Virginia Turfgrass Journal - January/February 2019

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

January/February 2019

Research Updates from Virginia Tech Plus, Don’t Miss Come to the Bay, February 26 – 27, 2019

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | January/February 2019

14

20

28 Departments

14 Save the Dates for these Upcoming Events: M.A.T.E. and Come to the Bay

6 President’s Message

from Scott Woodward

8 Director’s Corner

from Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

20 Cover Story

Research Updates from Virginia Tech 28 NALP and Workforce Initiatives

10 Editor’s Perspective

from Mark Vaughn, CGCS

12 VTF Report

from Betty B. Parker

29 Index of Advertisers 30 Virginia Tech Turf Team 30 Calendar of Events

Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) 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, Virginia Turfgrass Journal, or its editors.

Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or VTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright ©2019 by the Virginia Turfgrass Council. Virginia Turfgrass Journal is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of VTC. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to VTC, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471. Postage guaranteed. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Virginia Turfgrass Journal allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to VTC. 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 37068-0142, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 7944524. Deadlines are the first of the month prior to the following month’s publication. (Example: August 1 for the September issue.)

4 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

President’s Message

The Simple Guide to Research Happy New Year fellow VTC Members, The theme of this newsletter will be all about research. Without it, where would we, as an organization, be today?

Regardless of what business you are in, what comes to mind is how we can do this to accomplish the goals we have set for ourselves. I decided to do some “research” on my own about research and found some things below that could help us all: uild the right research team – B Put together a team who you can brainstorm with. Float ideas about what areas the team is interested in working on, set tasks and goals and make sure the team is accountable for tasks which they are responsible for. Having a team in place makes this journey very comfortable and easy.

Don’t be shy, ask! – No question is a stupid question, so don’t be afraid to ask. Some people are more assertive than others, so appoint someone on your team to be the one to go out and ask the questions. The team can collectively decide what questions to ask, but having that one person seeking the answers will help you stay organized.

Select the right topics – Your topics will determine your research path.

If it has to do with funding, you may need to reach out to folks to ask for money or information on a product.

This will allow you to stay focused on and interested in your research.

Keep your plan realistic – Your topic could be the best in the field, but do you have enough resources to finish the project? Suppose your research project involves traveling halfway around the world to conduct a field investigation. The question you must ask yourself is: can I afford that much time and money? If not, then no matter how brilliant your idea is, you need to think of something else.

Save this one for when you receive a healthy research grant.

Prepare a research project timeline – Having a timeline is everything. It keeps you on track all the time. You should have a timeline set out in the first week, stating targets that you must achieve throughout the duration of the project. Things could go wrong here and there, and you can always adjust dates, but it is very important to have a schedule, ideally broken down further into weekly targets. Ask your supervisor about what kind of targets you should set and try to achieve these on a weekly basis. Doing this should help you avoid becoming overwhelmed.

Communicate and Execute – Once you have made progress, always communicate to interested parties what progress you have made and when decision points have been reached.

This builds trust and confidence in those parties.

6 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

Scott Woodward 2018 President

These are some general rules that apply to every research project.

You will definitely have to alter a few things here and there depending on your area of interest and your topic.

Remember that persistence is the key. You may feel like giving up when things go off track, but stick with it and you’ll not only emerge with a completed project, you’ll also gain lots of invaluable skills along the way.

While all the above does seem simple, we as Turf Managers find it difficult to do. The reason we have the VTF and the VTC in place is so that we can review our needs to determine if a valid resource project is needed and make a decision on whether or not we can fund it. This is a reminder that The Virginia Tech Team is available to take on research projects should we agree one is needed and fundable.

Let’s work together to make 2019 a huge success for all of us!

Sincerely,

Scott H. Woodward President, VTC

**Did you know**

You can make a donation directly to the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation at www.virginiaturf.org/ turfgrass_foundation.html

Use

Enjoy

less

MorE

Saving you water, saving you money, saving the environment.

(910) 690-7006

(866) 829-2696

(252) 437-1501

Director’s Corner

Enjoy this research issue Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

T

ufgrass research evokes images of dimly lit rooms lined with shelves packed with bottles. Those bottles are filled with varying shades of viscous green fluids. Scientists wearing green-stained lab coats hover over Bunsen burners. Large beakers filled with the green contents from various bottles are being brought to full boil.

To be honest, I have never seen such labs or persons in my years of working with the VTC. Instead, Virginia’s tufgrass industry is blessed to have a dedicated band of experts at Virginia Tech. These professionals tirelessly work with our industry. They design research studies, plant and maintain field trials, plan conferences, speak around the world, arrange one-on-one consultations, ask hardhitting questions, and even spend time in labs.

By tradition, this issue of the Turfgrass Journal is dedicated to research. Articles contained on its pages are just a sampling of the reams of paper that would be needed to publish all the yearly output from the Virginia Tech Turf Team. We are truly privileged to have such a group of dedicated scientists working for our industry.

The VTC works hard to ensure turfgrass researchers have resources they need.

We meet with legislators, attend committee hearings, and carefully track bills and regulations that affect them.

Please do enjoy this research issue and be sure to thank one of the Virginia Tech researchers the next time you see them – or even drop them a written thank you note. c

Virginia Turfgrass Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Office: (757) 464-1004 Fax: (757) 282-2693 vaturf@verizon.net Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Editor Mark Vaughn, CGCS VTC OFFICERS President Scott Woodward Woodward Turf Farms (540) 727-0020 Vice President Michael Skelton Culpeper County (540) 727-3412 Treasurer Jimmy Viars, CGM Gloucester County Public Schools (804) 815-2779 Secretary Phil Bailey, CGCS Cypress Creek Golfer’s Club (757) 357-7995 Past President Rick Owens, CGCS Laurel Hill Golf Club (703) 674-6934 VTC DIRECTORS Wes Bray Scott Caskie Tony Montgomery Jesse Pritchard, CSFM David Smith T.J. Skirsky Craig Zeigler ­ VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. David McCall Ph.D. Executive Director/ Director of PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004 Virginia Turfgrass Foundation Betty Parker (757) 574-9061

8 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

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Editor’s Perspective

19

Predictions 2….0…1…9.

years removed from all the apocalyptic meltdowns of Y2K. Just one more year until…….wooooo……2020. And you know what THAT means. Remember what happened in 1919 don’t you? 1818? 1717? Okay, 1919…. let’s see. People were fighting each other around the world. Mail bombs were sent to prominent people in the USA. Folks were passing laws to prevent others from doing things they didn’t like. And sports teams were cheating (i.e. The Chicago “Black Sox”).

Thank goodness in 100 years we’ve progressed beyond all that. But just in case 2019 does throw some curves into your otherwise calm life, we’ve once again spent weeks/months here at VTC World Headquarters developing a roadmap to help you navigate through them.

Once again, for The Man it’s time for a disclaimer. That is said with much sadness this year because it’s the first “predictions” column since we lost her last year. I don’t think any columns ever gave The Man more ulcers than this one every January. Godspeed Liz, and all the best to her family. That being said, we have a new “Man” very capably keeping this publication in line, and Julie, this is for you: For those of you that may not realize it, this column is SATIRE. It is written in the spirit of HUMOR, not MEANNESS (although I was called meanness by my Aunt Shirley). Lest it be interpreted any other way, I offer my sincerest apologies now. While we’re at it, I’d like to apologize to my second grade girlfriend Deborah for two-timing her and holding hands with Vickie on the playground. I apologize to my great uncle Claude for stealing his Lucky Strikes and smoking them behind my grandma’s house with my cousin Ken. I apologize to Bowman for throwing his book satchel out the window of the school bus. I apologize for all the things I said to batters while I was playing catcher for my baseball teams. I apologize to cats, even THOUGH I was TOLD they would always land on their feet. I apologize to the members of the church I attended as a child for carving my initials into the back of a

pew. I apologize to my golfing partners for throwing clubs. I apologize to my hiking buddies for eating Black Bart Chili. I apologize to Carolina fans for… nah, I can’t go that far.

I’m done.

After changing his name to “Stang,” leaving the Barbizon CC, becoming a country music “sanger,” and learning to wear a cowboy hat, former Supt. and ladies’ man “Sting” returns to the green industry. “I just couldn’t do the Bro’ Country thing anymore man. The girls in my audience loved ‘em, but those tight fittin’ lady jeans were just killin’ me.” Asked about his new highteased hair style and permanent scowl, Sting replies “in my new position as Agronomy Mgr. of non-golf Trump properties, it’s standard protocol.

Yeah, I wouldn’t have thought so, but the ladies love it. Some of those girls that used to come to my shows, eh… they were a little trashy. Then I saw Donnie T. hangin’ with girls named ‘Stormy,’ ‘Tawny,’ and ‘Chi-Chi’ and I said to myself that’s the level SERIOUS money will get you to. I figure this is my last gig, and then retiro amigo!”

New grass for golf greens takes hold in the D.C. area and begins to migrate southward. “We’re really amped about this new development for our industry” says plant breeder Winterest Killington of the University of Maryland. “This grass takes fewer inputs than the ultradwarfs!” exclaims an excited “Kill” (as she’s known to her colleagues) at the annual MATE Conference and Show in Fredericksburg. “Less topdressing, less verticutting, no painting, and very little desiccation in the winter months.

No more dislocated shoulders from struggling with covers in the wind.

Green 11-12 months out of the year.

The same, or possibly fewer pesticide applications. Early frosts, no problem.

Late frosts, no problem. Adjusts to a wide range of temperature variances.

Changing pin placements – no need to worry about the orientation of the plug. Easily adjust green speeds up or down at any time of the year. We see this grass one day moving DOWN I-85 all the way to... say… Atlanta.” Pressed for more info, Killington finally cracks and says “we believe this grass, Bentgrass, is the wave of the future.”

10 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

Mark Vaughn, CGCS Virginia Turfgrass Journal Editor After abandoning the Hunger Games model of Blue and Red Districts to decide political issues (see last year’s predictions), Congress comes up with another brilliant plan. In a bow to modern technology and the new arenas for “conversation and debate,” 78-year-old Nancy Pelosi and 76-yearold Mitch McConnell (sidebar: let those numbers sink in for a minute.

Can anyone say term limits??) decide to go part old school and part new.

Bills will continue to be presented in their respective bodies of Congress.

However, since most of them are hundreds of pages long, and no one reads them anyway they will be presented as one-liners under the “Yo Mama So...” format. For instance, health care bills might be presented as “Yo Mama So Fat.” Social security issues would fall under “Yo Mama So Old.” Education issues: “Yo Mama So Dumb.” Defense spending: “Yo Mama So Mean.” You get the picture. Then the always thoughtful and deep thinking members of the Twitter community would vote within seconds and our nation’s future would be decided!

Reacting to the deepening labor crisis, limited H2B workers and ever shrinking budgets, robotic mower sales explode. Things go well for a few weeks at the County Line Golf and Four Wheelin’ Club, one of the early adopters of the technology. But then, eagle-eyed Facilities Mgr. Buck “Groundhog” Tinsley notices some issues that will soon infect the entire industry statewide. “So I come in one

day, and the shop is a mess. Walking greensmowers on their sides, gashes in the sides of plastic cowls from rotary blades… anyway, it seems that there was a disagreement over who was in charge. You know, who was the lead mower – the green one, the red one, or the orange one. Things calmed down for a few days, and then I noticed one of my fairway mowers had turned off his GPS and driven to a course a few miles away. I found out he left me for longer break times and hotter water and softer soap in their wash area.

The final straw was the weekend three of my TTI-521 greensmowers refused to leave the shop and perform their duties. Their LCD digital display board read: FMLA.” Craft breweries reverse their trend of rapid growth after several years of seemingly one opening on every corner. “I don’t know what went wrong” says Craft Brewers Association President Porter O’Brown. “After their brilliant marketing campaign with golf, we enlisted the National Golf Foundation’s brain trust to help us grow our industry. Who knew we couldn’t all be profitable?” Shortly after O’Brown’s interview, the NGF declares information about their erroneous data research and business forecasts fake news.

And finally, the most spectator friendly, un-USGA price gouging, held on the most well-conditioned golf course in the world, surrounded by the best artificial environment science and Mother Nature could create, free parking, Neiman-Marcus like merchandise area, best egg salad sammich, yes I had my ticket revoked last year because of my sarcasm here, hoping to get them back this year... the Masters prediction: Tuesday night turns into bedlam as the annual Champions Dinner takes place. The festivities start off well enough as pleasantries are exchanged, guests are seated and the meal takes place. But afterwards, as old memories are recalled and new stories are told, the conversation gets heated. Following Augusta protocol, communication is jammed on the grounds and within 500 feet of the National’s perimeter, but motorists on Washington Road can’t help but notice the dozen or so cop cars and eight EMS units screaming down Magnolia Lane. TMZ catches up with a few former champions

hanging out in John Daly’s RV parked at the local Hooters and finds a recent champion more than willing to speak.

A bruised Jordan Spieth says “Faldo started it all by asking us all how it feels to keep getting our arses kicked in Europe. When Phil tried to explain, Garcia said ‘Yeah Philly Cheese, how’s that task force thing working out for you?’ Then Reed attacks me verbally for dumping him. I said something like ‘Hey Patty, I thought your wife did all your trash talking for you.’

Next thing I know his wife comes out of the kitchen and sucker punches me.

All gloves came off then as Gary Player says ‘Hey Goalby, what are you laughing about? If Tommy Aaron could count you probably wouldn’t be here!’

Then Mike Weir stands up, prompting Bubba to drop the F bomb and accuse him of being a disgrace to all lefthanded golfers by showing up every year, shooting a couple of 83’s and missing the cut. After that plates, food, and fists were flying fast and furious.

I look around and Watson drop kicks

Mickelson in the privates, Tiger and Fuzzy are going at it, and O’Meara is giving it to Freddy about being just another pretty boy but for a few blades of grass in 1992. Order was finally restored when Crenshaw enlisted the spirit of Harvey Penick, who asked everyone to stop and focus.” On Thursday, after 36 hours of non-stop media coverage, Masters officials declare that none of this ever happened and it is simply fake news.

So once again, you have the best my small brain can conjure up. Last year, I said I wasn’t going to do this, but as I write this, the stock market is down 8% over the last couple of weeks and my bitcoin investments are tanking at the rate of 84%. The old clock is ticking towards 65, which means I need all of you to send $500 or more dollars to 1901 Goodyear Blvd if you want to continue receiving this valuable info. I’ll trust in your goodness as I head to our entrance to install a larger mailbox.

Mark Vaughn

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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VTF Report

Research That Begets Research

The

2018 Virginia Tech Field Day and Research Golf Tournament overcame a postponement in May, Hurricane Florence in early September, and tornadoes and more flooding the day before it took place at Independence Golf Course (IGC) in Richmond on September 18. Kudos to Dan Taylor, IGC’s superintendent for having the course in such good shape despite all the roadblocks. This joint effort between the Virginia Turfgrass Council and Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association raised a record $67,491 for Virginia’s Turfgrass research.

Hosting this event at Independence Golf Course is a natural pairing. The collaborative effort between Virginia Tech’s Turf Team, Dan Taylor and IGC provides just the type of quality, innovative research that the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation supports. A wide variety of bermudagrasses and other warm season grasses are being established and evaluated on the short course at IGC. David McCall says, “Independence will be the northern-

most course in the country to test these hybrid bermudagrasses.”

Field Day Attendees

The money that is raised each year in this tournament is paramount to the very research that is done at this facility and was the greatest contribution made to the VTF this year. We want to especially thank the planning committee; Marc Petrus, Tyler Eastham, David McCall, Eric Snelsire, Jordan Booth and David Norman, who worked endless hours to make this a success.

To our sponsors who were generous and compassionately flexible when the tournament was postponed we owe a special thanks: Harrell’s, Landscape Supply, Virginia Green and BASF. Other significant donors were Bayer, A.H. Green Design (Green Golf), PBI Gordon, Trugreen, Buy Sod, Meadowspring Turf & Homefield Fertilizer, Virginia Sand & Stone, Syngenta, Smith Turf & Irrigation, Turf Equipment & Supply, Toro and Innovative Turf Services. In all, over 60 companies contributed. Additional

Betty B. Parker VTF Manager revenue was raised through a raffle and an auction managed by Bayer.

Most of all I want to say from my own personal observation -- this is a fun event! It is a time to learn as was witnessed by the more than 40 field day attendees and the 120 golfers who participated in this opportunity for fellowship with their friends and support of the research that makes their job easier.

Betty Parker

The Virginia Tech Turf Team

Panoramic view of the beautiful short course at Independence Golf Course Drones on the golf course

Mike Goatley and friends get ready for a shotgun start.

Michael Evans gives a shout out from the newly formed School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

Shawn Askew explaining his magic as only he can

Next year’s event has been set for Monday, May 20, 2019 back at Independence Golf Club.

12 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

Whoever said less is more?

When it comes to inventory, bigger is better. And when seeds are all you do, and you’ve been doing it for as long as we have, you tend to know what to stock and when to stock it.

At Chesapeake Valley Seed, we don’t just offer one of the largest and most diverse seed inventories on the East Coast, we also have the capabilities to customize any blend—just for you.

Relationships are what we like to grow most.

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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 13

Upcoming Event

M-A-T-E

Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo January 28 – 31, 2019 Fredericksburg Expo Center Fredericksburg, Virginia

Sponsors 2019 Diamond Sponsors

Hotels 2019 Platinum Sponsors

Hilton Garden Inn (easy walk to Expo Center) 1060 Hospitality Lane Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-548-8822

Homewood Suites (shares a parking lot with Expo Center) 1040 Hospitality Lane Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-786-9700

2019 Gold Sponsor Hampton Inn (easy walk to Expo Center) 1080 Hospitality Lane Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-786-5530

14 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo Program Monday, January 28 Golf Session Everything But the Kitchen Sink Certified Turfgrass Professional (Day 1 of 3)

Tuesday, January 29

12:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Lunch and Trade Show

Trade Show

4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Lunch

Corn Hole Tournament/ Reception

11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 31

Wednesday, January 30

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Categories 3A, 3B, and 60 (3A or 3B) are finished by 2:00 p.m.

Other Categories are finished by 5:00 p.m.

Pesticide Recertification

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Fellowship Breakfast

General Session

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Student Contest

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Sponsored by Landscape Supply/ WS Connelly & Sons

Review for General Pesticide Certification

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Mechanics Seminar (Day 2 of 3)

Mechanics Seminar (Day 3 of 3)

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Mechanics Seminar (Day 1 of 3) 9:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Breakout Sessions olf; Sports Turf; G Lawn/Landscape; Sod Irrigation Workshop (continues from 2:00 – 3:00) 9:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Certified Turfgrass Professional (Day 2 of 3)

Certified Turfgrass Professional (Day 3 of 3)

Fertilizer Certification and Recertification

(recertification ends 12:30 p.m.)

8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Limited Pesticide Recertification

VA Pesticide Certification Exams

(3A, 3B, 60)

(must have letter from VDACS)

M-A-T-E Mechanic’s Seminar 2019 Tuesday, January 29

Wednesday, January 30

Thursday, January 31

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Sprayers

(Pump Repair and Calibration)

Reel Preparation Before Grinding

Injection System Do’s and Don’ts

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Lunch and Trade Show

Lunch on your own

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Roller Tamer

Tier 4 Engines

Lunch and Trade Show 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Club Car Maintenance

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

STIHL Products Updates

16 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

Harmon Turf Services Serving the Turfgrass Industry for Over 30 Years

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Pro-Seed Inter-Seeding on Greens and Tees

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Graden Contour Sand Injection

Fairway and Bulk Top Dress Spreading

Topdressing Spreading on Greens and Tees

Graden Dethatching/ Verti-Cutting

Dethatching/ Verti-Cutting with Vacuum

Core Collection and Removal

Drill/Backfill Aeration

Shallow Aeration for Greens & Fine Turf Areas

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BLECovator Renovation and Ground Preparation

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Upcoming Event

Virginia Turfgrass Council’s

2019 Come to the Bay

February 26 – 27, 2019 • Virginia Beach • Oceanfront Sheraton – 35th and Atlantic Presented By: Agronomic Lawn Management Tuesday, February 26

10:30 Soil is Essential

2:30 – 4:00 Pesticides and Pollinators

8:00 – 8:45 General Session Welcome: David Trimmer, Director of Agriculture, City of Virginia Beach

10:30 – Interpreting Soil Tests Mike Goatley, Virginia Tech

2:30 – Pesticide Fate in the Environment Jeff Derr, Virginia Tech

11:00 – BioSolids for Better Soils and Plant Health Greg Evanylo, Virginia Tech

3:00 – What About Glyphosate?

11:30 – Compost’s Essential Role Gary Gittere, McGill Compost

3:30 – Pollinator Protection

tate of the Chesapeake Bay: S Joe Wood, Chesapeake Bay Foundation 9:00 – 12:00 Option One: Certified Turfgrass Professional Training (day one of two) Requirements for becoming a Certified Turfgrass Professional include attending two days of training and passing the four-part exam.

The certification training was developed to serve as a comprehensive review of 13 major areas of importance in managing healthy, environmentally sound turfgrass. Instructors include Joel Koci, Mike Goatley, Karen Carter, and Ray Funkhouser.

9:00 – 12:00 Option Two: Environmental Stewardship: Get the Basics Right 9:00 Scope of the Bay and Industry’s Responsibility Cindy Smith, George Mason University

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch and Visit Displays 1:00 – 4:00 Option One: Certified Turfgrass Professional Training (continues from morning: day one of two) 1:00 – 4:00 Option Two: Environmental Stewardship: Industry Success 1:00 – 2:20 Public Relations Essential Information from Environmental Groups and Universities 1:00 – Streams and Tributaries: Foundation of Bay Health Nissa Dean, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay 1:15 – Partnership Success Corinne Stephens, Businesses for the Bay

3:15 – Do You Really Follow the Label?

Michael Moore, City of Virginia Beach 3:45 – Safer Pesticide Options Panel 4:00 Social

Wednesday, February 27 8:00 – 4:30 Pesticide Recertification (3A, 3B, 5A, 6, 8, 10, 60) Categories 3A, 3B and 60 (for 3A,3B) are finished by 2:00 all others finish by 4:30 9:00 – 12:00 Review for Certified Pesticide Applicator Core Exam 9:00 – 4:00 Certified Fertilizer Applicator – Initial Training and Exam

9:30 Selecting the Right Plants

1:30 – Working with Homeowners Barbara Gavin, Elizabeth River Project

9:00 – 12:00 Certified Fertilizer Applicator – Recertification

9:30 – Turfgrass Options Mike Goatley, Virginia Tech

1:45 – Tidal Pollution Margaret Mulholland, Old Dominion University

9:00 – 4:00 Certified Turfgrass Professional (Day 2 of 2)

10:00 – Non Turfgrass Plants Next to the Water’s Edge Wes Bray, Lawns and Gardens Plus Kim Edwards, Studio G

2:00 – Answering the Hard Questions: Myth versus Reality Panel

Thank you to our sponsors:

18 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

1:00 – 4:00 Pesticide Examinations (need letter from VDACS)

Registration Form Virginia Turfgrass Council’s 2019 Come to the Bay February 26 – 27, 2019 • Virginia Beach • Oceanfront Sheraton – 35th and Atlantic Check the appropriate box or boxes. – Your may also register and pay online at www.cometothebay.org VTC Membership – Join or Renew (January 01 – December 31).............................................................Regular: $85 Non VTC Member Registration:

VTC Member Registration: Tuesday Only.............................................................. $85

Tuesday Only.............................................................. $95

Wednesday ONLY......................No charge for members

Wednesday ONLY........................................................ $75

Tuesday and Wednesday ONLY.................................. $85

Tuesday and Wednesday............................................ $150

Certified Turfgrass Professional.............................. $355*

Certified Turfgrass Professional.............................. $395*

*Persons attending the Certified Turfgrass Professional Program do not need to pay additional Tuesday and Wednesday fees Amount Enclosed:_________________ Make checks payable to: Virginia Turfgrass Council, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Or charge to credit card:

AMEX

VISA

MasterCard

and fax to (757) 282-2693

Card #:_______________________________________________ Cardholder Name:_ ___________________________________ Verification Code:______________________________________ Expiration Date:_ _____________________________________ Signature:_____________________________________________ Date:_ _______________________________________________ Please type or print clearly: Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company:__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________________________________________ City:__________________________________________________ State:______________ Zip Code:_ ________________________ Telephone:(______)____________________________________ Email:_ ______________________________________________

Contact Us: Virginia Turfgrass Council, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471 • (757) 464-1004 • virginiaturf@gmail.com

www.cometothebay.org Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 19

Cover Story

Research Updates from Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Course at Independence Golf Club

By Jordan Booth, M.S., CGCS Established in 2017, the VT Research Course at Independence Golf Club outside of Richmond, Virginia includes nine golf holes with a wide variety of warm-season turfgrasses. The primary focus of research is warm-season ultradwarf putting green management in Virginia. After prolonged cold-temperature exposure during the winter of 2017–2018, the VT Research Course experienced considerable damage on multiple ultradwarf bermudagrass (UDB) putting greens. Damage was variable throughout the course, but four of the nine putting greens needed complete renovation and three of the remaining greens needed partial repairs. During this time of renovation, research was initiated to compare UDB re-establishment methods. This project was arranged in a completely randomized design with three replications, repeated across two UDB putting greens with varied amounts of winter damage. The putting greens were closed to play during this study.

Treatments included 1. Treatment 1: Conventional sprigging (SPRIG); Eradication of turfgrass with 2 applications of 3% glyphosate solution followed by 0.5" ID core aeration, removal

modeled using Gompertz predictive modeling. Inverse prediction via Gompertz modeling (Figure 1) was used to calculate approximately how many days it would take each treatment to reach 75% and 95% cover (Table 2). 75% and 95% cover were chosen as potential thresholds for when golf courses may be able to realistically re-open putting greens.

It is worth noting that treatments 2 (CORE) and 3 (C+VM) reached 75% cover faster (Table 2) than treatment 1 (SPRIG). This may be due to the fact that SPRIG required complete eradication of remaining turfgrass while healthy turfgrass that had survived the winter remained and aided in recovery in treatments 2, 3, and 4. Each of the treatments provided complete UDB recovery but there were treatment differences in both turfgrass quality (Table 1) and time to reach both 75% and 95% cover (Table 2). While treatments 2, 3, and 4 were viable options for recovery, especially in isolated areas of damage, treatment 1 (SPRIG) was the fastest to reach 95% cover and provided the greatest turfgrass quality after reaching 95% cover.

This study will be repeated in the future to validate these results. Initial results indicate that if budget, time, and circumstances allow, eradication of remaining turfgrass, followed by conventional sprigging will result in the fastest recovery and highest turf quality following winter damage to UDB putting greens. c

of cores, vertical mowing at 0.33" depth and planting of UDB rhizomes and stolons (conventional sprigging).

2. Treatment 2: Core aeration and dragging (CORE); 0.5" ID core aeration, removal of cores, installation of healthy UDB cores, and dragging to break up cores and fill aeration holes 3. Treatment 3: Core aeration and vertical mowing (C+VM); 0.5" ID core aeration, removal of cores, installation of healthy UDB cores, and vertical mowing at a depth of 0.33".

4. Treatment 4: Core aeration and deep vertical mowing (C+DVM); 13mm core aeration, removal of cores, installation of healthy UDB cores, and deep vertical mowing at a depth of 1.0".

Treatments were established on June 7, 2018 and received equal maintenance, fertility, and watering practices. Turfgrass quality was rated weekly on a 1-9 scale with 6 being minimally acceptable. Quality ratings for each treatment over time were transformed into area under the turfgrass quality progress curve (AUTQPC) for analysis.

AUTQPC were subjected to ANOVA and means were compared (Table 1). Percent turfgrass cover ratings were made and each plot reached at least 95% cover 45 days after planting (DAP). Upon analysis of turfgrass cover vs. DAP, all treatments were best

Figure 1: Gompertz model prediction DAP to reach both 75% and 95% cover.

Table 1: ANOVA-Comparison of Means of area under the turf quality progress curve (AUTQPC) for all four treatments after reaching 95% cover.

(Studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s t test: p<.0001) AUTQPC ANOVA

SPRIG

CORE

C+VM

C+DVM

LSD

7.80

6.06

6.13

6.65

0.67

Table 2: Predicted DAP +/- SE to reach both 75% (A) and 95% (B) cover Treatment

% COVER

Predicted DAP

Standard Error

C+DVM

75%

23.09

0.97

C+VM

75%

12.91

1.20

CORE

75%

17.89

1.10

SPRIG

75%

21.95

0.65

C+DVM

95%

41.40

2.06

C+VM

95%

34.53

2.75

CORE

95%

37.95

2.33

SPRIG

95%

32.76

1.67

20 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

Impact of light-weight rolling and ferrous sulfate applications on creeping bentgrass fairways

By Travis Roberson, Kevin Hensler, and David McCall, Ph.D. Dollar spot is one of the most common diseases that turf managers struggle with managing on cool-season grasses in the mid-Atlantic region. More money is spent to control this disease than any other because of the frequency of fungicide applications. Researchers have focused on a variety of strategies to reduce dollar spot; some of which include cultural practices while others rely on chemistries. Two such strategies include the use of inexpensive ferrous sulfate and the use of light-weight rolling on putting greens. However, the use of fairway rollers across larger acreage is still a new concept to many.

Our team explored these strategies together to reduce dollar spot pressure on golf course fairways.

The objective of this study was to examine the impacts of ferrous sulfate applications and light-weight rolling on dollar spot development and overall turf quality of creeping bentgrass fairways. This experiment was repeated twice (summer 2017 and 2018) and carried out on a ‘L-93’ creeping bentgrass (CBG) fairway at the Glade Road Research Facility in Blacksburg, VA. The site had moderate to high amount of thatch accumulation, which typically promotes dollar spot development.

The study was initiated in early summer and concluded in September. The trail was organized into a 3x2 factorial design and blocked by rolling amounts with split-plot ferrous sulfate applications. A Smithco Ultra-Lite greens roller applying approximately 20 kPa of ground pressure was used for rolling 0, 1, 2 d-1 wk-3 (0x, 1x, and 2x).

Ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) was applied on 14-day intervals at a rate of 0.5 lbs product/1000ft2 based on previous research at VT. Turf quality (TQ where 9 = highest quality and 6 = minimally acceptable), dollar spot percent (DS%), and dollar spot infection center counts (DS IC) were assessed weekly throughout the study. Turf quality

Dollar spot development

data were transformed to standardized area under the progress curve (SAUTQPC) values while DS% and DS IC were converted to area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC).

Fit least squares analysis and analysis of variance based on transformed values were completed through JMP Pro 13 (Cary, NC) statistical software.

Higher dollar spot pressure was seen within the 2017 trial and therefore two rescue applications of chlorothalonil were made on July 24th and August 5th.

Overall, dollar spot was reduced by approximately 50-70% with both ferrous sulfate applications and 2x lightweight fairway rolling. Turf quality and DS IC data from both years were pooled together for analysis, while DS% data were analyzed separately by

year. Dollar spot IC were reduced by both ferrous sulfate applications and 2x light-weight fairway rolling. However, single rolling three times per week did not reduce dollar spot. Ferrous sulfate reduced DS% in each year but rolling did not. Turf quality was increased by ferrous sulfate applications but not with rolling. Based on our results and the associated costs and labor associated with each strategy, we recommend suppressing dollar spot with ferrous sulfate more so than with light-weight fairway rolling.

However, dollar spot cannot be completely eliminated with one strategy alone, including the use of fungicides. Each of these methods provide another tool in the turf manager’s belt to help fight the battle against such a persistent disease. c

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Evaluation of springtime-applied preventive insecticides (including a new diamide) for white grub control

By Tom Kuhar, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech White grubs (Fig. 1) are the most widespread insect pests of coolseason turfgrass in Virginia. Among the handful of species of white grubs that may be encountered in Virginia turf, the most common are Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, and masked chafers, Cyclocephala spp. The life cycles of the aforementioned species are similar in that adult beetles emerge around mid-June and lay their eggs in the soil usually in July. The grubs that result from these hatched eggs feed on grass roots and can kill large patches of grass under heavy infestations (more than 8 per square foot). This damage is typically seen in late summer and fall when the grubs reach their maximum size.

Additional damage can occur when vertebrate animals (skunks, raccoons, moles) dig up the turf in search of the grubs to eat.

Preventive insecticide controls primarily include two types: 1) the neonicotinoids products such as Merit (imidacloprid), Meridian (thiamethoxam), or Arena (clothianidin), or 2) the diamide products such as Acelepryn, GrubEx (chlorantraniliprole) or Ference (cyantraniliprole). The timing for each insecticide type is important.

For instance, research has shown that most neonicotinoids do not have a very long residual and should be applied â&#x20AC;&#x153;when female beetles are laying eggsâ&#x20AC;?.

Some entomologists in the northeastern U.S. recommend that neonicotinoids not be applied before mid-June for effective grub control. Diamides are much different insecticides; while having very low toxicity to vertebrates and beneficial insects, they have a longer residual activity in the soil than neonicotinoids, which enables turfgrass managers greater flexibility with springtime applications. Because residual

Figure 1 Figure 1: White grub larva. Figure 2: PVC ring for caging scarab beetle adults on turf- grass to allow precision egg-laying in each plot for research. Figure 3: White grubs/ft2 sampled on 8 Aug (92 days following 14 May drench applications) in 2018.

efficacy of various insecticide products can vary, and because EPA regulations on current insecticides can change at any time (for instance neonicotinoids banned in Maryland turfgrass), we must continually evaluate new insecticides.

Objective.

To evaluate the efficacy of springtime preventive insecticide treatments for control of Japanese beetle and masked chafer white grubs. The trial included cyclaniliprole, a new diamide insecticide that will likely be marketed by PBI/Gordon Corp. The product name is unknown at this time.

Experimental Design.

An experiment was conducted at the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Center in Blacksburg, VA. It was arranged in a Latin-Square Design with five replications of five treatments including: 1) Water control 2) Merit 75WP @ 1.6 oz/10,000 ft2 (imidacloprid) 3) Acelepryn @ 3.67 fl oz/10,000 ft2 4) Cyclaniliprole 50SL @ 4.7 fl oz/10,000 ft2 5) Cyclaniliprole 50SL @ 12.6 fl oz/10,000 ft2 Individual plot size was 7 ft x 4 ft.

All treatments were applied with a 2-gallon water pail drench on May 14, 2018 and irrigated afterward. On June 27, masked chafer beetles were observed flying over turfgrass at dusk around Blacksburg, VA and >500

22 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

Figure 2 Figure 3

beetles were hand-collected and placed in cages with vegetation. In mid-July, >500 Japanese beetle adults and masked chafer adults were also hand-collected from weeds and crops. In early July, each beetle species was caged over top of one foot diameter sections of turf (Fig. 2). We placed about 10 beetles per cage which were allowed to deposit eggs for 2-3 weeks. On Aug 8, 2018, a sod cutter was used to cut one square foot width at the center of each plot at a depth of 1.5 inches. The turfgrass was lifted up and the grubs below were counted. White grub densities were recorded and data were analyzed using ANOVA.

Results.

Pest densities of white grubs were not as high as we had hoped, particularly given the efforts to artificially infest plots with egg-laying beetles. However, all insecticide treatments provided effective control of white grubs compared with the water control. Cyclaniliprole may be another diamide insecticide option for turfgrass managers in the future.

Acknowledgements.

I would like to thank John Dickerson and his crew at the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Center for assistance with the field plot and the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation/Virginia Turfgrass Foundation/Virginia Agricultural Council for funding the research project. c

The field plots on creeping bentgrass putting green at Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Center

Evaluating Effects of Salicylic Acid (SA) and Pigment of Harrellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sources for Improving Bentgrass Putting Green Quality and Physiological Fitness during Summer Stress

By Xunzhong Zhang, Ph.D. and Mike Goatley, Ph.D., School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Introduction and Objective Salicylic acid (SA), a hormone, has been shown to improve turfgrass stress tolerance (Zhang et al., 2001). Various pigment products have also been used to improve turf visual quality. In a recent growth chamber study at Virginia Tech, we found that SA at 0.25 mM, 0.5 mM, and 0.1 mM plus pigment improved visual color of creeping bentgrass under heat and mild drought stress at 42 and 56 d after initial treatment. SA at 0.5 mM had relatively better effects and low rate SA (0.1 mM) plus pigment at 0.22 fl oz/1000 ft2 had better effects on creeping bentgrass visual color than SA at 0.1 mM alone.

The results indicated a synergy between SA and the pigment for turf quality improvement under heat and mild drought stress conditions.

We also found that SA at 0.25 mM and 0.5 mM provided better turf visual quality than SA at 0.1 mM. It is possible that SA at 0.25 mM and 0.5 mM plus pigments may have better effects on turf quality than SA alone in creeping bentgrass putting green under summer stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate SA and pigment interactions under field conditions and evaluate effects of SA and the pigment for improving turf quality and physiological fitness during summer stress.

Research procedures The study was conducted on the bentgrass putting green at Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Center, Blacksburg, VA (photo). There were 6 treatments with 4 replications in a randomized block design with 6 ft x 6 ft plots.

Table 1: Effects of salicylic acid (SA) and pigment, alone or in combination, on leaf color quality in creeping bentgrass putting green.

Treatment

Leaf color (1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9, 9 = best) 5-Jun

19-Jun

2-Jul

16-Jul

30-Jul

13-Aug

27-Aug

Control

6.9a

6.9a

5.8c

5.8c

6.1c

6.0d

6.1d

SA0.25mM

7.0a

7.0a

6.3b

6.3b

6.5b

6.5bc

6.6bc

SA0.5mM

7.0a

7.1a

6.3b

6.3b

6.8ab

6.4c

6.4cd

SA0.25+pigment

6.9a

7.0a

6.9a

6.8a

6.8ab

6.8ab

7.0a

SA0.5+pigment

7.0a

7.1a

6.9a

7.0a

6.9a

6.9a

6.9a

Pigment

7.0a

7.3a

6.8a

6.9a

6.8ab

7.0a

7.1a

Means followed by same letters within same column are not significantly different at P = 0.05.

Table 2: Effects of salicylic acid (SA) and pigment, alone or in combination, on photochemical efficiency (PE) and chlorophyll content in creeping bentgrass putting green.

Date Treatment

5-Jun

19-Jun

2-Jul

Control

0.55a

0.52a

0.56b

SA0.25mM

0.62a

0.56a

SA0.5mM

0.61a

SA0.25+pigment

16-Jul

30-Jul

13-Aug

27-Aug

0.53b

0.43c

0.64c

0.57c

0.63a

0.65a

0.54bc

0.65bc

0.58bc

0.59a

0.67a

0.62ab

0.58ab

0.68a

0.61a

0.62a

0.57a

0.64a

0.66a

0.60ab

0.68a

0.61a

SA0.5+pigment

0.60a

0.56a

0.66a

0.63ab

0.68a

0.67ab

0.61a

Pigment

0.62a

0.59a

0.66a

0.63ab

0.59ab

0.67ab

0.60ab

PE (Fv/Fm)

Chlorophyll (mg/g FW) Control

1.78a

1.78b

1.78b

2.17a

2.42c

1.80c

1.79b

SA0.25mM

1.79a

1.85b

1.90b

2.31a

2.97a

2.08a

1.99a

SA0.5mM

1.77a

1.83b

1.73b

2.23a

2.92a

1.88bc

1.93a

SA0.25+pigment

1.83a

1.98a

2.28a

2.29a

2.70abc

1.93b

1.95a

SA0.5+pigment

1.77a

1.87b

1.94b

2.32a

2.76ab

1.91bc

2.00a

Pigment

1.77a

1.85b

1.85b

2.46a

2.52bc

1.89bc

2.02a

Means followed by same letters within same column are not significantly different at P = 0.05.

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Cover Story continued

Regular mowing and irrigation maintenance practices for a putting green were performed. The SA and pigment products received from Harrell’s were used in this study.

Table 3: Effects of salicylic acid (SA) and pigment, alone or in combination, on root growth and viability in creeping bentgrass putting green.

Treatment

Control

Root mass Root length Surface area (mg) (cm/cm3) (cm2/cm3)

diameter (mm)

Root volume (cm3/dm3)

Root viability (A490/ mg DW)

42.9ab

1.25ab

0.075ab

0.193a

0.361a

4.64a

SA0.25mM

44.7a

0.83ab

0.052ab

0.200a

0.265a

4.77a

SA0.5mM

38.8abc

1.59a

0.086a

0.183a

0.382a

4.95a

The 6 treatments were as follows:

SA0.25+pigment

31.9bc

0.94ab

0.057ab

0.195a

0.281a

5.14a

1. Fertilized control (0.15 lb (68.1 g) N per 1000 sq ft every 14 days from 28-8-18 complete fertilizer).

2. SA at 0.25 mM (0.26 g 0.009 oz/ 1000 ft2) every 14 days.

3. SA at 0.5 mM (0.52 g or 0.019 oz/ 1000 ft2) every 14 days.

4. SA at 0.25 mM + Pigment at 0.22 fl oz/1000 ft2 every 14 days.

5. SA at 0.5 mM + Pigment at 0.22 fl oz/1000 ft2 every 14 days.

6. Pigment at 0.22 fl oz/1000 ft2 every 14 days.

SA0.5+pigment

39.0abc

1.08ab

0.063ab

0.190a

0.297a

4.63a

28.6c

0.56b

0.037b

0.223a

0.207a

4.97a

All treatments received the same amount of fertilizers as treatment #1 (control) during the experiment to

Pigment

Means followed by same letters within same column are not significantly different at P = 0.05.

ensure all nutrient levels were the same. The trial lasted for 84 days from June 5 through August 27, 2018.

The following measurements took place at day(s) 0, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 after initial treatments. Leaf color was rated on a visual scale of 1 – 9 with 9 indicating the dark green color, and 1 indicating brown color.

Photochemical efficiency was measured based on the Fvm, which is the ratio of variable chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv)

• T OPDRESSING S ANDS • D IVOT S ANDS & B LENDS • S TERILIZED T OPDRESSING • G REENS C ONSTRUCTION M IXES • O FF S ITE C USTOM B LENDING • C USTOM D YED S AND

to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (Fm). Leaf samples were collected and chlorophyll content was determined using spectrophotometer method (Zhang et al., 2005).

In late August, irrigation was withheld to induce mild drought stress and resumed after drought symptom appeared. The data were collected on August 27. At the end of the trial, 3 root samples (1-inch diameter and 6inch deep cores) were collected from

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24 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

each plot, cores washed and root dry weight was determined after the samples were dried at 70° C for 72 h. The root length, root diameter, root surface area, and length density were analyzed using WinRhizo technology.

Briefly, after fine cleaning of each root sample, the root samples from each plot were divided into multiple subsamples. Each subsample was scanned using WinRhizo and all root morphological parameters were generated and analyzed. In addition, root viability was analyzed using TTC method (Zhang et al., 2007).

Results and Discussion We observed that SA and pigment, alone or in combination, improved leaf color (Table 1). The pigment had better effects than SA for improving leaf color. SA at 0.5 mM alone, SA with pigment and pigment alone improved PE as measured from July 2 through July 27 (Table 2). On August 27, all treatments increased leaf chlorophyll content (Table 2). However, the SA and pigment, alone or in combination, did not impact root characteristics and viability (Table 3). In summary, SA at both rates and pigment, alone or in combination, improved leaf color from July 2 through August 27 which was associated with increased PE and chlorophyll content. The results of this study suggest that SA and pigment may block UV-B radiation and present/reduce oxidative stress and protect plant photosynthetic function from UV-B injury but may not impact root growth.

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Acknowledgements We thank Mr. Jonathan Dickerson for the help and Harrell’s for the financial support of this study.

References Schmidt, R. E. and X. Zhang. 2001.

Alleviation of photochemical activity decline of turfgrasses exposed to soil moisture or UV radiation stress. Intl.

Turfgrass Soc. Res. J. 9:340-346.

Zhang, X., E.H. Ervin, W. Wu, N. Sharma, and A. Hamill. 2017. Auxin and trinexapac-ethyl impact on root viability and hormone metabolism of creeping bentgrass under water deficit.

Crop Sci. 57:s130-137 c

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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Cover Story continued

Evaluating Effects of Humic and Fulvic Acid Products for Improving Bentgrass Putting Green Quality and Root Growth during Summer Stress

By Xunzhong Zhang, Ph.D. and Mike Goatley, Ph.D., School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Introduction and Objective Humic acid (HA) is the fraction of humic substances that is not soluble in water under acidic conditions (pH less than 2), but is soluble at higher pH values. Fulvic acid (FA) is the fraction of humic substances that is soluble in water under all pH conditions. Humic acids have higher molecular weight than fulvic acis. HA and FA may enhance root growth due to auxin-like activity and improved mineral nutrient availability (Schmidt and Zhang, 1999).

In our recent growth chamber study, we found that both fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) improved creeping bentgrass quality under heat and mild drought stress. O’Dennell (1973) noted that HA at 0.05% to 0.1% could mimic auxin to promote root growth under non-stress conditions. Zhang and Schmidt (1999) found that HA at 11.6 g/1000 ft2 (=0.33%) improved drought tolerance in Kentucky bluegrass. Similarly Zhang and Ervin (2004) found that HA at 11.1 g/1000 ft2 (= 0.32%) enhanced drought tolerance of creeping bentgrass. In a putting green field trial in 2017, we observed that HA at 1.78 oz/1000 ft2 (~0.2%) provided a superior drought response to the lower rate (0.78 oz/1000 ft2, ~0.1%). We also found that FA at 1.2 oz/1000 ft2 did not show consistent beneficial effects as it did in the growth chamber trial. We speculate that the optimum FA rate may be higher in field situations relative to that under the controlled environment. The objective of this research was to evaluate two rates of HA and FA under field conditions and examine effects of FA and HA at both rates on turf

quality and root growth of a creeping bentgrass putting green during summer stress.

Research procedures The study was carried out on the bentgrass putting green at the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Center, Blacksburg, VA. There were 6 treatments with 4 replications arranged in a randomized complete block design with 6 x 6 ft plots. Regular mowing and irrigation practices for a putting green were performed. The HA and FA products were provided by Harrell’s.

The humic acid product (Diamond Grow-Humi [K] liquid, Humic Growth Solution, FL) contains 12% humic acid based on analysis by A&L Western Ag Lab. The fulvic acid product [Diamond Grow – Ful-Grow Gold liquid concentrate, Humic Growth Solution, FL] contains 9% fulvic acid. Based on our mung bean bioassay research and previous reports from the literature, a 1% solution of each product was applied as the low rate at 3.5 L per 1000 ft2.

In this way, the application solution of HA product contained 0.12% HA (0.89 fl oz/1000 ft2). We used 2%

Table 1: Effects of fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) on turfgrass quality in creeping bentgrass putting green.

Treatment

Leaf color (1-9, 9 = best) 19-Jun

2-Jul

16-Jul

30-Jul

13-Aug

27-Aug

Control

7.0a

6.6a

6.3b

6.1b

6.1b

6.1b

FA1.2

7.0a

6.8a

6.9a

6.5ab

6.8a

6.8a

FA2.4

7.1a

6.8a

6.8a

6.9a

6.9a

6.8a

HA0.89

6.9a

6.6a

6.9a

6.8a

6.9a

7.0a

HA1.78

7.0a

6.6a

6.8a

6.8a

6.8a

6.9a

Mean followed by same letters in each column are not significantly different at P = 0.05.

Table 2: Effects of fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) on photochemical efficiency (PE) and chlorophyll content in creeping bentgrass putting green.

Date Treatment

19-Jun

2-Jul

16-Jul

30-Jul

13-Aug

27-Aug

PE (Fv/Fm) Control

0.53ab

0.63b

0.56a

0.46b

0.64b

0.57c

FA1.2

0.60ab

0.72a

0.63a

0.55a

0.64b

0.58bc

FA2.4

0.58ab

0.65b

0.62a

0.56a

0.66ab

0.61ab

HA0.89

0.61a

0.66b

0.57a

0.52ab

0.66ab

0.59abc

HA1.78

0.54ab

0.63b

0.64a

0.55a

0.68a

0.62a

Chlorophyll (mg/g FW) Control

2.09b

1.95a

2.20b

2.21b

1.91b

1.86b

FA1.2

2.21a

2.21a

2.48a

2.50ab

1.98b

1.98b

FA2.4

2.09b

1.98a

2.54a

2.85a

2.17a

2.14a

HA0.89

2.03b

2.07a

2.38ab

2.44b

2.02ab

1.99b

HA1.78

2.09b

2.09a

2.41ab

2.51ab

1.99ab

1.98b

Mean followed by same letters in each column are not significantly different at P = 0.05.

26 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

solution of HA product as the high rate, which contained 0.24% HA. We used two rates of FA (1.2 fl oz/1000 ft2 and 2.4 oz/1000 ft2). The two products contained 0.1% N, and total N application rate for each treatment was equalized by calculating N input from each product.

The 5 treatments are as follows: 1. Fertilized control (0.15 lb (68.1g) N per 1000 sq ft every 14 days from 28-8-18 complete fertilizer).

2. Fulvic acid at 1.2 oz per 1000 sq ft every 14 days, with 68.0644 g of N from 28-8-18 to equalize N inputs.

3. Fulvic acid at 2.4 oz per 1000 sq ft every 14 days, with 68.0288 g of N from 28-8-18 to equalize N inputs.

4. Humic acid at 0.89 oz per 1000 sq ft every 14 days, with 68.074 g of N from 28-8-18 to equalize N inputs.

5. Humic acid at 1.78 oz per 1000 sq ft every 14 days, with 68.048 g of N from 28-8-18 to equalize N input.

The trial lasted for 10 weeks from June 19 through August 27 with a total of five applications. The following measurements took place at day 0, 14, 28, 42, 56 and 70 after initial treatments: Leaf color was rated on a visual scale of 1 – 9 with nine indicating the dark green color, and one indicating brown color. Photochemical efficiency (PE) was measured based on the Fvm, which is the ratio of variable chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv) to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (Fm) (Zhang et al., 2017). Leaf samples were collected and chlorophyll content was determined using spectrophotometer method (Zhang et al., 2005).

At the end of the trial, three root samples (1-inch diameter and 6-inch deep cores) were collected from each plot, cores were washed, and root dry weight was determined after the samples were dried at 70° C for 72 h.

In late August, irrigation was stopped to induce mild drought stress and then resumed after drought symptoms appeared. The data were collected on August 27. The root length, root

diameter, root surface area, and length density were analyzed using WinRhizo technology. Briefly, after fine cleaning of each root sample, the samples from each plot were divided into multiple subsamples. Each subsample was scanned using WinRhizo and all root morphological parameters were generated and analyzed. In addition, root viability was analyzed using the TTC method (Zhang et al., 2017).

Results and Discussion FA and HA at the two rates improved leaf color from rating dates from July 16 through August 27, but there were no differences in response between the two rates of HA or FA (Table 1). High rate of FA and HA improved PE as measured on July 30 through August 27 except for FA at August 13 (Table 2). FA at high rate improved chlorophyll content on July 30 through August 27 (Table 2). FA at both rates and HA at high rate increased root biomass (Table 3). FA at low rate and HA at high rate increased root length and surface area. HA at high rate increased root volume. FA at high rate and HA at both rates increased root viability as measured at end of trial (August 27).

In summary, we found FA and HA improved turf quality, photochemical efficiency, and root characteristics and viability of creeping bentgrass when applied biweekly. FA at low rate (1.2 oz per 1000 ft2) and HA at high rate (1.78 oz/1000 ft2) had better effects on root growth. These data continue

to support previous Virginia Tech research that documents the benefits of supplemental organic acid applications prior to and during environmental stress periods on creeping bentgrass.

Acknowledgements We thank Mr. Jonathan Dickerson for the help and Harrell’s for the financial support of this study.

References O’Donnell, R.W. 1973. The auxin-like effects of humic preparations from leonardite. Soil Science 116:106-112.

Schmidt, R.E. and X. Zhang. 1998.

How humic substances help turfgrass grow. Golf Course Management.

66(7):65-67.

Zhang, X. and E. H. Ervin. 2004. Cytokinin-containing seaweed and humic acid extracts associated with creeping bentgrass leaf cytokinins and drought resistance. Crop Sci. 44:1737-1745.

Zhang, X., E.H. Ervin, W. Wu, N. Sharma, and A. Hamill. 2017. Auxin and trinexapac-ethyl impact on root viability and hormone metabolism of creeping bentgrass under water deficit.

Crop Sci. 57:s130-137.

Zhang, X. and R.E. Schmidt. 1999.

Antioxidant response to hormonecontaining seaweed extract in Kentucky bluegrass subjected to drought.

Crop Sci. 39:545-551. c

Table 3: Effects of fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) on root characteristics and viability in creeping bentgrass putting green.

Treatment

Root mass Root length Surface area (mg) (cm/cm3) (cm2/cm3)

diameter (mm)

Root volume (cm3/dm3)

Root viability (A490/ mg DW)

Control

19.3c

0.348c

0.020c

0.175a

0.093b

4.23c

FA1.2

37.1a

0.714b

0.042b

0.186a

0.191a

4.24c

FA2.4

29.1ab

0.581bc

0.037b

0.178a

0.185a

5.64b

HA0.89

23.6bc

0.567bc

0.035b

0.204a

0.182a

5.58b

HA1.78

29.4ab

1.084a

0.059a

0.174a

0.255a

6.78a

Means followed by same letters in each column are not significantly different at P = 0.05.

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 27

NALP

A

NALP Initiatives

to Strengthen our Industry Workforce

ccording to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the landscape industry had 71,000 unfilled jobs in 2017 (the most recent year for which data is available). This number quantifies what most industry professionals know all too well – the workforce shortage has reached crisis proportions. The National Association of Landscape Professionals is leading efforts to address this problem through the Industry Growth Initiative (IGI), charged with growing the workforce and the industry, and committed to attracting 100,000 people to the industry by 2025.

NALP’s IGI is tackling the workforce shortage in a variety of ways including through extensive messaging to millennials, women, veterans and others to attract them to the profession. That voice to educate people about the industry has come through social media on the new WhyILandscape channels, partnering with bloggers and social influencers, media relations activities, and advertising campaigns. In fact, advertising drove more than 100,000 people to the job board associated with LandscapeIndustryCareers.org over the past year. IGI has created fliers, brochures, presentations, and more than two dozen videos that showcase career opportunities in the industry and they have developed additional resources to support Landscape Career Day, a non-date-specific opportunity to connect students and job seekers with the profession. They are also working with students and educators to promote the importance of the work done by the industry.

NALP continues to work in concert with industry stakeholders to engage in strategic discussions and solution strategies. The association has sponsored two workforce summits for state and national association leaders and they will host the first workforce summit for industry professionals February 12-13, 2019, bringing CEOs, senior executives and HR professionals together to identify what changes must be made to business models to combat the employee shortage and how the

industry can best compete to attract the best and brightest to the field.

Sabeena Hickman, NALP’s CEO, noted “industry professionals are realizing how important it is to work together in combatting the lack of talent needed to sustain and grow their businesses. They are recognizing the industry must stand together in presenting itself to future employees as the competition for talent is not from the landscape company down the street but from manufacturers, construction companies, retailers, etc.”

One of NALP’s newest developments in addressing workforce development is the creation of the Landscape Management Apprenticeship Program that will debut in early 2019.

The DOL registered program will help attract men and women to the profession and provide extensive training for tens of thousands of people. Through the program, contractors will hire apprentice candidates, ensure they receive 2000 hours of training in 17 competency areas while they are being paid, and support their completion of 144 hours of classroom instruction in landscape maintenance, installation, and irrigation. Companies that offer the apprenticeship program should enjoy a huge advantage in hiring and employee retention. Individuals who complete the program will receive a nationally recognized designation and are expected to receive college credit at more than 300 institutions. NALP hopes to use the apprenticeship program to help in training and retraining more than 150,000 people over the next five years.

The federal government is investing tremendous resources in apprenticeship offerings, believing these earn-asyou-learn programs will help industries desperately working to recruit the employment help they need. With the re-invigoration of these decades-old programs that have historically been associated with the trades and construction, federal and state dollars are becoming readily available, creating tax credits to companies sponsoring apprentices and funding for

28 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org

apprentice training and related costs.

For companies operating in states providing such resources, businesses will be able to train employees at little to no cost.

After the launch of the first apprenticeship program, NALP will turn its attention to the creation of similar programs including those for lawn care technicians, mechanics, etc. These programs are envisioned to be a gamechanger for the industry and its ability to attract individuals to the profession.

Those wishing to learn more about NALP’s leadership to address the workforce shortage or the Landscape Management Apprenticeship Program can visit www.landscapeprofessionals.org.

The Landscape Management Apprenticeship Program will include OJT instruction in 17 competency areas: Organizing equipment and loading truck Maintaining equipment Servicing turf and using backpack blower Caring for shrubs, groundcover, and turf Plant, cultivate, maintain flowerbeds and potted plants Prune shrubs and trees Install trees and shrubs Apply fertilizers Apply herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides Read, analyze, and measure job sites and blueprints Renovate, seed, and sod lawns Aerate, vertical mow, and top dress existing turf Maintain existing landscapes Program automatic and manual watering schedules Adjustment and repair irrigation and/or low voltage lighting systems Clean paving and hardscaping Identify plants and flowers c

Index of Advertisers Agronomic Lawn Management.............. 29 www.FertilizerWithALM.com Alliance Material Handling, Inc............. 11 www.alliancemat.com Buy Sod, Inc................. Inside Front Cover www.buysod.com Carolina Green Corp............................... 29 www.cgcfields.com Chesapeake Valley Seed.......................... 13 www.chesapeakevalleyseed.com Collins Wharf Sod Farm.......................... 21 www.collinswharfsod.com Daniel Sod Farms..................................... 29 www.danielsodfarm.com Ernst Conservation Seeds........................ 25 www.ernstseed.com

Fisher & Son Company, Inc...................... 5 www.fisherandson.com Harmon Turf Services, Inc...................... 17 www.harmonturfservices.com Home Field Fertilizer / Meadowspring Turf Farm....................... 30 www.meadowspringturf.com KWMI / K & W Products, Inc................. 15 www.KWMIequipment.com Luck Ecosystems........................................ 3 www.luckstone.com McGill Premium Compost...................... 29 www.mcgillsoilbuilder.com Mid-Atlantic STIHL................................... 9 www.stihldealers.com

Digital Marketplace Scan the QR code: Download your favorite QR reader to your phone and scan the code to learn more about these companies.

Progressive Turf Equipment Inc............. 13 www.progressiveturfequip.com Revels Tractor Co. Inc...Inside Back Cover www.revelstractor.com Smith Seed Services................................. 21 www.smithseed.com Smith Turf & Irrigation............ Back Cover www.smithturf.com The Cutting Edge of VA.......................... 25 www.tce-va.com The Turfgrass Group................................. 7 www.theturfgrassgroup.com Virginia Sand & Stone............................. 24 www.virginiasand.com Weed Man................................................ 29 www.weedmanfranchise.com

Andy Rushing arushing@cgcfields.com Phone: (704) 634-9799 Toll Free – Office: (866) 753-1707

www.cgcfields.com

McGill Sports Turf Premium Compost improves turf aesthetics by adding beneficial microbes to soils, improving nutrient update, increasing porosity in heavy soils while improving water holding capacity in light sandy soils. Create a healthier soil environment and safer playing surface by applying 1/4” – 1/2” of STA Certified Premium Compost. McGill collects organic residuals to manufacture a branded line of premium compost soil amendments, serving the Carolina and Virginia markets since 1991.

For more information go to www.mcgillsoilbuilder.com or call 919-362-1161 634 Christian Chapel Church Rd. • New Hill, NC 27562.

Agronomic LAwn mAnAgement

(757) 563-8588

www.FertilizewithALm.com For franchise information go to www.weedmanfranchise.com or call (888) 321-9333

we Are Accepting new empLoyment AppLicAtions.

404 network stAtion • chesApeAke, VA 23320

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 29

Calendar of Events

January 28–31, 2019 Mid Atlantic Turfgrass Expo Fredericksburg Expo Center Fredericksburg, VA

Virginia Tech Turf Team February 2–7, 2019 Golf Industry Show

San Diego Convention Center San Diego, CA

Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D.

Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-5807 askew@vt.edu

February 18–21, 2019 TPI International Education Conference & Field Day (Turfgrass Producers Intl.)

The Westin Charlotte Charlotte, NC

February 26–27, 2019

Jeffrey F. Derr, Ph.D.

Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 (757) 363-3912 jderr@vt.edu

Come to the Bay Sheraton Oceanfront Virginia Beach, VA Mike Goatley Jr., Ph.D.

Virginia Tech 420 Smyth Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-2951 goatley@vt.edu

David McCall, Ph.D.

Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-9598 dsmccall@vt.edu

With Support from: Thomas P. Kuhar, Ph.D.

Virginia Tech Dept. of Entomology 216 Price Hall 170 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061 (540) 231-6129 tkuhar@vt.edu 30 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org