Virginia Turfgrass Journal - July / August 2022

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

July / August 2022

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, adult

Are Fall Armyworms Going to be a Problem this Year?

Member Spotlight on

Kurt Fellenstein Pesticides of the Future

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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | July / August 2022

12 10

16

RECENT EVENT

DEPARTMENTS

10 Hampton Roads AREC 12th Annual Turfgrass Field Day

6 President’s Message

COVER STORY

7 Turfgrass Calendar

12 Are Fall Armyworms Going to be a Problem this Year?

from Phil Bailey, CGCS

8 Director’s Corner

from Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

8 Virginia Tech Turf Team

FEATURES 16 Member Spotlight on Kurt Fellenstein 24 Cutting Through Current Challenges 30 Pesticides of the Future

9 Index of Advertisers

Find this issue, Podcasts, Events and More: THETURFZONE.COM 4 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

EXTRAORDINARY DESIGN DESERVES

It Deserves the World’s One & Only

www.THETURFGRASSGROUP.com

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

President’s Message

Partnerships are the Key to Life

Phil Bailey, CGCS VTC President

In

business, as in life, there is no true success unless you partner with others.

Partnerships are a core value in life. We partner with our spouse, family, and friends to build a sound support system to endure all conflicts.

Business partnerships work in much the same fashion. We develop partnerships to keep up supply chains, partner with employees, and partner with clients to meet and exceed expectations. Partnerships also allow us to expand our reputation and develop a wider client base.

The Virginia Turfgrass Council-Environmental Institute (VTC-EI) assists our members to develop these partnerships. With the partnership of our members and allied organizations we can meet and influence decision makers that can affect our industry. We then have the ability of being listened to and recognized as leaders in the industry. Partnerships show that we can listen to others’ points of view. We may not always agree with others’ opinions but hearing their views may enlighten us in a way we didn’t realize. With a wider view of issues it allows us to develop an educated conclusion instead of knee-jerk reactions to volatile issues.

Continued partnerships develop friendships. A friendship is a trust in others’ abilities to do the right things and apply sound judgements that support our beliefs. Quality friendships take time because trust is hard to earn, and it can be easily destroyed. By continually representing members’ concerns and successes we highlight the value of your services. The efforts you take to develop a quality business need to be represented and showcased to all communities. The VTC-EI bridges these gaps with adversaries and develops partnerships with the intent to develop friendships. Partnerships with a wide diversity increase our knowledge and develop avenues to expand business.

The VTC-EI may be a concept that doesn’t resonate in everyone’s mind, but it opens the ability to create partnerships with diverse crowds, educates us as an industry, and allows us a place at the table with decision makers. With continued partnerships we may have the ability to develop true friendships in places where we once only could have imagined.

Your partner in the industry,

Phil Bailey VTC President

PUBLISHED BY Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com VTC OFFICERS President Phil Bailey, CGCS Isle of Wight County Parks & Recreation (757) 572-1981 Vice President Wes Bray Lawns & Gardens Plus (757) 422-2117 Secretary / Treasurer Jimmy Viars, CGM Gloucester County Public Schools (804) 815-2779 Past President Michael Skelton (540) 718-4133 VTC DIRECTORS Sam Burris Ray Funkhouser Tony Montgomery Bruce Sheppard T.J. Skirsky Harris Wheeler, CTP Craig Zeigler ­ VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. David McCall Ph.D. Dan Sandor, Ph.D. Cynthia Smith, Ph.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004 VIRGINIA TURFGRASS FOUNDATION Brandyn Baty (757) 585-3058

6 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

Turfgrass Calendar

DECEMBER 6 – 8, 2022 Turf and Landscape Short Course HENRICO

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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

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constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright © 2022 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 Jefferson City, MO. 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, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064-3394, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524. Deadlines are the first of the month prior to the following

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month’s publication. (Example: August 1 for the September issue.)

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 7

Virginia Tech Turf Team

Director’s Corner

Continue the Fight

Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-5807 askew@vt.edu

Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

The

one hundred year lease was ending. Since the early 1920’s, what is now the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HR-AREC) served the industry from its 80 acres on Virginia Beach’s Diamond Springs Road. World class research on insects, diseases, preferred plant varieties, and much more poured out. Our state’s thriving green industry owes no small debt to that great facility. But the lease was ending.

City of Virginia Beach’s political leaders and other persons in the southern portion of the city saw the lease end as the once in a lifetime opportunity to develop prime real estate. These leaders approached the HR-AREC with an ultimatum: at the end of the lease, move the facility to the undeveloped southern portion of the city. Word on the streets was that a national corporation was considering building a major distribution center in eastern Virginia. They needed acreage next to interstates and an international airport. Those 80 acres on Diamond Springs Road checked all the boxes. Unfortunately for the land grabbers seeking to develop the property, the original contract had a renewal clause. Officials in Blacksburg read the contract and legally renewed the lease for another century.

I thought the issue was settled. Foolish me.

A year after the failed attempted land seizure, members of the General Assembly representing Hampton Roads signed a letter declaring the HR-AREC was not fulfilling terms of the original contract – seeking to force the relocation by declaring the lease void because of noncompliance. That attempt failed.

In the latest development, an amendment to the state budget included funds for moving the HR-AREC: “$500,000 the first year from the general fund is designated to begin planning the relocation of the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center.”

What happens next? We are actively pursuing options and weighing the advantages and disadvantages of relocating – and rebuilding – an established facility to the rural southern part of Virginia Beach.

Allow me to close with an undisguised plea for VTC membership and for donations to the VTC Environmental Institute. We need both to continue the fight!

Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757-363-3900 adelpozo@vt.edu 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 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 Dan Sandor, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 170 Drillfield Dr. 411 Price Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9775 dsandor@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

8 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

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Buy Sod, Inc....................................................31 www.buysod.com

Carolina Green Corp....................................... 9 www.cgcfields.com

Collins Wharf Sod Farm................................... 7 www.collinswharfsod.com

East Coast Sod & Seed..................................... 7 www.eastcoastsod.com

Revels Tractor Co. Inc.....................................15 www.revelstractor.com

Greene County Fertilizer Co............................ 9 www.greenecountyfert.com

Home Field Fertilizer /...................................34 Meadowspring Turf Farm www.meadowspringturf.com

Landmark Turf & Native Seed........................19 landmarkturfandnativeseed.com

Luck Ecosystems..............................................33 www.luckecosystems.com

McGill Premium Compost................................. 7 www.mcgillsoilbuilder.com

Mid-Atlantic STIHL..........................................23 www.stihldealers.com

Mitchell Products.............................................27 www.mitchellsand.com

Modern Turf, Inc.............................................34 www.modernturf.com

Premier Turf Farms...........................................33 www.premierturffarms.com

Progressive Turf Equipment Inc.......................29 www.progressiveturfequip.com

Rock Haven Turf Specialties...........................17 www.Facebook.com/RockHavenTurf

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STEC Equipment..............................................21 www.stecequipment.com

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Recent Event

Hampton Roads AREC

12th ANNUAL

TURF GRASS FIELD DAY

Dr. Jeff Derr kicks off the event.

The

Hampton Roads AREC, an industry treasure for the entire Mid-Atlantic region, held the 12th Annual Turfgrass Field Day on June 23. Attendees heard from researchers about cutting-edge findings on controlling difficult to manage weeds; ability of promising turfgrasses to tolerate drought; seasonal outlook and control measures for Annual Bluegrass Weevil; protecting pollinators, and emerging pests of ornamentals. After a great BBQ lunch, about 80% of the nearly 100 attendees stayed for the afternoon to complete pesticide applicator recertification training.

Many thanks to the companies and organizations that support turf and ornamental research at the AREC: BASF, The IR-4 Project, the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, NuFarm, Syngenta, Tidewater Turfgrass Association, Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance, the Virginia Turfgrass Council, and the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation.

10 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

Dr. Alejandro Del Pozo discussing fall Armyworm control.

Dr. Derr shared findings from his post-emergent herbicide trial.

Dr. Derr and Adam Nichols discuss post-emergent herbicide options for controlling Pennywort.

Adam Nichols shares post-emergent options for suppressing bermudagrass and herbicides for controlling Virginia buttonweed.

Dr. Alejandro Del Pozo shares his new pollinator garden and his research on establishing and maintaining pollinator-friendly plants and habitats.

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 11

Cover Story

Are Fall Armyworms Going to be a Problem this Year?

SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR ITS MANAGEMENT IN TURF

1A 1C

1B FIG. 1. Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, adult (Photo 1A, photo by L. Buss) and caterpillar (Photo 1B, photo by M. Rice). Adult moths have some characteristic white marks on the front wings, and immatures have an inverted “Y” suture on the front of their heads. Photo 1C, by T. Kuhar, shows both late instar caterpillars and defoliation on affected turf.

12 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

By Alejandro Del-Pozo Ph.D., Tom Kuhar Ph.D. and Mike Goatley Ph.D.

S 2 Fig. 2. Examples of heavily infested and damaged lawns by fall armyworms in two different locations in Virginia during late July early August 2021. Pictures provided by B. Mutgaas and K. Mathias.

2

everal of you witnessed or were impacted by the huge numbers of fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda, FAW; Fig. 1) in the MidAtlantic U.S. in summer and fall 2021.

The turf team at Virginia Tech was ‘inundated’ with pictures from landscaping companies and home owners showcasing brown patches in their lawns (Fig. 2). All those inquiries had one factor in common, the presence of FAW caterpillars in large numbers.

It was one of the most devastating FAW infestations that we have seen in Virginia in many years.

The big question right now is “what do we predict is going to happen in 2022?”. The short answer is that we have no idea. Last year’s FAW infestations were driven by a perfect storm of dry conditions in the deep south causing higher than usual population densities of the pest, coupled with summer storm fronts transporting large numbers of adult moths to more northern states. It is unlikely that all of those factors will line up again in 2022, but not impossible. We do know that FAW does not overwinter in Virginia and so there is no starting population leftover from last year. We encourage you to be on the alert that FAW could show up again. Below are some important considerations for its management:

CONTINUED >

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 13

Cover Story continued

1) Be aware of reports of adult FAW moth activity nearby your locality. Because it is too cold for these critters to spend

the winter in Virginia, we frequently do not see this pest. However, storm systems in the summer can carry adults to northern latitudes. Thus, knowing that moths have been spotted is useful.

We have been following the great work from Dr. Terri Billeisen at North Carolina State University, as she has been tracking the presence of these adults across North Carolina. You will find the latest map showing FAW presence in NC at https://ncturfbugs. wordpress.ncsu.edu/pest-tracking-maps/fall-armywormmap/ This information will give us an idea how close those adults are getting to Virginia. Our team is also deploying the same FAW pheromone bucket traps to monitor the presence of these moths across Virginia. Traps are going out now in mid-July and will be monitored into September. If you would like to know the status of this pest, please visit / subscribe the Virginia Ag Pest Advisory at https://blogs.ext.vt.edu/ag-pest-advisory/ to get the latest updates.

2) Know the vulnerability or susceptibility of your turf or other commodities. FAW is preferentially a grass feeder, but

has some ‘additional’ preferences for specific types of grass. In 2021, it turned out that these caterpillars devoured tall fescue, Bermuda and Zoysia. However, last year they seemed to be ‘picky’ eaters, leaving behind ‘untouched’ crabgrass, orchardgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, nutsedge and stiltgrass. Although it varied across the state, some alfalfa fields were even damaged in some parts of Virginia. Surprisingly, corn (a known host plant) appeared to be untouched by FAW in Virginia last year. Different strains of FAW have different host preferences. Know what types of grass you are managing, and be on the lookout for caterpillars if you are working with the highly preferred grass types (such as fescues). These lawns will require some additional attention to decide when to spray if adults are flying in your area. If FAW does appear again, note what grass types seem to be getting infested.

Talk to others. Early communication is critical, and we plan to do our part by disseminating timely information.

3) Chemical control. Pyrethroid insecticides are a cheap and

effective option to quickly ‘knockdown’ the number of caterpillars. Several products, including Talstar (bifenthrin), or Scimitar (lambda-cyhalothrin) have shown at both in laboratory and under field conditions high efficacy to control these caterpillars (see Figs. 3 and 4). Diamides are another effective insecticide option to control FAW caterpillars in turf. Products such as Acelepryn (chlorantraniliprole) or Mainspring (cyantraniliprole) significantly reduced the percentage of defoliation and the number of caterpillars after treatments were applied under laboratory and field conditions as well (Figs. 3 and 4). Provaunt (indoxacarb) and Matchpoint (spinosad) are also effective on FAW. Based on observations in 2021, spring or summer preventative applications of diamides such as Acelepryn, targeting white grubs, provided effective control against FAW. Keep in mind that preventative applications of neonicotinoids like Merit (imidacloprid) and others for white grubs will not control FAW.

Fig. 4. Number of fall armyworm caterpillars per squared foot (Y-axis) 7 days after the application of several insecticides (X-axis), using the maximum label rate in turf in 2019. Different letters on top of bars represent statistical differences among products.

Fig. 3. Percent defoliation of mid-size fall armyworm caterpillars from laboratory bioassays using tall fescue in 2022. Selected products are presented on the X-axis, and were used at the maximum label rate. The panel on the left summarizes data from one day after treatment (1 DAT), and right panel, data for 3 DAT. Different letters on top of bars represent statistical differences among products.

14 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

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Feature

Member Spotlight on Kurt Fellenstein Founder and CEO of Trinity Turf

16 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

What is Trinity Turf, and what is your role?

We’re a wholesale distributor, I would call us a regional distributor. Full-service, full line of anything for turf -- so grass seed, fertilizer, pesticides, erosion control, pretty much if it goes on the grass, we sell it. We just don’t sell sod, which sometimes people confuse us for a sod company, if you look at TrinityTurf.com you go to Texas to a sod company, but TrinityTurf.net is us, we’re based in Virginia and we’re the regional distributor.

As far as my role goes, I’m the Founder of the company. We started in 2004, I took on a few partners pretty much immediately after starting, and they were active for a while. I actually have one partner that is still active, along with my wife, who works day to day doing all of our accounting.

What did you do before founding the company?

I began my career with Wetzel Seed Company. Wetzel Seed has been bought and sold several times and the name has kind of gone by the wayside, but I worked under Bob Wetzel when I was there. I enjoyed my time there, but there was another opportunity that I left for. That company was family-owned, and they were trying to do a Southern expansion, they were based out of New England. About six months into that, I told my wife, “It’s really great working for this company, but if something ever happened, I just don’t think I could go to work for somebody else. I just think I’d do it on my own.” About six months later, they came to me and said, “Things just aren’t working out with our expansion, we’re going to have to retract back up into New England, but we found some other company to take you over.” I was like, “Thanks, but no thanks, I’ll do this myself.”

I was really fortunate that I had built a loyal customer base, and I felt like they were buying from me more so than the company and that the majority of them would follow me no matter what I did. Thankfully that was the case, so I had a really loyal group of customers that said, “If you’re going to do this on your own, we’ll back you.”

Just getting started back in 2004, I just had the corner of a warehouse for this other company. I kept a pallet or two pallets worth of stuff in that little corner. Then over the years it’s grown. Our main facility is in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia – we’re in Weyer’s Cave – we have about 20,000 square feet of warehouse there; and then also in Richmond, VA we opened up a location several years ago – and we have about 24,000 square feet of warehouse there. And currently we have about 22 employees.

Things have grown quite a bit over the last 18 or so years.

While we have our struggles from time to time, my core group of employees have been fantastic, and we have had very little turnover. I attribute that to always treating people well. I am humbled that talented people would leave their families and come work for me. In exchange, I try to pay a fair wage, treat them well, and reward hard work. My current business partners are Apryl Fellenstein, who I mentioned works full time for Trinity Turf, and Chad Barnett who also works full time as a salesperson.

Without them, Trinity Turf would not be what it is today.

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Feature continued

With labor being limited, supply chain challenges and prices changing, how does that look from the sales / distributor side?

How are your customers handling that and how are you communicating with them?

We’ve really not had an issue getting products; obviously prices have changed quite a bit. There’s a lot of instability in the fertilizer market, transportation costs are crazy right now. We’re having to look so much further ahead right now. It used to be, in a lot of cases, we would have just-in-time inventory. If you ordered something today and I didn’t have it, I could get it tomorrow.

Within two or three days you would have whatever it was that you ordered. It’s not really like that these days, so we’re carrying heavier inventory levels. I used to look 6 – 8 weeks out, now I’m looking 6 – 8 months out. In some cases, we’re trying to look a year ahead on certain products.

Just trying to communicate that, we do that through our sales people mainly. We want our salespeople to have the relationship with the customer and then be able to sit down with them and say, “this is what’s happening in the market, and for the good of both of us, we need to start looking a lot further ahead than what we used to.” That’s been our biggest thing, just having to look further ahead.

18 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

What’s the best part of your job?

A lot of that may depend on the day. Interacting with customers is probably the thing I miss the most. I’m not out there on a regular basis and some of the customers that we have today, we’ve had them all 18 years. I do feel bad that I can’t be out there interacting with them on a regular basis, so that’s what pains me the most. To tell you what I would enjoy doing the most, a lot of days that would be, I’m going to hop behind the wheel of a truck and I’m going to go make deliveries. I’m going to turn the phone off, because it’s nice and quiet and all that, I need to focus on the road, and by doing that, it gives me the opportunity to interact with some of the customers as well. When I make those deliveries, I get a chance to at least have a five or ten minute chat with whoever is there receiving that delivery. I like to do physical activity as well, so that encompasses a little bit of that as we’re unloading product off the truck, so I would say that’s probably my favorite thing.

What is a lesson you’ve learned the hard way in your career?

The thing that jumps to my mind is just learning to be humble.

My personality type is pretty high-strung, trudge forward, don’t tell me I can’t do something because I will do it. I bought product out of spite one time, and I spent about $10,000 buying a whole pallet of this one particular product because this guy told me that I couldn’t buy it. And I said, “I WILL buy it.”

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Feature continued

Now, I had to buy a whole pallet, and it probably took me five years to get rid of that product. Sometimes just being humble, you can be humbled by some of the decisions that you make. Life is a series of decisions, and we all get to make decisions, and every decision that we make comes with a consequence, some good, some bad. A lot of the decisions that I’ve made over the years, the consequences have been great – that was one instance, that was probably a bad decision and I kind of learned the hard way – maybe just sit back a little bit and think about it more before you make a knee-jerk reaction.

Do you have any mentors who helped lead the path for you and get you focused on your direction in your career?

Yes, and I may answer this two ways. Bob Wetzel was an icon in the industry, just a tremendously nice guy. I learned a lot about how to treat customers from him. I learned a lot about the right way to do business. He was an honest man, and so I would say he was definitely a mentor early on. He’s probably one of the biggest ones in this industry. Now I’ve had some business mentors that are in other industries. When people invest, they always say diversify. I use that same concept here: get mentors from other industries, business mentors. I’ve been very fortunate I’ve been able to learn from very successful businesspeople and use those as mentors, but Bob was the biggest one in this industry.

The other way I would answer that question is working for other companies, I learned how NOT to do business. Which I think might even be a more important thing. I saw things that they did and I thought, “Why are you doing it that way? It doesn’t go with your mission and it doesn’t help the customer. So why are you doing it that way?” So sometimes looking at it from that perspective, you can learn a lot.

What do you do outside of work?

My wife and I have been married 23 years now, and we have four kids. My oldest just graduated high school, she’s 18. Then I’ve got a 16, 14, and 11 year old. They have a lot of activities that they’re involved in, and as much as possible I try to be involved in those activities as well.

You would think in the industry that we’re in, I would say I love to golf, and I used to, but the last four or five years with family and business commitments, golf has kind of gone by the wayside. I do love the water, so a lot of times we find ourselves on the eastern side of Virginia kayaking, fishing, boating of some sort.

Believe it or not, I do love to mow grass, so I find myself not only mowing my own grass, but I’ll try to help out – maybe it’s a school that’s struggling and they need some help, either some advice or just some extra labor, or a family member – I find myself on a mower. It’s kind of like I mentioned earlier about getting behind the wheel of a truck, you can put your headphones in and just the rest of the world goes away for an hour and you can just focus on what’s at hand.

20 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

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Feature continued

What would your advice be for people entering the industry right now?

Number one, it’s a great time to enter the industry. There is tremendous opportunity right now. Be willing to start at the bottom. Too often people look at their parents and they see what their parents have and they think, “I should have that.” What they don’t realize is that their parents worked for 35 or 40 years to get what they have. So be willing to start at the bottom. Obviously if you don’t have to, that’s great, but be willing to do that.

It’s a great industry, and anybody that likes to be outdoors, you’re working on a regular basis and you get to enjoy the outdoors, the creation. Don’t forget there’s another side of it.

There’s the sales side. We always look for good, talented people to join our business. We have better hours. You go to an athletic facility, a golf course, you’re working weekends and holidays.

Well, guess what? We’re off weekends and holidays. That would be my advice. And if somebody is unsure of what they’re doing – take a look at this industry. It’s been around a long time, it’s thriving right now. It’s gone through some periods in the past where it hasn’t thrived, but it’s always been there.

I was with one of my customers one time, and I told him, “At the end of the day, we’re just talking about growing grass, and it’s not having an effect on the world.” And he stopped me right there, and he said, “You need to understand this, we have veterans who come out to play golf on a regular basis. We have other people who have experienced trauma in their life, and they use this as a getaway. We provide an excellent service, and we have an effect on people from all walks of life.” I thought that was so profound, and it changed my perspective after that. I thought, “Yeah. What we do does really matter for people and it’s a great industry to be involved in.”

The interactions the different facilities have with each other, their owners may feel like they’re in competition with each other, but the turfgrass managers, as a general rule, are all a community and they share. “Hey, what works good for you?” And they’ll share that information with each other. The people that are actually growing the grass, it’s a real community. From the sales side, we’re just glad that we get to be a part of it. They need the products, so we’re providing a valuable service to them, but it really is an honor for us to be involved in that community that they’ve developed among themselves.

If somebody wants to start out, and start a business, just be aware that connections that you make, you may never know how those connections may come back in your life to help you. Over the years of our business, we have had people come into our lives and they may have only been in our life for six months, but they fulfilled a need that we had at that time. I can think of half a dozen that I’ve never seen since then. My advice is just treat everybody well.

I personally have levels of expectations as to how I want to be treated as a customer, and I try to pass that along to all of my customers because I want to have the best level of service, but on the same side, I also use that with my suppliers and with all the support people that we have. We’re a company that, we pay our bills, I don’t use my suppliers as a bank, and I didn’t take a salary

22 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

for the first six months of the business. We wanted to make sure that our suppliers were going to be paid. Just treat everyone how you want to be treated. That’s a Biblical concept. Because you never know – those people will come in and out of your life, and if you treat people well, the right people will come to you at the right time.

“What we do does really matter for people, and it’s a great industry to be involved in.”

To hear the full interview, visit TheTurfZone.com or subscribe at Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Feature

Photo provided by Exmark

CUTTING THROUGH CURRENT CHALLENGES

MANUFACTURERS SHARE ADVICE for a productive 2022 mowing season

By John Kmitta

I

ndustry experts from major commercial mower manufacturers agree that the biggest challenges this year for mowing professionals in the green industry will be supply chain issues, rising fuel costs, higher prices across the board, and, of course, the continued shortage of labor.

“The industry was facing a worker shortage prior to the pandemic,” said David Dwight, director, Briggs & Stratton – Turf and Consumer Products Group (Ferris Mowers). “The pandemic further limited the overall available labor.”

“Finding reliable employees continues to be tough,” said Brad Unruh, director of new product development, Stanley Black & Decker Outdoor (Hustler Turf).

Steven Benedict, turf care product line manager, Kioti Tractor, added that labor challenges make it even more critical to have reliable and efficient equipment.

24 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

According to Josh Sooy, director of the professional business segment for Cub Cadet, those impacted by labor shortages are looking for solutions and equipment that can help increase the efficiency and productivity of their operations. This includes exploring viable autonomous technologies and continuing to invest in stand-on mowers.

Ron Scheffler, senior product manager, Doosan Bobcat North America (Bobcat, Ryan and Steiner), added that mowing professionals should identify products that will best help their needs.

“For example, which commercial mower will allow me to clean my equipment quickly, make standard maintenance updates as fast as I can, and overall, be the most efficient product,” he said.

“One of the best ways operators can combat labor challenges is to have a partner in their dealership,” said Chad Carney, go to market manager, B2B PLC segment, John Deere.

Feature continued

Carney added that dealers who take the time to truly get to know their customers and understand their needs become a go-to resource for their customers, ensuring that the customer will be loyal to that dealer for years to come.

According to Grant Wilson, product director, Gravely, and Angie Ansorge, product manager, Gravely, commercial users are having a hard time finding the right machines or parts for their equipment. As a result, Wilson and Ansorge recommend keeping extra parts on hand.

“The biggest challenges that commercial mowing professionals are facing, and will continue to face, this year are the supply chain issues that began in 2021,” said Unruh. “We recommend ordering early and often and staying in regular communication with their dealers to help estimate shipping times.”

“We anticipate the constrained supply environment will resolve over time and are working hard to mitigate any impact on our professional customers,” said Jared Nuessen, marketing manager at Toro. “In the meantime, be proactive when it comes to maintaining parts inventory to ensure you always have what you need on hand. While there may not be an issue sourcing a particular product or part currently, keeping a well-stocked inventory will help you avoid issues down the road.”

Exmark Director of Marketing, Jamie Briggs, added that professionals might not be able to find the exact model of equipment

they have purchased in the past, and may have to purchase an alternative model with different features or specifications.

Said Mark Krakowiak, product marketing manager, professional products, Stanley Black & Decker (DeWalt), “Plan to purchase your new products early in the season, along with service and wear parts well before you will need them. Given current supply chain challenges, if you are considering any new purchases, it is best to buy as soon as possible.”

Wilson and Ansorge echoed those thoughts, stating that prices of the machines will continue to rise, so purchasing new mowers sooner rather than later will provide significant savings.

According to Dwight, when it’s time to think about replacing a piece of equipment or adding equipment to meet growing demand, start that conversation with your dealer sooner than you have in the past to ensure that the unit you want is available when you need it.

Tony Buxton, senior product manager for Milwaukee Tool, added that walk-behind mowers are a great supplement to rideon mowers for accessing tight areas, and investing in batterypowered solutions will allow users to stay head of emerging requirements. “Through utilizing a combination of gas and battery-powered equipment, the professional market is gaining an understanding of how battery technology can benefit them now and in the future,” Buxton added.

Photo provided by John Deere

26 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

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Feature continued

According to David Bush, senior marketing strategist, general purpose engines and industrial products, Honda Powersports & Products Group, despite the challenges industry professionals face, it’s important to expect the unexpected and look for equipment that is efficient, reliable and quiet that can maximize productivity and return on investment. He added that fuel-efficient and lower-emissions products, along with battery-powered products, are proving to be attractive.

Professionals should look for mowers that allow them to be efficient and effective on the jobsite, and should consider a variety of factors in their mowers, including user comfort, ease of use and high machine uptime, said Benedict.

According to Briggs, users should make the most of their existing equipment, which means staying on top of scheduled maintenance and replacing worn parts.

Unruh recommends looking for mowers that are affordable, durable, and ergonomically designed to ensure comfort, and come standard with a manufacturer warranty. “The convenience factor also applies to mower/equipment maintenance; keeping all business at one trusted dealer will save time and resources,” he said.

Carney agreed, adding that the deciding factor when purchasing a mower can often be the relationship you form, the support you receive, and the dealership service you obtain that makes the difference in the brand you choose.

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Feature continued

Said Scheffler, “With labor shortages affecting business, saved minutes really add up to dollars in the pocket, and a mower that is quick to clean and maintain, as well as to be ready for the next working day is important.”

According to Dwight, it is important to understand that everything from maintenance to downtime to operator comfort will impact productivity.

“You need machines that are built around your needs, so always be willing to try something different,” said Sooy. “Whether it’s new mower products or technologies, demo different machines and get a feel for how they operate to ensure you’re investing in those that work for your business.”

Added Briggs, “We expect 2022 to be a good year, but it won’t be without its challenges.”

John Kmitta is associate publisher and editorial brand director of SportsField Management magazine. This article originally appeared in the May issue of SportsField Management magazine, official publication of the Sports Field Management Association.

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Feature

PESTICIDES FUTURE OF THE

By Eric Reasor, Ph.D. — Southeast Research Scientist, PBI-Gordon Corporation This article was originally published in Alabama Turf Times, Spring 2022

P

esticides have undergone significant changes in the past 50 years with an increased focus on environmental and applicator safety. The entire turfgrass industry will see pesticide technologies in the future look very different than the past.

However, despite many future changes, pesticides will continue being a highly effective tool for turfgrass pest management.

Importance of Pesticides in Pest Management Pesticides are any substance or mixture of substances used to kill pests or manage the damage they cause and are an important tool for managing turfgrass pests1. Turfgrasses have been used for functional, recreational, and aesthetic purposes to enhance human lives for hundreds of years,2 and many pests can significantly reduce these desired qualities. For example, disease and insect pests can infect or feed on turfgrass plants, leaving infected areas susceptible to wear damage, or environmental stresses such as drought. Furthermore, weed pests such as large crabgrass and white clover can compromise the safety of natural grass athletic fields by increasing the surface hardness ~ 50% compared to hybrid bermudagrass3.

Integrated pest management (IPM) is an approach that combines multiple chemical and non-chemical methods for pest

30 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

management. Most of these techniques involve maximizing turfgrass growth and plant health by species and variety selection, mowing, cultivation, fertilization, and irrigation. Although these cultural practices are critical for pest management, turfgrass quality expectations and lack of control thresholds drive the need for pest-free turfgrass. As a result, pesticides are still the backbone of turfgrass pest management1. The widespread use and necessity of turfgrass pesticides will require the industry to evolve as the pesticides change in the future.

History of Pesticides Understanding the history of pesticides and their use is important to the future of pesticides. There are currently five main time periods of pesticide use that describe the type of pesticides used during those times. Current time periods can be described as 1) early pest management prior to year 1000, 2) 1000 to 1850, 3) 1850 to 1940, 4) 1940 to 1970, and 5) 1970 to present. Additional time periods are likely to occur as pesticides enter a new era in the future.

The first recorded use of pesticides is about 4500 years ago by Sumerians, who applied sulfur compounds to battle insects and mites. This type of pesticide use continued until approximately year 1000 when the use of plant, animal, or mineral derivatives increased.

From 1850 to 1940, pesticides were mainly inorganic compounds

and industrial by-products. Moreover, pesticide use during these times typically involved high active ingredient application rates and unsafe application methods. Following the 1940s and scientific advancement after WWII, synthetic organic compounds were being developed for pesticides as a result of organic chemistry being applied to pesticide science. These synthetic organic pesticides still had high application rates in the kilograms per hectare for active ingredients, such as thiuram and DDT. However, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) was established in 1947 to set guidelines for pesticides registered in the United States.

FIFRA determines product uses, application rates, and potential hazards.

They also developed the pesticide labeling process to instruct end-users on proper and safe applications.

Pesticide science vastly changed in the 1970s. Pesticide research expanded outside of the US and Europe and became a world-wide field. The active ingredients themselves begin to change with lower-risk synthetic organic molecules effective at extremely low dosages. Furthermore, these newer active ingredients are more readily degradable, less persistent in the environment, and are more selective against the target pest4.

Why the change? In 1972, FIFRA was revised and was moved to the responsibility of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This revision shifted the emphasis of the regulatory process toward environmental protection and public health5.

Another major change with FIFRA was the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. This legislation tasked the EPA with conducting the most comprehensive and historic review of pesticide and food safety laws. The FQPA amended FIFRA by fundamentally changing the EPA’s pesticide evaluation and regulation processes.

Through this change, thousands of pesticides and their uses were either modified or eliminated. Then in 2007, an amendment to FIFRA required the EPA to review registered pesticides at least once every 15 years. This review process has yielded changes with many active ingredients and their uses5.

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Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 31

Feature continued PHOTO 1: Drone technology will become more widespread in the near future. The photo on the left is what the drone sees during a typical fairway flyover.

The photo on the right is a NDVI map (normalized difference vegetation index). This shows turfgrass health / stress across the fairway – GREEN is healthy and higher “quality” and RED is stressed or lower “quality”. Drones and ground equipment are both capable of collecting NDVI data. Aerial and ground NDVI measurements have shown strong correlation. Similar technology is being perfected to reduce overall pesticide inputs by only targeting areas when a pest population reaches a specific threshold.

PHOTO 2: Precision Turfgrass Management (PTM): Researchers measuring turfgrass surface and soil characteristics for developing site-specific, PTM programs. The aerial drone is measuring normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), while the Toro Precision Sense 6000 tow-behind ground unit measures soil moisture, soil compaction, soil salinity and NDVI.

Photos courtesy Dr. Chase Straw, Texas A&M University.

Pesticides of the Future Pesticides and their applications will continue to evolve in the future just as much as it has changed in the past. Low-risk synthetic organic compounds are still being developed; however, a new focus has shifted to other types of pesticides and pest management strategies. Examples of these include biological and RNAi pesticides (which will be described in more detail below).

In addition to chemistry changes, pesticide applications and delivery systems will change with formulation technology and site-specific applications6, 4.

Biological pest control and biopesticides are tools with a recent substantial increase in research and development. Biological control is founded on using beneficial organisms to reduce populations of pest organisms, or at least keep them below destructive thresholds. Turfgrass managers already implement some biocontrol by promoting a healthy environment for optimal turfgrass growth.

This type of biocontrol can be described as general pest suppression, whereas specific pest suppression uses specific, selected organisms, to manage pests.

Biopesticides are pesticides, but they are derived from natural materials such as animals, bacteria, fungi, plants, and certain minerals. Biopesticides are classified based on their origin and it must provide some level of pest control to be considered

32 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org

a biopesticide7. Microbial biopesticides have a living organism or a product of a living organism as the active ingredient, and biochemical biopesticides have naturally occurring compounds, such as plant extracts, as the active ingredient. There are commercially available products of both biopesticide categories. However, pest control may be limited when high pest populations or environmental conditions highly conducive to damage are present. Furthermore, biopesticides may be limited in long-term storage stability and formulation difficulties. In specific turfgrass situations, biopesticides can be one alternative to synthetic pesticides. Examples of beneficial organisms used in turfgrass to manage specific pests are Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. Research and development into biopesticides will continue to increase in future decades. It has been predicted that the biopesticide market will equal and potentially outpace synthetic pesticides by the 2060s8.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) interference (RNAi) pesticides are another growing area of pesticide research and development.

RNAi is a naturally occurring process that uses double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to interfere with normal RNA processes. Normal RNA processes start with DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) transcribing into RNA and then RNA translating into amino acids, which are then used to make proteins. RNAi pesticides disrupt a targeted step in these processes. This allows specific genes within plants and pests to be targeted and manipulated to achieve a desired result.

Applications of RNAi compounds are being developed to provide an alternative to synthetic organic compounds. The RNAi currently used for pest management involves dsRNA that can silence essential genes in insects, pathogens, and weeds. These applications are highly specific for the target pest, where non-target effects are minimalized, or even avoided. RNAi has already been used to target plant diseases such as cereal rusts and Botrytis grey fruit mold. It has also been used to develop virus-resistant crops such as papaya, plum, squash, and tomato9.

The use of RNAi pesticides in turfgrass pest management will likely be pest specific and will still rely on proper turfgrass cultural practices.

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Pesticide Applications of the Future Pesticide applications and formulations are evolving similar to pesticide active ingredients with a focus on increased environmental safety and reduced inputs. Precise, sitespecific pesticide applications is one method that can reduce overall pesticide inputs, and pesticide formulation technology can increase the environmental safety of the final pesticide product. Applying safer pesticides in more precise locations aligns with the future direction of pesticide regulation. New application strategies will be a significant change from traditional broadcast or blanket applications, but the technology involved will be enduser driven (Photo 1).

The theory of precision turfgrass management (PTM) is to measure detailed, site-specific information to precisely apply resources (e.g., water, fertilizer, pesticides). Precision turfgrass management has the potential to reduce overall pesticide inputs by only targeting areas with a present pest population, areas with repeated history of pest issues, or areas with highly conducive environments. This would rely on sensor technology, GPS, and GIS systems to accurately measure, analyze, and apply the data10.

Sensor equipment could be mounted to a variety of ground or aerial equipment such as mowers, tractors, golf carts, or even drones to make the necessary measurements for management decisions (Photo 2).

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Researchers are in the early stages of developing the PTM technology for turfgrass pest management. Initial technology will likely focus on controlling specific pest species or issues and may not be applicable to every situation. Turfgrass managers already practice some sort of PTM by managing various areas differently based on many factors, including soil characteristics, turfgrass species, slope, heightof-cut, traffic patterns, etc. These management differences are based on anecdotal or quantified data, but the evolution of PTM will be based on acquiring real-time, detailed site information to make decision making more precise and efficient.10 Many hurdles remain for the wide adoption of PTM, nevertheless it is one of the key components of the future of pesticides and their applications.

Pesticide formulation research is important because the pesticide active ingredients comprise only a percentage of the final product. The co-formulants are just as important as the active ingredient for pest control efficacy, product storage/stability, product compatibility, and overall product performance. Different pesticide formulations have advantages and disadvantages, but there has been a shift in trends due to growing concerns on using solvents as co-formulants. Solventbased emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulations are being phased out with the focus shifted on solvent-free formulations (granules [G], soluble liquids [SL], suspension concentrates [SC], and water dispersible granules [WDG]). A new, water-based formulation, emulsion-in-water (EW), uses almost no solvents and has emulsifying agents to improve handling, storage, and transport characteristics. Synthetic pesticide formulation research will continue to evolve for increased applicator and environment safety because synthetic pesticides are still the most economical and effective pesticide option.

Nanotechnology is one of the more recent developments in pesticide formulation research11. Nanotechnology research involves manipulation of particles ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm)12. For reference, one nm

Feature continued

is one-billionth (10-9) of a meter and there are 25,400,000 nm in one inch (Figure 1).

ONE INCH =

{

25,400,000 nm

}

FIGURE 1: For reference, it would take 25,400,000 nanoparticles stacked side-by-side to equal one inch. Many nanopesticides will be encapsulated within the range of 1 to 100 nanometers. Not seen with the naked eye, it takes electron microscope technology to view these particles.

These nanoparticles are being developed to encapsulate nano-sized pesticide active ingredients to potentially provide a “controlled release” of the pesticide to the target pest.

Furthermore, encapsulation materials can be biocompatible and biodegradable11.

Pesticides formulated as nanoparticles have the potential to increase the efficacy against target pests, reduce the physical degradation, and further reduce the environmental risk13, 14. For example, nanoparticles have been reported to protect neem oil (Azadirachta indica) from degradation to extend its efficacy against insect pests7. However, nanotechnology in pesticide science has been sparsely researched in field conditions and thus not widely commercialized due to several challenges. There are concerns regarding environmental fate, bioavailability and release rates, transport and storage, and cost effectiveness7, 15. Nanotechnology and nanopesticide research will continue, but their application in turfgrass and availability to turf managers is still unknown.

Pesticides and their use have vastly changed within the past 50 years, with an increased focus on environmental and applicator safety. Turfgrass managers could witness even greater significant pesticides changes in the future. Pesticides will continue to evolve with newer technologies such as biological and RNAi pesticides. It is uncertain when some of these new pesticide technologies will be commercially available for pest control in turfgrass. Moreover, it is possible some will not provide acceptable pest control, be too injurious to desirable species, or too costly for wide adoption. As a result, synthetic pesticides will remain the most effective pesticide tool until these technologies are developed specially for turfgrass.

LITERATURE CITED 1. Koppenhofer, A.M., R. Latin, B.A. McGraw, J.T. Brosnan, and W.C. Crow. 2013. Integrated pest management. In Turfgrass: Biology, Use, and Management. eds. J.C. Stier, B.P. Horgan, and S.A. Bonos. Madison, WI. pp. 933-1006.

2. Beard, J.B. and R.L. Green. 1994. The role of turfgrasses in environmental protection and their benefits to humans. J. of Environ. Qual. 23:452-460.

3. Brosnan, J.T., K.H., Dickson, J.C. Sorochan, A.W. Thoms, and J.C. Stier. 2014. Large crabgrass, white clover, and hybrid bermudagrass athletic field playing quality in response to simulated traffic. Crop Sci. 54:1838-1843. doi:10.2135/ cropsci2013.11.0754 4.

Umetsu, N. and Y. Shirai. 2020. Development of novel pesticides in the 21st century. J. Pestic. Sci. 45(2):54-74. doi:10.1584/jpestics.D20-201 5.

Reicher, Z.J., P.H. Dernoeden, and D.S. Richmond. 2013.

Insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and growth regulators used in turfgrass systems. In Turfgrass: Biology, Use, and Management. eds. J.C. Stier, B.P. Horgan, and S.A. Bonos.

Madison, WI. pp. 891-932.

6. Umetsu, N. and A. Ando. 2004. Development of environmentally friendly agrochemicals. In Frontiers of Environmental Pesticide Science. eds. M. Ueji et al. Soft Science. pp. 224-248 7. Damalas, C.A. and S.D. Koutroubas. 2018. Current status and recent developments in biopesticide use. Agriculture. 8(13). doi:10.3390/agriculture8010013 8. Olsen, S. 2015. An analysis of the biopesticides market now and where is going. Outlooks Pest Mgt. 26:203-206.

9. Mezzetti, B. J. Sweet, and L. Burgos. 2021. Introduction to RNAi in plan production and protection. CAB International. doi:10.1079/ 9781789248890.0001 10.

Carrow, R.N., J.M. Krum, I. Flitcroft, and V. Cline. 2010.

Precision turfgrass management: Challenges and field applieds for mapping turfgrass soil and stress. Precision Agric. 11:115134. doi:10.1007/s11119-009-9136-y 11.

Prasad, R., A. Bhattacharyya, and Q. D. Nguyen. 2017.

Nanotechnology in Sustainable Agriculture: Recent Developments, Challenges, and Perspectives. J. Frontier Microbiology. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01014 12. Hobson, D.W., 2011. Industrial biotechnology and commodity product. In Comprehensive Biotechnology (Second Edition). eds. M. Butler and M. Moo-Young. Volume 3: pp. 683-697 13. De Oliveira, J.L., E.V.R. Campos, and L.F. Fraceto. 2018. Recent developments and challenges for nanoscale formulation of botanical pesticides for use in sustainable agriculture. J. Agric.

Food Chem. 66(34):8898-8913. doi.org/10.1021/acs. jafc.8b03183 14.

Khot, L.R., S. Sankaran, J.M. Maja, R. Ehsani, and E.W. Schuster. 2012. Applications of nanomaterials in agricultural production and crop protection: A review. Crop Protection.

35:64-70. doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2012.01.007 15. Mishra, S., C. Keswani, P.C. Abhilash, L.F. Fraceto, and H.B. Singh. 2017. Integrated approach of agri-nanotechnology: Challenges and future trends. Front. Plant Sci. 8:471. doi. org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00471

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 35

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KEEP CONTROL EASY with a foot pedal to raise and lower tines.

VARY PLUG LENGTH ON THE FLY by finely tuning the hydraulic system. It applies up to 1,200 lbs of down pressure on the tines to pull up to 5” cores.

SPRAYMASTER® SERIES EASY FLUID CHECK. Check your fluid levels with just a glance in the white tanks.

CLOG-FREE FLOW. Enjoy clog-free, consistent liquid flows with an auxiliary pump that delivers 2 gal/min and up to 10 PSI. SIMPLIFIED STEERING. Make adjustments on the fly with one hand with control forward/ reverse and left/right steering.

NORTH CAROLINA | SOUTH CAROLINA | TENNESSEE | VIRGINIA Office 704.393.8873 www.turf-care.com www.smithturf.com