IT'S BILLBUG TIME AGAIN

Nick Christians
August 15, 2011

Right on schedule, the billbugs are back again this year. It is late July and early August each year that I get calls to come and look at lawns that look like they are "sick". The lawn below is in Gilbert, IA. While there is some leaf spot on this site, much of the damage was caused by billbugs.



The billbugs overwinter as adults. The adult female uses its bill (feeding mouth part) to burrow into the sheath just above the crown of the grass. She then deposits an egg in the sheath where it is is safe from most insecticides. This usually takes place in late April or early May. The egg hatches in July and the larvae proceeds to eat through the crown and to emerge into the soil. (The two pictures below are commercial slides from the American Society of America slide set on turfgrass insects)








To diagnose the problem, reach down and pull up some of the dead grass. If it is bill bugs, the grass will break away at the crown. The remaining tissue will be hollowed-out at the base.




Dig down into the soil and there will be many hollowed-out stems and a saw-dust like material left behind by the feeding larvae.




In early August, there will likely be larvae present int he soil






The larvae not very big. The picture below shows one on the tip of my pocket knife.



The larvae will soon turn into pupa and then into adults. This picture from the research station shows a larvae and an immature adult together in the same location.




The first question that I usually get from the home-owner is, "should I spray in insecticide now (in August)". The answer is no. The damage is already done and the application of an insecticide after the damage has occurred is not going to help. You have to treat the adult females in the spring before they lay their eggs. Late April is the best time to treat, however, that is difficult because they is no apparent damage at that time of year. You are also unlikely to see many adults at the that time of year.

There are systemic insecticides that could potentially be used when the larvae are in the sheath. The problem with that is that you do not see the damage before it is too late to treat.

This is a difficult pest to deal with because of these complex timing issues. If you have had a bad outbreak this year, it would be wise to invest in an insecticide application in the spring. Lawn care companies can do this, or the home-owner can do it themselves. Look for a insecticide that lists billbugs on the label. The critical thing is timing. If you apply after the eggs have been laid, you are wasting your time and money.

Out of the Oven and Into the Fire

This article comes to us from Ty McClellan, USGA Green Section Record Mid-Continent Region Agronomist. Ty provides his thoughts about the hot temperatures most have experienced this summer and the toll is has taken on cool-season grasses.

Although the summer of 2010 was one of the hottest on record and widely publicized for the wake of destruction in the turf industry, it looks as though we’ve jumped out of the oven and right into the fire in 2011. Popular phrases that include ‘the perfect storm’, ‘equal opportunity destroyer’, and ‘turf loss of epic proportions’ are being bantered about once again, as Mother Nature turns up the heat and tries to roast the cool-season turfgrasses found on many golf courses beyond well done.

Managing turf during June and July in the upper Mid-Continent Region has been anything but easy, given the persistent heat wave. For much of Kansas and Missouri, nearly every other day during the past nine weeks has exceeded 100°F, and nighttime lows have rarely dropped below 80°F. Even though it is hard to imagine, 2011 may surpass 2010 for record heat. Some superintendents are already stretched, as this summer has dealt them an even worse set of circumstances. August conditions may leave some to wonder how they will have any turf to manage as putting green soil temperatures may continue to exceed 90 degrees.

Somewhat surprisingly, education and communication efforts that were effective last year are not providing the same understanding ears this year. Course officials and golfers seem to be less receptive to the news about heat stress. This is a good time to revisit some fundamental principles of turf management:

Creeping bentgrass root dieback begins when soil temperatures exceed 86°F at a 2-inch depth.

Poa annua is a fragile species that is usually the first to decline during high temperatures.

Portions of putting greens that suffer from poor air movement, poor drainage, and concentrated traffic (particularly the collars) are the most difficult to maintain and the first to decline.

To survive the heat and maintain turf health until the fire is extinguished with the onset of cooler temperatures, some of the most effective strategies include:

Supplement automatic irrigation as much as possible with hand watering.

Raise the mowing height and use solid front rollers when preparing the greens for play.

Mow less frequently and roll instead.

Use large oscillating fans to improve air circulation and assist the transpirational cooling of the turf. The fans may be needed continuously for 24 hours of the day.

Vent the greens when possible via non-disruptive aeration techniques.

Increase the rate and frequency of fungicide applications, as disease pressure increases with higher temperatures.

Reduce traffic on the putting greens via temporary closure, if necessary, or cancelling / rescheduling large outings.

Cool-season turfgrasses are in a fragile state, and superintendents and their staffs are feeling the effects of long hours and touch-and-go conditions. Now is the time to support them as they work to maintain the turf. Expectations for exceptional playability simply must be put on hold until temperatures cool off…and hopefully that is soon.

If you would like more information about a Turf Advisory Service visit, do not hesitate to contact either of the Mid-Continent regional offices: Ty McClellan at tmcclellan@usga.org or (630) 340-5853 or Bud White at budwhite@usga.org or (972) 662-1138.

USING GPS TO MAP SOIL CONDITIONS IN TURF AREAS-ZACH SIMONS

Nick Christians
August 10, 2011

The following is a post from Zach Simons. Zach is working on a masters degree through the master of Ag. program with a specialization in turfgrass science. He is working this summer with Dr. Van Cline at Toro in Minneapolis on a very interesting project that involves the mapping of soil conditions in turfgrass areas using remote sensing and GPS (global positioning system) technology. This is part of his creative component for his MS degree.

If you get Golf Course Management, you will find an article on this technology by Dr. Cline and Dr. Carrow of the University of Georgia in the August issue.

From Zach:

The increased emphasis on reducing water usage in the turf industry has increased the need for site-specific management. Toro has been developing a product called the Precision Sense 6000 (PS 6000) that can give site-specific soil information in turfgrass. The PS 6000 is a mobile sensing machine that measures soil moisture, soil salinity, soil compaction, and turf vigor. It is designed to be used on golf course fairways and athletic fields. A sensor that measures soil moisture, soil salinity, and soil hardness is attached to a rotating arm on the machine. A spectrometer measures the turf vigor by measuring reflected energy from the turf canopy at a wavelength in the red area in the visible spectrum and a wavelength in the near infrared portion of the spectrum.

The PS 6000 is pulled by a heavy-duty workman set to a speed of 1.9 miles per hour (mph). The machine moves at a speed of 1.9mph so samples are taken every 8 feet with a spacing of 8 to 12 feet between adjacent passes. Data on an average par 4 fairway can be collected in 45 minutes and it takes a day and a half to 2 days to collect data on an entire golf course.

A GPS system is used on the PS 6000 to give the specific site where data was collected. Once the data is collected and processed the results are displayed on Google Earth. Google Earth allows a person to zoom in on a specific hole on the course to analyze the data. Multiple layers can also be displayed on Google Earth so a person could compare the relationship from soil compaction to soil moisture.

Data collection with the PS 6000 should occur at a time when the golf course or athletic field is relying on the irrigation system to water the turf. This is so the data collected reflects the coverage of the irrigation system. When data is collected at that time, it can show areas on fairways that are getting over-watered or under-watered by the irrigation system. An irrigation audit can be performed with the data collected. The audit is performed by determining if the soil has the desired volumetric water content from irrigation. The audit can show many irrigation heads around the golf course that may have problems and the superintendent can make the proper adjustments.

The service that the PS6000 provides will be sold through Toro distributors once it is ready for commercial use. A distributor will have a machine and when a golf course buys the service the distributor will come to the golf course or athletic field and sample the turfgrass. When the PS6000 is ready for commercial Toro’s distributors in California and in the Carolina’s will offer the service first. Toro plans on expanding this service so that more distributors in the U.S. and worldwide will have machines and more customers will have access to the PS6000.

The pictures attached show the results of the data the PS 6000 collects. The first picture is soil moisture, the second picture is soil compaction, and the third picture is turf vigor.

The video attached is of a previous version of the PS 6000. The version of the PS 6000 that will be sent to distributors is equipped with a foamer so the user of the machine can see the previous passes

BURLINGTON BEES BASEBALL WITH T.J. BREWER

Nick Christians
August 9, 2011

I had a chance yesterday to meet with T.J. Brewer, sports field manager for the Burlington Bees baseball field in Burlington, IA. It's been hot in Burlington as it has in most of the Midwest this summer. For you golf people who think that sports turf management is easy, this blog may be an eye-opener. Many of the same problems that plague golf course superintendents also affect sports turf managers.






We usually don't associate Poa annua with sports turf, but it does happen. Particularly in a micro-environment like an enclosed baseball field. This picture below is Poa annua checking-out in the summer heat. Those of you who heard T.J.'s presentation at the turf conference a year ago, know that he has been on a Poa reduction program. Budget concerns put a stop to that program and the Poa is back.





Do we have Bermudagrass in Iowa? Yes we do. This is a bermuda patch in the infield that has been there for at least 6 years.





How about Poa trivialis? This is usually considered to be a problem on golf course fairways, but here it is on a baseball field. As is typical of this species in hot weather, the patches had turned brown. It will come back in the cool weather of fall.



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Here is a close up of Poa trivialis stolons in the brown circles.






How about mole crickets? This is usually a turf problem in the South, particularly Georgia and Florida, yet here they are in Iowa. T.J. collected this one from the field a couple of weeks ago. He did not have any serious damage from them. We do occasionally get damage from mole crickets in Iowa, but they are rare.




Thanks for a great visit T.J. and for your willingness to share your experiences with other turf managers.

MOSS CONTROL ON GREENS-MARK NEWTON

Nick Christians
August 3, 2011

Here is a really useful post from Mark Newton, Superintendent of Ames Golf and Country Club.
It is about some work that he has been doing on moss control on his greens. This is a work-in-progress. We'll follow up later and see how the area looks next spring.


From Mark:

Here are two photos showing our progress with Quicksilver at Ames Golf and Country Club since June of last year on number 18 green (one of the worst ones when I arrived). As you can see we have made considerable strides in eliminating the moss. I am hopeful that after our fall aerification in September and by the beginning of 2012. Ames Golf will be basically moss free for the first time in over 12 years.

As per our discussion before, here is our program on our moss treatments, cultural practices and other items.

Last fall 1 week after our core aerification (1/2” tines on 2” spacing, 4 inch deep) we started the heavy moss treatments. These started on September 14^th, and were sprayed every 14 days at the 6.7 oz / acre rate for three consecutive treatments, also included was a spreader sticker and tank buffer to get the PH to 6.5. Also we bumped the fertility way up on the greens, putting 3 sequential applications of 7-7-7 fertilizer at .4 lbs of N per 1000 every 2 weeks, also increased our mowing height to .140 with two rolls per week to help keep green speed. This gave us the most control and reduction in the moss, reducing the population by 40-50% and in some spots completely eliminating them.

This year we are continuing the applications but on a more regular basis with lower rates. The label gives us .4lbs of AI per acre per season. That is 26.8 oz of product per acre in total. To date and future applications are shown below:

- April 6^th 2 oz/acre Complete

- May 10^th 2 oz/acre Complete

- May 24^th 2 oz/acre Complete

- June 17^th 4 oz/acre Complete

- June 27^th 2 oz/acre Complete

- July 11^th 1 oz/acre Complete

- July 25^th 1 oz/acre Complete

- August 7^th 2 oz/acre

- August 21^st 4 oz/acre

- September 6^th Greens Aerification

- September 13^th 6.7 oz / acre + Spreader Sticker

*Note – Greens height in spring start up was .140, lowered to .120 by May 15^th and remained at that height until 2 weeks ago with all this heat back to .130 so I don’t have moss free but dead greens. On a normal year would still be at .120 with 1 heavy roll every Thursday, light topdressing every 3 weeks and 1 verticut / month when weather permits

In this program we also have bumped up our fertility of the greens from prior years, and included more applications of Daconil Ultrex to further aid in the moss treatments. These treatments other than the last one on September 13^th will be put in with our regular spray program of Garys Green Ultra at 9oz/M, Tuff Turf at 4.5 oz/M, PK Plus at 4.5 oz/M, primo at .125 oz/M, and then a rotation of Fungicides. These include, Daconil Ultrex on every treatment (ranging from 5lbs/a to 10), Headway, Banner, Heritage TL, Instrata, and Emerald. Pending on weather a Banol or FORE application might be made.

Additionally for cultural practices we tend to keep greens a little dryer than in previous years with more hand-watering and deep watering. We also make sure that when we do a verticut we are always spraying the next day to not only aid in the recovery and have the best chemical controls, but to decrease the chance of spore transport and giving open areas where it can establish.

As the two photos illustrate on #18 green (one from June 2010 and another from August 2011) we have seen a dramatic shift and percentage of moss in a little less than 11 months from the start of our program. With this falls aerification and heavy moss treatment on September 13^th we look to eliminate most if not all the moss by 2012.

Our plans for the future once we are mostly clean will still be using quicksilver sparingly once a month to make sure we never end up in this situation again, but are still planning on this same program put into place this year for 2012 or until we see full eradication of the moss.

Hope this helps and if you need any other documentation just let me know! Thanks!

PS – One side note is I wish we were given a larger amount of AI per acre per season with this product when it is specialized towards moss. I would love to do the 3 sequential applications this fall and not just the one final hurrah after aerification.

Mark Newton

Ames Golf & Country Club

Course Superintendent

Cell 515.509.1387

markn@amesgolfcc.com

www.amesgolfcc.com