Goodbye July, Hello August

We close the book on July and welcome August with open arms. August means that we are that much closer to September and better growing conditions. July was full of stressful conditions throughout most parts of the state and it contributed to general decline of our cool-season turf. Last July we were spoiled as the average temperature of 68.3 degrees ranked as the coolest July among 137 years of state records. July 2010 returned to normal with average temperatures of 75 degrees, just slightly above normal.



The hottest day of the month occurred on July 14 with daytime temperatures reaching 95 degrees. The Des Moines area experienced the most days with temperatures in the 90’s with 6 followed closely by Ames (5) and Lamoni (4). Waterloo, Mason City, and Ottumwa each had 3 days in the 90’s. The high air temperatures also contributed to further heating of the soil profile. Soil temperatures spent much of the month in the high 70’s low 80’s further leading to turf decline.

The wettest June on record was followed by a July which brought above average rainfall amounts for much of the state. Waterloo and Ottumwa were hit hard with each location receiving over 10 inches of rain. Marshalltown (6.32), Lamoni (5.69), Des Moines (5.44), and Mason City (4.94) each received rainfall amounts above average for the month of July.

The above average temperatures along with excess amounts of rainfall created conditions favorable for disease development. The picture below is a disease that showed up on one of my research plots. The grass is ‘L-93’ creeping bentgrass maintained at 0.5 inches. The turf is planted on a sand-based rootzone and was established during the fall of 2008. The symptoms first appeared during the middle of July yet the turf hasn’t really declined and continues to grow.

Taking a closer look using a compound microscope I was able to find hyphae infecting the roots of the plant. Hypha on the roots is characteristic of both summer patch and take-all-patch. The plant disease clinic here on campus is helping to diagnose exactly which disease this is.

Let’s hope August brings everyone a break from the rain. September 1 is less than 30 days away!

Marcus Jones
Graduate Research Assistant

Field Day Festivities

The 2010 All Horticulture Field Day was held yesterday at the Iowa State University Horticulture Research Station. The weather was beautiful and there was plenty to see ranging from cultivar trials, sports turf seeding rate studies, fertility, disease, and herbicide trials. This has been a great year to evaluate products for their effectiveness against crabgrass will all the weed pressure we’ve experienced. Our crabgrass trial featured a new herbicide from Bayer called Specticle.

Specticle is a preemergence herbicide with some post control and offers promise in controlling crabgrass and Poa annua. Specticle just recently received federal registration and will now be available in the turf market. The active ingredient in Specticle is indaziflam.

One of the highlights of the day was watching Gary Twedt, CGCS, receive the 2010 Distinguished Service to Iowa Horticulture Award. Congratulations Gary on this achievement and all that you do for Horticulture in Iowa. Check out some pictures from the event!


I had a chance to speak about my bentgrass spaced plant trial investigating lateral spread among 24 bentgrass cultivars.



Dr. Christians speaks to a group about different bentgrass cultivars.



Dr. Minner demonstrated various methods to control moles.



Gary Twedt recieved the 2010 Distinguished Service to Iowa Horticulture Award.

We’re Not in Iowa Anymore! Part 1

Here is another guest post from Damian Richardson who is working at the Hong Kong Golf Club. Damian's note is below:



When I did my interview with the Hong Kong Golf Club for my internship, I asked what would be some of the biggest differences I will encounter as I make such a cultural transition. Their reply, “Things will look very different.” Not only do things look different, everything seems to work different. Light switches and door locks are backwards compared to the States, I always hit my head on low hanging items in stores, and they drive on the opposite side of the road here!

As I began work, and started networking and meeting other professionals in the turf business, I have realized there are big differences in the way golf operates and is viewed out here. Here are a few statistics to look at in regards to the sport of golf here in Hong Kong as compared to Iowa:

Area:
Iowa = 56,272 sq miles
Hong Kong = 426 sq miles

Population:
Iowa = 3,007,856
Hong Kong = 7,055,071

Population Density:
Iowa = 53.5/sq mile
Hong Kong = 15,737.9/sq mile

Golf Courses:
Iowa = 441
Hong Kong = 5

People : # of golf courses:
Iowa = 6820 : 1
Hong Kong = 1,411,014.2 : 1

# Courses : Land (sq miles) Ratio
Iowa = 1:127
Hong Kong = 1:85

(sources)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa
http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/state.aspx?state=IA

Being a member of a golf club is very exclusive here with one club having a membership as low as ~300 people. The Hong Kong Golf Club has a membership of 2,400 people, with a 25-year waiting list for membership. There is only one public course in Hong Kong and all others are reserved only for members and guests.

That being said, it is very uncommon for local people to have any understanding of the game of golf, and that has been a challenge when training workers to set up a golf course. With many of the workers having no understanding of the game of golf, they didn’t know why tee markers should point down the fairways and not in to the woods, or why a flagstick should be straight up and down.

While I have been here, I have gotten to meet our various chemical, fertilizer, and equipment salesmen and have learned the differences of ordering and purchasing in HK as opposed to the US. When we order chemical, fertilizer, or equipment, the waiting period maybe be anywhere from one month to six months and sometimes even longer.

It gets very expensive to just ship two pallets of fertilizer on a plane from the States, so the salesmen must make sure they have enough product to fill a container, put the container on a ship, wait for it to arrive, wait for it to be inspected and pass through customs, and then finally delivered to the purchaser. Government politics may also slow things down as well.

We purchase all our sand from China, which is then put on a compartment in a barge, floated down to HK, unloaded, and shipped by trucks to our course. We are lucky enough to have many areas to store sand on the property so we are able to take an entire compartment of a barge (800 metric tons.) The other courses in Hong Kong usually have to share a compartment when purchasing sand, as you cannot buy less than 800 metric tons at one time.

To continue to keep articles brief here on iaTURF, I will be posting another article soon about some more cultural differences on the golf course at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Damian Richardson

Singing the Low Mow Blues

This post comes from John Newton, CGCS, Veenker Memorial Golf Course. Veenker renovated their facility during the fall of 2008. Part of the renovation involved converting the intermediate cut of rough from common cultivars of perennial ryegrass to low mow Kentucky bluegrass. John’s note is below:

After a great opening spring with some of the new varieties of low mow bluegrass, I very impressed with the color, density, winter survival, and establishment after only 18 months of establishment. It sure looked like the perfect turf for central Iowa.

Currently, it is having a real difficult time and is very thin in some areas, especially in areas of partial shade. The damage seems to be from various disease infestations and generally appears as a weak, poor looking turf. I have to say I’m very disappointing after the success with removing the annual bluegrass out of the bluegrass last fall and this spring with Tenacity herbicide.





I’m not sure about a plan of action moving forward because some of the older turf varieties right beside the low mow blues look great, along with the ryegrass, the bentgrass fairways, and some of low mow bluegrass that was treated with Heritage in mid June. The Heritage application was made to the fairways but in spots where the booms hung over into the intermediate cut the bluegrass looks great. That was our only fungicide application to our bentgrass until recently. Probably a combination of leaf spot and patch disease’s just disappointing that we now will need to treat these new varieties. One of the main reasons for the conversion was to cut our applications of fungicides and other chemicals. The bentgrass fairways so far have been great.

One thought that crossed my mind was that it may be only certain cultivars that are susceptible to the damage. The low mow blues we used were a 4 way low mow blue mix. I would be interested to hear what others who have also converted to this turf are experiencing.

John Newton, CGCS
Veenker Memorial Golf Course

What’s the Web Saying About Turfgrass, 7-23-10 Edition

Summer stresses are in full swing right now. The dog days of summer are upon us. Hang on for the ride, September 1 is only 39 days away!

Here is your list of links to articles regarding turf. Have a great weekend!

Do you care for the environment? Golf courses have long been perceived as environmental wastelands that use high amounts of chemicals and way too much water. Maybe golf is such a traditional game that even its managers are afraid of change? If we want golf to thrive in the future we need to change the way we do things so that the game is able to sustain itself. http://www.golfcourseindustry.com/gci-060710-guest-column-environment.aspx


Natural turfgrass keeps giving and giving. We all know that natural turfgrass provides numerous environmental benefits but not many people know that the growing and harvesting of turfgrass sod also plays a role in good stewardship. Although some casual observers might think that turfgrass sod producers are selling their farms an inch at a time, research suggests they are actually “growing” more topsoil as a result of sound farming practices and the natural growth characteristics of turfgrass. http://www.landscapemanagement.net/athletic-turf-core-pages/natural-turfgrass-keeps-giving-and-giving


Feeling the Heat. Course Conditions Suffering in the Midwest. The combined number of 90-degree days over the last two years was much less than the annual average in just one season. With plenty of moisture and the absence of intense heat, Poa annua populations increased on many courses. Unfortunately, Poa annua declines much faster than bentgrass during weather extremes, which is why it fell prey to winterkill damage this winter and why it appears to be fading during this summer's heat. http://www.usga.org/course_care/regional_updates/regional_reports/midcontinent/Feeling-The-Heat---July-2010/


A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned. The name of the game for golf courses in these recessionary times is to keep the current standards and find ways to do so by spending less money. Managing energy costs is a complex subject, but getting started is easy. The remainder of this article will demonstrate why an energy audit is worthwhile and how someone can begin the process. Potential items to evaluate will be reviewed. Most important of all, this article will serve to help you begin the process. http://turf.lib.msu.edu/gsr/2010s/2010/100528.pdf


Turfgrass as a sustainable part of the landscape. Dr. Charles Peacock, professor of crop science at N.C. State University, explains why turf grass plays a role in sustainable landscaping. Peacock offered these remarks during a July 12, 2010, presentation to the John Locke Foundation's Shaftesbury Society. Watch full-length JLF presentations here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpAK8rh3my0


ND golf course goes green with goats. Five weed-gulping goats are being used this summer at a Bismarck golf course to rid hillsides of undesirable vegetation. http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/apArticle/id/D9H1EBK00/


Marcus Jones
Graduate Research Assistant

ALL HORTICULTURE FIELD DAY NEXT THURSDAY-JULY 29

I want to encourage everyone to attend next week's field day. There will be a number of turf research projects on display. It is also a good time to bring questions and samples for identification.


The ISU Horticulture Field Day will be Thursday July 29 at the Horticulture research station. For registration information, see http://www.hort.iastate.edu/news/.

Field Day presentations

1. Wine Lab. The Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute will discuss wine grape harvest parameters and their importance to winemaking. The measurements of pH, Titratable Acidity, and Brix will be demonstrated.
2. Computer Applications in Horticulture

This will be a hands-on session covering the latest in software development for the landscape industry. There will be a presentation that will include traditional computer applications as well as iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad applications.
3. High Tunnels. High tunnels extend the growing season and produce greater yields of high quality fruits and vegetables. You will get the chance to see both fruits and vegetables growing in different sized high tunnels.
4. Crabapples. Since 1985, the Iowa State University Department of Horticulture has participated in the National Crabapple Evaluation Program, and during this tour stop we will feature some of the best crabapples for the Iowa landscape. Join us as we traverse this impressive collection in search of that perfect crabapple.
5. Chainsaw safety. You will be learning the strategies to keep yourself and others safe when working with chainsaws.
6. Vineyard. Field day attendees will tour research vineyards that include wine grape cultivars, cropping and canopy management studies, and weed control and soil quality management projects. Iowa State University faculty and graduate students will provide tours and answer viticultural questions.
7. Orchard (3 presentations)

Rootstock/Cropping levels study
This orchard study on 'Gibson Golden Delicious' apple evaluates the performance of five dwarfing apple rootstocks subjected to under different cropping levels. Treatments are being monitored for differences in fruit growth rate, maturity, yield, fruit size and quality, and the ability to produce blossoms for next season's crop.

Airblast Spraying
Airblast sprayers offer an effective and economical means for applying fungicides, insecticides, growth regulators and foliar nutrients in orchards and vineyards. Compared to conventional sprayers, airblast systems allow growers to concentrate spray where less liquid is applied per acre, and at higher concentrations, less pesticide is needed to attain effective coverage. Dr. Domoto will be explaining how this is accomplished, and an airblast sprayer will be demonstrated.

Disease monitoring in Apples
This study is evaluating remotely estimated weather as a warning system for sooty blotch and fly speck on apples.
8. Aquatic Research Facility
The discussion will focus on current research on fish production with an emphasis on this year's Bluegill project.

9. Vegetables (2 presentations)

This research looks at the impact of row covers on disease and insect suppression on
muskmelons and butternut squash.

As part of a multi-state project, we are looking at "flora provisioning" as a way to increase pollination of muskmelon and squash. A strip of perennial flowers are planted to attract pollinators to the plot.

10. EarthKind Rose Trial. EarthKind is an innovative new program that addresses environmental landscape management. We will discuss the northern EarthKind rose trial planted at the Horticulture Research Farm as well as the newly established EarthKind Hydrangea trial. These two plantings are part of the nationwide trialing program of rose and hydrangea cultivars being evaluated for their suitability for inclusion in EarthKind landscapes


The student organic farm ...
11. Turf Demonstrations
* Lawn mower safety, maintenance, and selection.
* A walking tour to identify weeds, insects, diseases, and their control.
* Turf research plot tour.

JUNE BUG DAMAGE ON IOWA GOLF COURSE

Here is a post from Jay Goughnour of Racoon Valley Golf Course in Jefferson, Ia. While grub damage on Iowa golf courses is not unusual, the problem is generally from Masked Chaferes and occurs in August to October. The problem below happened in mid July. The grubs on the site are much larger than chafer grubs and appear to be June bugs. June bug larvae feed earlier than chafers, usually mid July, which coincides with this damage. June bug damage is fairly rare, however, and I have seen damage only a few times over my 31 years here in central Iowa from this species, whereas I can find chafers every year. I hope this isn't a trend. If anyone else has seen early grub damage from large grubs (1 inch in length), let me know.

Because of their size, it does not take as many June bug grubs as chafers to damage turf. While we normally look for 20 to 30 chafers per square foot to damage turf, June bugs can damage turf with populations of 5 or 6 per square foot.

Racoons love to dig up turf for these grubs. I would be worried if my golf course was named Racoon Valley.

Nick Christians
nchris@iastate.edu


Jay writes:

July 20th. Fairway on the right was treated with imidacloprid for grubs. The rough on the left is untreated. Pretty dramatic difference. Looks like the larvae from June bugs instead of the european masked chafers I'm used to seeing.

Jay can be reached at gofnrs9@live.com.