Lawns: Basic Factors, Construction, and Maintenanceof Fine Turf Areas Third Edition, by Dr. Jonas Vengris andWilliam A. Torello.Designed as a textbook or a practical usagemanual , this book has been completely brought up-to-date.Care of lawns and turfgrass, from selection of varieties to main-tenance of established grass is completely covered. A neededtool for gardeners, nurserymen, county agents, landscapedesigners, and a text for college turfgrass courses. This is themost up-to-date book on turf management available today.195 pages 4128 $15.50

Sports Turf Management Program-Maintenance & Renovation Planning Guide, byAshman & Associates. This manual was developed to pro-vide a coherent plan for the management of the baseballfield playing surface and provides operational guidelinesfor the grounds crew to use as part of the maintenance plan.Enhances the "playing conditions" of the field by elevating

the maintenance standards to the highest level possible.Complete descriptions of the maintenance protocol and iden-tification of key issues to be discussed before starting objec-tive maintenance procedures. This book provides a plan ofaction outlining the tasks to be completed and benchmarksto measure the progress of the program. 160 pgs. 4024$105.00

Pictorial Guides to Quality GroundskeepingBook I and Book II, by Floyd Perry. The only text-books on the market for the grounds supervisor, athleticcoach, little league voluntee~ or baseball purist. Over

500 photos in each text with many in color. Book One, "CoveringAll The Bases" (l00 pgs) covers Mound and Home Plate Repair; Edging, Dragging, lip

Reduction; Water Removal; Homemade Equipment and Tricks of the Trade. Book Two, "ThereAin't No Rules",{l 08 pgs.) covers Football, Soccer, Softball, little League, Minor League, Collegeand High School Facilities. Also covers Curbside Appeal; Tricks of the Trade, New Ideas for EasyMaintenance; Professional Research from Higher Learning Centers and much more. 4008 -Book I 4009 - Book II $36.60 ea. or $69.90 - 2 bk set.

Maintain It Easy-Keep It Safe, by FloydPerry. Learn from hundreds of instructional pho-tos featuring all aspects of softball field groundskeeping. Explains: lip reduction; setting of mul-tiple bases and pitching plates; dragging equipment and patterns; base line options; unique com-plex ideas; dugout design; batting cage and hitting station; layout; -water removal and muchmore. Unique field ideas from across the country. 4023 $37.00

Golf Course Architecture Design, Construction &Restoration, by Dr. Michael 1. Hurdzan. Described as"the modern bible of golf architecture," the book chroni-cles all facets of designing, building, renovating andrestoring a golf course. Explains tee, green and bunkerconstruction, turfgrass establishment and maturation, aswell as drainage and irrigation trends and .techniques.326 color photographs and 80 course maps and drawings.424 pgs. 4037 $75.00

Controlling Turfgrass Pests, 2nd edition, by T. W.Fermanian, M. C Shurtleff, R. Randall, H. T. Wilkinson, andP.L. Nixon. This book concentrates on the diagnosis, fundamental biology, and control of turf·grass weeds. Demonstrates how to identify turfgrass pests, when and why they occur, the dam-age that may take place, the life cycles of the pest, plus culture, chemical and other manage-ment strategies designed to keep pest damage to a minimum. 720 pp. 4031 $85.00

Tree, Turf, and Ornamental Pesticide Guide, by w.T. Thomson. This is one of the fewreferences today designed as a guideline to pesticide usage in the specialized ornamental field.It lists the major ornamentals grown either in the home or garden, in nurseries, in greenhous-es, or in commercial production with a cross reference as to what pesticide may be used onthem. Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and growth regulators are listed along with what eachwill control. This is a valuable tool for pea's, nurserymen, greenhouse operators, groundssuperintendents, turf specialists, etc. Everything is listed in alphabetical order from Abellas toJunipers to Zinnias. 200 pages 4127 $ 18.50

The Pesticide Book, Fourth Edition, by Dr. George W. Ware, University of Arizona. Thisbook examines all aspects of pesticides--from their chemistry, mechanisms, and biologicalactions to their handling, storage, and disposal. The Pesticide Book is both an up-to-dateappraisal of current research and a perceptive look ahead at pesticides for the future. It isdesigned to cover all interests, from students in agriculture, EPApersonnel and members fromthe Peace Corps., to PeA's, groundskeepers, and landscape maintenance. It is ot-special valuefor those preparing for applicator certification in the field of pesticide usage. 400 pages 4123$35.00

PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM AND RETURNPlease indicate quantities of each publication.

IL residents add 8.25% sales tax. INCLUDE SHIPPINGName & HANDLINGTitle 1-2 bks $7.50Company 3-6 bks $10.00Type of Business 7-10 $15.00Street 10+ $21.00

_ 4128 lawns: Basic Factors, Construction,and Maintenance of Fine Turf Areas Third Edition $15.50

_4024 Sports Turf Management Program-Maintenance & Renovation Planning Guide $105.00

_4008 Pictorial Guides to Quality Groundskeeping Book I $36.60_4008 Pictorial Guides to Quality Groundskeeping Book II $36.60

Pictorial Guides to Quality Groundskeeping 2 Book set $69.90_4023 Maintain It Easy-Keep It Safe $37.00_ 4037 Golf Course Architecture Design, Construction & Restoration $75.00_4031 Controlling Turfgrass Pests, 2nd edition $85.00_4125 Tree, Turf, and Ornamental Pesticide Guide $18.50_ 4123 The Pesticide Book, Fourth Edition $35.00

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By Dr. Gil Landry

he demand to do more withless is a fact of life in the tur-fgrass industry. The best way

to cope with increasing pressures toproduce better results, despite limitedresources, is to increase the efficiencyand effectiveness of your programs.

Change always starts with analy-sis. Establishing and maintaining acomprehensive record-keeping pro-gram gives you the data to analyze.While a good manual record-keepingsystem can be effective, computersmake record keeping faster and easier,and provide rapid access to data.Whatever system you choose, system-atic, accurate data entry is an essen-tial part of the process. Let's face it -good records show professionalism.

Sports turf management is a com-plex job in part because maintenanceprocedures are impacted by field useand weather conditions. The betteryour records of all three of these com-ponents the easier it becomes to evalu-ate any interactions and make adjust-ments for next year's field mainte-nance program.

Establish a Baseline

A good sports turf managementrecord-keeping program begins withcomplete data on the areas to be main-tained. If you haven't done so already,develop a map or grid layout of all theareas within your program. This maybe a simple series of blocks on the com-puter screen with maintenance areashighlighted or lines drawn out on thedeveloper's plot plan for your facilityor an enlarged version of a city map.

Then sketch out each individualarea and note the pertinent details ofeach specific area. For example, themaintenance areas might include sta-dium surrounds, a sand-based turf-grass game field, multiple native soilor amended native soil outdoor turf-grass practice fields and an enclosedartificial-surface practice field. Thelandscaped area surrounding thesefields, the parking lots, and the build-ings also could be within the mainte-

nance program.In this example, the high-wear

areas of each of these fields wouldreceive a higher level of maintenancethan the lesser-used portions of thefields. The sand-based, amended-soiland native soil fields also would havedifferent maintenance plans. Generalturf within the landscape, the trees,shrubs, flower beds and other land-scape features would have still differ-ent maintenance needs.

Once you have a complete picture ofyour maintenance areas, the differentcategories or levels of maintenancebecome more obvious. The overallmaintenance program would theninclude adaptations to accommodatethe needs of the different categories.

Some sports turf managers assign anumber or letter of the alphabet toeach different maintenance categoryand refer to those letters or numberswhen making crew assignments. Thelandscape turf might be category G,the lesser used areas of a practice fieldcategory E, and the high-wear areascategory D. Crews might be asked toaerate D and E, but only to overseedand topdress D.

Track Data

Use the basic grid to track yourmaintenance program. Records needto cover such basics as what you did,and when and how you did it. Forexample, your crews applied fertilizerto the football game field in earlyAugust. At a minimum, your recordswould indicate:

• the specific area where the mate-rial was applied (which field and whatpart of that field);

• the date and time of application;• the authorized (and licensed if

need be) crew member who made theapplication;

• the specific product applied -including the manufacturer name,product name and product formula(such as 10-18-22 for a fertilizer prod-uct);

• the rate ofapplication (including thepounds of N, P and K applied per 1,000

14 sports TURF • http://www.sportsturfonline.com

square feet for a fertilizer product).Recording additional information

gives you more pieces of the puzzle.Such details should include:

• the condition of the field prior toapplication,

• weather conditions at the time ofapplication (wind speed and direction,temperature, humidity level, or evapo-transpiration [ET] readings if youhave them),

• pre- and post-application proce-dures,

• pre- and post-application irriga-tion details (timing of irrigation cycles,amount of water applied, and at whatrate).

Ideally, you'll have daily ET recordsfor review. If not, consider recording

Keep records of pre- and post-gameprocedures. Here, Don Follett paintsa center-field logo at the WashingtonRedskins' new Jack Kent CookeStadium. Photo courtesy: Trusty &Associates.

the temperature, humidity level, pre-vailing wind conditions and precipita-tion amounts (including when thatprecipitation occurred and if it fell asrain, snow, sleet) on your daily calen-dar. Do note at least the temperaturelow, high and average for the day.

You'll also want to record field-useschedules including who used whichfield when, how long and for what. Hereagain, the more complete the records,the better. Obviously, a peewee soccerteam practicing on the field for two

SEE US ONLINE - http://www.sportsturfonline.com

At a minimum, record where materi-als were applied, who applied them,the time of application, the specificproduct and the rate.

hours on a rainy Saturday morning willproduce less damage than a high schoolor college team practicing on the samefield during the same time period.

Add your own assessment of fieldconditions to your records: the percentof turf cover, turf density and color,and the amount of clippings being cut.You may be making field checks daily,

weekly or bi-monthly, depending onthe number of fields in your mainte-nance program. At each field check,you develop an assessment of actualconditions compared to your expecta-tions. Develop a simple ranking sys-tem (such as 1 to 10) to correspond tothat assessment and note the rankingin your records.

Analyze Your Records

Tracking all this information willgive you some fairly definite patternsthat will help in analyzing your main-tenance program. You'll be able todetermine that oversee ding by date Xproduced playable turfby date Yundercertain weather conditions. Additionalaeration between the hash marks ofthe football game and 'practice fieldskept the turf in good shape throughoutthe season. The fertilization skippedbecause of a tight budget showed up inreduced density on the heaviest wearareas of the fields.

Also note the exceptions to expected

patterns. Determine why the excep-tions occurred.

For example, in a parks or schoolsystem maintenance program, thefields used primarily by the youngerplayers should have better turf condi-tions at the end of a sport's season ifthe type of soil profile, types of turf- .grasses and irrigation systems are thesame and the initial field conditions,level of maintenance and use sched-ules are comparable.

Suppose the turf of one field out of20 youth soccer fields doesn't fit theseexpectations. You'll need to compareall the possible variables to find outwhy. Maybe this is the corner field inan open complex with greater expo-sure to wind so it dries out more quick-ly. Maybe it has a slightly greater ele-vation than surrounding areas and rain-fall runs off before it penetrates the soil.Maybe this is the fieldnearest the parkinglot, so most of the players and spectatorswalk over it on their way to and from otherfields, increasing compactionproblems.

RaincoverPteu™ is the ultimate infield protection cover. Developedby Covermaster's technical research, test results* show that its special colorcombination reduces potential heat build up under the cover better than any

other cover. It's also stronger,lightweight and easy to handle.

Call us for a sample and full details ofthe latest in raincover technology.* Ava~lable upon request.

Circle 107 on Postage Free Card

.~"....-.

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December 1997 15

FOR PRODUCT INFO FAXED TO YOU NOW! DIAL: 1(800) 817-1889

In your field-use schedules, recordwho used which field when, how longand for what. The more complete therecords, the better. Photo courtesy:Mike Schweitzer, Trinity University.

Specific sections of certain fields alsomay vary from the overall pattern. The

turf in a corner section of a stadium-enclosed game field may have less den-sity and less root development than therest of the field. Maybe the shadow castby the stadium keeps this turf shadedlonger than the rest of the field. Airmovement in that corner may berestricted, or it may be greater than inother areas of the field. Maybe thecheerleaders cluster in that area duringespecially hot or cold weather.

Changes in weather conditions or infield-use scheduling may alter theexpected patterns of specific proceduresin some, or all, of your fields. Maybebaseball team practices started a weekearlier last spring, giving the turfgrassfrom the previous winter's dormantseeding less time for establishment.Maybe heavy rains during the last twofootball games of the season causedmore damage than could be repairedbefore winter snows started. Maybe asoccer tournament was moved to yourfields because of poor conditions else-where, resulting in a tighter schedule for

your major renovations.Determine what patterns need

adjustment to conform to next season'sbudget and play schedules. Decidewhich pattern variations are one-timeevents and which have a long-termimpact that should be and can be cor-rected.

Once your analysis is complete, notonly will you know what worked andwhat didn't, you'll have the tools to min-imize your failures and build on yoursuccesses, including a written summaryreport you've developed for future refer-ence. 0As extension turfgrass specialist with

the University of Georgia, Dr. GilLandry provides leadership in the devel-opment of statewide educational pro-grams in turfgrass management. He's apast president of the national SportsTurf Managers Association, co-chair ofthe Public Relations Committee, andrecipient of STMA's highest award, theHarry C. Gill Memorial Award: STMAGroundskeeper of the Jear.

Instant ResultsTurf

Resource Center1-800-405- TURF (8873)

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16 sports TURF • http://www.sportsturfonline.com

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GCSAA's 69th International Golf CourseConference and Show, ,February 2-8, 1998

Anaheim Convention CenterTrade Show: February 6-8

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--.---.,_1=====APPLICATOR'S

LOG~

By Dr. Tony Koski

Water is a truly unique com-pound. Individual watermolecules have a strong

attraction to each other due to theirdipolar nature, while at the same timebeing strongly attracted to otherthings in nature, such as clay, silt andorganic matter. This attraction allowssoil to hold water for plant use. Water,however, is not strongly attracted toindividual sand grains, but rather tothe small pores between sand grainsof appropriate size - hence the USGAgreens-mix type of sports field con-struction.

The strong attraction that watermolecules have for each other is espe-cially apparent when water is sprayedon a hydrophobic (water-repellent)surface, such as a newly waxed car oron a plant leaf. In both cases, thewaxy surface actually increases theattraction of water to itself (surfacetension), causing the water to "beadup" and preventing it from spreadingevenly over the surface.Unfortunately for turf professionals,similar hydrophobic conditions candevelop in soils and prevent waterfrom moistening soil uniformly. Thisis the reason hydrophobic soils, thatchand isolated dry spots occur.

In other situations, we encounterstratified layers in rootzones, theresult of changes in philosophyregarding topdressing materialsand/or frequency. Water has a difficulttime moving between adjacent layersof sand, thatch, soil, peat, sand again,thatch again, and so on. You get thepicture.

ter Repellentanic "coating"

In a typical hydrophobic situation, a waxy or other water-repellent coating

forms over soil particles and thatch, increasing the attraction of water to

itself. The water bead ups and does not spread evenly. Illustrations courtesy:

Colleen M. Tocci, Aquatrols Corporation of America.

The Good, The Bad and The Useless

The time-honored, field-provenmethod of dealing with these problemsis the use of wetting agents. A wettingagent is simply a surfactant (or "sur-face-active agent"), a material thatreduces the attraction of water mole-cules for each other. This actionenables the water to spread out moreevenly over hydrophobic surfaces, tomove more quickly through smallpores and more effectively across"boundaries," such as those layers inturf.

What They Don't Do. As a point ofcaution, don't consider wetting agents"miracle cures." They:

• do not reduce compaction,• do not affect plant water-use

rates,• cannot replace basic cultural

practices like proper topdressing fre-quency, core cultivation, thatch con-trol, installation of proper drainagesystems and intelligent irrigationmanagement.

Possible Benefits. Some of theproven advantages of wetting-agent

18 sports TURF • http://www.sportsturfonline.com

use include:• improved water movement in soil,

especially in layered soils;• rewetting of hydrophobic root-

zones, sands or thatch;• reduced dew and frost formation.Unproven by research, but often

speculated on, is improved movementof pesticides (particularly insecticides)into the thatch layer and underlyingsoil.

Possible Harm. Potential nega-tive effects (generally seen only withmisuse or misapplication) include:

• phytotoxicity when the wettingagent is applied to stressed turf or if itis not properly watered in;

• root injury (rare);• increased thatch accumulation

(the healthier the turf, the morethatch it forms);

• deflocculation (dispersion) of soilparticles, which is a potential problemwith long-term use of excessive rates.What Brand Is Best?

This is like asking what is the bestbeer or the best pickup truck. They allpossess the potential to be misapplied,

SEE US ONLINE - http://www.sportsturfonline.com

Changes in philosophy regarding top-

dressing materials and/or frequency

can result in stratified layers that

water will flow over rather than pen-

etrate - a condition wetting agents

can temporarily modify.

and all can achieve the same results:enhanced water infiltration anddrainage, more efficient water use,fewer overly wet or dry spots, and bet-ter-quality turf. Those that have largemarket shares wouldn't sell if theywere not effective wetting agents.

Typically, we use the wetting agentwith which we have the most experi-ence - the one that we know we candepend on.

RemindersWhen trying a new wetting agent,

it is best to follow the label until youare comfortable with its activitybecause the chemistry of wettingagents can differ greatly. Some of themost effective wetting agents cancause quite severe phytotoxicity whenmisapplied, but that is the fault of theapplicator and not the wetting agent.Treat them as you would any otherchemical tool, and you will stay out oftrouble.

Residual activity will depend onmany factors: the brand used, applica-tion rates, soil types, amount ofthatch, temperature, irrigation regi-men and the type of problem you're

trying to solve. Also, soil microbes willutilize wetting agents as a food source,and wetting agents can be leachedthrough rootzones, especially on sandysoils.

When isolated dry spots or a lay-ered soil is the problem, core cultiva-tion in conjunction with wetting-agentuse is always more effective than wet-

~1AQUA1ROLS ® &04~.~

eJAQUATROlS

SOIL SURFACTANT

ting agents alone. Regular use of wet-ting agents in these situations isimportant because they are not elimi-nating the condition, only temporarilymodifying it. 0Anthony J. Koski, Ph.D., is an asso-

ciate professor with the Department ofHorticulture at Colorado StateUniversity Cooperative Extension.

001-800-257-7797for information on Aquatrols'unique choice of surfactant

chemistries that providesolutions to your soil-water

management problems.

~lAQUATROLSFormulating For Effectiveness

5 North Olney Ave.Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 USA1-609-751-0309 • 1-800-257-7797FAX: 1-609-751-3859

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December 1997 19

n Thursday, September 25,the Mid-Atlantic AthleticField Managers Organi-

zation (MAFMO Chapter STMA) tookits Fall Field Day to school. Seventyattendees gathered at the football fieldof Magruder High School in Rockville,Md., at 8 a.m. for the special "Turf-Acein the Turf' combination educationalsessions, demonstration and field-ren-ovation project.

The school site was selected partlybecause of a special pilot program thatMagruder High School's horticultureinstructor, Ray Smith, is testing forMontgomery County's high schools.The one-year course, called Landscapeand Turfgrass Management, has 20students enrolled. Each class coverstwo periods, giving the students dou-ble time to really dig into their mater-ial.

Dig in they did. The 20 studentshad moved supplies onto the field inpreparation for the field day and

In the foreground, instructor RaySmith (left) and principal John Noricompare notes on student participa-tion during MAFMO's Fall Field Dayat Magruder High School. Photoscourtesy: Trusty & Associates.

helped throughout the day with vari-ous aspects of the demonstration pro-gram.

In addition, 99 students fromSmith's other horticulture classesjoined the sessions, each participatingduring what would have been theirregular horticulture class period thatday. Magruder High School's principal,John Nori, also joined part of the day'sactivities, taking time to meet andthank as many of the attendees as hisschedule allowed.

Smith welcomed the group and gavea brief overview of the pilot programand the activities of the day.Throughout the school year, the 20 stu-dents in the pilot program gain hands-on learning experience as they main-tain the field. They also have theopportunity to see that what they doactually makes a difference in fieldconditions.

Tim Anderson, sports field special-ist for Seedco of Baltimore, then gave apresentation, "The Basics of SportsTurf Management," and Steve Trusty,STMA executive director, spoke aboutSTMA, the services it provides tomembers and outlined the associa-tion's developing CertificationProgram.

Each of the companies donating tothe renovation project gave a shortexplanation of their products or ser-vices and how they would be used inthe renovation. Alpine Services con-tributed the aeration, topdressing androlling. Aimcor provided three tons ofTurface and the services of TimAnderson. Gaithersburg FordlKubotasupplied the tractor and slit seeder.Lesco provided the fertilizer. NewsomSeed supplied the overseeding and theservices of field-day coordinator AllenBohrer. Sherwin Williams provided thefield-marking paint. Toro/TurfEquipment and Supply Company sup-plied the topdresser.

Once the presentations were com-pleted, the focus moved to the field.And what better way to demonstrateequipment and supplies than to putthem to work in an actual field renova-tion? The one-day session came at an

20 sports TURF• http://www.sportsturfonline.com

, /

ideal time because the school's nextfootball game was just 1 1/2 weeksaway. Demonstrations on field liningand painting topped off the hands-onsessions.

Following field activities, attendeescollected further information fromtable-top displays set up by the con-tributing companies. For everyone, theday proved a beneficial example of achapter-service project teamed with ahands-on educational opportunity.

s'rMA Chapter NewsFlorida Chapter #1: Florida

Chapter #1 will assist newly formingFlorida Chapter #2 in hosting STMA's9th Annual Conference & Exhibition,"Meeting the Challenges," to be heldJanuary 14-18, 1998, at Disney'sCoronado Springs Resort and Disney'sWide World of Sports complex inOrlando, Fla.

For information on the STMAAnnual Conference and Exhibition,contact STMA Headquarters at (800)323-3875.

For information on Florida Chapter#1 or other pending activities, contactJohn Mascaro: (954) 938-7477.

MAFMO: The Mid-AtlanticAthletic Field Managers Organization

Tim Anderson, sports field specialistfor Seedco of Baltimore, demon-strates proper techniques for studentand pro alike at MAFMO's field day.