rocky mountain most bang for your buck in sports turf · 3 mowing height •set it at playing...

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Getting the most bang for your buck in sports turf

management

Zac Reicher

http://turf.unl.edu/

http://turf.unl.edu

http://turf.unl.edu Student interns?

• 3 Creek Ranch, Jackson Hole, WY

• Anchorage Country Club, Anchorage, AK

• Bandon Dunes, Bandon, OR

• Blackstone Country Club, Peoria, AZ

• Brickman Group, Brookfield, IL

• Castle Pines Country Club, Castle Rock, CO

• Columbus Crew, Columbus, OH

• Desert Mountain CC, Scottsdale, AZ

• Erin Hills GC, Erin, WI

• Haymarket Park, Lincoln, NE

• Hazeltine National, Chaska, MN

• Indianapolis Indians, Indianapolis, IN

• Lakeshore Country Club, Chicago, IL

• Loch Lloyd Country Club, Kansas City, MO

• Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee, WI

• Minnesota Vikings, Edina, MN

• Oakland Hills, Bloomsfield, MI

• Oakmont Golf Club, Oakmont, PA

• Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia, PA

• Sand Hills, Mullen, Nebraska

• Shadow Creek GC, Las Vegas, NV

• TD Ameritrade Park, Omaha, NE

• The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO

• The Plateau Club, Sammamish, WA,

• The Powder Horn, Sheridan, WY

• TPC Deere Run, Silvis, IL

• TruGreen, Lincoln, NE

• USGA Green Section, Midwest

• Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL

• Westwood CC, Vienna, VA

• Wilmington CC, Wilmington, DE

Contact Anne Streich ([email protected]) or Zac Reicher ([email protected])

https://utextension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/SP651.pdf

• $10,000/year• 2/3rd product costs• 1/3rd labor + equipment• ~175‐200 hrs/yr• $10.00/hr estimate(?)• More likely ½ and ½

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Reducing costs

• Labor– More efficient equipment (?)– More efficient mowing – More efficient painting

• Products?– Paint– Fertilizer– Pesticides

• Water?• Increase efficacy in all inputs

Product selection‐Paint

• Combining with Primo?• Extends visibility over aerosol significantly• Added to backpack or field sprayer, Primo @ 1 oz/1000 sq ft or 0.135 oz/gal:• Yellow: Extends visibility 0 to 14 days• White: 3 to 10 days• Red: 0 to 4 days• (Fry et al, 2014)

Product selection‐N sources• Plant takes up N in two forms:

• NO3

• NH4

• N in fertilizers is only in• Urea• NH4

• Slow release allows fewer applications at higher rates and thus less labor costs

• Fast release requires more frequent applications and higher labor, but more control

• Turf fertilizers have smaller particle size and are usually cleaner, higher quality, slow release

• Ag ferts are better than nothing

Product selection

• Branded vs post patent?• Limited differences in control seen to date• But depending on manufacturer and/or distributer……• Service?• Return to the industry?• Developing new ai’s for the future?

UNL Crabgrass control trials 2010

0

10

20

30

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50

60

70

80

90

100

0.49 + 0.49 lbs ai/A 0.98 lbs ai/A

% C

rab

Co

ntr

ol

22

Au

g 2

01

0

QP Prodiamine

Barricade

LSD(0.05) ~2

Crabgrass cover in check plots was 58%

UNL Crabgrass Control Trials ‐ 2010

0

10

20

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60

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100

0.25 + 0.25 lbs ai/A 0.5 lbs ai/A

% C

rab

Co

ntr

ol

22

Au

g 2

01

0

QP DithiopyrDimension Ultra 40 WSP

LSD(0.05) ~2

Crabgrass cover in check plots was 58%

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Mowing height

• Set it at playing height and forget it

• 1.5 – 2.5” for bluegrass

– Higher the better

– Deeper roots

• Raising mowing heights in summer for deeper roots, better drought resistance?

From Turgeon, Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management ,8th edition

Root and Shoot Growth of Cool Season Turfgrasses

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Month

Roots

Shoots

Mowing frequency

• Constant mowing (period)

• “out of sight, out of mind”?????

• Fields require attention whenever they are green and/or used

• Primo or Trinexapac out of season

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Fertilization

• Constant traffic requires constant growth

• Constant growth requires constant fertility

• Fall fertilizer critical for cool‐season grasses

• Potassium? Expensive insurance so use only where essential (high use, low soil test results)

• Phosphorus? Use at establishment

Root and Shoot Growth of Cool Season Turfgrasses

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Month

Roots

Shoots

Fertilization‐Fall use (aggressive)

• Sep 1.0 lb N/1000• Oct 1.0 lb N/1000• Nov 1.0 lb N/1000 (currently)• After growth flush: 0.75 lb N/1000*• June 0.5‐0.75 lb N/1000*• July 0.5‐0.75 lb N/1000*• Aug 0.5‐0.75 lb N/1000*• Total ~ 5.25‐6.0 lbs N/1000/yr*Reduce where you can to save $ and N inputs

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Fertilization‐ Spring‐summer use

• Sep 1.0 lb N/1000• Oct 1.0 lb N/1000• Nov 1.0 lb N/1000 (currently)• Pre‐season 0.5‐0.75 lb N/1000 • Late May 0.5‐ 0.75 lb N/1000• June 0.5‐0.75 lb N/1000 • July 0.5‐0.75 lb N/1000• Aug 0.5‐0.75 lb N/1000• Total ~ 4.5‐5.25 lbs N/1000/yr*Reduce where you can to save $ and N inputs

Growth ChamberStudy (U Minn)

Growth chamber methods

• Three grass species (creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, annual bluegrass)

• Four N rates (0, 0.5, 1, 2 lbs N/M)• Three temperature regimes (Sept. 15, Oct.

15, Nov. 15)• Three replications, two growth chamber

runs

Growth Chamber Results: N Uptake

Field StudiesWisconsin and Minnesota

Applied 0.5 or 1.0 lbs N/1000 in Sep, Oct, or Nov and monitored uptake through the following June.

1 lb/M

0.5 lb/M

1 lb/M0.5 lb/M

SEPTEMBER1 lb/M0.5 lb/M 1 lb/M0.5 lb/M

OCTOBER NOVEMBER

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Total fertilizer N uptake: Fall - June

• September 15th:80% of fertilizer N applied was taken up86% recovered 28 days after application

• October 15th:19% of fertilizer N applied was taken up79% recovered 28 days after application

• November 15th:11% of fertilizer N applied was taken up61% recovered 28 days after application

Conclusions

• Fall N does not stimulate deeper rooting that fall

• Fall N uptake potential is low in fall, and even lower in spring

• Color can be enhanced in fall/winter/spring with much smaller amounts of N

Why? Water uptake• Plant depends on water to move nutrients to

root surface

• 90% of water in plant is used for cooling

• Low cooling need in fall = low water uptake

• How does this work in other climates with longer falls and extended green and growth than in MN or WI?

• Maximum rooting = maximum water uptake = maximum cooling = maximum nutrient uptake, etc. etc. etc.

But……

• Fall‐use football, soccer, etc. fields, or heavily damaged areas from summer (2011) have to GROW!!!

• 1.0 lb N/1000 September (fast release)

• 1.0 lb N/1000 early Oct (fast release)

• 0.5‐0.75 lb N/1000 near last mowing (fast release)

Soil test primer• Phosphorus and potassium are determined

by soil tests

• Take a good a sample

• Use a reputable lab

• Stick with the same lab

• Every three to five years or as needed

• SLAN – Sufficiency level of the available nutrient - University approved method

• Avoid BCSR – Basic cation saturation ratio or SPE – Saturated paste extract or water soluble extract

• If someone recommends calcium for your property, don’t listen

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Table 2. Recommended total lbs P2O5/1000 sq ft applied between soil tests, given the type of soil test, soil test results, and specific turf area. Soil tests should be run every 3 to 5 years after establishment. A corrective one-time application of the amount of phosphorus recommended can be made or a series of applications totaling the amount recommended can be made to gradually build-up the phosphorus level. Modified from the University of Wisconsin’s “Interim Turf Nutrient Management Guide” at http://www.turf.wisc.edu/docs/dnr1100-TurfNutrientManagement.pdf.

Bray P1 Soil Test Melich III Soil Test

Soil test results

Established, lower

traffic turf (lawns,

parks, golf course roughs)

Established high traffic turf (athletic fields,

push-up greens and

tees)Fairway

s

Sand tees and greens

(>50% of rootzon

e is sand)

Fairways

Sand tees and greens

(>50% of rootzone is sand)

Push-up greens

and teesppm P Lbs P/A lbs P2O5/1000 sq ft recommended to be applied between soil tests

0-5 0-11 3 5 4.5 3 6 3 56-10 12-21 2 5 4.5 3 6 2 3.511-15 22-30 1 3.5 3 2 4 1 316-20 31-40 0 3.5 3 2 4 1 321-30 41-60 0 2 2 1 2.5 0.5 131-40 61-80 0 2 2 1 2.5 0 041-50 81-100 0 1 1 0.5 1.5 0 0>50 >100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Table 3. Recommended total lbs K2O/1000 sq ft applied between soil tests given the specific turf area.

Soil test results

Established, lower traffic turf (lawns, parks, golf course

roughs)Established high traffic turf

(athletic fields, greens and tees)

ppm K lbs/A K lbs K2O/1000 sq ft/yr

0-25 0-50 4-5 4-5

25-50 50-100 2-3 3-4

50-75 100-150 1 2

75-100 150-200 0 1

100+ 200+ 0 0

• text

Iron (Fe)

• 0.25 lb Fe/1000 will provide ultra-quick green-up for a special event

• It stains everything though

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Calibration questions1. Have you ever used a rotary spreader?

a. Yes

b. No

Calibration questions2. How often do you calibrate your spreaders?

a. We never calibrate and use settings off the bag

b. We calibrate once/year

c. We calibrate whenever a new product is used

Calibration questions3. Do you check the distribution pattern

of your rotary spreaders?

a. Yes

b. No

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4. When using a rotary spreader, how much distance or overlap between passes?

A:

edge to edge

(~0% overlap)

B:

Edge of pattern back to previous

wheel track(50% overlap)

C:

overlap about 25% or so

4. When using a rotary spreader, how much distance or overlap between passes?

A:

edge to edge

(~0% overlap)

B:

Edge of pattern back to previous

wheel track(50% overlap)

C:

overlap about 25% or so

Recent surveys (240 respondents)

1. Calibration 13% never calibrate and use settings off the bag21% calibrate once/year57% calibrate whenever a new product is used

2. 26% check the distribution pattern of their rotary spreader

3. Overlap?5% spread edge to edge (~0% overlap)68% spread edge to wheel track (50% overlap)21% overlap about 25% or so

Am

ou

nt

of

pro

du

ct a

pp

lied

Distance in feet across lawn

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Target rate

Am

ou

nt

of

pro

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ct a

pp

lied


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Target rate

Am

ou

nt

of

pro

du

ct a

pp

lied

Distance in feet across lawn1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Target rate

10

Am

ou

nt

of

pro

du

ct a

pp

lied


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Target rate

Am

ou

nt

of

pro

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ct a

pp

lied


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Target rate

Am

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of

pro

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ct a

pp

lied

Trim pass with guard down and 3rd

hole closed


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Target rate

Am

ou

nt

of

pro

du

ct a

pp

lied

Center of spreader (wheeltracks)

Potential problem: Delivery pattern for a rotary spreader throwing heavy to the right

Target rate

Am

ou

nt

of

pro

du

ct a

pp

lied


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

Target rate (100%)

~140% of target rate

~60% of target rate

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19-0-6 with 0.10% Dimension

20-0-8 with 0.10% Barricade 0-0-7 with 0.10% Dimension

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What we learned• Distribution patterns are only

accurate when the spreader is at/near your target setting

• Every spreader is different

• Big difference depending on product

• You have to adjust to get best distribution

Lightly used Lesco

Ancient Lesco

Spyker

“14”, 3rd hole open


4.5 setting

PermaGreen Ride-on “20”, 3rd hole open

PermaGreen Ride-on “15”, 3rd hole open

20-0-8 w/0.38% Barricade

0-0-7 w/ 0.10% Dimension

?

?

PermaGreen Ride-on

PermaGreen Ride-on



“15”, 3rd hole ½ open

0-0-7 w/ 0.10% Dimension ?

?

Spyker 4.5 setting

Spyker 6.0 setting

Spyker 4.5 setting

20-0-8 w/0.38% Barricade



What’s it take?

1. Time

2. Concrete/asphalt surfaces

3. Shallow boxes (roughly 12” wide are best)

4. Something to visually measure product or weigh it

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Effective pattern = where product is ½ of the center

Effective pattern used to calculate application rate

How would you determine the application rate of a rotary spreader?

1. Weigh product and pour it into the spreader

2. Run a calibration course of a known distance

3. Weigh the product remaining

4. Math: lbs applied/sq ft of calibration course, convert to lbs/1000 sq ft

Width of course is from center of wheels to edge of pattern (in feet)

Length is convenient distant (in feet), longer the better

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Traffic management• Remove all excess traffic• Turf manager must play in decisions to use

during inclimate weather• Rotate traffic• Avoid fixed structures (bleachers, goals,

fences, observation towers vs lifts)• Fields require a break from use during the

growing season• Aug‐Nov is ideal• Mar‐July is next best• Mar‐May is third best

Compaction

• Decreases soil aeration

• Increases soil strength

• Increases soil H2O holding capacity

• Increases soil temperature extremes(reduces change in soil temps)

Compaction

0 20 40 60 80

Grams

Compaction

NoCompaction

Soil Compaction and Root Distribution

0-2 in.

2-4 in.

4-6 in.

6-10 in.

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Aerification

• UT: $60.00/field DIY

• Contractor estimate: $760‐1200/acre

• Bad: No money savings

• Bad: No immediate response

• Good: better long‐term health(big bang for the buck)

% Surface area affected

Tine spacing 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x6 3x4 3x6 4x6

Holes/sq ft 36 24 18 12 12 8 6

1/2" tine 4.9 3.3 2.5 1.6 1.6 1.1 0.8

3/4" tine 11.1 7.4 5.5 3.7 3.7 2.5 1.8

1" tine 19.6 13.1 9.8 6.5 6.5 4.4 3.3

• Zac Reicher

• www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/

Aerification/overseeding

• Can never over‐aerify

• Largest tines

• Most holes/sq ftTarget is 20‐40 holes/sq ft

• (Almost) always seed when you aerify, especially at end of year

Kentucky bluegrass cover when seeded from Sep through May and rated throughout the following year.

0

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40

60

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Dec May June July Aug

% Turf cover

Sep Oct

Nov Dec

Mar Apr

May

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Post‐seeding care

• 1.0 lb P2O5/1000 starter fertilizer once germination begins

• Repeat every 4‐6 growing weeks

• Irrigation throughout summer

• Mow as soon as needed

• No PRE herbicide except Tenacity or maybe Tupersan

• Quinclorac/Tenacity for POST crabgrass/BDLV

• QuickSilver is safest BDLV

Poa annua control options?

• No good controls

• No PRE’s because of regular seeding

• Prograss is good on PRYE

• Tenacity on KBG and young PRYE

• FMC’s Xonerate?

Tenacity• Tenacity is not labelled for Poa annua• Very safe on KBG including seedlings and also PRYE seedlings• Three applications at 5.3 oz/A 7‐10 days apart is typical• More frequent applications improve control• Include 0.25% v/v NIS + 2.5% v/v UAN (urea‐ammonium nitrate

28% N)• 20 GPA most effective• 1.0 lb N/1000 w/urea shortly after applications start• Fall applications effective, but inconsistent with only 3 fall +/‐ 1

spring applications• Control from fall apps are equal to or better than Prograss• Univ of Illinois:

• >70F or hotter• 5 apps @ 3.2 oz/A applied 1‐ 2X/week

Photo taken April 2005 after 3 apps of Tenacity 0.166 lbs ai/A at 2 week intervals starting Oct 28 2004.

Photo taken April 2006 on Purdue’s Ackerman Course after various applications of Tenacity in fall 2005.

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% Poa cover in fairway height bluegrass after three years of late summer/fall herbicide treatments at Firethorn GC (UNL, 2010)

Herbicide App timing 10/7/10 5/10/11 10/4/11 4/9/12 10/17/12 5/7/13

Check ‐ 8 19 25 29 13 46Tenacity 8 oz/A (PRE) Aug 6 21 8 19 15 53

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A (PRE) Aug 9 27 15 20 11 16

Tenacity 8 oz/A X 2 (PRE) Aug + Nov 6 14 11 11 13 36

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A X 2 (PRE) Aug + Nov 7 21 13 26 14 25

Tenacity 5.3 oz/A X 3 (POST) Oct‐Nov 9 11 27 17 25 8

Tenacity 8 oz/A X 2 (POST) Oct + Nov 8 19 38 34 30 8

Prograss 2 qts/A X 3 (POST) Oct‐Nov 8 15 25 22 13 9

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A (PRE)Tenacity 5.3 oz/A X 3 (POST)

AugOct‐Nov

7 9 7 9 10 7

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A X 2 (PRE)Tenacity 5.3 oz/A X 3 (POST)

Aug + NovOct‐Nov

5 6 2 3 4 5

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A (PRE)Prograss 2 qts/A X 3 (POST)

AugOct‐Nov

5 17 6 9 7 10

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A X 2 (PRE)Prograss 2 qts/A X 3 (POST)

Aug + NovOct‐Nov

5 11 12 15 10 16

LSD NS NS 17 15 13 21

% Poa cover in fairway height bluegrass after three years of late summer/fall herbicide treatments at Firethorn GC (UNL, 2010)

Herbicide App timing 10/7/10 5/10/11 10/4/11 4/9/12 10/17/12 5/7/13

Check ‐ 8 19 25 29 13 46

Tenacity 8 oz/A (PRE) Aug 6 21 8 19 15 53

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A (PRE) Aug 9 27 15 20 11 16

Tenacity 8 oz/A X 2 (PRE) Aug + Nov 6 14 11 11 13 36

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A X 2 (PRE) Aug + Nov 7 21 13 26 14 25

Tenacity 5.3 oz/A X 3 (POST) Oct‐Nov 9 11 27 17 25 8

Tenacity 8 oz/A X 2 (POST) Oct + Nov 8 19 38 34 30 8

Prograss 2 qts/A X 3 (POST) Oct‐Nov 8 15 25 22 13 9

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A (PRE)Tenacity 5.3 oz/A X 3 (POST)

AugOct‐Nov

7 9 7 9 10 7

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A X 2 (PRE)Tenacity 5.3 oz/A X 3 (POST)

Aug + NovOct‐Nov

5 6 2 3 4 5

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A (PRE)Prograss 2 qts/A X 3 (POST)

AugOct‐Nov

5 11 12 15 10 16

Barricade 0.65 lb ai/A X 2 (PRE)Prograss 2 qts/A X 3 (POST)

Aug + NovOct‐Nov

5 17 6 9 7 10

LSD NS NS 17 15 13 21

Tenacity Control of Poa 2009 Trials University of IllinoisTreatments (lbs ai/A) Formulation

oz/A/appInitiated 5/6/09

% Poa Ctrl 7/2/09

Initiated6/2/09

% Poa Ctrl8/4/09

Initiated 7/24/09% Poa Ctrl9/18/09

Control 2 c 7 c 0 d

0.05 ; 3x/wk, 10 apps 1.6 86 a 61 ab 93 a

0.1 ; 3x/wk, 5 apps 3.2 39 b 18 bc 95 a

0.166 ; 3x/wk, 3 apps 5.3 0 c 39 abc 51 bc

0.05 ; 2x/wk, 10 apps 1.6 85 a 65 a 78 ab

0.1 ; 2x/wk; 5 apps 3.2 80 a 46 abc 97 a

0.1 ; 1x/wk; 5 apps 3.2 57 b 28 abc 44 c

0.025 ; 3x/wk; 10 apps 0.8 ‐ ‐ 88 a

0.075 ; 2x/wk; 7 apps 2.4 ‐ ‐ 96 a

LSD (P=0.05) 25 45 27

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Xonerate

• Amicarbazone (Arysta)

• Good activity on Poa

• Narrow margin for safety on bent, but better safety margin on KBG

• Apply in late spring/summer >80F, not in fall

• Partially root absorbed so water in

• Wait only 1 week to apply after seeding

• Wait 4 months to seed after application

• Maybe synergism on Poa annua as well as Poa trivcontrol when applied with Tenacity?

Tenacity + Xonerate?

• Preliminary Illinois data

• Start in mid‐to late summer

• Initial application

• 4 oz/A Tenacity

• 1.4 oz/A Xonerate 4S

• 1.0 lb N/M Urea in or close to application

• Repeat applications (every 3‐4 days)

• 3 oz/A Tenacity

• Safe on KBG, unknown on other species

Primo on bluegrass?

• IL research suggests it will reduce ABG in KBG

• Improves density of KBG which may reduce ABG

• 26 oz/ A applied every 400 GDD(Daily high/Daily low)/2

Poa control in KBG fairway after season‐long growth regulator applications (Branham, Univ of Illinois 2013)

Treatment oz/A Interval % Poa Control

10/10/13Check ‐ ‐ 0 a

Primo 26 Monthly 4 a

Primo 26 400 GDD 32 b

Primo 17.5 400 GDD 8 a

Trimmit+Primo 8 + 26 800 GDD 31 b

Trimmit 8 800 6 a

Cutless 8 800 2 a

Cutless+Primo 8 + 26 800 GDD 36 b

Zac Reicher

http://turf.unl.edu/

[email protected]