Title: Importance of Species and Variety Selection for Overcoming Salinity Issues

Transcription

1 Research Title: Importance of Species and Variety Selection for Overcoming Salinity Issues Format: Innovative Session (15 minutes) Audience: Cool season and transition zone This presentation will focus on an experiments performed evaluating salinity tolerance variation between and among current and future Tall fescues, fine fescues and perennial ryegrasses. The studies focused on both germination and mature performance under saline conditions. The presentation will detail the variation observed both between and within these turfgrass species. Additionally, this presentation will provide turf managers with information on what they can do to have high quality turf even when salinity issues are present See Cross Outline - Understand why salinity causes issues in turfgrass management. - Realize that salinity, and the management concerns it presents, are not something that can be ignored, or something that will go away on their own. - Recognize that varietal selection is just as important as species selection when dealing with salinity issues. Title: Portable Roadways: Protecting your turf during non-sporting events Format: Can fit to conference needs Level: Advanced Audience: All Many current sports venues routinely host non-sporting events that require vehicular traffic over playing surfaces to set up stages, seating and other event specific equipment. These events usually occur during the season of play and present a tremendous challenge to athletic field managers to protect the integrity of the playing surface. Given the limited time for re-establishing turfgrass from seed, and the considerable cost associated with resodding, many athletic field managers and facility owners are seeking information about the most effective turf protection systems to protect the integrity of the existing playing surface during set up, the actual event, and take down. This presentation will provide research-based recommendations for selecting the most effective turfgrass protection system for their specific events. Introduction Identify the challenges associated with covering natural playing surfaces

2 The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the impact of each cover system on turfgrass cover, color, and quality when used for multiple cover periods, 2) document changes in playing surface characteristics (surface hardness, and displacement) following each cover period 3) evaluate the effects of roadway systems on soil physical properties Materials and Methods Describe research design and details of cover treatments and multiple cover durations Three cover durations (3, 6, and 9 days) and five turf protection systems 1) 1.9cm Plywood only (2 layers) 2) Enkamat Plus and 1.9cm Plywood (2 layers) 3) Enkamat Flatback and 1.9cm Plywood (2 layers) 4) Supa-TracTM 5) TerraTrak PlusTM 6) Untraffiked/untreated control Turfgrass Performance Assessment Soil Physical Properties Assessment Results and Recommendations 1) Recognize key differences between cover systems that can minimize playing surface damage during event set up, the event and take down. 2) Utilize the proper cover duration for each cover system 3) Select the most effective turfgrass cover system for their specific event. Seminar Title: Overseeing Selections and Practices to Increase the Performance of Your Field Format: Can fit to conference needs Audience: Warm season and transition zone Athletic fields are being challenged by more continual event schedules and high traffic occurring throughout various growing conditions. Due to the subtropical climates experienced by much of the southern United States with warm summers and cool winters sports turf managers are required to match the growing conditions with the correct turfgrass species. Often times this results in sports turf managers growing warm-season turfgrass species, such as bermudagrass, as the predominant turfgrass species able to survive the warm summer temperatures and rapidly recover from traffic injury. While overseeding with cool-season turfgrass species, such as perennial ryegrass, during the cool winter to provide a more actively growing and aesthetically pleasing surface. The practice of overseeding is both a controversial and prudent practice. Therefore, this presentation will focus on providing a historic understanding of overseeding. Along with focusing on university research and real-world athletic field overseeding practices. Data will be presented from university studies conducted on overseeding

3 turfgrass species, varieties, seed coatings, seeding rates, and pre-germination techniques. Then comparisons will be made to the success and failure of these practices on in-play athletic fields. Introduction Historical look at overseeding practices Turfgrass species Annual ryegrass, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Poa supine, etc.. Field preparation techniques Cultural Verti-cutting, aeration, scalping, brooming, etc Chemical Growth regulators, burn down Alternatives Colorants, dormancy University research on overseeding Turfgrass species and varieties Perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass varieties Seed coatings Biostimulant, fertilizer, and heat capture seed coatings Seeding rates Low vs high Pre-germination Seed soaking, leaching, fertilizer Athletic field overseeding success and failures Field preparation techniques Verti-cutting, aeration, scalping, brooming Turfgrass selection Perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass varieties Seeding rates High vs low Athletic field performance Traction and stability Aesthetics Conclusion Define overseeding and provide a historical look of overseeding practices Identify techniques used to prepare athletic fields for overseeding Identify what to look for when selecting overseeding turfgrass species and varieties. Identify overseeding techniques including: Seeding rate Seed coatings Seed pre-germination techniques The use of growth covers This presentation would be both a lecture of university data and a case study of how selected results preformed on in-play athletic fields, presented as a PowerPoint presentation.

4 Title: Shedding "Light" on Athletic Field Paint and the Turfgrass Response Level: Advanced Audience: All At some point every field manager has experienced some turf damage from using paint for lines or logos. Research at NC State has been conducted to better understand how paint colors, rates, formulations, etc. impact turfgrass. This presentation will review our findings and provide insight into how a field manager can address these issues through various management practices. It will also provide information regarding why certain colors are more damaging to athletic turf than others. I. Introduction II. Turfgrass Photosynthesis research a. Effects of Paint Color, Rate/Dilution, and Application Timing III. Light Transmission through Paint a. Effects of Paint Color, Dilution, and Application Thickness on the amount of light transmitted through paint that is available to the plant for photosynthesis IV. Turfgrass Transpiration a. Effects of Paint Color, Rate/Dilution, and Application Timing on the plant s ability to transpire as well as assimilate carbon for growth and maintenance processes V. Management Strategies to Alleviate Negative Effects of Paint 1.) Understand what effects athletic field paint has on turfgrass photosynthesis and transpiration 2.) Understand why damage is often related to different colors, rates, and dilutions 3.) Develop management strategies to help offset negative paint effects This PowerPoint presentation will include pictures of field and controlled growth chamber research as well as graphs and tables of research results. It will include a discussion and Q&A with the audience related to problems they have experienced and potential solutions. Title: Perennial ryegrass for sports fields and grounds Audience: Cool season and transition zone One of the most effective management strategies for maintaining turf cover on highly traffic sports fields involves perennial ryegrass overseeding. This presentation will explore why perennial ryegrass is

5 effective for this purpose and the importance of perennial ryegrass variety selection which is often overlooked. The presenter will also convey new research results that suggest perennial ryegrass may have a fit in turfgrass management systems where fewer irrigation, nitrogen fertilizer, and pesticide inputs are being employed. This concept is a departure from the traditionally held view that perennial ryegrass is a highinput-requiring turfgrass species. I. DESCRIPTION OF PERENNIAL RYEGRASS AND WHY IT IS AN EFFECTIVE OVERSEEDING TOOL FOR HIGH TRAFFIC SPORTS FIELDS 1) Perennial ryegrass identification and seedling competitiveness 2) The case for perennial ryegrass overseeding on cool-season sports fields II. USING RESEARCH RESULTS TO GUIDE PERENNIAL RYEGRASS VARIETY SELECTION 1) Turfgrass quality, gray leaf spot susceptibility, wear/traffic tolerance, endophyte enhancement a) 2004 NTEP Perennial Ryegrass Test b) 2010 NTEP Perennial Ryegrass Test III. PERENNIAL RYEGRASS FOR LOW-MAINTENANCE SPORTS FIELDS AND GROUNDS? 1) A different way of looking at perennial ryegrass a) Research results from cool-season blend/mixture work conducted at Rutgers University Objective 1: The attendee will be able to recognize why perennial ryegrass is an ideal cool-season turfgrass for overseeding high traffic sports fields. Objective 2: The attendee will be able to make informed choices with respect to perennial ryegrass variety selection based on presented research data. Objective 3: Additional research results will provide the attendee with a different perspective on perennial ryegrass for lower maintenance sports fields and grounds scenarios. The presenter will use PowerPoint slides consisting of images of municipal and school sports fields and field research results to illustrate the effectiveness of perennial ryegrass as an overseeding tool. The presenter will describe perennial ryegrass selection by practically interpreting research results. In particular, research results from the 2004 and 2010 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) Perennial Ryegrass Tests will be presented and discussed. Additionally, perennial ryegrass-specific information will be extracted from a cool-season turfgass blend/mixture trial currently being conducted at Rutgers University. Title: Advancing Turfgrass Knowledge Through Science: The Grass Roots Initiative and the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Audience: All

6 The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) is one of the most widely known turfgrass research programs in the world. Data collected by NTEP coordinators in 40 states and 6 Canadian provinces are analyzed and interpreted to provide both professionals and the general public information about thousands of turfgrass varieties over 17 different turfgrass species. NTEP tests have identified turfgrasses which demonstrate improved disease and insect resistance; improved tolerance of traffic, drought, heat, and cold; better performance with reduced fertilizer, water, and pesticide use; and faster establishment and recovery. By coordinating research efforts throughout the country, NTEP has played an integral role in evaluating thousands of turfgrass varieties and making research data available to the professional turfgrass managers and the public. It is the acceptance by the end-user that has made NTEP the standard for turfgrass evaluation in the US and many other countries worldwide. My presentation will discuss the importance of cultivar selection as part of a comprehensive sports turf cultural management practices strategy, the basics of the research methods and evaluation processes involved with NTEP, how practitioners can use the NTEP website and NTEP data on state university turfgrass research sites to evaluate variety trial data and use this data to select seed and sod of the best cultivars for the fields they manage. The Grass Roots Initiative is a collaboration between the U.S. National Arboretum and the National Turfgrass Federation to promote the environmental, recreational, economic, and aesthetic benefits of turfgrass in athletic fields, golf courses, and home lawns. The centerpiece of the 4-year Initiative which began in 2014 is a 1.3-acre interactive exhibit at the US National Arboretum, located in Washington, DC and hosts over 300,000 visitors every year. The exhibit includes 14 interactive elements featuring sports fields, a compact golf hole, example plots of warm-and cool-season, irrigation and fertilizer displays, an equipment display, a history of the lawn walk, and information about current university and National Arboretum turfgrass research. The sports field display was constructed by STMA member Carolina Green and features a 700 sq. ft. sand-based Latitude 36 field adjacent to a 700 sq. ft. artificial infill field to allow visitors the opportunity to compare and contrast the two surfaces. In addition to the physical exhibit at the Arboretum facility, the Initiative also includes a website accompanying the exhibit, professional and scientific symposia, and homeowner-focused workshops and demonstrations directed to audiences ranging from homeowners to professionals to policymakers to showcase the value of turf as an environmental asset when properly managed and the importance of research to continue to leverage that value. With its proximity to the Capitol, the exhibit should provide a venue for turfgrass industry engagement with national policymakers and an attractive location for Grass Roots sponsor meetings and an array of turfgrass-related events. The Initiative is also coordinating the National Arboretum, the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery in an attempt to develop a National Greenscape Corridor linking the three facilities and coordinating public messaging and outreach to raise awareness about the importance of turfgrass and landscape maintenance practices at these culturally historic landscapes. The National Cherry Blossom Festival National Greenscape Corridor Bike Tour, scheduled for April 18, 2015, is the first event linking these three properties in an effort to gain publicity about the Corridor and its goals. For years, professionals throughout the turfgrass industry have been striving to communicate to the public about the importance of turfgrass for a variety of uses in modern day life. This Initiative is relative to the sports turf management profession because it will provide an opportunity to communicate both by the interactive sports field display and the accompanying website information about sports turf maintenance practices needed to maintain safe and functional playing surfaces. In addition, the exhibit is providing a backdrop for the Arboretum to host sports field and golf industry professional development events such as equipment field days, workshops, and symposia over the course of the four years of the Initiative. STMA is a sponsor of the Grass Roots Initiative and an important partner of the project as the turfgrass industry promotes the value of turfgrass for its environmental benefits and

7 functional use for athletic fields. The US National Arboretum Grass Roots exhibit, accompanied by educational web information and programming, will provide an important opportunity to present pertinent, science-based information about the benefits of turfgrass to members of the public; garden writers; government officials, and the media and will be an asset to the entire turfgrass industry. National Turfgrass Evaluation Program - An overview of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) and how it conducts nationwide turfgrass variety testing. - A description of the data that is collected for variety trials at university research sites and why this is important in developing improved turfgrass cultivars. - Slides or an interactive to walk through NTEP website navigation to demonstrate how turf managers can efficiently access variety trial information for their region and state. Grass Roots Initiative - Rationale for the development of the Grass Roots Initiative as an asset to STMA to provide public education and outreach regarding the benefits of turfgrass to members of the public; the media; and local, state, and national policymakers. - Overview of the Arboretum and the location of the exhibit at the main entrance of the Arboretum which hosts 300,000 visitors annually. Explain the importance to the turfgrass industry of having a physical display demonstrating the benefits of turfgrass in the nation s capital at a federally-operated facility. - Overview of the features of the exhibit including interactive displays, Qr code links to additional webbased information and how the design lends to an inviting space for visitors to learn about turfgrass. This will include pictures of the exhibit which opened in October, Insights regarding public reaction during the first full season (2015) of Grass Roots exhibit opening. Information about the homeowner workshops, equipment shows, and professional meetings and symposia which will be hosted using the exhibit as a backdrop. - Information about the development of the National Greenscape Corridor to collaborate the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery facilities to develop outreach signage and coordinate educational events to raise public awareness about the importance of turfgrass and landscape management to preserve these historic cultural landscapes. Understand the importance of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) to the entire turfgrass industry and use the NTEP website to evaluate data pertinent to selecting turfgrass cultivars welladapted for use on sports fields for their location. Be aware of the Grass Roots Initiative in Washington, DC and understand how this Initiative will be an asset to the entire turfgrass industry as it provides a means to communicating to the general public about the environmental, economic, and recreational benefits of turfgrass. Utilize information on the Grass Roots website which will be a national resource containing university turfgrass research and industry association links. The website will be beneficial for both STMA members and stakeholders involved with the fields they manage. My presentation would consist of a PowerPoint slide show and include photos of National Turfgrass Evaluation Program research plots; NTEP and 'Grass Roots' website screen shots (or live interactive) to walk attendees through the process of accessing variety trial information on the NTEP and broader turfgrass management information on the 'Grass Roots' websites, respecively; and text and photos

8 describing the Grass Roots exhibit and public outreach/education events conducted at the exhibit. I plan to deliver my presentation using a PowerPoint slideshow with pictures, live web navigation demonstration of the websites and bullet point explanations of the subjects. Title: Evaluating establishment, management, and traffic tolerance of a new hybrid (natural and synthetic mixtures) athletic field system for both cool- and warm-season turfgrasses. Audience: All This presentation will cover how to establish new hybrid athletic field systems (a combination of natural turf and synthetic fibers) that have been found from our research at the University of Tennessee Center for Athletic Field Safety. We will be discussing the history of hybrid systems, the positives and negatives of past systems and how they were managed. Then we will focus on how to establish both cool- (perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass) and warm-season (hybrid bermudagrass and improved common bermudagrass) into a hybrid athletic field system. We will also be presenting data on various management practices to improve the hybrid athletic field system performance in the transition zone compared to a natural grass athletic field without these synthetic turf fibers, these topics include: application of crumb rubber to improve traffic tolerance, various rootzones under simulated traffic, turfgrass organic matter management, and how Fraze mowing can improve traffic tolerance. Also we will present some data on real world hybrid athletic field applications. 1. Background and history of hybrid athletic field systems 2. Describe the modern hybrid athletic field systems 3. Discussion on how to establish modern hybrid athletic field systems 4. Information on athletic field safety a. Discuss surface hardness b. Athlete-to-surface interactions c. Percent turfgrass cover d. Uniform turfgrass stands 5. Hybrid system performance vs. traditional turfgrass performance 6. Root zone performance (sand vs. native soil) 7. Various turfgrass performance 8. Organic matter and thatch management 9. Crumb rubber and traffic 10. Fraze mowing and traffic 11. Take home messages 1. After attending this session the participant will: 1. Gain knowledge on how various turfgrass species perform within a hybrid system under simulated athletic field traffic as compared to traditional athletic fields. 2. Learn how to manage hybrid athletic fields to maximize performance and traffic tolerance. 3. Learn the various terminologies used in determining what classifies as a safe athletic field playing surface.

9 Lecture Title: Options for Managing Winter Traffic on Dormant Bermudagrass: Overseeding vs. Colorants Audience: Warm and Transition Zone This presentation will highlight and compare some of the current options available to transition zone and southern turf managers when it comes to managing bermudagrass through winter dormancy play. Emphasis will be placed on the potential for use of colorants as well as differences in quality and performance resulting from overseeding playing surfaces with perennial or improved annual cultivars, particularly under traffic and irrigation stress. Relative costs and expectations related to traffic tolerance, irrigation requirements, surface quality, and bermudagrass transition characteristics will be presented based on emerging research out of Texas A&M University. 1.Current challenges faced by bermudagrass athletic turf managers managing through fall-winter-spring play 2. Traffic and events, municipal irrigation restrictions, budgetary constraints 3. Colorants/Pigments/Paints: What are they? How do they differ? How are they being used in athletic turf situations? Costs? Pros and cons 4. Overseed Options: Traditional perennial ryegrass/ improved annual ryegrasses coming out on the market/ How do they compare in terms of water requirements, quality, management reqs, traffic tolerance, bermudagrass greenup and transition characteristics 5. 2 years of research conducted at Texas A&M University comparing these options and relative performance during winter months under various levels of traffic and irrigation 1. Determine whether colorant application or overseeding offers the most feasible and/or economically viable option for their facility given the amount of winter play and relative availability of irrigation water. 2. Understand how quality, surface hardness, traffic tolerance, and irrigation requirements compare between dormant, colorant treated, perennial, and improved annual ryegrass-overseeded turf. 3. Understand how bermudagrass transition characteristics compare between these scenarios. Delivery This presentation will be primarily lecture and discussion based