SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: NCERA192 : Improving the Environmental Impact and Management of Turfgrasses
- Period Covered: 10/01/2009 to 09/01/2010
- Date of Report: 08/11/2009
- Annual Meeting Dates: 06/15/2009 to 06/17/2009
Participants
Gardner, David*, Street, John, Danneberger, Karl-Ohio State Univ.; Reicher, Zachary*, Weisenberger, Daniel-Purdue Univ.; Frank, Kevin*, Calhoun, Ronald, Rieke, Paul, Cookingham, Peter, Steinke, Kurt, Rogers, Trey, Hathaway, Aaron, Kowalewski, Alec, Crum, James, Dykema, Nancy, Giordano, Paul, Bryan, Jeff, Lee, S.K., Nikolai, Thom, Collins, Mark, Gilstrap, David, Lange, Suzanne-Michigan State Univ.; Soldat, Doug*, Stier, John, Verbeten, Rebekah-Univ. Wisconsin-Madison; Settle, Derek, Rincker, Keith, DeVrise, Nick-Chicago District Golf Association (invited); absent-Univ. Illinois; Diesburg, Ken-Southern Illinois Univ.; Horgan, Brian*, Ascerno, Mark-Univ. Minnesota; Christians, Nick*, Fei, Shui-zhang, Dong, Jiangli-Iowa State Univ.; Xiong, Xi-Univ. Missouri; Li, Deying*, Zhang, Qi, Zuk, Alan-North Dakota State Univ.; absent-South Dakota State Univ.; Gaussoin, Roch*, Riordan, Terry, Abeyo, Bekele, D'Serba, Desalegn-Univ. Nebraska; St. John*, Rodney, Fry, Jack, Bremer Dale, Lewis, Jason, Goldsby, Tony, Okeyo, David, Obasa, Ken, Domenghini, Cody, Thompson, Cole-Kansas State Univ. The roster of full contact information is at www.ksuturf.com/NCERA192/main.htm maintained by Rodney St. John
[Minutes]
Accomplishments
Short-term outcomes and outputs: A Growing Degree Day Tracker program, using summarizing environmental and pest data from three states (Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana), is gaining use throughout the region. It can now make 5-day predictions of turf conditions, and users are able to determine pest/weed management options based on the product, thereby increasing efficiency of pest control product usage.
Outputs: 21 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and 3 book chapters, were published in the past 12 months involving inter-state authors from the project.
Activities: Multiple researchers from various states involved in the NCERA 192 project collectively participated and responded to proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules for the Water Sense Initiative, which seeks to increase water efficiency across multiple purposes including turfgrass management.
Activities: Field days were held by Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana (Purdue), Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska to show new grasses, products, and management techniques to turfgrass professionals. The same state universities, including both Univ Illinois and Southern Illinois Univ., held winter turf conferences to discuss and show data on new turf management techniques, research methodology, and environmental impact of turf management. Partners included groups such as the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and numerous state organizations.
Milestones: The group developed and planted creeping bentgrass cultivar trials at 10 locations in 9 states, for putting green and fairway situations. The trials were done to replace formerly-funded trials from the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program which, due to economic conditions, was unable to fund trials. The cultivar trials are used routinely by golf course superintendents, architects, and landscapers for determining which grasses to plant in their region. Gardner, Horgan and Horvath published the first manuscript of its type describing use of an amino N test for determining soil N status in turf management. Data from the most recent (2007) Low Input Sustainable Turf project, present in multiple states, were presented at the 2008 international Crop Science Society conference in Houston, TX.
Impacts
- In accord with expected outcome #2 "Development of technical standards for turf fertilization", technical standards for turf fertilization were adopted by the Wisconsin Dept Natural Resources in 2007-2008 using input from group members. Group members developed a website and held training sessions for turf managers at multiple Wisconsin locations, providing hands-on training for several hundred individuals and untold numbers via website instructions and extension of training to other persons from the persons who attended the training sessions.
- In accord with expected outcome #6, "Identify turf cultivars which require reduced maintenance and labor cost", the Low Input Sustainable Turf trials planted in 2007 have been shown and discussed at field days. At least one Foundation dedicated to sustainability took photos of the plots in August 2009. Data from an earlier set of sustainable turf plots were presented at the November 2008 Agronomy/Crop Science/Soil Science of America conference in Houston, TX.
- In accord with expected outcome #7, to provide end users with access to best management practices and recommendations for turf management and pest control, numerous field days and presentations at trade show conferences have relayed information from a multitute of research and extension projects to turf professionals, homeowners, and regulators. A number of peer-reviewed (21)and trade journal articles have been published in the past year.
- In accord with expected outcome #8, "Identify invasive potential of turfgrasses into natural areas", a Master‘s thesis was produced in 2009 and two manuscripts from it have been accepted for publication; a third is in progress. Two presentations of data from invasive grasses were given at the November 2008 Agronomy/Crop Science/Soil Science of America conference in Houston, TX. The data have been shared with the state of Wisconsin DNR as they develop their invasive species lists and with a private seed company seeking to develop new grasses which will need USDA approval.
Publications
21 refereed manuscripts involving authors from multiple states from the project were published in the past 12 months, along with 3 book chapters.