includes: • Radar (Base and Composite Reflectivity) • Satellite Imagery • Severe Weather (especially lightning).

Advanced Information would be:

FIGURE

1

• • • •

Echo Tops Vertically Integrated Liquid Digital Storm Accumulation Forecast Discussion

B AS I C I N F O R M AT I O N When looking for basic information, it is best to have most or all important data on the first screen or within one or two clicks from the first screen. That is often a good way to judge how well your app will benefit you over time. As an example, The National Weather Service includes much of the basic data (Figure 1). At a glance, you can get a good idea of what is happening now and what will happen in the immediate future. High and low temperatures provide a quick mental image of how the day (and night) may influence your maintenance plans, while winds, dewpoint and relative humidity provide a quick insight on irrigation requirements, disease potential, and infield skin management requirements.

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Feature | continued

B ASE R EF L EC T IVIT Y

FIGURE

2

It is beneficial to see both relative humidity and dewpoint together. Viewing only either limits your view of the big picture.

For example, a relative humidity of 65% with dewpoints over 70 degrees indicate that less time may be spent watering the infield skin and instead used to scout for diseases. The same relative humidity with dewpoints under 40 may indicate a majority of the day should be dedicated to watering the skin and irrigating.

I N T E R M E DI AT E I N F O R M ATIO N

COM POSITE R EF L EC T IVIT Y

FIGURE

3

When making game-time decisions such as tarp pulls or field evacuations due to severe weather, radar becomes an important tool. There are numerous good weather radar apps available.

Many are free, some require an annual fee of $US 10 to 50. Many of the fee-based apps offer expanded functionality, precision and overall quality of information. Regardless of cost, radar app selection should prioritize the type of reflectivity the radar images are based upon. There are two types, Base Reflectivity and Composite Reflectivity. Each time a radar transmitter spins, it sends out a microwave ‘sweep’ at different elevations to get a complete picture of all atmosphere elevations. A Base Reflectivity image represents only a single sweep of the radar transmitter.

This means that near the transmitter the radar ‘sees’ low in the storms and as distance increases the beam rises and can overshoot the core of heavier precipitation. Many High-Resolution (Hi-Res) radar images feature only Base Reflectivity sweeps.

Composite Reflectivity stitches together all elevation scans, in order, to create an image that represents a more complete picture of an incoming storm. These are often lower-resolution images and may be more pixelated. Figures 2 and 3 are of the same storm with the former being a Base Reflectivity image and the latter a Composite Reflectivity image.

Figure 4 shows the different reflectivity options you may have within a radar app, and again illustrates not all radar imagery is the same. So, when trying to make critical game-time decisions, a radar image using Base Reflectivity may grossly underestimate the significance of an incoming storm. When selecting a radar app, be sure investigate the types of radar images it provides and be prepared to spend a few dollars for radar that will prove worthwhile in the future.

S AT E L L I T E I M AG E R Y

FIGURE

4

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There are numerous Satellite Imagery options as well. They provide visible cloud cover, infrared (the most common that we see), moisture content, and all-in-one maps that include a combination of radar, infrared, and weather station models to tell a complete weather story. Satellite images can give you a broader perspective of how the weather is behaving on a wider, more continental scale. The images and loops illustrate air flow, cloud and moisture movement and overall dynamics of frontal systems.

These large-scale images and video loops can help in longer-term planning. They can aid in project preparation and be used as a tool to help protect fields when communicating with administrators that may be considering additional unexpected events during non-use days. It is useful to compare these images with regular weather maps to get a good working knowledge of fronts and changing weather systems.

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S E V E R E W E AT H E R Lightning is the most critical facet of severe weather for sport turf managers. In 2019, one in five people struck by lightning were engaged in an outdoor sporting activity. Having an app that can provide you lightning information instantly or within a click on your phone is important. The lightning information from the WeatherBug app for Figure 5 only required a short scroll down and a single click. An old AM radio is also good to have on-hand as a back up lightning detector. Significant increase in crackles and static transmitted across AM radio bands are dependable indicators of lightning activity in the area. Old School!

ADV AN C E D I N F O R M AT I O N FIGURE

5

As we work towards becoming more proficient with understanding weather and being able to make better weather-based decisions, we find more advanced tools to help us. Echo Tops or Cloud Height is another function to help us assess the intensity of an oncoming storm. An Echo Top measures the overall height of a storm, which is an indicator of the strength of storm updrafts.

Stronger updrafts make convective wind gusts and large hail more likely.

When several storms are on radar, the Echo Tops tool can point out the more severe storms and the direction they are travelling (Figure 6). This can be valuable information to report to the front office when asked about making a call on a game or whether the conditions will be safe to conduct a last-minute tarp pull. Another tool to assess the strength of a storm is Vertically Integrated Liquid (VIL). The VIL index measures how much water is being transported vertically throughout a storm cloud and is another indicator of a storm’s updraft strength. Taller updrafts tend to have higher values of VIL and are more likely to produce hail.

One more tool that can be used to help determine the total accumulation of a precipitation event is Digital Storm Accumulation. By allowing you to assess discrete accumulations over short periods of time, this tool may help you determine whether or not to pull a field cover for a particular rain event, saving time and energy that could be used elsewhere and avoid unnecessary delays. This tool may also aid in determining the potential of a flash flood event in your area.

S UM M AR Y

FIGURE

6

Technological advancements afford us incredibly convenient tools and information apps that support worker and clientele safety while improving our maintenance, irrigation, pest management, and playability decision-making. Take advantage of this opportunity by investigating these different apps and functions.

Poll your colleagues, service providers, and blogs/forums to best experiment and discover what works best for you and your facility.

This article was originally published in Pennsylvania Turfgrass Magazine, Summer 2021.

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ZOYSIAGRASS

PUTTING GREENS: WH A T W E’VE LEARNED SO FAR Z

By Tyler Carr, John Sorochan, and Jim Brosnan – Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee

oysiagrass is a warm-season turfgrass used on lawns and golf courses in the transition zone and southern United States. Zoysiagrasses have become popular in part because they require fewer inputs and offer enhanced cold and shade tolerance compared to bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.). On golf course fairways, tees, and roughs, two different species of zoysiagrass are most common: Zoysia japonica (e.g., ‘Meyer’, ‘El Toro’, etc.) and Z. matrella (e.g., ‘Zeon’, Zorro’, etc.) (Patton et al., 2017). Continued turfgrass breeding efforts have sparked an interest in zoysiagrass for use on putting greens.

In 1996, ‘Diamond’ (Z. matrella) was released as a fine-textured zoysiagrass with potential to be used on putting surfaces; however, research from Clemson University determined that ball roll speeds were too slow for tournament purposes (Engelke et al., 2002; Stiglbauer et al., 2009). More recently, three Z. matrella cultivars [‘Prizm’ (M60), ‘Primo’ (M85), and ‘Trinity’ (L1F)] have been released for use on putting greens in addition to ‘Lazer’ (DALZ 1308), a first-generation hybrid of Z. matrella and Z. minima (Doguet and Lehman, 2014; Doguet et al., 2016, 2017; Chandra et al., 2020). These improved zoysiagrasses were planted at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN) in 2018 to study their potential for use on putting greens over multiple seasons. This article will provide a brief overview of what has been learned in that research effort.

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NITROGEN (N) FERTILIZER REQUIREMENTS AND GREEN SPEED One of the major topics surrounding zoysiagrass management on putting greens is N fertilizer requirements. A 16-week study in 2020 compared the performance and quality of Prizm, Primo, Trinity, and Lazer when receiving annual N rates of 1.5 or 3 lb N 1000 ft-2 (0.19 or 0.38 lb N 1000 ft-2 every two weeks during summer) supplied as urea. All plots were mowed at a 0.115" height of cut with a walk-behind reel mower (Greensmaster Flex 2100, The Toro Company, Bloomington, MN).

Most golf course superintendents are very familiar with using a Stimpmeter to provide a measure of green speed (i.e., ball roll distance; Radko, 1980). When mowing and rolling five times weekly, green speeds for all zoysiagrasses tested averaged at least 10.5' over the 16-week study period, even when receiving 3 lb N 1000 ft-2 (Figure 1). In general, the 3 lb N 1000 ft-2 rate resulted C O NTI NU E D FIGURE 1. Ball roll distances for four zoysiagrasses after 1.5 or 3 lb N 1000 ft-2 over 16 weeks in Knoxville, TN. These data are pooled across all evaluation dates. Treatments with different letters have significantly different ball roll distances (P ≤ 0.05).

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in superior color compared to 1.5 lb N 1000 ft-2 (Figure 2) while still maintaining green speeds greater than those historically reported for Diamond. Further testing of other annual N rates between 1.5 and 3 lb 1000 ft-2 will be needed to determine the specific amount of N required to maintain acceptable quality and optimal green speed on zoysiagrass putting greens in Tennessee. Nonetheless, the range of N rates tested in this study provides a starting point for golf course superintendents considering renovating to zoysiagrass putting surfaces.

BERMUDAGRASS ENCROACHMENT Aside from managing zoysiagrass for performance, golf course superintendents will likely face encroachment from another warm-season turfgrass, bermudagrass. Controlling bermudagrass in Z. japonica typically involves multiple applications of Fusilade II (fluazifop) + Turflon Ester (triclopyr) (Brosnan et al., 2011); however, the tolerance of greens-type zoysiagrass to this treatment is unknown. A twoyear study was initiated in August 2020 at the University of Tennessee and the University of Arkansas to evaluate the tolerance of Prizm and Lazer zoysiagrass to several postemergence herbicides including Fusilade II (4 fl oz/A), Turflon Ester (32 fl oz/ A), Fusilade II (4 fl oz/A) + Turflon Ester (32 fl oz/A), Revolver (26.2 fl oz/A), and Dismiss NXT (8 fl oz/A).

CONTINUED

FIGURE 2. Visual quality and color of zoysiagrasses affected by N rates of 1.5 or 3 lb N 1000 ft -2 over 16 weeks during summer 2020 in Knoxville, TN.

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Unlike Z. japonica, both Fusilade II + Turflon Ester and Turflon Ester alone resulted in unacceptable and prolonged injury to both Prizm and Lazer zoysiagrass. Interestingly, Fusilade II applied alone resulted in limited injury (Figure 3). The same negative effects of Turflon Ester and acceptable tolerance of Fusilade II have been previously reported for Diamond zoysiagrass (Lewis et al., 2010). Additionally, Revolver was safe on Prizm

and Lazer whereas Dismiss NXT resulted in unacceptable injury. These treatments will be applied again in 2021 at both locations to make sure responses are consistent over time. As zoysiagrass use on putting greens increases, additional research will be needed to understand tolerance of greens-type cultivars to other herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides used for pest management.

FIGURE 3. Prizm zoysiagrass injury from treatments containing Turflon Ester (triclopyr; 32 fl oz/A) 21 days after treatment application in Knoxville, TN.

FIGURE 4. The effect of planting date on turfgrass coverage during establishment of ‘Prizm’ zoysiagrass sprigs when planted at 1200 bu/A in April, May, June, and July 2020 in Knoxville, TN.

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E STABLISHMENT The single greatest concern golf course superintendents express about renovating putting greens to zoysiagrass is the slow establishment from sprigs (8–12 weeks) compared to ultradwarf bermudagrass (6–8 weeks). A major research focus at the University of Tennessee is to explore methods to hasten zoysiagrass establishment from sprigs. A field study evaluating establishment of Prizm zoysiagrass in April, May, June, and July was initiated in 2020 and is being repeated in 2021. In this study, Prizm zoysiagrass was sprigged at 1200 bushels/A at each timing. One week prior to sprig harvesting, Lexicon (21 fl oz/A) was applied to established Prizm zoysiagrass at Bladerunner Farms (Poteet, TX). Before planting sprigs, starter fertilizer (18-24-12) was applied to the experimental area at 0.5 lb P2O5 1000 ft-2 and organic fertilizer (6-2-0; Milorganite Classic, Milorganite, Milwaukee, WI) was applied at 0.25 lb N 1000 ft-2 totaling 0.63 lb N 1000 ft-2, 0.58 lb P2O5 1000 ft-2, and 0.25 lb K2O 1000 ft-2. Additionally, Ronstar Flo (80 fl oz/A) was applied immediately prior to planting. During establishment, irrigation was applied five times daily replacing 150% of the previous day’s evapotranspiration, which was estimated using the mesur.io Earthstream platform (mesur.io, Yanceyville, NC).

Planting date affected establishment in 2020, as establishment rates increased with planting month (Figure 4). However, Prizm zoysiagrass planted in June and July did not fully establish in 2020, which was likely a result of fall temperatures that were not conducive for warm-season turfgrass growth. Prizm planted in late spring (April or May) had slower establishment rates than the summer plantings but established fully in the same growing season. Planting Prizm sprigs in early summer and at rates greater than those used in this study could accelerate establishment and warrants further investigation, as several golf courses have shown success when establishing zoysiagrass sprigs at rates of 1800 to 2000 bu/A. The effect of preplant herbicides on Prizm establishment was tested in May 2020 and repeated in May 2021 using the same, previously described, establishment methodology. Treatments tested included Ronstar Flo (122 fl oz/A), Tower (32 fl oz/A), Regalstar II (200 lb/A), Anderson’s

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FIGURE 5. Confidence intervals (95%) for the estimated number of weeks for ‘Prizm’ zoysiagrass planted at 1200 bu/A to reach 50, 75, and 95% turfgrass coverage with a preplant herbicide application of Ronstar Flo (122 fl oz/A), Tower (32 fl oz/A), Regalstar II (200 lb/A), Anderson’s Crabgrass and Goosegrass Control (305 lb/A), and an experimental herbicide from PBI Gordon in May 2020 in Knoxville, TN. Herbicide treatments with overlapping bars are not significantly different.

Crabgrass and Goosegrass Control (305 lb/ A), and an experimental herbicide from PBI Gordon. Anderson’s Crabgrass and Goosegrass Control and Regalstar II both severely prolonged establishment, which was not unexpected given the active ingredients in those herbicides. An application of Tower before planting hastened establishment compared to the non-treated control (Figure 5).

C O N C L US I O N While much has been learned about managing new zoysiagrass cultivars on putting greens over the past 18 months, many things still remain unknown and warrant further research. The University of Tennessee will be diligently working to learn more about these grasses to support golf course superintendents considering a renovation to zoysiagrass in the future. For more information on our work, please connect with us on Twitter (@UTturfgrass) or visit the University of Tennessee Turfgrass Science & Management Website, https:// plantsciences.tennessee.edu/turfgrass/.

TYLER CARR Graduate Research Assistant @TylerTalksTurf JOHN SOROCHAN Distinguished Professor @Sorochan JIM BROSNAN Professor and Director @UTturfweeds

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R E FERENCES Brosnan, J., Breeden, G., Elmore, M., & Zidek, J. (2011). Application timing affects bermudagrass suppression with mixtures of fluazifop and triclopyr. Weed Technology, 25, 591–597. https://doi.org/ 10.1614/WT-D-10-00165.1 Chandra, A., Genovesi, A. D., Meeks, M., Wu, Y., Engelke, M. C., Kenworthy, K., & Schwartz, B. (2020). Registration of ‘DALZ 1308’ zoysiagrass. Journal of Plant Registrations, 14, 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1002/ plr2.20016 Doguet, D., Doguet, D. A., & Lehman, V. G. (2016). Zoysiagrass plant named ‘M85’.

US Plant Patent 27289. Date issued: 18 October.

Doguet, D., Doguet, D. A., & Lehman, V. G. (2017). Zoysiagrass plant named ‘M60’.

US Plant Patent 29143. Date issued: 23 November.

Doguet, D., & Lehman, V. (2014). Zoysia grass plant named ‘L1F’. US Plant Patent 25203. Date issued: 30 December.

Engelke, M. C., Colbaugh, P. F., Reinert, J. A., Marcum, K. B., White, R. H., Ruemmele, B., & Anderson, S. J. (2002). Registration of ‘Diamond’ zoysiagrass. Crop Science, 42, 304–305. https://doi.org/10.2135/ cropsci2002.3040 Lewis, D., McElroy, J., Sorochan, J., Mueller, T., Samples, T., & Breeden, G. (2010).

Efficacy and Safening of Aryloxyphenoxypropionate Herbicides when Tank-Mixed with Triclopyr for Bermudagrass Control in Zoysiagrass Turf. Weed Technology, 24, 489-494. https://doi.org/10.1614/ WT-D-10-00029.1 Patton, A. J., Schwartz, B. M., & Kenworthy, K. E. (2017). Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) history, utilization, and improvement in the United States: A review. Crop Science, 57, 37–72. https://doi.org/10.2135/ cropsci2017.02.0074 Radko, A. (1980). The USGA Stimpmeter for Measuring the Speed of Putting Greens. In J.B. Beard (Ed.), Proceedings of The Third International Turfgrass Research Conference (pp. 473–476). American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America.

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Stiglbauer, J. B., Liu, H., McCarty, L. B., Park, D. M., Toler, J. E., & Kirk, K. (2009).

‘Diamond’ zoysiagrass putting green establishment affected by sprigging rates, nitrogen sources, and rates in the southern transition zone. HortScience, 44, 1757–1 761. https://doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.

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