Minutes from 2006 NCERA-192 Meeting

North Dakota State University campus, Fargo, North Dakota
Hosts: Ron Smith and Deying Li

12 June 2006: Day 1

Attendees:  Ken Diesburg*-Southern Illinois Univ., Travis Teuton*-Univ. Missouri, David Gardner*-The Ohio State Univ., Tom Fermanian*-Univ. Illinois, Shane Anderson-South Dakota State Univ., Terry Riordan*-Univ. Nebraska, Deying Li-North Dakota State Univ., Ron Smith*-North Dakota State Univ., Nick Christians*-Iowa State Univ., Jason Kruse-Univ. Wisconsin, Rodney St. John*-Kansas State Univ., Zac Reicher*-Purdue Univ., John Stier*-Univ. Wisconsin, Eric Watkins-Univ. Minnesota, Mark Ascerno-Univ. Minnesota.  *Indicates official representatives. 

Absent: Suleiman Bughrara-Michigan State Univ., Brian Horgan-Univ. Minnesota, Leo Schleicher-South Dakota State Univ., Tom Voigt-Univ. Illinois

  • Discussed changing Wisc.-OSU meeting dates; discussion delayed until after introductions
  • Introductions were held
  • Historians report-Christians

-Christians Motioned to move 07 mtg to Wisc, back all other states up one year (OSU in 08, South. IL in 09, Mich 2010, Purdue 2011, Iowa State 2012, Illinois 2013, Kansas 2014); Reicher 2nd.   Discussion regarding future joint meetings, no rule we need to do this.  Field day July 26 so NCR prob. July 24-25.  Discussed how to do joint meeting with TPI/MSC, e.g., ½ or full day seminar or other interaction with TPI/MSC.  We could satisfy joint by having a few people get on TPI/MSC program.  Zac would like to see more focus on information exchange of projects each one is doing—southern group has 30-45 min. talks, 2 full-day meetings.  We could select say 5 researchers to do talks. Stier can ask TPI how we can fit in with their educational program. Motion passed to have NCR in Wisc in 07 and to have several research presentations in lieu of state reports (do near beginning of meeting).  Should lead to better projects.  We can simply exchange websites of state reports and give secretary single paragraph of what is going on in each state.  Host will invite presenters and develop agenda.  Motion passed.  Stier will send request for each state to submit one idea for a presentation.

  • Regional Project Updates
  • Soil N test (Gardner): Illinois Soil N test won’t probably work for determining if turf will respond to a N application, but may be able to identify N-leaching-prone sites.  Another portion of the grant will correlate amino N to fertility response.  Region-wide possibility for collaboration.  Take soil tests of untreated and treated 5x5 plots with 3 reps, measure clipping yields for 6 wks, take soil tests at end of study (test is supposed to be soil type independent).  USGA has funded it.  Dave will send out M&M to states, have states respond to gauge compliance.
  • LIST studies:
    • 2004 study: Shuizhang sent report.  A few states have yet to send 2005 data (Stier may need to send WI).  Will keep it going for at least 3 yrs.  Eric Watkins may be interested in coordinating new study after he sees data.
    • Old study: Diesburg will have data analyzed before autumn 06
  • Lawn Problem Solver (Voigt per Fermanian): List of lawn problems for which more information is still needed.  NCERA needs to release the project so site can  be linked to NCERA sites.  60-70% done; Voigt & Stier need to send specific requests for help as most info. already exists in some form.  Rodney St. John expressed willingness to help w/ electronic end if needed. 
  • Invasiveness of Grasses-Requested help if others interested to revise 05 grant proposal.  Terry Riordan will ask Roch for review of past grant.
  • Nematode survey: Purdue wants potential nematode samples, can be sent to Zac; ad hoc sampling is showing huge numbers of ring nematodes even in asymptomatic putting greens.  Potential problem if superintendents think nematode problems exist as Nemacur and Curfew highly toxic and not used much (Nemacur degrades in 3 days); some potential for sesame oil and mustard though mustard is phytotoxic.  Molasses has shown nematodes suppression.
  • Midwest Grasses also not yet on website (Fermanian):  Should be linked to NCERA website.
  • Committee Reports:
  • NTEP report (Watkins per Horgan): Tall fescue trials have been awarded; NCERA192 got 10 of the 30 tests.  NTEP needs to address deficit, maybe fewer sites.  NTEP has spun away from National Turf Foundation (NTF).  No trials will be issued in 2009.  Watkins pointed out that in MN and probably federal legislators, turf does not have a political base like soybean growers.  Terry pointed out TPI is connected with federal legislators.  Diesburg pointed out use of perennial grasses for soil conservation could be important; others discussed carbon fixation.
  • Website (Fermanian): This is Tom’s last year, will retire; Wilkinson retire in 2 yrs. Their dept. is going more towards natural resources and away from ag/hort.  NCERA needs to find someone else to house and run the site.  Rodney St. John willing to take over the site.
  • Send minutes to Fermanian so can be put on NCERA website and Ascerno can report this
  • New Projects

    Poa trivialis control:  Bruce, Zac, Roch have project going on for golf courses.  Anyone interested in joining.  Sulfusulfuron and/or Velocity for Poa trivialis control.  Applications to start w/in one week; 2-3 applications two to three weeks apart.  % control and bentgrass safety on bentgrass fairways.

    Discussed results of Minner’s wish to coordinate standard traffic simulator for sports turf management.  He and Horgan visited Toro but Toro has decided to not pursue it.

    Reviewed last years compilation of projects:

    Obj. 2
    -LIST
    -Roundup Ready Project—Nick sprays Finale on KBG; not getting any bent; Zach let his fallow last year and seeing volunteers this year.  Scotts pulled project; Christians had benefits study of getting rid of Poa (included ball roll at 20, 40, 60% Poa) but didn’t get enough Poa.  For report, state that industry-sponsored research was pulled by industry before sufficient data could be collected for reporting.  However, data from universities supplied for APHIS review of RRCB.  Nick-IA State will have paper on RR KBG spread.
    -Col bentgrass/ff fairways
    -Sustainable pest control (corn gluten meal)-Nick and Deying can send their independent results to me.  Takes 3 yrs to achieve 80-90% control.  Nick has new grad student starting new projects this summer.  Over $1 mill. in royalties last year.

    Aside:  Nick says Iowa trying to take 47% of all gifts and NTEP.  Illinois trying to reclassify gift contracts as technical experiments and charge 33%.  Nick says letter saying they don’t pay overhead no longer good; company needs to have formal policy.

    -USGA project—will get info from Jung
    -  Gray leaf spot project has generated a manuscript which has been submitted.
    -Rust---will be reinoculating w/ rust this year and may get a manuscript
    -Gene mapping---project done in 05
    -Collection native grasses---project done in 05

    Objective 3: BMPs
    -Creeping bent ctl in bluegrass—paper turned down will be resubmitted
    -Rough bluegrass control—Zac will send me update; control with Velocity all over the board; Velocity effective in IN and IL, Certainty effective in NE.  Velocity apps. in mid summer work best.  Certainty damages KBG if applied in fall; Gardener says no phyto on rye when applied in fall despite label to not apply to rye.
    -Velocity (bispyribac-sodium) tolerance of KBG----abstract/poster at 06 ASA meetings

    Opportunities: 1) Reed canarygrass showing up in golf courses; homeowner in WI has it under mowed conditions.  2) Ornamental grasses (esp. Pennisetum spp.) from Zac and Voigt have escaped into some areas and looking at control; withstands 1-2 inch mowing height.

    -Weed ID & Control Website----needs to be removed, never was meant to be a regional project.

    *Everyone needs to send links for their state reports to Fermanian/St. John

13 June 2006: Day 2

STATE REPORTS

Kansas
Bremner working on N gas losses as affected by different species and nitrogen forms; Texas bluegrass hybrid heat and drought tolerance; spectral analysis.  Fry-cold tolerance of zoysiagrass, acclimation requirements, N sources for large patch in zoysia, rhizome spread from tall fescue, fairy ring reduction; Keeley-CHO of tall fescue and Bermuda response to Polyon; St. John-Tall fescue rhizomes, mesotrione evaluations, wants to evaluate Quicksilver for moss control (works well in NE).

Iowa
Nick-5 grad students graduated, Kruse at UWEX, St. John at Kansas, Howieson looking, Dant working at Syngenta, Jones working at IA state un. golf course.  Added David Devetter (chlorosis on KBG in mid-summer using Heatway system), Nick Boersma starting to work on corn gluten/allelopathy ecology, Kendal Fogel (MS) is asst at Homewood GC/grad student in winter on new growth regulator.  Glutoderm is newly patented pharmaceutical for healing human lesions.

North Dakota
Student increase increased from 9 to 40 in past few years, half from MN.  Most golf course but leave state for employment.  Administration interested in new turf position, either weed problems or general turf management (90R/10I).  Deying has built in ground irrigation on 3 acres.  Sod study (N, seeding rates and time), water needs to decrease surface temp. compared to artificial turf (funded by TPI), USGA project to develop new hydraulic conductivity method (Kunsat), mesotrione use for creeping bentgrass removal from perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass using different surfactants (1-2 week sequential applications better than longer time periods; Zach found 4 day intervals even more effective). 

Discussed ND turf professor needs.  Proposed research with minor teaching. Technical support needed for the position, administration indicated it will be supplied.  Li has none (80I/20R).  Smith is 90E/10I but not necessarily turf.  No industry support for turf.  Discussed asking 6-8 industry people to be part of a turf advisory board to get their buy-in.  This was tried 2 yrs ago to no avail.  Discussed competition for students from other schools like Crookston (hiring tenure track faculty) and inability to place students in decent positions; golf market somewhat saturated and students are taking jobs as 2nd and 3rd assts, unable to move up in < 5 yrs; pay fairly low at that level.  Discussion about extension appointment to engender industry support.  Question about tenure requirements regarding grants and publications.

Ascerno thoughts: Cooperation across dept. lines important, so could extend position with entomology or pathology.  Technical support important for extension important too.  Grants important.  Some liaison work needed with industry, will take years.  What is the research gap that needs to be covered?  What is teaching support requirement (e.g., entomology or pathology?—Smith indicated this is being covered).

Advice: New position: physiology with technician, primarily research with some teaching.  Additional extension responsibilities would be desirable.  Transfer other proposed faculty appointment for a technician to Li.  Change Li’s appt. to 30-40% R.

Missouri
Teuton: Started position March 15.  Re-established Minner’s old putting greens.  Granular mesotrione comparison with Scotts products, good on black clover.  Dollar spot control work.  Sulfonyl ureas (Revolver for clumpy tall fescue with ammonia sulfate effective).  Mowing and rolling study to ascertain cultivar response on greens.  Velocity for Poa control on greens at low rates.  Student starting in autumn using mustard seed meal for weed control as biofumigant.  May also work for dollar spot control on greens.  Spectrum chlorophyll meter (CM1000-$2000, uses ambient light—measures difference of far red and blue reflected) use for quantifying herbicide injury.  Could be useful for interstate comparisons if similar trials are being conducted.  Fermanian said CM500 better ($500) but harder to use—uses own light source.  Has tried it on all SUs applied to hybrid TXxKBG.  Low CVs, five shots/trt are sufficient.  Shoots two laser beams, measures all within the circle.  Size of circle depends on distance from plot.  Works best as sunlight increases.  Could work for establishment evaluation.  CM1000 may be closer to judging quality too.  Manuscript rejected, one reason because it wasn’t compared with wet chemistry of chlorophyll.

Illinois
Hamblin (breeding) didn’t get tenure.  Voigt assessing Miscanthus spp. for biofuel, joint with other people for energy conversion.  Branham will probably return to Illinois; still teaching and doing pendimethalin-Poa annua studies.  Beasely PhD graduate is seeking employment.  Wilkinson has 3 graduate students: zoysia diseases and molecular technology.  Fermanian finishing grad student (Sidhu; PhD) assessing technology for NTEP measurements—few correlations between technology and evaluators except for CM500, though trained person can do color just fine, technology merely keeps evaluator “calibrated”.  Density not work well due to shadowing of 3-D turf.  Texture also difficult, no good system. 

Hort/Turf program is downsizing at Univ. Illinois.   

Southern Illinois
Diesburg distributed writeup.  Teaching gets emphasis from administration.  Turf specialty started in 2004 to promote the turf program.  Dean views turf as expansion area so wants more students.  Historically have had 25-30 students, this year have 17.  Try to get 12 month internship, 6 month often happens.  Research: Breeding emphasis, >4000 zoysia plants.  Some more vigorous than bermudagrass.  Goal: good seed producer, higher than 8 inches, that is fine textured.  Chicago superintendents want zoysia.  SIU did not get regular tall fescue but did get ancillary shade trial on tall fescue; did not get KBG trial.  Work with Dr. Jung (Wisconsin), publishing manuscript on gene control of gray leaf spot.  Dr. Chong (began 1997) working on waste management for SIU for vermicompost from cafeterias, largest in U.S.  Josh Gaby (grad student) was helping grounds with zoysia instead of invasive, poor-looking Bermuda.  Not large N response from vermicompost in the zoysia treatments (using 3 tons/acre based on orchard study).  Zac indicates zoysia seedlings non-responsive to N in first year.  Vermiform compost is not promoting turf growth as well as a synthetic fertilizer.  Gardner calculated its about 3 lb N/M of slow release.  His former compost work was not beneficial for turf.

Incoming graduate student for turf breeding on self-pollination of tall fescue.  Interested in timing of seeding KBG, tall fescue, Bermuda, zoysia in transition zone, seeding every month. 

Minnesota
Teaching: 25-30 turf students, college wants more.  Five Master of Ag students in turf, many people sick of office jobs and seek information on turf.  Take 2 yrs if full-time, do small project.  More than a BS but less than a regular MS.  Internship required.  Added turf pest class (weeds, disease, insect).  Industry really wants a turf pathologist, lack is causing problems.

Two research grad students because expensive, about $33k/yr.  One with Watkins, one with Elke in agronomy on seed production.  50-60,000 acres seed production in Roso near Canadian border.  Historically Park KBG (15-20K), now newer varieties but Park contamination.  Perennial ryegrass now 20K acres, lot of elite varieties.  Plant in fall, if dies in winter they plant soybean in spring.  Seed producers much more effective lobbyists than golf course superintendents.  Winter hardiness and rust are main breeding issues in PRG.  KBG no issues, just better varieties.  Trying to diversify seed producers.

Watkins: Tall fescue winter survival research, seed production, breeding prairie Junegrass.  Leads to grant opportunities.  Very mowable, but slow growing.  Mowing it at fairway height.  The junegrass and tufted hairgrass in LIST are not good selections.  Perennial ryegrass winter hardiness and endophyte compatability-grad student.  Horgan: Pesticide and nutrient runoff, new grad student coming for water conservation with Toro.  Low input fairways and turfs.  Over 15 acres turf research.

Industry support good but upset with College.  Green Expo about 8,000 people.  Give lots of money.  College of Ag merged with Nat’l Resources so now Food, Ag and Natural Resources (CFANR).  Depts. placed into 3 clusters: Plant, Environment, and Food and Animal Science.  Positions are assigned to cluster, cluster decides on the positions.  Administrative structure of clusters still developing.  New dean coming.  Main problem: College not bringing in enough tuition for University.

Ohio
5% decline in winter conference annually past 7 yrs.  Trying to develop PGM program; have students signed up but accreditation denied, re-trying.  Putative director is Ray Miller based in Wooster.  Lacking up-front commitment from university.  Golf course access difficult, also requirement of a minor.  New chair coming in.  Pam Sherratt working on PhD for management techniques to increase grass growth on athletic fields (new growth regulator from Valent).  Danneberger student finishing phytochrome B overexpressing CBG for shade-genetically modified with tobacco gene (joint with Scotts Co.).  Jim Beard Fellowship first offering this fall on physiology with the Phy B CBG.  Street doing well.  Gardner has 5 grad students and 6th coming.  Project 1: 3 USGA greens in different light environments; Project 2: N fertilization on soil P availability; Project 3: Amino N project; Project 4: Light effects on RUBPase; Project 5: Ornamentals.  Consistent industry funding.  Boehm applying for full prof. this autumn so will apply for dept. chair.  Parwinder Grewal secures $2mill/yr, 4 post docs, 8 PhD students - NRI funding for urban landscape ecology.  Shetlar has 2 students.  McCoy patented a system to improve putting green drainage.  Rimelspach doing more research as Boehm does administration.

South Dakota
Schleicher has international arid lands consortium grant on warm season grasses (buffalograss and blue grama) for water, energy, fertility regimes.  Has internet/website facet to secure homeowner funding.  Plots at Highmore SD in central part of state for drought tolerance.  John Gaylor (grad student) finishing up blue grama project.  NTEP and LIST study.  Shaun works 40% extension, does Master Gardner.  Herbicide tolerance in blue grama; secured ancillary tall fescue trial in SW SD for salinity tolerance with 3 water sources.  Leo had 60I/20E/20R but now moved extension to Shaun.  Zac pointed out blue grama outcompeted by crabgrass east of Mississippi; Shaun says Acclaim is safe, Drive somewhat phytotoxic, mesotrione kills it.  Blue grama germinates in 2 days.  Most broadleaf herbicides safe.  Greenhouse study did not show safe pre-emergent products.  ILC study shows blue grama does not maintain turf sward over time but OK if mixed with buffalograss.

Nebraska
Shearman working on new buffalograsses with better seed yield;  Riordan patented shade tolerant St. Augustinegrass w/ Engelke in TX, mechanism of tolerance unknown (‘Amerishade’ held by Scotts).  Riordan 100% professional golf mgt; has 80 students, administration wants 300. Students from NE, IA.  17 such programs now exist, e.g., AZ, Ferris State have programs; Ohio getting one but not yet accredited.  Need to have full golf course and probably indoor practice area.  Not a cheap program.  It is hurting turf program at Nebraska.  18 months internship required.  Many dual degree in business.

Shearman has about 4 yrs left, Horst go longer.  No replacements likely; closing out Horticulture positions (none hired in 6 yrs).  All faculty positions down.  University and college enrollment down for 7 yrs, 47 new students last yr (due to golf mgt program).  Pathologist retired and was replaced but doesn’t do any turf.  Tiffany Hang-Moss tenured in turf entomology. 

Purdue
Bigelow there for 3 yrs, Kristie Walker (MS) graduated-N rate in turf.  Adam Moeller new graduate student and Jared Nemitz: topdressing and unknown, respectively.  Cale started online class, concentrating on teaching.  Yiwei Jang there 18 months, 1 grad student researching saturated soil stress.  Rick Latin is pathologist, 2 students (MS), Primo and fungicide interactions; Derek McDuffy investigating spray volume FX on dollar spot.  New entomologist Doug Richmond  -difficulty getting funding.  Reicher: Aaron Patton finishing PhD will start extension at Univ. Arkansas; did zoysia establishment focusing on stolon growth and development of 38 cultivars.  Deb Morton working on Poa trivialis phenotypes on golf courses and efficacy of Certainty herbicide, also long term renovation.  James Rutledge will start PhD soon in weed control with warm season grasses.  Much Poa trivialis and creeping bentgrass control work, also ground ivy control.  1st application Oct. 15 and 2nd 4 weeks later; Turflon best, fluroxypyr also good; control improved by mixing with Gallery.

Wisconsin

Kurt Steinke began new asst prof turf ecology at Texas A&M, Jake Schneider (M.S.) started on Kurth Environmental Fellowship--Rain Gardens and velvet bentgrass greens in shade; Eric Koeritz finishing M.S. degree on Sustainable Golf Course Development: fine fescue/colonial bentgrass fairways and velvet putting green mgt; Mark Garrison (M.S.) starting multistate project on invasiveness of turfgrasses. Various herbicide studies including mesotrione granular for homeowners, Certainty for rough blue and tall fescue, Velocity for P. annua, crabgrass.  Athletic field establishment dates and mixtures; athletic field recovery from Poa/Velocity use of KBG/PRG and Tall fescue.  Finished 3 buffer strip studies.
Vice-kussow offer in negotiation, many excellent candidates.  Dr. Jung not tenured (Plant Pathology), leaving for Univ. MA-- has convened turf symposium at the Int. Hort Congress in Seoul Korea this summer; Turf Diagnostic Lab and fungicide trials on-going with Paul Koch. Chris Williamson entomology tenure in December.  Mike Casler breeding bents and fine fescues.

Mesotrione applications work for Poa control 3rd wk October, 3 sequential applications 1 week apart, for KBG sports turf-Zac

Michigan
-No representative, no report

International Sports Turf Conference
-Deying announced conference, scheduled for Beijing in June 2008.   Stier will be editor-in-chief for the Acta Horticulture publication.  Manuscripts are to be sent soon to Deying or secretary in China.  Final manuscript submission just before meeting.  Abstract deadline ? 

*Ask Geunhwa about publication for IHC---Nick thinks turf stuff won’t go in acta hort but into Korean journal---get back to Nick.