Whats New in the World of Turf

1
Whats New in the World of Turf?

• 7 March 2008
• Dr. Tony Koski
• Colorado State University Extension
• http//csuturf.colostate.edu

2
Does Sustainable Lawn Management Mean?

• The elimination of turf areas from Colorado
  landscapes?
• Limiting the amount of turf that a homeowner or
  business may plant and maintain?
• Using only native grass species for lawns?
• Using only natural organic lawn care products?
• That low quality turf must be accepted or
  tolerated?

3
According to Wikipedia
One reason many commentators consider
sustainability hard to define, is the sheer
number of meanings of sustainability that abound.
The popularity of the term, and the many isolated
attempts on the part of governments and other
agents to begin sustainability programs, have led
to these competing definitions, and much
confusion. The often-uttered statement that there
"is no agreed-upon definition of sustainability"
results from this confusion.
4
Sustainability

• "Meeting the needs of the present generation
  without compromising the ability of future
  generations to meet their needs."
  Brundtland-1987

5
The Federal Definition

• Sustainable agriculture was defined in Public Law
  101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683,
  Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., NAL
  KF 1692.831 1990. Under that law,
• "the term sustainable agriculture means an
  integrated system of plant and animal production
  practices having a site-specific application that
  will, over the long term
• satisfy human food and fiber needs
• enhance environmental quality and the natural
  resource base upon which the agricultural economy
  depends
• make the most efficient use of nonrenewable
  resources and on-farm resources and integrate,
  where appropriate, natural biological cycles and
  controls
• sustain the economic viability of farm
  operations
• enhance the quality of life for farmers and
  society as a whole."

6
Sustainable (lawn) A lawn area requiring few
outside inputs (e.g., water, fertilizer) to
maintain healthy grass while having a positive
impact on the environment (e.g., preventing soil
erosion).
From the U. Minnesota web site on sustainable
lawn management
homeowners, business owners and related industry
personnel will be able to create outdoor spaces
that are functional, maintainable,
environmentally sound, cost effective and
aesthetically pleasing.
http//www.sustland.umn.edu/
7
(No Transcript)
8
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis)

• High quality
• Great recuperator
• Sod-former
• Stress-resistant
• Thatch-former
• Poor shade tolerance
• Disease- and insect-prone?
• Higher water and N requirements???

9
Texas bluegrass (Poa arachnifera Torr.)
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.)
X
10
Research by Mary Suplick-Ploense (2000-2002)
Rooting Patterns

• Root Length Density at 40-60 cm
• Field HBG 6x KBG
• Greenhouse HBG 12x KBG
• Total Root Length
• Field HBG 2x KBG
• Greenhouse HBG 2x KBG
• Total Root Mass
• Field HBG 4x KBG
• Greenhouse HBG 3x KBG

11
Hybrid Bluegrass Heat Tolerance Kansas State
University

• Thermal Blue remained green after 14 days at
  104 F day/86 F night
• Dynasty tall fescue became dormant
• Apollo KBG became half dormant

12
Bandera Texas X Kentucky Hybrid BluegrassSeed
Research of Oregon
Bandera

• Improved seed germination
• High heat tolerance
• Active summer growth
• Stress tolerance
• Good turf quality

13
Hybrid Bluegrass Management

• Mowing
• 1.5-3 inches (or even lower!)
• Fertilization
• Performs well at low fertility (1-2 lbs/yr), but
  can be maintained under high fertility for
  heavy-use fields (3-5 lbs. N/year)
• Irrigation
• Good drought resistance and lower ET may save
  water with low-traffic turf, but ample irrigation
  is likely required under heavy use
• Cultivation
• Standard, as for other species and turf use
  situations
• Pest Management
• Billbugs may be a concern
• Disease should not be a problem in Colorado wait
  and see as use increases

14
Hybrid Bluegrass Varieties

• Gardner Turfgrass
• Reveille
• The Scotts Company
• Thermal Blue
• Solar Green
• Thermal Blue Blaze
• Dura Blue
• Seed Research of Oregon
• Bandera, Spitfire
• Turf-Seed Inc.
• Longhorn
• Others
• Fire and Ice, Fahrenheit 90

15
The Fine Fescues

• Chewings Fescue 
• Festuca rubra commutata
• Creeping Red Fescue
• Festuca rubra
• Hard Fescue
• Festuca ovina duriuscula
• Sheep's Fescue
• Festuca ovina tenuifolia
• Slender Creeping Red Fescue
• Festuca rubra trichophylla

16
Fine fescues (Festuca spp.)

• Low maintenance
• Good stress tolerance
• Fine texture, high density
• Shade tolerant
• Poor traffic tolerance
• Can become thatchy
• Poor recuperation rate

17
(No Transcript)
18
Fine fescues look great mowed or unmowed, for a
native look.
19
Chewings Fescue(Festuca rubra commutata)

• Ambassador
• Cascade
• Compass
• Culumbra II
• Longfellow II
• 7 Seas
• Silhouette
• SR 5130
• SR 5100
• Zodiac

20
Buffalograsses for Colorado

• Seeded types
• Bowie, Cody, Bison, SharpShooter, Topgun, Plains,
  Sharps Improved, Texoka
• Vegetative types
• Legacy (excellent winterhardiness)
• Prestige (good winterhardiness)
• 609 (marginal winterhardiness use only in
  southeastern CO, or protected urban areas
  elsewhere in CO)

21
Cold-Hardy Bermudagrass

• Seeded hybrids
• Good turf quality
• Heat and traffic tolerant
• Drought resistant
• Moderately quick establishment rate

22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25
Which fertilizer is more sustainable?

• Organic vs. synthetic?
• Beneficial to the soil?
• Cost per bag?
• Coverage?
• Origin/shipping distance?

26
(No Transcript)
27
Weed or fertilizer?
28
(No Transcript)
29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
(No Transcript)
33
(No Transcript)
34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
Conduct an Irrigation Audit
37
(No Transcript)
38
(No Transcript)
39
Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI)
40
(No Transcript)
41
Golf courses and parks (and some home lawns)
are major users of effluent water.
42
(No Transcript)
43
Preemergence Herbicides

• benefin (Balan)
• benefin trifluralin (Team)
• bensulide (Betasan)
• corn gluten meal (Amaizing Lawn, WOW, many
  others)
• dithiopyr (Dimension)
• isoxaben (Gallery) broadleaf weeds only
• oxadiazon (Ronstar)
• pendimethalin (Pre-M, Pendulum, Scotts home
  products)
• prodiamine (Barricade)
• siduron (Tupersan) for use at time of seeding
• mesotrione (Tenacity) both pre- and
  postemergence for annual grasses

44
What if you get crabgrass anyway?

• Dimension (dithiopyr) will give EARLY
  postemergent control
• MSMA (organic arsenicals) gives good EARLY
  postemergent control
• Acclaim Extra (fenoxaprop) gives good
  postemergent control at all stages
• Drive (quinclorac) gives excellent postemergent
  control at all stages

45
Perennial Weedy Grass Species

• Tall fescue
• Quackgrass
• Bromegrass
• Bentgrass
• Zoysiagrass
• Bermudagrass
• Poa annua
• Poa trivialis

46
Managing Perennial Grassy Weeds

• Glyphosate, followed by reseeding or sodding
• Learn to tolerate the different grass species

47
Bermudagrass Suppression in Cool-Season Turf

• Acclaim Extra (fenoxaprop)
• 20 oz./acre
• every 28-35 days
• begin at green-up
• must be actively growing
• no more than 121 oz/yr

• Turflon (triclopyr)
• 1 quart/acre
• apply at 4 week intervals
• 4-5 applications
• actively growing grass
• Improved control if tank-mixed with a post
  emergence herbicide registered for this use
  pattern

48
Bermudagrass Suppression in Cool-Season Turf

• Triclopyr fenoxaprop
• Triclopyr mesotrione
• Triclopyr mesotrione fenoxaprop

Make first SPRING application (mid-late May) when
bermudagrass is at 60 greenup follow with 2
additional applications at 3-week intervals
Make first FALL application at 9 weeks prior to
first hard frost (begin late July) follow with 2
additional applications at 3-week intervals
49
Bermudagrass Suppression

• Repeat applications may kill significant amounts
  of bermudagrass
• Phytotoxicity on cool-season species must still
  be anticipated

50
Bentgrass (Agrostis spp.)

• Usually creeping, unless old lawns
• Likes water, shade
• Puffy scalps with mowing
• Blue-green color, fine leaves
• Very tall, white ligule

51
Scalping of Creeping Bentgrass in Lawn
52
Tenacity (mesotrione)A New Herbicide for Turf
Weed Control

• Has a novel mode of action based on a naturally
  produced compound from the bottlebrush plant
  (Callistemon citrinis)
• Absorbed by leaves, shoots, and roots and rapidly
  translocated in the xylem and phloem of
  susceptible plants
• Prevents carotenoid production in leaves, leading
  to destruction of chlorophyll and cell membranes
• Highly active at low use rates as a pre- and
  post-emergence herbicide
• Provides selective broad-spectrum dicot and
  monocot weed control in a number of turf species
• Can use at or prior to seeding of proposed
  labeled turfgrass species
• Low toxicity to wildlife and aquatic organisms
  and short persistence in the environment

53
(No Transcript)
54
Turf Species Labeled for Tenacity

• Kentucky bluegrass (including Texas x KBG
  hybrids) 0.16-0.25 lb. ai/a
• Perennial ryegrass 0.16 lb. ai/a
• Tall fescue 0.16-0.25 lb. ai/a
• Fine fescues (red, Chewings, hard)
• 0.16 lb. ai/a

55
Mesotrione (Tenacity) for Bentgrass Control in
Ryegrass and Kentucky BluegrassSyngenta Company

• 2 applications 0.25 lb ai/A, at 10-14 interval
• 3 applications 0.17 lb ai/A, at 10-14 day
  interval
• 80-90 control at 15 weeks after treatment
• Preemergent and postemergent activity on
  crabgrass, some broadleaf weeds

56
Roughstalk bluegrass (Poa trivialis)

• Stoloniferous bluegrass
• Very fine, shiny leaves
• Forms dense patches
• Likes water, but very adaptable species

57
Poa trivialis in home lawn
58
Rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis)
59
Certainty (sulfosulfuron) for Selective Poa
trivialis Control in Bluegrass and Bentgrass

• Used for nutsedge control in south
• Kentucky bluegrass turf
• 0.75 oz. product/acre, or 2 appl. of 0.5
  oz./acre, 3-4 weeks apart
• KBG/rye or KBG/fine fescue, bentgrass
• 2-3 applications at rate of 0.25 oz/acre, 3-4
  weeks apart
• Single 0.5 oz/acre follow with overseeding 3-4
  weeks later
• Will suppress (0.5 oz)/control (0.75 oz) tall
  fescue, quackgrass, Poa annua, clover, dandelion,
  mustards
• Label for bent, rye and KBG tees, fairways,
  roughs, sod farms

60
Quackgrass (Agropyron repens)

• Coarse, blue-green leaves
• Aggressive rhizome former
• Rolled vernation
• Early spring green-up
• Common ag and ditchbank weed
• Can be selectively controlled in bluegrass turf
  with Certainty herbicide (sulfosulfuron)

61
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua)

• May be annual or more perennial in nature
• Likes moisture, fertilizer, shade, heavy soil,
  compaction
• Light apple-green
• Produces seedheads
• Tall, white ligule

62
Mesotrione for Poa annua Control in Ryegrass and
Kentucky BluegrassSyngenta Company

• Spring-summer applications much less effective
• Fall, followed by spring applications, are VERY
  effective
• Not safe on bentgrass
• 0.25 lb ai/A

63
(No Transcript)
64
Postemergent Broadleaf Herbicides

• 2,4-D (many names, often with other herbicides)
• dicamba (Banvel)
• MCPP, mecoprop (many brands)
• MCPA (many)
• dichlorprop
• triclopyr (Turflon Amine, Turflon Ester)
• clopyralid triclopyr (Confront)
• quinclorac (Drive)
• clopyralid (Lontrel)
• chlorsulfuron (Corsair)
• metsulfuron methyl (Manor)
• carfentrazone-ethyl (component of Speed Zone,
  Power Zone)
• fluroxypyr (Spotlight)
• sulfentrazone (Dismiss) NEW IN 2006 (component of
  Surge and Q4)
• mesotrione (Tenacity) Label expected in late 2007
  or early 2008
• sulfosulfuron (Certainty) new turf label, for
  cool-season turf, in 2007

65
Spotlight

• Fluroxypyr
• Clopyralid replacement
• 1-2.5 pints product/acre
• Somewhat limited weed spectrum
• Safe on all cool-season species no buffalograss
  label

66
Dismiss

• Sulfentrazone
• Safe on most cool- and warm-season turf species
• Excellent for sedge control
• Good for annual broadleaf weeds
• Rapid activity
• Shoot and root uptake

67
Surge

• Sulfentrazone, with 2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba
• Cool-season grasses and buffalograss
• Water-based amine, low odor
• For weed control when gt90 F
• Fast-acting (24-48 hrs)
• Photosynthetic inhibitor
• Dandelion, clover, oxalis, spurge, knotweed,
  plantain

68
Q4

• Quinclorac
• Sulfentrazone
• 2,4-D (amine salt)
• Dicamba (amine salt)
• Excellent cool-season turf safety
• Controls annual grassy weeds and long list of
  annual and perennial broadleaf weeds

69
Dicot Weeds Controlled by Tenacity

• Buttercup/Ranunculus (post)
• Chickweeds (pre and post)
• Clover (pre and post)
• Dandelion (post)
• Oxalis (post)
• Speedwell species (post)
• Canada thistle (post)
• Sowthistle (post)

70
Field speedwell Veronica persica
Mock strawberry Duchesnea chrysantha
71
Wood Sorrel, Oxalis (Oxalis stricta, O.
corniculatus)

• Healthy turf
• Preemergence
• Pendimethalin, prodiamine, isoxaben, oxadiazon
• Postemergence
• Combination products containing dichlorprop,
  triclopyr, or dicamba
• Tenacity

72
Bindweed (Convolvulus)

• Healthy turf suppresses it
• Increase N fertility
• Preemergent control
• none
• Postemergent control
• 3- and 4-way products
• Clopyralid products
• Drive, Q4 VERY good!

73
Homeowner Postemergence Crabgrass Options

• Ortho product contains quinclorac (Drive)
• Will control most warm-season annual grasses,
  except for goosegrass
• Works fairly quickly
• Little potential for turf injury
• Dont use on fine fescue lawns

74
Homeowner Postemergence Crabgrass Options

• Bayer product contains fenoxaprop
• Will control all warm-season annual grasses,
  including sandbur
• Works somewhat slowly (weeks)
• May cause some slight (but noticeable)
  discoloration on bluegrass
• DONT use on buffalograss, zoysiagrass, and - of
  course - bermudagrass

75
(No Transcript)