MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF
NEWS VOL. 1, NO. 1
SPRING 2011
MPSTMA Spring Workshop Set March 23 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Kick off the new new season with a chance to catch up with friends, see your vendors and get some always worthwhile education. Make plans to attend the March 23 MPSTMA Spring Workshop at the University of St. Thomas. MPSTMA members Bob Reed and Roger Weinbrenner CSFM, will host the event. Last year, 102 members gathered at the University of St. Thomas for the popular education and networking event. Fourteen vendors sponsored the event with table top displays. Ken Rost, Frost Services, who will lead things off with a session about Spray Nozzle technology. Arnie Plowman and Andrew Plowman, Varicore Technologies Inc., will then talk about drainage; Tim Van Loo CSFM, Iowa State, will talk about Poa Annua control using Tenacity. Keynote speaker Glenn Caruso, University of St. Thomas football coach, and 2010 Division III Coach of the Year, will speak after lunch. In the afternoon, Mike McDonald CSFM, TCF Bank Stadium, and Roger Weinbrenner CSFM, University of St. Thomas, will wrap things up by talking about their field-clearing exploits in the fall of 2010 that captured local and national media attention. Vendors will have table-top displays. Attendees will have time to look at these displays before the event, between speakers, at a dedicated break time and during lunch. New to the program will be a 3-minute introduction for all of our event sponsors to use as they wish. There will also be more time scheduled for attendees to visit the sponsor tables; during registration (7-8), morning break (9:30-10) and lunch (11:30-12).
Keynote Speaker Glenn Caruso, University of St. Thomas, was voted Division III Football Coach of the Year for the 2010 season. Proceeds above the cost of the event go directly to the University of Minnesota Endowment Fund. For more information about the March 23 Spring Workshop, visit www.mpstma.org, call the MPSTMA office at 952-473-3722 or e-mail info@mpstma.org.
Keynote Speaker Glenn Caruso Voted Coach of the Year Spring Workshop keynote speaker Glenn Caruso, University of St. Thomas football coach, has been voted the 2010 Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year award for NCAA Division III football. Caruso was named coach of the year on Jan. 10, 2011. Fan voting accounted for 20 percent of the final vote selection. In addition to fan voting, respected members of the College Football Hall of
Fame and national media voted for the coaches they feel most embody the Coach of the Year criteria. Caruso’s Tommies went undefeated through the regular season with a 10-0 record, including 8-0 in the MIAC for the league championship. Since arriving at St. Thomas in 2008, Coach Caruso has initiated the biggest turnaround in Division III, with a 28-5 overall record. For 11 consecutive sea-
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sons, at least one player has been named to the AFCA Good Works Team, a Division III record. In 2010, Caruso was named Conference Coach of the Year. Caruso is also the founder of a Reading Recess program; participates in the Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society, and volunteers at the annual Vision Walk for the Foundation for Fighting Blindness.
President’s Perspective:
“Welcome to the MPSTMA” STEVE GILBERTSON President
OFFICERS PRESIDENT
First of all, I personally want to thank everyone who took the time to attend MPSTMA’s 1st Annual Business Meeting on January 6 at the Minneapolis Convention Center during the Northern Green Expo. I was impressed by the number of people who attended and encouraged by the number of members who will volunteer their time on MPSTMA committees throughout the 2011 season. With that being said, if you want to be involved in planning, we can always use your support on any committee (See Committees on Page 7). Now is your opportunity to bring your thoughts an ideas to this newly-formed partnership and outline the direction of MPSTMA’s future. Contact any Board member or go to www.mpstma.org and give us your feedback. In January, I attended the Chapter Officers Training Session (COTS) during the Sports Turf Managers Association national convention in Austin, TX. During the session, the biggest issue and question that came up surrounded communication with members. The popular response to the communication issue was that the majority of members never respond. It always seems to be the same few that do. The reasoning to this response was either the majority are o.k. with the way things were going and had nothing to say or they did not know how or who to contact with their ideas. MPSTMA will make every effort to communicate as much information with you as possible. For starters, before the Board of Directors approve the Bylaws for MPSTMA, every member will have a chance to look them over. I encourage you all to take a little time to read the Bylaws and give the Board your feedback. Your suggestions will go a long way in shaping the future of your organization. MPSTMA Park and Sports Turf News, is the first of four editions of our newsletter planned for 2011. We hope you find the newsletter to be both educational and informative. We will review past events, publicize and promote upcoming events, keep you informed on what is happening with research dollars at the University of Minnesota, and publish articles from our professional resources. Have a great Spring and I’ll see you at the MPSTMA Workshop on March 23!
Steve Gilbertson
STEVE GILBERTSON City of Lino Lakes 612-599-8017 socassign@aol.com VICE PRESIDENT
DAVE NOZAL Tree Trust 651-644-5800 daven@treetrust.com VICE PRESIDENT
KEVIN FERNANDEZ White Bear Lake Area Schools #624 651-653-2736 kmfern@wbl.whitebear.k12.mn.us TREASURER
LOWELL LUEBECK City of Plymouth 763-509-5946 lluebeck@ci.plymouth.mn.us TREASURER
ROGER WEINBRENNER CSFM University of St. Thomas 651-962-6546 roger.weinbrenner@mpstma.org PAST PRESIDENT
STEVE BERG CSFM St. Paul Academy & Summit School 651-698-2451 sberg@spa.edu PAST PRESIDENT
PHIL GALLIGER City of Woodbury 652-714-3721 pgalliger@ci.woodbury.mn.us DIRECTORS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
JEFF HINTZ Northwestern College 651-631-5103 jdhintz2@nwc.edu
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
AMY HOWARD City of Woodbury 651-714-3721 ahoward@ci.woodbury.mn.us COMMERCIAL MEMBERSHIP
Steve Gilbertson
SCOTT MELLING Par Aide Products Company 651-429-4513 scott@paraide.com
President Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association
COMMERCIAL MEMBERSHIP
Troy D. Carlson
Court Surfaces & Repair
JOE CHURCHILL Reinders Inc. 612-790-7333 jchurchill@reinders.com MTGF REPRESENTATIVE
PAUL GRIFFIN City of Woodbury 651-714-3720 pgriffin@ci.woodbury.mn.us MTGF REPRESENTATIVE
+ Tennis Courts + Running Tracks + Basketball Courts + In-Line Skate Surfaces + Consulting + Snow Plowing 16215 Yalta St. NE Ham Lake, MN 55304 2 MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS
(763) 783-8086 Cell: (612) 386-9171 Fax: (763) 785-7929
KEVIN MANLEY JRK Seed & Turf Supply 651-686-6756 kmanley@jrkseed.com MTGF REPRESENTATIVE
DAN HEITKE City of Plymouth dheitke@ci.plymouth.mn.us MPSTMA EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
JEFF TURTINEN 952-473-3722 jeff.turtinen@mpstma.org
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New Life for an Old Sprayer By KEN ROST Frost Services
(Editor’s Note: The following article is a condensed version of one previously published. The complete article is available at www.mpstma.org. While this article focuses on improving sprayer equipment, be sure to attend the March 23 MPSTMA Spring Workshop where we will focus on improving the actual spray that we deliver to get the most from our dollars spent on chemical.)
Well-designed and well-maintained equipment can get decades of use, and just like the cars we drive, the older ones are sometimes our favorites. But when we hang on to an old favorite car, we know that we miss out on recent advancements in technology. The same applies to turf sprayer technologies. Every year, advancements and improvements are made in sprayer components. Whether its pumps, agitation, valves, or controls incremental improvements are constantly being made to solve nagging problems that we experience when we spray. The question then becomes, 'How do we keep our sprayers up-to-date?' One answer would be to buy new spray equipment on a regular basis. This is a good choice if you want to minimize the hours of operation on the drive train and chassis. This is the same philosophy as trading in your car every couple of years. If you can trade in or resell your sprayer before the booms loose all the paint, you might be able to get good value from a short replacement cycle. However, it's a little harder to do in an economy when budgets are slim. A second answer would be to address the headaches that bother you as you make your applications. Sometimes addressing just one issue improves your equipment and can make you feel like you are using a new sprayer. www.mpstma.org
The answer we chose for a recent sprayer upgrade project was a more comprehensive overhaul of a beloved sprayer that had accumulated a list of problems. The sprayer was a Toro Multi-pro 1100 and it was built in 1995. It had an excellent drive train and handled very well. However, after fifteen years of use, it needed a comprehensive overhaul. Problems listed by the sprayer owner were: Pump: if prime is lost at the end of the tank, we can't get it back. Agitation: too little agitation at the beginning of the tank and too much at the end of the tank. Filter: not catching enough junk and the nozzles are getting plugged. Valves: if one boom is shut off, the pressure for other booms goes up. Boom Control and Pressure Gauge: lost function of the boom section switches and pressure gauge. Wishes listed by the sprayer owner were rate monitoring and multi-turret nozzle bodies. The following was done to address these issues: Pump The pump on the prayer was a centrifugal pump. Centrifugal pumps are nice because they rarely need any servicing or repair, simply because they have few moving parts. However, Centrifugal pumps need to have water in the impeller inlet in order to prime. If trapped air gets into the pump, it will not prime and the mechanical seal can be damaged. New technology in seal material has solved the seal damage issue (Hypro LifeGuard seals) but we still need to get the trapped air out of the pump to get back to spraying. This was accomplished with a simple vent line installed in the uppermost vent port on the pump housing. Agitation A lot of improvement has been made in agitation technologies since this sprayer
was originally built. It was originally equipped with a 'sparge tube' which was simply a stainless steel tube with holes drilled in it to direct flow over the bottom of the tank. It moved very little liquid when the tank was full and it created no movement when the holes got plugged up. The sparge tube was replaced with an inducting agitator. This device creates extra flow by shooting a stream of liquid through a venturi which draws in additional fluid. The ratio of fluid pumped into the device to the fluid that comes out is 5:1 for the version we used. Filter Filters are necessary evils that cause a lot of headaches. It is important to remember the intended purpose that they accomplish. They need to collect and remove only the maximum size of particle that could cause problems with components down stream. The choices are usually 20, 32, 50 or 80 mesh sizes. Pumps, valves and flowmeters can handle fairly large particles that would go through a 20 or 32 mesh filter screen. An 80 mesh filter screen will catch more particles than a 50 mesh screen, but it will need to be cleaned more frequently. The headaches begin when the screen plugs up before the tank can be sprayed out. Advancements in filters include a 'self-cleaning' feature that can address this problem. A valve and hose on the bottom of a self-cleaning filter allow for the trapped particles to be removed without having to completely disassemble the filter assembly. The filter on our project sprayer had a screen that was too short and material was getting past the screen. We replaced the screen with an 80 mesh screen that was supported with a 20 mesh backing. Valves Simple on-off solenoid valves on our project sprayer were replaced with motorized plunger valves that had a by-pass feature. The by-pass feature allows for adjustment to keep the boom pressure equal regardless of whether a boom section valve is turned on or off. An adjustment knob is used to adjust the amount of returned flow which is what equalizes the pressure. This feature is especially helpful for sprayers that are not equipped with an automatic rate control system. (Continued on Page 4)
MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS 3
New Life for an Old Sprayer (Continued from Page 3) Valves Simple on-off solenoid valves on our project sprayer were replaced with motorized plunger valves that had a by-pass feature. The by-pass feature allows for adjustment to keep the boom pressure equal regardless of whether a boom section valve is turned on or off. An adjustment knob is used to adjust the amount of returned flow which is what equalizes the pressure. This feature is especially helpful for sprayers that are not equipped with an automatic rate control system. Boom Control and Pressure Gauge When the valve controls and pressure gauge fail, the sprayer is pretty much useless. This is what happened to our project sprayer and the owner wanted to upgrade the controls. To upgrade application controls, we needed to review the options. We know that in-order to calculate the applied rate of spray, we need to know the application speed and flow output of the spray tips. With a pressure gauge and a nozzle rate chart, we can monitor and adjust flow by adjusting the spray pressure. For example, if we can maintain 40
psi with a 06 (ISO color gray) tip, we are applying 0.6 gpm. Add in a speed at 4 mph and from the rate chart we get 45 gpa or 1.0 gpk. Got it? What if we need to slow down to 2 mph? Hmmm ...go through it again. Sprayer operators can walk and chew gum at the same time, but can they drive and calculate rates at the same time? To stay on the target rate, operators need to keep a constant speed or at least know what pressure to adjust to if a speed change is made. The big problem on our project sprayer is that it did not even have speed indication. We needed a big upgrade. The project sprayer had a mechanical drive system that could hold a fairly consistent speed over undulating terrain. With that, the monitor system was chosen because relatively few adjustments would need to be made by the operator based on the rate shown by the monitor. Improvements like these can get you through low budget years when new equipment purchases are not an option. However, research into the best components can take time for a technician. Hiring the project out to a trusted service is an option. Whether you do it yourself or hire the project out, use quality components and a trusted service and you will experience a better spraying season.
Tank Agitator
Valves Before
Valves After
Drive and calculate at the same time. 4 MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS
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Dale Getz, CSFM, Receives One of Green Media’s 2010 Most Influential People in the Green Industry Award Green Media, publisher of Sports Turf magazine, announced that Dale Getz CSFM, The Toro Company, as one of six professionals selected for this honor. The award recognizes individuals who exemplify commitment to the green industry and have exhibited a widespread influence on their peers. Getz, a member of MPSTMA, was asked the following questions: How do you feel that you influence other industry professionals? I really enjoy all aspects of the green industry and have been an arborist, a grounds manager and a sports turf manager but my true passion is sports turf management. I really think it’s the passion I have that allows me to help others in the industry. I’m blessed to have a job that allows me to travel to many different venues and pick up ideas that I can then pass to others. Dale Getz CSFM The Toro Company
What do you feel has been your biggest contribution to the green industry so far? And what do you see as your role in the future of the industry? I feel my biggest contribution was to be the chairperson of the certification committee of the Sports Turf Managers Association. As a committee, we strongly felt that for the STMA to move forward in terms of recognition from peer organizations, the industry and the public we needed a way to certify competence as a sports turf manager. That dream came true after three years of planning with our first Certified Sports Field Manger, Ross Kurcab of the Denver Broncos in January 2000. I help my role in the future will be to continue to help when needed. I enjoy working on committees and projects as needs arise
Dale Getz CSFM, The Toro Company, shown above doing some handon work during the MPSTMA’s Community Service Project at Welander Ballfield in the City of Grant.
terms of water usage, pollution abatement and carbon sequestration. What advice do you have for green industry professionals who want to become influential leaders themselves? Do everything you do with passion. Question the status quo, challenge old ideas with new ones and always be a leader. (Editor’s Note: This article was reprinted with permission from Sports Turf magazine.)
Who has influenced you both personally and professionally? Probably the most influential person both personally and professionally was a friend’s father who was the consummate ecologist and strong believer in protecting the environment and sustainability long before it was the “in” thing to do. His knowledge of our natural world inspired me to embark on a career in the green industry. Tell us something about yourself outside of work that influences your approach in your professional career.
ACE Rotomold® Tanks HYPRO® spray products
One of my favorite hobbies is woodworking and while I’m not a Norm Abrams by any stretch of the imagination, woodworking, through the years, has taught me patience and attention to detail.
Handy-Ice’r
What dreams do you have for the industry? My dream is that sports turf managers, groundskeepers and other green industry professionals are duly recognized for the professionals they are. We have come a long way in establishing professionalism but we still have a long way to go. There is a big job ahead of us to educated the public on the complexity of green industry ecosystems and that managing these ecosystems properly will have a positive impact on our environment in www.mpstma.org
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MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS 5
2010 MTGF/UM Field Day Proves Great Stuff’s Happening at TROE Center at the University The annual MTGF / University of Minnesota Field Day, held last fall in September, provided turf and grounds professionals opportunities to learn about new research being conducted at the Turfgrass Research, Outreach and Education (TROE) Center and the TRE Nursery. Leading researchers were on hand to demonstrate their projects and how they directly benefit green industries. Commercial vendors demonstrated the latest products, services and equipment available. Attendees chose between a Turf Track and a Grounds Track. After splitting into equal-sized groups, participants moved from one station to another and saw most of what TROE Center has to offer. 2010 was a very busy year at TROE Center. TROE Center allows University of Minnesota researchers to study current issues facing the Minnesota turfgrass practitioner. The rain-out shelter was moved to a new location to allow for quicker turn-around of trials. The plan is to have it fully automated
THE AUTOMATED RAIN SHELTER AT TROE CENTER has been great for drought tolerant cool-season turfgrass screening research. At the left, Josh Friell, a graduate student in the UM Department of Horticultural Science, was passionate about the research being done at TROE Center and enjoyed educating the crowd. The automated cover slides back and forth to easily control sunlight and rain.
with rain sensors and electric motors to be able to move the shelter in the event of rain. It is still a work in progress but things are moving forward. “The abundance of summer rain in 2010 was not much of a hindrance for us but it certainly kept the mowers busy. All of
“TROE Center continues to  develop new plots for new trials.  We are planning on replacing  the bentgrass with other  species of turfgrass for  future runoff trials.�
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6 MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS
TROE has never been this green all summer long. We were lucky to escape the majority of the disease pressure that was around this past year but we certainly had our fair share of cutworms.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;TROE Center continues to develop new plots for new trials. We are in the process of redoing the bentgrass runoff plots. We are planning on replacing the bentgrass with other species of turfgrass for future runoff trials.â&#x20AC;? said Craig Krueger of TROE Center. Field Day is set for Thursday, September 15, 2011 at the TROE Center located at the University of Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s St. Paul Campus. (Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: The University of Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eric Watkins and Brian Horgan, Ph.D. will provide updates about the current research being done at TROE Center in future issues of this newsletter.) www.mpstma.org
2011 MPSTMA EVENTS The MPSTMA has eight events scheduled for 2011. Some event dates need to be finalized. MPSTMA SPRING WORKSHOP MARCH 23, 2011 Park and Sports Turf leaders spend a day of education and camaraderie at the University of St. Thomas. MPSTMA NETWORK PICNICS MPSTMA members enjoy a few hours during mid-day networking and visiting with fellow park and sports turf managers. Lunch is included. No cost. IOWA/MINNESOTA CHAPTER CLASH JULY 15-16, 2011 Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers play Iowa Turf Managers in softball and golf. The event will take place in Iowa City this year. The Clash alternates sites between Iowa and Minnesota annually. MPSTMA TOUR-ON-WHEELS Tour-on-Wheels is an annual MSTMA event where members board a bus and visit different facilities of interest to Sports Turf Managers. MPSTMA GOLF TOURNAMENT The MPSTMA will hold a golf tournament this summer. The golf tournament committee is reviewing sites and dates.
MPSTMA COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT MPSTMA will select a field from entries submitted and provide the labor for the renovation project. Some materials will be donated or provided at a reduced cost. Volunteers from your organization will be needed to complete the renovation project as well as to care for the field after the renovations are complete. MTGF / UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FIELD DAY AT TROE CENTER SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 Park and Turf leaders spend a day at TROE Center. Vendors have table top display opportunities. MPSTMA 3RD QUARTERLY the 3rd Quarterly will be a one or two-day event and sometimes has been held outside the metropolitan area. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event is in the planning stages. MPSTMA FALL WORKSHOP SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 Park and Sports Turf leaders will spend a day of education and camaraderie. There will be quality speakers and an opportunity to see and try out the latest in sports turf maintenance equipment for both natural and synthetic turf.
Updated info at www.mpstma.org
MPSTMA Members Recognized at the Jan. 6 Annual Meeting During Northern Green Expo Out-going Board members Tom Schuster, Connie Rudolph CSFM and Josh Graham were recognized for serving and representing the membership on the Board of Directors. Wes Dunsmore, City of Eden Prairie, was rec-
ognized for his long time association with MPSA. Roger Weinbrenner CSFM, and Mike McDonald CSFM, were given kudos for their field-clearing efforts that captured local and national media attention. Field of the
Year winners Mike Johnson and Jonny Hummel, St. Anthony /New Brighton Schools, were presented a plaque recognizing Palm Field as MPSTMA / Turfco Field of the Year by Turfco representative Greg Brodd.
FIELD OF THE YEAR Mike Johnson, left, and Jonny Hummel, center, were presented a plaque by Turfco Manufacturing representative Greg Brodd. Turfco cosponsored the Field of the Year Award with MPSTMA.
2011 MPSTMA COMMITTEES Spring Workshop March 23, 2011 Roger Weinbrenner CSFM Steve Berg CSFM Phil Galliger Membership Picnics Amy Howard Tour-on-Wheels Jeff Hintz Kevin Fernandez 3rd Quarterly Lowell Luebeck Al Friedges Mark Peterson Fall Workshop September 28, 2011 Mark Sullivan Gregg Engle Steve Gilbertson Community Service Project Mike McDonald CSFM Paul Griffin Dave Nozal Jon Almquist Mike Brunelle Greg Hoag Iowa/Minnesota Chapter Clash Mike McDonald CSFM Paul Griffin
TOM SCHUSTER Served as Secretary for the MPSA.
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CONNIE RUDOLPH CSFM, and JOSH GRAHAM. served on the MSTMA Board of Directors.
WES DUNSMORE Retired from the City of Eden Prairie.
Golf Tournament Scott Melling Joe Churchill Gary Ringus Bob Frank
MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS 7
239 Chicago Ave. N Wayzata, MN 55391
HAVE YOU PAID YOUR 2011 MPSTMA DUES? IF NOT, GO TO www.mpstma.org