HStep

uSTMA chapters have made a

huge step forward in 1999.Prior to the opening of STMNs

10th annual Conference & Exhibitionin Mesa, AZ, last month, representa-tives of most affiliated and formingchapters met for the first-ever ChapterOfficers Training and ExchangeSession.

The session provided a networkingbonanza for those attending. Thephrase, "been there; done that," takeson a whole new meaning when you cancompare and share the results of yourexperiences with others.

Look for exciting new developmentswithin your chapter, and take a fewminutes to thank those involved fortheir commitment and hard work.

Chapter newsKAFMO Chapter: The Keystone

Athletic Field Managers Organizationrecently elected its 1999

g eBoard of Directors:

Dan DouglasPresidentDon FowlerVice PresidentKevin YeiserSecretaryJim WelshansTreasurerTim SpanglerCentral Dauphin School DistrictCo-Director: Public / Private SchoolsStanley WeaverUpper Dauphin School DistrictCo-Director: Public / Private SchoolsNeale MagillHampden TownshipCo-Director: Parks / RecreationChris LessigManheim TownshipCo-Director: Parks / RecreationJim WelshansDauphin County Coop. ExtensionCo-Director: Education / Extension

Don FowlerPSU Extension (retired)Co-Director: Education / ExtensionDennis ColemanMillersville UniversityCo-Director: College / UniversityKevin YeiserLebanon Valley CollegeCo-Directors: College / UniversityJoe BialekHarrisburg SenatorsCo-Director: Professional FacilityDan DouglasReading PhilliesCo-Director: Professional FacilityRich ValentineValentine & SonsCo-Director: Commercial CategoryKurt NilssonPROFILECo-Director: Commercial CategoryKAFMO/STMA will sponsor an ath-

letic field conference in Grantville, PA,Feb. 19. It will feature seminars and

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vendor displays. Presentation topicswill include: drainage, liability,sprayer calibration, low-budget turfcare, innovative establishment sys-tems, and more.

KAFMO/STMA is co-sponsoring theNorthwestern Pennsylvania AthleticField, Turf, and OrnamentalConference in Meadville, PA, Mar. 23.For details on this event, contact JeffFowler: (814) 437-7607.

For general information, contactDan Douglas, Reading PhilliesBaseball Club: (610) 375-8469, ext.212.

Minnesota Chapter: TheMinnesota Sports Turf ManagersAssociation 1999 Board of Directorsfollows:

Connie RudolphMidway StadiumPresidentPaul GriffinCity of WoodburyImmediate Past PresidentRon WernerKasson Mantorville Schools

President ElectDale WysockiMinnesota VikingsSecretaryLori GislasonUniversity of MinnesotaTreasurer .Arin LaugtugTessman CompanyCommercial Rep.Tom RudburgUniversity of St. ThomasMinn. Turfgrass Foundation Rep.The Minnesota Chapter is also

planning a March workshop at thenewly expanded Toro headquarters inBloomington, MN.

For information, contact ConnieRudolph: (612) 646-1679.

Colorado Chapter: The ColoradoSports Turf Managers Association1999 Board of Directors follows:

Troy SmithDenver BroncosPresidentAbby McNealPleasant View Sports Complex

Immediate Past PresidentJim MuellerCity of Westminster/Colorado RapidsVice PresidentDave CooperCPS DistributorsCommercial OfficerBobbi SmithExecutive SecretaryThe following members have been

elected to the position of director: DaveBrueggeman, South Suburban Parksand Rec. District; Jim Lamb, LittletonPublic Schools; Kalin Stovall, ColoradoState University; Riley Caldwell, Cityand County of Denver Parks and Rec.;and Scott Patterson, City ofNorthglenn Parks.

For information, call the 24-hourCSTMA chapter hotline: (303) 438-9645.

Florida Chapter #1: In March,Florida Chapter will participate in theSouth Florida Expo - IFAS in FortLauderdale.

For information, contact JohnMascaro: (954) 341-3115.

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Great Lakes Chapter: The chap- Rickner: (800) 672-4273.ter is currently planning two spring Nevada Chapter: For informa-events. The site and date are yet to be tion, contact Ibsen Dow: (702) 649-determined for an athletic field day 1551; or Alan Paulson, Clark Countyand workshop. Another workshop has School District: (702) 799-8724.been tentatively planned with the North Texas Chapter: For infor-Cleveland Browns. mation, contact Rene Asprion,

Aimcor - TURFACE has again Diamond Pro: (800) 228-2987; or Tomagreed to sponsor the GLSTMA Field Welch, CSM, Central Garden and Pet: ~of the Year awards. Contact GLSTMA (800) 788-9581.'.,4~~,t'.~headquarters for criteria information. ,--- _Members may enter their facility nolater than Oct. 1, 1999.

GLSTMA will also have an exhibitbooth at the Ohio Parks andRecreation Association Show inFebruary.

The chapter is working on a web-site so that members will be able tocheck upcoming events, get member-ship applications, link to the NationalSTMA and other turf-related websites,and e-mail GLSTMA Board members.

For information, contact JoeZelinko: (800) 897-9714, or BoydMontgomery: (419) 885-1982.

MAFMO Chapter: MAFMO isplanning a two-day irrigation trainingand installation seminar this spring.The date and site will be announcedsoon.

For information, contact the hot-line: (410) 290-5652.

Iowa Chapter: For information,contact Lori Westrum at the TurfOffice: (515) 232-8222, or fax: (515)232-8228.

Michigan Chapter: For informa-tion, contact Rick Jurries, WestOttawa Public Schools: (616)395-2364.

Mid-South Chapter: For informa-tion, contact Jim Calhoun: (901) 755-1305, or Robert Bodi: (901) 383-2414.

Midwest Chapter: For informa-tion, call the chapter hotline: (847)622-3517.

Northern California Chapter:For information, contact Sal Genito,UC Davis: (530) 752-1691.

Southern California Chapter:For information, contact the chapterhotline: (888) 578-STMA.

Chapters on the growArizona Chapter: For informa-

tion, contact Bill Murphy, City ofScottsdale Parks & RecreationDepartment: (602) 994-7954; or KrisKircher, City of Chandler Parks &Recreation Department: (602) 786-2728.

Indiana Chapter: For informa-tion, contact Terry Updike, B & BFertilizer: (219) 356-8424; or Pat

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Wisconsin Chapter: For informa-tion, contact Rich Riggs, R. R. Rettler& Associates, Inc.: (715) 341-2633.

Great Plains 'Chapter: For infor-mation, contact Mark Schimming,City of Wichita: (316) 337-9123. 0

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CHANGING THE COURSE

OF DISEASE '-'Vl~U'V,"

Trends in turfgrass use:a question-and-O nswer

session with NTEP exec1) Is there a trend away from

the more popular but higher main-tenance grasses (like Kentuckybluegrass) for home and commer-cial lawns and landscapes? If not,why not? If so, what grasses arebeing substituted?

Kentucky bluegrass is still thedominant turfgrass species inmany areas of the U.S., and proba-bly will be for many years to come.Development of new Kentuckybluegrass varieties is increasing(especially at Rutgers University),so demand must be strong.Kentucky bluegrass is still usedquite extensively in the tradition-al bluegrass areas - the Cool-Humid (Northeast and UpperMidwest) and Cool-Arid (Westernand Mountain states) areas.

However, in much of theTransition Zone, tall fescue is nowthe grass of choice by landscapersand homeowners. Sod growers inthe middle and upper TransitionZone have been forced to shift tomore tall fescue production andless Kentucky bluegrass produc-tion as a result of increasingdemand for tall fescue sod.

Perennial ryegrass is beingused in mixtures more, and asmono stands some in the Northeastand Pacific Northwest (Kentuckybluegrass succumbs to leaf spotand other diseases in the PacificNorthwest), but its winter killproblems in the northern U.S. anddisease susceptibility in theNortheast and Transition Zonehas limited its use in those areas.

Fine fescues are being usedmore in the traditional bluegrassareas, but mainly on low-mainte-nance lawns, no-mow slopes anddroughty sites.

2) Has the concept of using seedmixes totally caught on by now,since it's long been believed thatmonostands are harder to main-tain? Are the favorite componentsin mixes changing at all? In otherwords, are Kentucky bluegrass

and perennial ryegrass still themost popular components, or areastute landscapers substitutingother species?

Seed mixes are quite commonlyused by landscapers and homeown-ers since lawns and commerciallandscapes frequently contain sev-eral sub-environments or micro-climates (that is, sun and shade,traffic and compacted soils in someareas, buildings and shrubs thatreduce air flow, etc.). The reason-ing is that several different speciespresent in the lawn give someinsurance: maybe one will survivebetter in shade or during a droughtthan another. The exception isprobably tall fescue, as I see most-ly tall fescue mono stands beingestablished.

The situation is quite differentin the golf course industry wheremono stands still prevail.

3) What about oversee ding dor-mant warm-season grasses? Isperennial ryegrass still the speciesof choice for home lawns and com-mercial landscapes? Are choices

regionally-based, or are therenational trends?

Perennial rye grass is still thedominant species used. On golfcourses, other species such as Poatrivialis and even bentgrass areincreasing in popularity becausethey transition well (disappearwhen the warm-season grassesstart to grow again in the spring).In commercial landscapes, howev-er, perennial or annual ryegrassare most frequently used.

When overseeding a thin standof cool-season grass lawn, speciesused are mostly regionally-based.Much tall fescue is used in thetransition Zone, but perennial rye-grass is used for temporary turfsituations. Perennial ryegrass isused extensively for overseeding innorthern areas, but often in mix-tures with Kentucky bluegrass.Landscapers seem to want a seedmix that provides quick cover(perennial ryegrass) along withlong-term performance (Kentuckybluegrass).

4) What seem to be the most

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February 1999 17

desired characteristics of new varietiesthat seed companies are entering in theNTEP program? Are there trade-offs toobtain these characteristics? Forinstance, do you necessarily have tosacrifice color for wear tolerance, ordisease resistance for color?

Grasses that are top performers inNTEP trials need to have at least thefollowing. characteristics:

• medium to dark green color;• medium to high density;• good to excellent disease resis-

tance; and• good summer persistence.Under specific management or in

extreme environments, the needs mayalso include such things as tolerance ofclose mowing, ability to prevent Poaannua invasion, and good to excellentwinter tolerance.

It is possible to have a dark green,dense, wear-tolerant or disease-resis-tant grass. But in some cases, changingone characteristic will affect somethingelse in the variety. For example, tallfescue varieties that are extremelydense and do not produce as muchupright growth are generally more sus-

ceptible to brown patch than varieties that are lessdense and have an upright growth habit. Also, it ispossible that very dark green perennial ryegrassesabsorb more heat and therefore have more problemsduring summer.

Grasses that perform well in many different areasof the U.S. and therefore perform well in NTEP trialsmust have improved persistence. (They survive sum-mer heat and drought well, resist several importantdiseases). Again, medium to dark green color and gooddensity is important and can be incorporated into animproved variety, but the basis of the improvementhas to be persistence.

5) How close are some of the breeders' pet projectsto becoming reality? (Like endophyte-enhancedKentucky bluegrass and Roundup-resistant tall fes-cue.)

There are many projects in the works, but it is hardto say which will make it to commercialization.

Endophyte-enhanced Kentucky bluegrass and bent-grass will eventually be commercially available, butwill most likely take longer than expected. Manyaspects of the host plant/endophyte relationship thatare not well understood could slow down the develop-ment process considerably.

Roundup (or other herbicides) resistance is coming,but there are so many legal issues involved that it isunsure when these products will be available. Forinstance, patents are held by different companies onthe Roundup-resistant gene, the gene gun (used toincorporate the gene into plant cells), and other tech-nologies needed to produce one of these grasses. All ofthe patent-holders have a stake in the developmentprocess. Royalties will have to be negotiated with

Plots like this are an integral part of the NTEP testing process, as seedbreeders and marketers continually seek to define the most desirabletraits for lawn and landscape turfs.

Circle 111 on Inquiry Card18 sports TURF• http://www.sportsturfonline.com

Plots like this are an integral part of the NTEP testingprocess, as seed breeders and marketers continually seek todefine the most desirable traits for lawn and landscapeturfs.

each patent owner, and that cost will be passed on tothe consumer.

There is a big question in my mind of the ultimatedemand for herbicide-resistant grasses. Will con-sumers pay much more for a grass that has herbicideresistance? Only time will tell, but most plant breed-ers are using biotechnology as but one. tool toimprove grasses, along with traditional breedingtechniques of crossing, hybridizing, and populationimprovement.

probably more progress can be made in collectingand improving little-known but promising speciessuch as Koeleria (prairie junegrass), Deschampsia(tufted hairgrass) and seashore paspalum.

Grasses that will provide quality turf withreduced inputs is the wave of the future. Anothertechnique that breeders are using to developimproved grasses involves screening for improvedstress tolerance. The best example of this is tall fes-Que developed for use in high-stress, acid soil situa-tions (such as much of the Southeast).

6) What kinds of trends do you personally envi-sion coming down the road, in the near future, as faras turfgrass use and breeding?

I think breeders and companies will developgrasses that are more regionally adapted or that pro-vide better performance under a particular stress

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February 1999 19

(like traffic or drought).Biotechnology will be important

in adding genes for resistance tovarious stresses (for example,resistance to brown patch in tallfescue). Much more work will bedone on endophytes, includingidentification of disease-suppress-ing strains. As stated before, new

species will be investigated, buttheir acceptance in the market-place is unclear at this time.

More breeders will be searchingthe world for new sources ofgermplasm (plants that have bene-ficial genes to create new vari-eties). This will broaden the genebase of varieties in the market.

Compared to Tifway, Tifsport" Certified Bermudagrass gives you:

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For new or reconstruction, contact a TifSport growerin your area or call us at 1-888-584-6598.

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Circle 113 on Inquiry Card

20 sports TURF • http://www.sportsturfonline.Gom

7) Finally, given the NTEP'spartial dependence on USDA fund-ing, what is the program's future,in your opinion?

Federal funding constitutesonly about 8 percent of total NTEPfunding with the majority of fund-ing resulting from entry feescharged to test grasses. The feder-al funding is actually use ofoffices, greenhouse and land at theUSDA in Beltsville, MD. Thefunds do not come directly toNTEP and cannot be spent theway a business would buy supplieswith a checking account.

Federal funding is important,however, because NTEP is anational program that is neutraland therefore unbiased. Federalsupport gives the NTEP the credi-bility and visibility worldwide tobe successful.

The future of the NTEP isbright. We have new programsincluding testing of grasses inactual use situations (on golfcourse putting greens). We areinvestigating new and bettermethods to analyze the NTEPinformation and present it to thegeneral public. And we are usingspecific management regimes onour test sites to more preciselyidentify those grasses that requireless water, pesticides, and fertiliz-er.

Our goal is to help the end-userfind superior grasses for theirregion or level of management. 0

Kevin Morris is director of theNational Turfgrass EvaluationProgram (NTEP), an arm of theUnited States Department ofAgriculture, which conducts seedtrials all across the country. Becauseof that, he's in the perfect positionto observe how turf breeders andmarketers are adapting to marketneeds, and turfgrass use trends inthe U.S. Last month, we posedseven trend-related questions tohim. Here are his responses.-ED.