WERA11: Western Regional Turfgrass Research

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[02/15/2022] [10/27/2022] [04/29/2024]

Date of Annual Report: 02/15/2022

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 11/06/2021 - 11/06/2021
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2021 - 12/31/2021

Participants

In person:
Paul Johnson (USU), Kai Umeda (UA), Kelly Kopp (USU), Pawel Orlinski (UCR), Marta Pudzianowska (UCR), Clint Mattox (OSU), Keenan Amundsen (UNB), Nicholas Boerman (USDA), Matteo Serena (UCR), Elena Sevostianova (NMSU), Bernd Leinauer (NMSU)

Via Zoom:
Vance Owens (NIFA), Navneet Kaur (OSU), Michael Neff (WSU), Des Serba (USDA), Zhiqiang Cheng (UHI), Shui Zhang Fei (IAS), Ricardo Ramirez (USU)

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

WERA 2021 minues v1.docx

Accomplishments

Accomplishments for 2021 are outlined in the meeting minutes

Publications

Impact Statements

WERA-11 scientists are conducting research on emerging irrigation technologies in cooperation with local water providers and entities as they determine which products to rebate for their customers.

Date of Annual Report: 10/27/2022

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 07/09/2022 - 07/11/2022
Period the Report Covers: 12/01/2021 - 11/30/2022

Participants

K. Amundsen (chair; NW; Nebraska)
N. Christians (Iowa)
T. Nikolai (Michigan)
D. Li (North Dakota)
P. Johnson (AA; Utah)
C.M. Mattox (Oregon)
Z. Cheng (Hawaii)

Brief Summary of Minutes

Brief minutes for the joint WERA11 and NCERA221 multi-state coordinating committee meeting, 2022

Chair Keenan Amundsen (Host State Nebraska) called meeting to order at 8:15 am.

Amundsen provided a brief introduction and discussed the motivation, timing, and location for the meeting. The purpose and importance of the multi-state coordinating committees was also discussed by the committee. Amundsen noted that several members planning to attend the meeting were unable due to travel and other delays. The planned Scandinavian Airlines System strike for that week negatively impacted attendance.

Attendees introduced themselves and described their role at their respective locations.

Nick Christians (Iowa State) presented the historian report, appended to the bottom of these minutes. Christians discussed the importance of maintaining the historian records and briefly discussed recent past meeting locations and planned locations for 2023. Meeting locations for the next calendar year were discussed separately for WERA11 and NCERA221. Alec Kowalewski (Oregon) will host WERA11 and Deying Li (North Dakota) will host NCERA221 in 2023; Kowalewski and Li will serve as chairs in 2023 for their respective multi-state coordinating committees. Locations for 2024 have not yet been determined.

Incoming chairs serve as secretaries in the current year, and Li took minutes for the meeting.

Dr. Aaron Patton (Indiana), prior to the meeting shared that his term as NCERA221 representative to the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Policy Committee was coming to an end and requested that a new representative be selected to serve. Amundsen solicited nominations for the position prior to and during the meeting; Deying Li (North Dakota) and Doug Soldat (Wisconsin) were nominated. Since there was not quorum of NCERA221 members at the meeting, it was determined that the election will be handled virtually, coordinated by Amundsen following the meeting.

State representatives were asked to use a consistent format for reporting their multi-state activities. David Gardner (Ohio State) shared a report format template prior to the meeting that was used for individual annual state reporting by NCERA221 and Amundsen shared a report template for WERA11.

Representatives introduced their programs, summarized their undergraduate and graduate programs, and discussed regional and collaborative research projects. More details are available in the 2022 WERA11 and NCERA221 annual reports.

Prior to the meeting Gardner requested to share information on an ongoing organic crabgrass control trial with a plan to receive research data at the end of this season followed by analysis and preparation for journal article submission, planned for Crop, Forage, and Turfgrass Management. He will send cooperators information in September requesting their data. This led to further discussion on failures in pre-emergence crabgrass control, and subsequent discussion on developing growing degree day models or other prediction tools to optimize herbicide application timing in the region.

Another study that received attention was the use of biocontrols for pest control in turf. Dave Smitley (Michigan State) electronically shared research on the use of biocontrols for Japanese beetle with the committee. Zhiqiang Cheng (Hawaii) described his research on the use of biocontrols and potential applications in the region.

Adjourned at 11 am.

Accomplishments

Collaborative projects initiated to optimize best management practices, establishment, and cultivar selection for growing turfgrasses subjected to winter stress. Regional research supported by more than $16 million, contributing to enhanced turfgrass management. Turfgrass breeding lines were advanced with a goal to develop regionally adapted germplasm and cultivars Use of biological and chemical control of turfgrass pests were tested throughout the region informing turfgrass managers about pest control strategies Several water deficit and salt stress studies were done to identify new germplasm sources or management practices to optimize turfgrass systems water management in arid parts of the western region Multi-year carbon sequestration project was continued to test the ability of turfgrasses to sequester soil carbon

Publications

Amundsen, Keenan; Warnke, Scott E.; Bushman, Bradley S.; Robbins, Matthew D.; Martin, Ruth; Harris-Shultz, Karen. 2021. Colonial bentgrass transcript-expression differences compared with creeping bentgrass in response to water-deficit stress. Crop Science. May. 61(3): p. 2135-2147. Bartel, C.A., K.J. Moore, S.Z. Fei, A.W. Lenssen, R.L. Hintz, and S.M. Kling. 2022. Evaluating Strip and No-Till Maintenance of Perennial Groundcovers for Annual Grain Production. Crops, 2(3), pp.268-286. Bartel, C.A., K.J. Moore, S.Z. Fei, A.W. Lenssen, R.L. Hintz, and S.M. Kling. 2022. Evaluating Chemical Suppression Treatments to Alter the Red: Far-Red Ratio in Perennial Groundcovers for Maize Production. Agronomy, 12(8), p.1854. Bell, N., C. Hollingsworth, G. Stahnke and A. Kowalewski. 2021. Insects: Section F: Turfgrass. Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks. November 1, 2021. F1-F12. Berndt, WL, RE Gaussoin. 2022. Predicting Munsell color for turfgrass leaves. Crop Science. In press Braithwaite, E., B. McDonald, C. Schmid and A. Kowalewski. 2021. Evaluation of selected fungicides for preventative control of Rhizoctonia cerealis on annual bluegrass in western Oregon, 2020. Plant Disease Management Report. Report No. 15:T036. Retrieved September 9, 2021. <a href="https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume15/abstracts/t036.asp">https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume15/abstracts/t036.asp</a> Braithwaite, E., B. McDonald, C. Schmid and A. Kowalewski. 2021. Evaluation of single fungicide applications for curative control of Rhizoctonia cerealis on annual bluegrass in western Oregon, 2020. Plant Disease Management Report. Report No. 15:T035. Retrieved September 9, 2021. <a href="https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume15/abstracts/t035.asp">https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume15/abstracts/t035.asp</a> Braithwaite, E., C. Schmid, and A. Kowalewski. 2022. Evaluation of fungicides for control of Microdochium nivale on annual bluegrass in western Oregon, 2021-2022. Plant Disease Management Report. Accepted July 1, 2022. Braithwaite, E., T. Stock and A. Kowalewski. 2021. Integrated Pest Management Effects on Weed Populations Managed Without Herbicides in the Pacific Northwest. Int Turfgrass Soc Res J. 2021; 1-4. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.51">https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.51</a> Braithwaite, E., C. Stover, C. Schmid, and A. Kowalewski. 2022. Evaluation of fungicide programs for control of Colletotrichum cereale on annual bluegrass in western Oregon, 2021. Plant Disease Management Report. Accepted July 1, 2022. Braun, R.C., E.T. Braithwaite, A.R. Kowalewski, E. Watkins, A.B. Hollman, and A.J. Patton. 2022. Nitrogen Fertilizer and Clover Inclusion Effects on the Establishment of Fine Fescue Taxa. Crop Science. 62:947-957. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20704">http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20704</a> $, M, R, M, V, G, W2 Braun, R.C., A.J. Patton, E. Watkins, A.B. Hollman, J.A. Murphy, B.S. Park, A.R. Kowalewski, and E.T. Braithwaite. 2021. Optimal Fine Fescue Mixture Seeding Dates in the Northern United States. Agronomy Journal.  2021; 1-16. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20859">http://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20859</a> Burayu, W. and K. Umeda. 2021. Versatile Native Grasses and a Turf-Alternative Groundcover for the Arid Southwest United States. J. Environ. Hort. 39(4):160–167. <a href="https://turf.arizona.edu/Umeda%20Dec%202021%20JEH%20nativegrasses.pdf">https://turf.arizona.edu/Umeda%20Dec%202021%20JEH%20nativegrasses.pdf</a> Burayu, W. and K. Umeda. 2021. Performance of Two Varieties of Kurapia Under Drip Irrigation [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2021am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/132815">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2021am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/132815</a> Bushman BS, MD Robbins, SE Warnke, R Martin, K Harris-Shultz, K Amundsen. 2021. Gene expression differences for drought stress response in cool-season turfgrasses.  Int. Turfgrass Soc. Research Journal DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.25 Cain, A., E. Braithwaite, B. McDonald, A. Kowalewski and M. Elmore. 2021. Irrigation Frequencies and Reference Evapotranspiration Replacement Effecting Annual Bluegrass Populations in Western Oregon. Int Turfgrass Soc Res J. 2021; 1-5. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.70">https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.70</a> Cain, A., A. Kowalewski, B. McDonald and C. Mattox. 2021. Irrigation Rates and Frequencies for Western and Eastern Oregon Turfgrass. OSU Extension Service. EM 9311. <a href="https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9311">https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9311</a> Carlson, M. G., Gaussoin, R. E., & Puntel, L. A. (2022). A review of precision management for golf course turfgrass. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 8, e20183. https://doi.org/10.1002/cft2.20183 Chen, A.A., S.Z. Fei, A.W. Lenssen, and K.J. Moore, 2022. Photothermal controls of vegetative dormancy in Poa secunda. Grassland Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/glr2.12008 Chen A, S. Fei, A. Lenssen, and K.J. Moore. 2022. Evaluating cool-season grass species as potential perennial groundcover for maize production. Agronomy J. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21087. Christians, N., B. Pease, and A. Thoms. 2021. The mathematics of tank mixing. SportsField Mgmt. April:26-28. Dreves, A. J., Kaur, N., DeFrancesco, J. T., Van Slambrook, L. G., Fisher, G. C., Rondon, S., Anderson, N. P. 2021. Pocket Guide to Grass Seed Pests and Beneficials: Identification, Monitoring, Management. EM 9318 <a href="https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9318">https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9318</a> Dung, J. K. S., Duringer, J. M., Kaur, N., Scott, J., Frost, K. E., Walenta, D. L., Alderman, S. C., Craig, A. M., Hamm, P. B. 2021. Molecular and Alkaloid Characterization of Claviceps purpurea Sensu Lato From Grass Seed Production Areas of the US Pacific Northwest. Phytopathology 111: 831-841. Ervin, D.E., L. Mitchell Dixon, A. Montry, A.J. Patton, B. Bowling, M.T. Elmore, T.W. Gannon, J.E. Kaminski, A.R. Kowalewski, J.D. McCurdy, J.S. McElroy, J.B. Unruhl, and M.V. Bagavathiannan. 2022. Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities for Improved Lawn Weed Management: insights from U.S. Lawn Care Operators. Outlooks on Pest Management. 33(3): 95–100. Ham, J., Aksland, I., Casey, D., Koski, T., Qian, Y. (2021). Wireless Soil Moisture Measurement in Turfgrass with Internet-of-Things (IoT) Technology and Low-Cost Sensors. 6th Decennial National Irrigation Symposium. (Published: December 2021) Hao J, Y. Yin, and S Fei. 2021. A Novel Method of Generating RNAi Library for High Throughput Gene Function Analysis in Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.). Intl Turfgrass Res J. Isweiri, H., Qian, Y.L., Davis, J. D. 2021.  Comparison of fresh versus effluent water irrigation on soil chemical properties of golf course greens and fairways. International Turfgrass Society Res. J. 14: 182-193. Isweiri, H., Qian, Y.L, Davis, J. (2021). Interactive effects of waterlogging and salinity on perennial ryegrass and alkaligrass. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal, 14: 266-275.  <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/its2.60">http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/its2.60</a>. Kaur, N., editor. 2021. Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook [online]. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. <a href="https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect">https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect</a> Kowalewski, A. 2022. Weed Management: Section U: Turfgrass. Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks. Dec 2021. U1-U24. Kowalewski, A. 2021. Weed Management: Section U: Turfgrass. Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks. March 2021. U1-U24. Li, L., Sousek, M., Reicher, Z., & Gaussoin, R. (2021). Strategies for increased yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) control in turfgrass with halosulfuron, sulfentrazone, and physical removal. Weed Technology, 35(6), 894-900. doi:10.1017/wet.2021.43 Lindsey, A.J., A.W. Thoms, M.D. McDaniel, and N.E. Christians. 2021. Plant-available soil nitrogen fluxes and turfgrass quality of Kentucky bluegrass fertilized with humic substances. Crop Sci. doi:10.1002/csc2.20592 Lindsey, A.J., A.W. Thoms, M.D. McDaniel, and N.E. Christians. 2021. Evaluation of humic fertilizers on a sand-based creeping bentgrass putting green. Crop Sci. doi:10.1002/csc2.20577 Lindsey, A.J., A.W. Thoms, J. Dancer, and M. Gross. 2021. Evaluation of algae-based fertilizers produced from revolving algal biofilms on Kentucky bluegrass. Agron. 11(7):1288. doi:10.3390/agronomy11071288 Lindsey, A.J. and A. Thoms. 2021. Soil health solutions. Turf Magazine. Winter. 34(4):16-17, 35. Lindsey, A., and A. Thoms. 2021. Impact of humic fertilizers on putting green turfgrass and soil health. Golf Course Manage. Nov. 89(11):70-74. Lindsey, A.J., A. Thoms, N. Christians, and R. Adams. 2021. Natural (organic) fertilization for turf. Iowa State University Extension Publication. HORT 3031. p. 7. Lindsey, A., A. Thoms, and N. Christians. 2021. Turfgrass calendar: warm-season grasses for lawns. Iowa State University Extension Publications. HORT 3105. p. 3. Lindsey, A., A. Thoms, and N. Christians. 2021. Turfgrass biological soil health. Iowa State University Extension Publication. HORT 3111. p. 3. Marshall, Collin; Warnke, Scott; Amundsen, Keenan. 2022. Simple sequence repeat marker development and diversity analysis in buffalograss. Crop Science. May/June. 62(3): p. 1373-1382. Mertz, I., A. Thoms, and N. Christians. 2021. Glycerin-based nitrogen applications for turfgrass growth. Intl. Turf. Soc. Res. J. doi:10.1002/its2.83 Moore, V.M., B. Schlautman, S.Z. Fei, L.M. Roberts, M. Wolfe, M.R. Ryan, S. Wells, and A.J. Lorenz. 2022. Plant Breeding for Intercropping in Temperate Field Crop Systems: A Review. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21087. Kaur, N., Van Slambrook, L. G., Koppel, A. L., Anderson, N. P. 2021. Efficacy of Selected Insecticides for Aphid Management in Grass Grown for Seed Crops, 2020. Arthropod Management Tests 46: tsab110. Kaur, N., Van Slambrook, L. G., Anderson, N. P., Whitener, A. B., Verhoeven, E. C. 2021. Efficacy of Selected Insecticides for Sod Webworm Management in Fine Fescue for Seed Crops, 2020., Arthropod Management Tests 46: tsab128. Kowalewski, A., A. Cain, E. Braithwaite, B. McDonald, and C. Schmid. 2022. Nitrogen Fertility Rates Affecting Weed Population Dynamics in a Perennial Ryegrass Stand in Western Oregon. International Turfgrass Research Journal. 2022; 1-6. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.106">https://doi.org/10.1002/its2.106</a> Mattox, C., B. McDonald and A. Kowalewski. 2021. Managing Microdochium Patch in Pacific Northwest Turfgrass. OSU Extension Service. EM 9321. <a href="https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9321">https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9321</a> McDonald, B., E. Braithwaite, C. Mattox, C. Schmid, R. Wang, and A. Kowalewski. 2021. Evaluation of selected fungicides for control of Microdochium patch on annual bluegrass in western Oregon, 2020-2021. Plant Disease Management Report. Report No. 15:T037. Retrieved September 9, 2021. <a href="https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume15/abstracts/t037.asp">https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/trial/pdmr/volume15/abstracts/t037.asp</a> McDonald, B., A. Kowalewski, C. Mattox, E. Braithwaite, C. Schmid. 2021. Effects of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Rates on Microdochium Patch. Turfgrass Soc Res J. 2021;1-4. <a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/its2.28">http://doi.org/10.1002/its2.28</a> McNally, B.C., M.T. Elmore, A.R. Kowalewski, and A.B. Cain. 2022. Phosphorus influences annual bluegrass competitiveness at seeding in perennial ryegrass and creeping bentgrass. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment. Accepted July 26, 2022. Obear, Glen R. 2021. Ph.D. Dissertation: Formation of B Horizons in Engineered Putting Green SoilsThe University of Nebraska. xi, 110 pp. Patton, A.J., M. Elmore, J. Kao-Kniffin, B. Branham, N. Christians, A. Thoms, S. Keeley, T. Shaddox, T.A. Nikolai, M. Reiter, L. Miller, X. Xiong, B. Kreuser, R. Gaussoin, M. Carroll, D. Li, D. Gardner, Z. Raudenbush, P. Landschoot, D. Soldat, and P. Koch. 2021 Turfgrass weed control for professionals. Purdue University Extension Publication. HORT 3066. p. 132. Patton, A., R. Braun, M. Reiter, E. Watkins, A. Kowalewski, P. Koch, J. Murphy. 2021. Fine Fescues in Minimal-to-no Mow Areas. Purdue Extension TURF-67. Accepted October 1, 2021. Patton, A., R. Braun, M. Reiter, E. Watkins, A. Kowalewski, P. Koch, J. Murphy. 2021 Fine Fescues: Understanding the Differences. Purdue Extension. TURF-63. Accepted October 1, 2021. Pease, B., N. Christians, and A. Thoms. 2021. Tank mixing procedures. SportsField Mgmt. May:18-20. Qian, Y. (2021). Slow/controlled-release fertilizer applications and nitrous oxide emissions from fairways and roughs. The Reporter (Rocky Mountain Chapter GCSAA), 56(4), 16-18.. (Published: July (3rd Quarter/Summer) 2021) Schlautman, B., C. Bartel, L. Diaz-Garcia, S. Fei, S. Flynn, E. Haramoto, K. Moore, and D.R. Raman, 2021. Perennial groundcovers: an emerging technology for soil conservation and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, 5(2):337-347. Stahnke, Gwen K.; Rieke, Paul E.; Cookingham, Pete O.; Shearman, Robert C.; Gaussoin, Roch E.; Kopec, David M. 2022. James B Beard: The father of contemporary turfgrass science. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. June. 14(1): p. 1-11 Thoms, A.W., R. Bearss, J.N. Rogers, and J.C. Sorochan. 2021. An evaluation of mat hybrid turfgrass systems under simulated traffic. Short Comm. Intl Turf. Soc. Res. J. 1-5. doi:10.1002/its2.58 Thoms, A., S. Lord, and W. Appelfeller. 2021. Selecting and making the most of an internship. SportsField Mgmt. May:14-16. Thoms, A., and N. Christians. 2021. Turfgrass renovation. Iowa State University Extension Publication. HORT 3113. p. 5. Thoms, A., N. Christians, and M. Agnew. 2021. Purchasing seed. Iowa State University Extension Publication. HORT 3112. p. 2. Umeda, K., S. Nair, and M. Chamberland. 2021. Clear up the confusion: Know how to select the appropriate herbicide to control weeds. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension publication AZ1914-2021. <a href="https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1914-2021.pdf">https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1914-2021.pdf</a>  June 2021. Umeda, K., D. Kopec, and S. Nair. 2021. Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) control in non-overseeded bermudagrass and winter overseeded turfgrasses in low desert Arizona. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension publication AZ1885-2021. <a href="https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1885-2021.pdf">https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1885-2021.pdf</a> May 2021. Waisen, P., Z. Cheng, B.S. Sipes, and K.-H. Wang. 2022. Biofumigation effects of Brassicaceous cover crops on soil health in cucurbit agroecosystems in Hawaii, USA. Pedosphere, 32(4): 521–531. Williams, Dallas M. 2021. M.S. Thesis: A Method for Visualizing Water Flow Through Modified Root Zones. University of Nebraska. [2], v, 54 pp Xu N, J. Zobrist, K. Wang, and S. Fei. 2021. Genetic transformation of recalcitrant upland switchgrass using morphogenic genes. Frontiers in Plant Science.  doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.781565. Yaling Qian and Sarah Wilhelm.  2021.  Compost topdressing to suppress necrotic ringspot and improve overall health of Kentucky bluegrass lawns. Int Turfgrass Soc Res J. 14: 967-971.

Impact Statements

Genome sequencing of turfgrass species in support of genetics and genomics research.

Date of Annual Report: 04/29/2024

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/19/2023 - 06/22/2023
Period the Report Covers: 07/01/2022 - 06/30/2023

Participants

Alec Kowewski, Oregon State University
Navneet Kaur, Oregon State University
Pear Intasin, Oregon State University
Shuizhang Fei, Iowa State University
Keenan Amundsen, University of Nebraska
Pawel Orlinski, UC-Riverside
Marta Pudzianowska, UC-Riverside
Sandra Glegola, UC-Riverside
Jonathan Schnore, Washington State University
Elena Seostianova, New Mexico State University
Chrissie Segars, PBI Gordon
Shaun Bushman, USDA, Logan Utah
Clint Mattox, USDA, Corvallis Oregon
Paul Johnson (AA), Utah State University

Brief Summary of Minutes

Summary of Minutes Provided by Marta Pudzianowska (Page 2-7)

Meeting Location: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, June 19, 2023

General:

Project ends in September 2026.

New proposal by Fall 2025.

Submit report to Alec Kowalewski and Paul Johnson, keep it brief.

They prefer to see impacts than activities (impacts on every person in the region).

OSU projects and activities:

Clint Mattox (USDA-ARS): collaborated with NMSU on a project focused on alternative herbicides for schools (IPM, glyphosate alternatives, in Oregon only products with caution labels can be used) cornmeal and application methods and timing were also discussed among the group. A journal club among WERA members ran for about 2 years during the Covid pandemic.

IPM projects:

o Alec Kowalewski mentioned Fall timing as undesirable because children are in school,

o need for incorporating social science aspects in the projects was discussed.

o perception of turf management (common believes, fears, opportunities for communities)

Chrissie Segars: around $75K for collaborative projects from PBI Gordon, IDC depend on $$ for proposal – Chrissie will email Paul Johnson

New project ideas:

Water management:

o Evaluating possibility to expand use of warm-season grasses in Northwest.

o Paul Johnson brought up the need for invasiveness assessment in such evaluations – problems with ban of bermudagrass in Utah.

o Alec Kowalewski proposed combining water use and carbon sequestration studies (how reducing water use affects carbon sequestration).

o Pawel Orlinski suggested different approaches in water management studies e.g., deficit irrigation vs complete restriction of watering.

o Effluent water use at golf courses and severe water restrictions for golf courses and homeowners, as well as turfgrass removals in Utah and California.

o Discussion about how long different turf species can stay without water (KBG, bermudagrass, buffalograss).

o Paul Johnson spoke about irrigation every 4 or 8 weeks and KBG survival and recovery in Utah (Logan area).

o Pear brought up the question about interaction between drought and other stresses, Paul Johnson mentioned that carbohydrates storage can impact reaction to drought, Shaun Bushman mentioned they are starting measuring carbohydrates levels in insect tolerance.

o Chrissie Segars brought up lack of scientific studies for how much water we need to put down for the grass for it to come back.

o Goal:

writing multi-state SCRI for water management project. That would require seed/sod production aspect; private partnerships. The need for including social scientists was expressed, as well as economic returns evaluation (Yaling Qian).

Chrissie Segars mentioned SCRI proposal on site preparation for turfgrass, including builders, superintends, etc., considering unique soils in Texas and Florida.

Clint mentioned land owners options in choosing the landscape – limited choices presented by investors were discussed; top soil issues, grass is cheap to install and maintain (Paul Johnson) – “why people choose what they choose?”.

Eco-dormant grasses in Oregon (Agrostis castellana).

Breeding component – producing cheap seed and sod (Nicholas Boerman) – opportunity for collaboration in breeding and seed production.

Alec Kowalewski mentioned that targeting both turfgrass management and seed production could be good because of importance of breeding/seed/sod industry in the region.

Keenan Amundsen and Leah Brilman did some work on bentgrass.

Fei Shuizhang talked about breeding grass as a cover crop in corn and soybean –breeding for grass going dormant in the summer, to avoid competition with the crop.

Options for USDA participants involvement was discussed by Clint Mattox and Paul Johnson (for USDA in Oregon, Utah and Arizona).

Need for a leader to coordinate writing

Combining efforts in breeding, water management, extension and social sciences was discussed (for evaluation why warm-season grasses are not used in NW yet). Chrissie Segars mentioned growers in Oregon interested in zoysiagrasses):

forming a group focused on developing lines of one warm-season species, the other group on one cool-season species, another group on management.

Breeding for the region vs. sod producers’ needs.

Clint Mattox proposed starting a shared folder for SCRI proposal.

After break groups split into breeders and management to discuss further.

Breeding group:

Longer timeline for breeding than for management part – focusing on species already in the breeding pipelines of participating institutions.

What species are the most useful:

o Drought tolerance as the most important factor.

o For superintendents (David Phipps): it is hard to have mono stands; expectations regarding color – issue for social science?

o Color vs heat tolerance?

Species: buffalograss, bluegrass, bermudagrass

o Warm-season:

Buffalograss?

Keenan Amundsen – seeded diploids (shorter dormancy, might not survive harsh winter, but could survive in the summer)

Problems with bermudagrass contamination

Dormancy as an issue but also opportunity (drought survival)

Bluemuda? Other mixed systems?

o Cool-season: Kentucky Bluegrass

Vernalization is a problem in Washington.

How SCRI program can contribute to each program:

o Water use reduction and affordability – general issue

o Nebraska (Keenan Amundsen) - adoption, acceptation, fertilization & watering programs

o Oklahoma – heat and freeze survival issues, seed production.

Mowing aspects – “how low can you go?” – testing for different mowing heights.

Real cases for establishing lawns – give seeds to homeowners and observe the process.

Focus on locally adapted systems with large cooperative trials (with MTAs).

Both homeowners and golf industry?

Locally adapted systems/species for both homeowners and golf with focus on mowing heights.

o Branching out into:

Species that breeding programs already work with + collaboration with management part (mowing, fertilization…);

Test how far species can go across regions/climates.

Management Group

Notes from sub-group:

Endophytes & Insect Resistance

o Pear working on Endophyte viability in NTEP trials

o E+ vs E- on drought in TF

o Some work @ Rutgers on bacterial endophytes - could potentially be applied to the grass after it was established…

o E+ vs E- and alkaloids on herbicide

o E+ & ARG - work with ARF - on herbicide resistance ARG

o Endophytes & Water Use (even association with salt / gray water)

o NTEP data in August (to simulate drought)

o Endophytes grass seed production & fungicide use in grass seed production systems (to sustain populations in seed production)

o What happens to E+ when turf is under drought stress?

Will we lose E+ if grass goes dormant
- Further, when soil & air temperatures go very high in CA…

Age of lawn - 1, 3, & 5 years age

Tolerance vs avoidance in water stress settings

Carbon Sequestration Component

Eco-lawn mixes & Pollinator Work

o Frog-fruit (breeding in FL) + Trefoil

Social Sciences

o Pollinator lawns

o Why do we have lawns?

o Potential in TX Tech (Ag communications) / AZ (George)

o What is irrigated / why is it irrigated

o ArcGIS - C-sequestration -

o Jason Peak - aerial imagery @ GA

Perhaps mimic that work

o Effluent water irrigation (+ & - perception)

Warm Season Grasses & Drought SCRI Grant

o Breeding for drought tolerance (UGA)

Soil Science Component

o Relationship between soil components & turf type

Species List to consider:

o Bermudagrass (invasive in UT)

o Zoysiagrass

o Kikuyugrass (Invasive in most states)

o TF

o PRG

o FF

o Eco-lawns

o Highland Bentgrass

Effluent water & use in landscapes

Precision Ag

o ArcGIS - C-sequestration -

o Historic temperature of urban areas

Relationship to lawns

The remainder of the meeting on Monday was at the OSU Turfgrass Research Facility and a tour of botanical resources on the OSU campus.

Tuesday’s activity was at the Mountain Valley Seed field day near Albany, OR.

Wednesday’s activity was at the DLF turfgrass field day near Philomath, OR

Thursday’s activity was at the Pure Seed turfgrass field day near Canby, OR.

Accomplishments

Outreach Activities: Colorado State University: The 69th Annual Rocky Mountain Regional Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show, December 13-15, 2022. Attendance 750. Oregon State University: Winter Field Day and Summer Field Day, February 2023 and August 2023. Attendees 250. University of Nebraska: Nebraska State Turf Conference, January 4-6, 2023, Attendees 475. Online Extension Samples:  <a href="https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/">https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/</a> <a href="https://csuhort.blogspot.com/">https://csuhort.blogspot.com/</a> <a href="https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/turfgrass-cultivars-for-utah">https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/turfgrass-cultivars-for-utah</a> <a href="https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/beaverturf">https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/beaverturf</a> <a href="https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_h/H508/index.html">https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_h/H508/index.html</a> <a href="http://turfgrass.ctahr.hawaii.edu/">http://turfgrass.ctahr.hawaii.edu/</a> <a href="https://turfgrass.ucr.edu/">https://turfgrass.ucr.edu/</a> <a href="https://turf.arizona.edu/">https://turf.arizona.edu/</a> <a href="https://turf.unl.edu">https://turf.unl.edu</a> <a href="https://turf.wsu.edu/">https://turf.wsu.edu/</a> <a href="https://www.uog.edu/_resources/files/wptrc/turf_series4.pdf">https://www.uog.edu/_resources/files/wptrc/turf_series4.pdf</a> Undergraduate Enrollment: Colorado State University: 8 Oregon State University: 6 University of Nebraska: 19   Current Graduate Students: Bai, Fanxiao (MS), Colorado State University Li, Zhou (MS), Colorado State University Shikhar Hatwal (MS), Oregon State University Zac Hamilton (MS), Oregon State University Emily Braithwaite (MS), Oregon State University Cole Stover (MS), Oregon State University Pear Intasin (MS), Oregon State University Grace Tiwari (MS), Oregon State University Elizabeth Niebaum (MS), University of Nebraska Michael Morikone (PhD) University of Nebraska       Key Research Outcomes: Iowa: Tall fescue intercellular void space is as important to traffic tolerance as it is in Kentucky bluegrass. Traffic tolerant tall fescue had wider leaves and lower plant density than traffic intolerant tall fescue.  Summer dormant bluegrass species show great promise as perennial groundcover for maize production to provide ecosystem services with minimal grain yield reduction.  Nebraska: Advanced 17 separate buffalograss populations with enhanced tolerance to chinch bugs and resistance to leaf spot disease. Evaluated 24 vegetative buffalograss lines for sod strength in comparison to Prestige and Legacy, industry standard entries; 19 performed as good as the checks for sod strength, 15 lines performed as good as the checks for quality, and 14 performed as good as the checks for spring green up. In each rating category, there were advanced breeding lines that outperformed the industry checks. Oregon: The typical Oregon golf course uses an average of 180-acre ft of water annually, which costs an average of $57,786. Therefore, if golf course managers started planting tall fescue in rough areas and did not irrigate the grass to prevent weeds like annual bluegrass from establishing (core innovation produced by key project 1) they would save half of the water applied to the average golf course. As a result of this core innovation, OSU was asked to provide a webinar to the members of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America on tall fescue. For this webinar OSU highlighted golf courses in Oregon (Oswego Lake Country Club, and Oregon Golf Club) that have made the switch to tall fescue to reduce water use.  Furthermore, homeowners and municipality managers that use tall fescue in place of other turfgrass species, and do not water the turf, would generate significant water savings.  Research findings and extension material produced by my program have helped propel the public popularity of tall fescue, which has gone from being a minor component of the Oregon grass seed production system to having more production acres than any other grass seed crop in just 5 years (2017 to 2022).  Utah: The Water Check program has continued since our last meeting and has now been under my administration for 18 years and operating in the state for a total of 24 years. At this point, we’ve conducted more than 20,000 residential audits and several hundred commercial, industrial, and institutional audits.

Publications

Sample publications: Berndt, W. L., & Gaussoin, R. E. 2023. Predicting Munsell color for turfgrass leaves. Crop Science, 63, 1566– 1580. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20843">https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20843</a> Bateman, C., Willette, A. R., Kaur, N., Dorman, S., Buckland, K., & Anderson, N. P. (2023). Symphylan Control in Grass Grown for Seed, 2022. In Arthropod Management Tests. Oxford Academic. Kowalewski, A.R. C.J Schmid, E.T. Braithwaite*, B.C. McNally, M.T. Elmore, C.M. Mattox, B.W. McDonald, R. Wang, J.G. Lambrinos, G.S. Fitzpatrick, and H.M. Rivedal. 2023. Comparing Methods to Quantify Cover in Turfgrass Research. Crop Science. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20908">https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20908</a> Lindsey, A.J., A.W. Thoms, N.E. Christians, and B.W. Pease. 2022. Evaluation of hollow-tine core aerification recycling on a sand-based putting green soil properties and playability. HortTech 32(6):529-533. doi:10.21273/HORTTECH05116-22  Stahnke, Gwen K.; Rieke, Paul E.; Cookingham, Pete O.; Shearman, Robert C.; Gaussoin, Roch E.; Kopec, David M. 2022. James B Beard: The father of contemporary turfgrass science. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. June. 14(1): p. 1-11 Sukor, A., Qian, Y.L, Davis, J. G. 2023.  Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer Selection Influences Water Use Efficiency. Agriculture 2023, 13, 923-927.  <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13050923">https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13050923</a> Thoms, A.W., and A.J. Lindsey. 2023. Advances in maintenance practices of turfgrass in Achieving sustainable turfgrass management. Fidanza, M. ed. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing. Chapter 6. ISBN-13: 9781801460194 Yuhung Lin, Fanxiao Bai, Jizhou Li , & Yaling Qian.  2023. Comparison of Soil Nitrate and Phosphorus Concentrations Prior to and Five to Eleven Years after Recycled Water Irrigation. Sustainability in Environment. Vol. 8. No. 2. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/se.v8n2p12">http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/se.v8n2p12</a>

Impact Statements

Addressed regional issues of pest problems and water conservation through shared information.
Communicated WERA related outcomes through website housed at OSU (https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/beaverturf/wera-11-western-regional-turfgrass-research-group)
Conducted continuing education on low input turf to practitioners in Colorado, Oregon, and Nebraska.
Conducted and cooperated on National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) trials throughout the region.