SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/77829
Facility&Operations >> LEFT TO RIGHT: Bill Loftus, Carmelo Anguilla, Tom Crosby, Brad Park (Rutgers University), Rich Watson and Greg Bunting. end up with a good deal of bare soil at the end of the season. I be- lieve that it is easier to grow turf from seed during moderate fall weather conditions than any other time of year. Perennial rye is my choice for use during this timeframe due to its wear tolerance even as seedlings. As the season winds down, we start to introduce turf type tall fescue into the fields. This is done later because tall fescue doesn't hold up to traffic upon emergence as well as perennial rye does. Tall fescue however, has displayed more disease resistance on our fields. It is not a common mix, but it has been working for us. My friend Scott Bills, CSFM, also points out that overseeding regularly allows for the introduction of multiple generations of seeds, in- cluding newer varieties. The amount of seed planted in the fall al- lows our fields to emerge from winter with almost full turf cover. This gives us a better chance of fighting off pests and stress as we enter the height of the growing season. Speaking of pests, sometimes even with your custom fertility plan in place and an overseeding program enacted things can still go wrong. In New Jersey, the School IPM Act is the law that guides schools through pest issues. Integrated Pest Management is often a misunderstood term. The EPA has a great definition for IPM. It is an approach to pest management that blends all available management techniques- 20 SportsTurf | August 2012 nonchemical and chemical- into one strategy: Monitor pest prob- lems, use nonchemical pest control and resort to pesticides when pest damage exceeds an economic or aesthetic threshold. Our school IPM law in New Jersey is a little more restrictive than that. If pest problems persist with non-chemical options (proper mow- ing/irrigation, aeration, seeding with appropriate varieties and soil monitoring/testing) being implemented, the law requires that you consider a low-impact pesticide from a predetermined list of prod- ucts before making a restricted pesticide application. In my mind it is a very simple process. The educated field manager is moving away from blanket spray applications and beginning to treat the field within the field. Every field is different with its own needs and requirements. By performing good cul- tural practices in conjunc- tion with proper fertility and a good seeding pro- gram, you can do some im- pressive things with your turf. However, it is the sports turf manager's job to take responsible action when pest stresses start ex- ceeding thresholds and put field safety at risk. Gaining an understanding of pest www.sportsturfonline.com