Every summer, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association host a summer field day. The event is excellent every year, but this year was extra special because it was the 30th anniversary of the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research and Education Facility! Dr. Doug Soldat gave a presentation highlighting the extensive collaboration and support that was pulled together to make the construction of the O.J. Noer Facility possible 30 years ago.
To this day, the staff and researchers who work at this facility continue to teach, improve, and innovate the way that we manage urban and suburban landscapes across the world.
The agenda for this year’s WTA Field Day was full of exciting topics ranging from cultivar evaluation, establishment, irrigation and wetting agents, weed and disease management, fertilization, soil testing, and cultural practices like topdressing. Every topic was noteworthy, but this blog post will highlight a few specific studies that I found especially interesting.
These plots are standard lawn grass mixtures. One plot was left unfertilized (left) and the other was fertilized with 4 lbs N/1000 sq. ft. (right).
Concept: Fifteen years ago, turf plots were established with three different cutting heights (1.5”, 2.5”, or 3.5”) and seeded with a range of low- and high-end turf species and cultivars. Each turf variety or species was fertilized with three different annual nitrogen rates (0 lbs N/1000 sq. ft., 2 lbs N/1000 sq. ft., or 4 lbs N/1000 sq ft.). No herbicides were applied throughout the duration of the study.
Highlights: In general, the plots receiving no nitrogen had the greatest weed infestation, and plots receiving 4 lbs N/1000 sq. ft. per year had very low weed pressure despite no herbicides being applied. Under minimal maintenance (no N fertilization), low-end grasses outperformed high-end grasses that were bred to thrive with more inputs.
One key takeaway is that turf problems – such as weed infestation – are part of a broader context that we need to understand and manage. Weeds are competing with grass for water and sunlight. If the grass is not competitive in a given environment, and weeds are better suited for those growing conditions, they will continue to grow and cause problems.
Topdressing study evaluating multiple methods for calculating sand volume.
Concept: Topdress a sand-based putting green according to different methods for calculating sand volume (USGA, Woods, or PACE), two different application frequencies (weekly or monthly) and two different sand particle size ranges (coarse or fine).
Highlights: This study is in its first year but may continue for 10-15 years according to the researchers. In the research world, the vast majority of studies only last for 2-3 years. However, longitudinal studies that span many years (see Home Lawn Demo above) are critically important to understand real-world impacts of management practices. Organic matter accumulation on putting greens takes place on a timescale of decades, so it is really exciting to see research designed to measure management impacts over these longer timescales.
All fungal diseases follow the disease triangle – for infection to occur, you need the presence of an infectious pathogen, a suitable host, and an environment in which the pathogen can grow and infect. Fungicides address the pathogen part of the triangle. However, there were many studies focused on the host and environment parts of the triangle.
Phosphorus-deficient plot showing very low dollar spot infection despite not being treated with fungicide.
Dr. Soldat highlighted National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) trials where the newest grass cultivars are screened for many parameters including disease susceptibility. Dr. Paul Koch’s research group is investigating soil fertility and how the soil microbiome might affect disease development. In another study, the researchers hypothesized that altering leaf surface pH could create an unsuitable environment for dollar spot to develop. Dr. Soldat highlighted a study where turf plots deficient in phosphorus had virtually no dollar spot compared to adjacent plots with no P deficiency.
As the researchers walked through study after study looking at all these aspects of disease development, you couldn’t help but think “this is the future of turf management.”
The studies that were on display during this 30th anniversary of the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research and Education Facility might be laying the foundation for the studies we’ll see 30 years from now. All of these studies are valuable because they contribute to our understanding of agronomic problems at the system level. That understanding is built piece by piece through decades of research. The WTA Turf Field Day event was exciting because it put those pieces together in a way that clearly showed “here’s where we’ve been, and here’s where we are going.”
The Wisconsin Bug Guy, PJ Liesch, shares stories of scorpions, emerald ash borers, mosquitos, and other insects in this Cutting-Edge Perspective. As the UW Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab Director, PJ uses his expertise to identify unknown insects to point people in the right direction for pest management.
Exacto is pleased to announce the appointment of Malin Westfall as Chief Commercial Officer. Westfall’s appointment reflects Exacto’s commitment to driving commercial excellence as the company seeks to expand its market presence and advance its mission of improving resource efficiency in soil and water.
Exacto is excited to announce the hire of David Hollinrake as CEO. David brings over three decades of experience in the agricultural industry, including leadership roles at Syngenta, Bayer, Monsanto, and Adayana. David’s leadership at Exacto will continue our commitment to helping growers improve resource efficiency.
An increased use of biobased products reduces our nation’s reliance on petroleum, increases the use of renewable agricultural resources, and contributes to reducing adverse environmental and health impacts. Exacto’s USDA Certified Biobased Products are ready to boost your product line.
“We are pleased to announce a strategic partnership with S2G and Skyline Global Partners,” says Wally Beecroft CEO of Exacto®, LLC. “This will enable us to accelerate our innovation capability, geographic expansion, and expand our offerings, all in the service of our customers.”
Crop dusters and spray drones are taking flight, but is what’s in the tank enough to take on this year’s disease pressure? A strong fungicide or insecticide application can make or break a successful cropping season, but the optimum tank mix is incomplete without the right adjuvants.
While athletes almost always prefer natural grass fields, artificial turf is a widely used playing surface due to the perception that it is easier to maintain. There’s been a recent push to shift artificial surfaces back to natural grass as big-name players sustain season-ending injuries and organizations prioritize playing surface conditions when selecting hosts for tournaments.
Surfactants are widely used across the world – in fact, you probably use surfactants every day in soaps, detergents, toothpaste, cosmetics, and countless other applications. Surfactants are just as important in agriculture and turf and understanding how and when to use the right surfactant can make or break a successful application.
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