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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/49194
sports fields scheduled for fall use; entry dif- ferences were more pronounced after traffic in Fall 2009 than Spring 2009 and Summer 2010. In addition to traffic stress data, turf- grass quality and brown patch susceptibility were assessed in the absence of wear since the inception of the test. Data are currently being summarized for a Rutgers Coopera- tive Research and Extension Fact Sheet. Data are also available at www.ntep.org and in the Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings (See http://turf.rutgers.edu/research/reports/inde x.html). Wear tolerance research was initiated on one-hundred-four entries comprising the 2010 Cooperative Turfgrass Breeders Test (CTBT) at North Brunswick, NJ. The machine described previously was used to apply 16 wear passes during 3 weeks in July 2011. Turf quality and brown patch were assessed in the absence of wear. Wear toler- ance will again be assessed in 2012. Data will be available at www.ctbt-us.info. Seeded in September 2010, wear was ap- plied in fall 2011 to four Kentucky blue- grass varieties and selections, four tall fescue varieties, and mixtures of the two species seeded at 90% tall fescue and 10% Ken- tucky bluegrass (by weight). Recovery from wear will be evaluated in Spring 2012. The performance of individual Kentucky blue- grass and tall fescue entries, as well as mix- tures, during wear stress will continue to be evaluated in 2012. The Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Sci- ence acquired a Brinkman Traffic Simulator and initiated studies comparing this ma- chine, the Cady Traffic Simulator, and Rut- gers Wear Simulator in 2011. These studies examined the effects of the three machines on tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. Additional studies com- paring the three machines are slated for 2012. In addition to research conducted at North Brunswick, the Rutgers Turfgrass Breeding Program evaluates varieties and experimental selections for wear tolerance as well as screens new turfgrass collections specifically for wear tolerance at Rutgers Plant Science Research and Extension Farm, Adelphia, NJ. A second Rutgers Wear Simulator was constructed and is used to apply wear at Adelphia. In 2011, cool- season sports turf species including Ken- tucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue were evaluated. The wear tolerance of fine fescues was also examined. This re- search will continue in 2012. Data gener- ated from these trials is available at the CTBT website as well as in the Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings. Research is sponsored by the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science, and New Jer- sey Agricultural Experiment Station. Rutgers research personnel include: Brad Park, Sports Turf Research & Education Coordinator; Dr. James Murphy, Extension Specialist in Turfgrass Management; Bill Dickson, Research Farm Supervisor; Joe Clark, Research Technician; Dr. Bruce Clarke, Director, Center for Turfgrass Sci- ence; and Dr. William A. Meyer, Associate Director, Center for Turfgrass Science. ■ www.stma.org SportsTurf 15