Maintenance budgets are a significant contributor to the high cost of green fees. An example of an ethical issue, as well as prudentintegrated pest management practices, is the overall wise and efficient use of budget resources. Using spot treatments versus overallblanket treatments makes more efficient use of maintenance budgets and reduces pesticide loading.

Purchasing New Products and Technologies:An Ethical and Common-Sense ApproachAdvice for superintendents to determine if new productsand technologies are for your golf course.by ROBERT N. CARROW

STAYING on the cutting edge inthe golf course superintendent'sprofession requires integrating

new products and technologies into asound turfgrass and golf course man-agement program. The question is,"Which products and technologies aretruly beneficial and cost-effective?"

In answering this question, golfcourse superintendents are confrontedwith two difficulties: (a) The turfgrassindustry has attracted many companiesand consultants offering new products,technologies, and services. A casualwalk through the Golf Course Super-intendents Association of America's(GCSAA) Trade Show reveals theimmense scope of these offerings, and(b) many new products and technolo-gies have very limited field/lab testingto validate their claims.

In this presentation, practical, step-wise guidelines are discussed concern-ing making wise decisions about pur-chasing new products/technologies forsuperintendents desiring to stay on thecutting edge of advancements in theirprofession. Three ingredients for wise

and successful decision making are:ethical decisions and actions, infor-mation, and common sense.

Ethical Decisions and ActionsWhat is "ethics"? "Ethics" is the

discipline dealing with what is good orbad and with moral duty and obliga-tion. It involves the moral principles orvalues that determine the conduct of anindividual or a group. A code of ethicsattempts to define an acceptable stan-dard of conduct which is enforced bypeer pressure, voluntary compliance, orlaw. Values can, therefore, direct aperson's decision making and actionseither by internal (character or inherentdiscipline to do right) or external(codes or laws with enforcement meansor peer pressure) means. A profession,or society as a whole, functions bestwhen the moral principles or valuesare understood and when individualsexercise the character or internal disci-pline to live moral lives.

Where does ethics impact my pro-fession? Ethics enters into all relation-

ships, decisions, and actions arisingfrom decisions. Consider, for example,the relationships common to golfcourse superintendents:

• Person-to-person relationships.• Person to course officials and the

course as a facility.• Person to profession (professional

conduct).• Person to society, such as in the

areas of environmental stewardship ofwater, wetlands, endangered speciesof plants or animals, water, and soil;the immediate golf course neighborsand community.

• Person to God (spiritual aspects).As interaction occurs in these rela-

tionships, they can be governed byhonesty, truth, and integrity or theopposite. In a recent request for edu-cation proposals for seminars, theGCSAA specifically addressed theneed for more emphasis on ethics andvalues in the workplace. The "desiredoutcomes" of the course reveal thebreadth and depth that ethics impactsthe profession. Quoting from theGCSAA (2000):

MAY/JUNE 2000 17

"Take any commonplace remedy, give it a mysterious origin,advertise it with extravagant claims, and it will be purchased by

the credulous. At present, the crop of grass-growing nostrumsappears to be above normal!" - Drs. Piper and Oakley, The Green Section Bulletin, 1922

Improving cultural practices and drainage is a good first step to solvingblack layer, a common symptom of a serious soil physical problem.

1. Identify and integrate personaland professional values and ethics intodaily activities.

2. Create ethical guidelines andvalues for the golf facility.

3. Communicate golf facility ethicsand values and help others understandthem.

4. Demonstrate ethical problem-solving abilities by tying decisions tothe values and goals of the golf facility.

5. Ensure that appropriate legaland ethical interests are considered inall decisions.

6. Review the decisions and activi-ties of your staff to ensure they areparallel to the values and ethics of thegolf facility.

7.Demonstrate acceptance of di-verse opinions and values.

8. Act in a fair and ethical manner.Ethics and purchasing new prod-

ucts/technologies. As noted earlier,specific science-based information isoften limited or lacking for many newproducts/technologies. Substituted fortesting and evaluation may be manu-facturer claims, testimonials, andpseudoscience (claiming a product cantheoretically provide a response whileknowing that the magnitude is verysmall, or providing "selected" data to

support a claim while withholding datathat proves otherwise). The issue ofhow to obtain useful information isdealt with in the next section. Theethical point is that golf club officialsassume that the golf course superin-tendent is making science-based deci-sions on new products/technologieswhen spending their money. Evenwhen a superintendent is basing thejustification for purchasing a newproduct/technology solely on a manu-facturer's claims, club financial officialsassume that the superintendent, as theresident expert, agrees with the claimsbecause of a science-based expertise.

If a new product seems to havepotential to address a problem butadequate information is lacking, it isvery acceptable for a golf course super-intendent to purchase some product ata reasonable cost for a trial. However,some products or technologies cancost $10,000 to $50,000 just to "try out"due to the hardware expenses. A goodexample is water treatment technology.There are specific reasons supported byscience to treat irrigation water - if thereason/problem exists (Carrow et aI.,1999). However, it is not unusual tofind different types of water treatmentapparatus present on a golf course

where the water quality is such thattreatment is not needed. Also, newwater treatment techniques seem toappear each year without data to sup-port their usefulness in golf courseirrigation situations. Thus, expendinglarge amounts of club funds for testinga new technology is an ethical issuewhen the decision is based on "I hope"rather than "I know" and the club bearsthe total cost if the technology fails toperform according to prior claims.Another example of an ethical issue isthe overall wise and efficient use ofbudget resources. Golf course mainte-nance budgets can often be made moreefficient while not sacrificing quality.Maintenance budgets are a significantcontributor to the high cost of greenfees.

Information - True and UnbiasedTo ensure high ethical standards, golf

course superintendents can take threeactions: (1) demand high ethical stan-dards from themselves, (2) insist on ahigh ethical standards of conduct bythe staff under their direction, and (3)require product/technology/consultantproviders to adhere to an acceptableethical standard. This latter aspect re-quires that providers respect the golfcourse superintendent's need for truth-based information. It is not a questionof whether good, science-based infor-mation can be provided (unless theproduct does not do what is claimed),but a question of whether it is de-manded. If a product or technology isable to significantly prevent or correcta specific turfgrass management prob-lem, then this is a scientifically testableclaim. Thus, it is not unreasonable fora purchaser to request valid, unbiaseddata to be provided. To insure that"good information" is provided, golfcourse superintendents are encouragedto ask themselves seven questions(Table 1).1. Is this product needed in my situ-

ation? The turfgrass plant is exposed tomany stresses (climate, soil physical/chemical/biological, pests, traffic). Allcultural practices except mowing aredone to prevent or correct a particularstress. Thus, a new product or tech-nology should help address a specific

18 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

Table 1

Questions to Ask About a New Productrrechnology

1. Is the product needed?2. Are there better alternatives?3. Is the positive response from the product or an

added material?4. What about magnitude, duration, and consistency

of response?5. Are valid, unbiased test results available?6. Should I try this on a trial area or basis?7. Do the benefits justify the costs?

problem on the turfgrass site or it isnot needed.

Sometimes a product is not neces-sary because it is already present in thesoil or plant. For example, humic acidor humate products most consistentlycause positive responses (from micro-nutrients, growth stimulants/hormones)when applied to sites with very littleorganic matter (a.M.) such as duringgrow-in of greens or in hot climates thatdecompose much of the inherent a.M.However, on areas with even 1% or 2%a.M. by weight, responses are oftennon-existent or limited because 35% to40% of the existing a.M. is classifiedas humic acids. Similar situations oftenexist when microorganism (M.a.) in-oculations are used to enhance M.a.populations. The high a.M. produc-tion, nutrient-rich, well-irrigated en-vironment of many turf areas alreadysupports large M.a. populations. If soilor climate conditions are unfavorableto sustain inherent populations, addedM.a. cannot be sustained, either.

It is also questionable whether aproduct is needed if the manufacturerwill not list the active ingredient onthe label. Proprietary materials can beprotected by patents, which are publicdocuments. Sometimes the term pro-prietary is used to justify not listingwhat a material is because it is amaterial that others could easily mar-ket - possibly at a more competitiveprice. It is always amazing to read de-tailed product literature claiming manybenefits, but the material is never iden-tified or else identified in general terms.

2. Are there better "alternatives"?Two examples will suffice to illustratethis question. When alkaline soil con-ditions are present (i.e., pH> 7.0), a pHreduction program could be initiatedusing S compounds to acidify the soil.Even if free CaC03 is not present inthe soil and, therefore, acidification ispossible, it is often less expensive tosimply apply somewhat more Fe, Mn,or ~ since high pH causes few prob-lems except these nutrient deficiencies.Or, in the case of acidifying irrigationwater (which requires considerablehardware expense), to prevent the"potential" for calcite sealing of sandgreens over time, it is unreasonable totreat water over the whole course fora problem restricted to the greens.Also, routine cultivation and granularS materials can effectively alleviate thisphysical problem at much less expense(Carrow et aI, 1999).

3. Is the positive response due to the"active ingredient" or to an added

material? It is not unusual for N, Fe, orcolorants to be added to various soilamendments, or even some fungicides,to provide a "greening" effect thatimplies a growth response from theproduct. One could wonder why theseare needed if the product does what isclaimed. Certainly a turf managerwould not want to pay a high cost fora product whose only response camefrom small quantities of relatively in-expensive N, Fe, or colorants ratherthan the advertised "active ingredient."

These are situations where Fe or N isadded intentionally to enhance productperformance. Foliar Fe products oftenprovide a greater degree of greeningwhen applied in conjunction with asmall quantity of water-soluble N. Also,cytokinin materials often benefit fromadded Fe, which causes a greatergreening response, while the cytokiningives a longer-term effect. In these

High salinity and sodium levels cancontribute to soil physical problems.Your USGA agronomist can assist withdecisions regarding the latest science-based information involving soilamendments and water treatmentoptions.

situations, scientific data exist to sup-port a synergetic response.

4. How important is the response?Every soil amendment has the "poten-tial" to influence all soil properties -physical, chemical, or biotic. Alteringone factor has a "ripple effect" on allothers. Thus, soil amendments (whetherphysical, chemical, or biotic) are some-times advertised to improve a widevariety of properties - improve soilstructure, increase soil aeration, en-hance soil M.a. activity, etc. Thesestatements are "theoretically" true, buteven with careful scientific measure-ments the practical importance of theclaimed responses is often very small ornot measurable.

To illustrate this point, one couldadd some water or N to a turfgrasssystem. The water can "stimulate M.a.activity," "improve soil physical prop-erties (i.e., water in the soil is a soilphysical characteristic), and "increasenutrient availability." Added N couldstimulate M.a. activity, thereby en-hancing structure development whileimproving soil chemical properties.Thus, one could sell bottled water orNH4N03 fertilizer as a "soil amend-ment" and make a wide variety ofgeneral claims about improving soilphysical, chemical, and biologicalproperties.

The important question is notwhether a "theoretical" response canoccur, but instead is the magnitude,duration, and consistency of the re-sponse of practical importance tojustify the expense.

• Magnitude: Is the response greatenough to be important, or so smallthat it does not justify the expense andtime?

• Duration: Does the response lastlong enough to be important?

MAY/JUNE 2000 19

Water treatment technology, such as the sulfur generator, has been used successfullyin agriculture for decades. A thorough evaluation of the problem should be conductedbefore investing the considerable amount of money needed for this technology.

• Consistency: Do I get the sameresponse all the time or only once ina while?

5. Are valid, unbiased "test results"available? If only unsubstantiatedmanufacturer claims and testimonialsare available to support a product, thenit becomes a "buyer beware" situation.Sometimes testing is conducted but theresults are mixed. It is important to seethe full set of unbiased results and notjust the positive data for a fair evalu-ation. Scientific results from univer-sities, unbiased private laboratories, orunbiased consultants are the best pro-tection from false claims, but indi-viduals testing products must be carefulto be ethical in reporting results. Thereporting of full results is often difficultfor university researchers since therearen't many publication outlets fornegative or no-response data. They mayprovide a company with the full dataset, but a company may misrepresentthe data by selecting only positive data.This can be countered by honest verbalpresentations by researchers at con-ferences or written reports in local(in-state) publications.

A good technique to use, especiallyfor high-dollar items, is to ask, "Willyou put in writing exactly what thisproduct will do in my situation andwhy that response occurs? Then,please supply me with independent

20 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

data and its source to support theclaims. "

6. Should I try this item on a trialarea or basis? Many times a smallexpenditure will obtain sufficientproduct to test on a trial area, and thisis a good means of evaluating thematerial. However, as noted previously,expenditures of relatively high-dollaramounts to "test" a product or tech-nology are inappropriate unless clubmembers are fully aware that they arethe testing facility and funding sourcefor testing. When conducting a trial,be sure to include proper scientifictechnique.

• Have a control (check).• Have replications.• Randomize.• Determine ahead of time what you

specifically expect based on productclaims. Do these occur?

7. Do the "benefits" justify thecosts? The "bottom line" is whetherbenefits to a golf facility justify the cost.A sobering question that will reveal truefeelings is to ask yourself, "Would Ipurchase this product or technologywith money from my personal bankaccount if I were the owner?"

Common SenseIn addition to basing purchasing

decisions on an ethical and informa-tion basis, plain common sense is

important. A few common-sense state-ments illustrate this point.

• The foundation of all excellent golffacilities is solid, basic turfgrass man-agement. This starts with priorty atten-tion given to the basics - good fertili-zation, irrigation, mowing, pest control,and cultivation programs. The "extra5% or 10%" enhancement in qualityfrom incorporation of new productsor technologies cannot compensate forthe missing 90% from good "basics."

• There is no "silver bullet" productor technology that will come alongand solve all or most of your problems.Thus, do not respond to "silver bullet"claims or testimonials. The nearest to asilver bullet in the turfgrass system is agood golf course superintendent. Thenearest to silver-bullet products arewater and N .

• If it sounds too good to be true,then most likely it is not true.

In summary, all of our decisions andactions are, in reality, based on ethics.Ethical decisions and actions are madeon a foundation of truth and right. Thisrequires a high level of good informa-tion and a common-sense approach.The results of these ingredients are wisedecision-making and more affordablegolf.

ReferenceCarrow, R. N., R. R. Duncan, and M. Huck.1999. Treating the cause, not the symp-toms - irrigation water treatment for betterinfiltration. USGA Green Section Record37(6):11-15.

DR. ROBERT N. CARROW; tur/grass re-search scientist/professor at the Universityof Georgia - Griffin Station, is also a Fel-low of the American Society of Agronomyand Vice-President of the InternationalTur/grass Society. His peers hold him inhigh esteem for his ethical standards.