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/753045
32 SportsTurf | December 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com FIELD SCIENCE injury especially during the transition from late winter to early spring. This research is currently under investigation but early results indicate that some pigments and PGRs may increase low temperature injuries. Sponsor: New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation. Organic Fertilizer Promoted Mobility of Phosphates on Sand-Based Golf Green Turf, by Baoshan Xing, PhD and J. Scott Ebdon, PhD. This is a recently published study investigating natural organic fertilizer and the effects of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from plant and animal residues and their potential to promote mobility of phosphates. Sand rootzones are especially prone to leaching because of their poor soil moisture and nutrient retention capacities. Biosolids, like Milorganite, where shown to significantly increase mobility of phosphates in large part because biosolids contained 3 times more DOC when compared to other natural organic N-sources or synthetic N-fertilizer. The presence of DOC in fertilizer or composts was shown to promote greater phosphate mobility. The results will be used to develop BMPs and DOC guidelines to diminish phosphate mobility for natural organic fertilizers and composts. Sponsor: New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation. The Use of Constructed Wetlands for Reclamation of Wash Water for the Turf Industry, by Lesley Spokas, PhD, Michelle DaCosta, PhD and J.S. Ebdon, PhD. There is increased pressure on the turf industry to use more environmentally sustainable approaches in turf management. To that end, constructed wetlands have the capacity to remove significant amounts of organic matter, nutrients, heavy metals, and pesticides through chemical, physical, and biological processes. In 2011 we constructed an artificial wetland onsite at the UMass Turf Research Center for the primary purpose of the remediation of wash water used on turf machinery. Because the surface of the constructed wetland is composed of sand with selected vegetation, equipment such as mowers and sprayers can be washed down directly on the wetland area. This technology is capable of removing fertilizer, pesticide and hydrocarbon residues from wash water, thus allowing it to be reused or safely released back into the environment. Treatment wetlands have few if any electrical or mechanical parts and are either carbon neutral or have a "positive" carbon footprint since plants consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen while treating the waste. Current data and information that is being gathered will be used as part of a larger set of best management practices for minimizing the impact of pesticide and nutrient use on water and soil quality. Sponsor: New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation. In addition, the UMass faculty and staff are conducting a number of other research projects spanning the gamut of disciplines within the field of turf management. These include: (1) studies conducted by Geunhwa Jung, PhD including rolling studies in the management of dollar spot; fungicide management of snow mold; and fungicide resistance management (2) studies conducted by Michelle DaCosta, PhD including the screening for drought resistant cultivars; quantifying ET and irrigation frequencies of turfgrass species (3) studies conducted by Pat Vittum, PhD including the biology and management of annual bluegrass weevil, oriental beetle and other turf damaging insects and (4) studies conducted by Robert Wick, PhD on nematode management and biological alternatives to nematicides in reducing pesticide exposure to turf users. For more information on these and other projects, visit the UMass Turf Program website at www.umassturf.org and click on Research. Kentucky bluegrass drought research at UMass Amherst. Cultivars are evaluated under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions using an automated rainout shelter. Total irrigation amounts and frequency to maintain acceptable quality lawn and sports turf are being measured. Simulated wear-tracking and associated injuries on the 2014 NTEP fine-leaf fescue test at UMass-Amherst. Note the more wear tolerant perennial ryegrass check- plots in the immediate foreground. Constructed wetland at UMass Amherst. Testing is underway to evaluate effectiveness of an artificial wetland system to remove contaminants (e.g. nutrients, pesticides) associated with wash water from spray equipment and mowers.