Fire and Ice: Athletic Field Management in the Transition Zone. Gregg Munshaw Cale Bigelow

Transcription

1 Fire and Ice: Athletic Field Management in the Transition Zone Gregg Munshaw Cale Bigelow

2 Contact Information Gregg Munshaw - University of Kentucky gcmunshaw@uky.edu Cale Bigelow Purdue University cbigelow@purdue.edu

3 Web-Resources Purdue: Kentucky:

4 Feel Free to Connect with us on Social Media

5 3 Seminar Objectives Following this seminar you should be able to 1.Provide the highest quality fields with the fewest inputs/resources 2.Optimize agronomic and economic sustainability as it relates to sports turf 3.Understand the specifics of field safety and how species selection and management practices contribute to safety

6 What We Will Be Covering I. The Climate in the Region Challenges II. Adapted Species Strengths/Weaknesses Selection Exercises III. Cultural Management Programs I. Species/Cultivar Selection II. Primary considerations III. Sample programs: Cool-season, Warmseason, Overseeded Warm-season IV. Seminar Wrap-up

7 Sports Turf Manager s Goal 1. SAFETY FIRST!!! 2. Rationale: a smooth, firm, uniform sports turf is resilient and cushions athletes as they fall. 3. Turfgrass wear and soil compaction are two major challenges.

8 Athletics and Natural Turf, Why? Appearance Offers a cushioning effect, reducing injuries and strains A surface hardness study: One dozen raw eggs dropped from a height of 11 feet none broke on a 2 tall healthy (dense) turf Thin low density turf = 2/3 broke All weather track all a mere 18 inches It is no wonder 90 % of NFL players prefer to play on natural turf.

9 Player Safety

10 Climactic Zones In very general terms: The United States can be grouped into major Climactic Zones characterized by: Temperature: Cool (A distinct winter period) Warm (A sustained summer period) Precipitation: Humid (Rainfall > Evaporation) Arid (Rainfall < Evaporation)

11 The Transition Zone

12 What is it? The Transition Zone Some people describe it as Fire and Ice Annually challenges the skills of even the most experienced turf managers Summers can be HOT and (dry) causing damage to cool-season turfgrasses Winters can be severe and damage warmseason turfgrasses

13 inter Comes to the Transition Zone but How Long/Severe varies each year

14 Severe Summer Stress Can Have Consequences for Intense Fall Use

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16 Warm Season Turfgrass Zones (Based on low temperature exposure) NEW ZONE? SECONDARY ZONE PRIMARY ZONE

17 Noaa 1-month outlook

18 The EPA predicts Average summer temperatures will increase by 3 o F over the next few decades and could increase by over 10 o F by the end of the century.

19 The old usda hardiness map

20 The new usda hardiness map

21 Temperature (of) Weather Data West Lafayette High Low Avg High Avg Low Weather data >85 74 >90 50 >95 14 >100 8 How frequently were temps above average 0 22-Mar 6-Apr 21-Apr 6-May 21-May 5-Jun 20-Jun 5-Jul 20-Jul 4-Aug 19-Aug 3-Sep 18-Sep 3-Oct 18-Oct

22 Desirable Species Characteristics Vigorous growth Mowing quality Wear tolerance Recovery (spreading habit?) Environmental stress tolerance Adapted to a wide range of environments (heat, cold, humidity, etc.) Color?

23 Growth Habits

24 Spreading Grasses

25 Which Grass Species??? Traditional cool-season KBG P. Rye Mixes (KBG/P.Rye, KBG/TTTF, etc.) TTTF? Warm-season Bermudagrass (common vs. improved) Non-traditional species? Rhizomatous bunch grasses P.Rye, TTTF, etc., HT Blue, Supina Blue?

26 Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivar Diversity

27 One Strength is How Cleanly it Mows

28 Striping Too KBG Field-Summer

29 Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivar Categories Common types Aggressive types Compact types Mid-Atlantic types BVMG Texas x Kentucky Hybrids (Thermal)

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31 KBG Cultivar Variability Notice the difference in leaf elongation rates

32 Potential Consequence of Close (< 1.5 ) Mowing ABG encroachment

33 Long-term Annual bluegrass Encroachment

34 Summer Patch

35 The Luxury Car of Turfgrasses Generally to look it s best it requires regular fertilizer (higher?) and supplemental irrigation. Also more chronic pest prone

36 Perennial Ryegrass

37 Photo: Brad Park- Rutgers

38 The Reality of Inferior Seed, Species and a Spring Seeding, Mismanagement

39 Perennial Ryegrass Can Become Clumpy when Overused and Thins Photo: Ohio State Turf Science

40 Tall Fescues? Leaf Texture, Unacceptable?

41 KBG vs. Tall fescue after summer stress

42 Choose Turf-Types How Low can you Mow?

43 Brown Patch

44 A Durable Grass But it can also be mismanaged and not meet natural potential

45 Warm-season grasses Turfgrass Seasonal Growth Patterns Cool-season grasses

46 The EPA predicts Average summer temperatures will increase by 3 o F over the next few decades and could increase by over 10 o F by the end of the century.

47 Bermudagrass Tif-Sport Patriot Two weeks after divoting

48 Closely Mowed Surface

49 Close, regular mowing to facilitate a faster surface = better ball speed

50 Surface Stability/Reliability

51 Cultivars Vary in Winter-Survival/Kill

52 Spring Dead Spot

53 Major Turfgrass Species Suitable for Athletic Fields in Transition Zone Major Cool-Season Turfgrasses: Kentucky bluegrass (cultivar!) Turf-type tall fescue (cultivar!) Perennial Ryegrass (cultivar!) Species Mixtures Other species? Major Warm-Season Turfgrasses: Bermudagrass Zoysiagrass?

54 Select a Species Exercise

55 In Addition to Persistence/Adaptation Selection Needs to be Based on Expectations???

56 Period of Intense Use Should Drive Species Selection Which makes more sense to use? A grass that is at its weakest to start or one that is at its strongest?

57 Fall Use!

58 Select a Species Exercise Part 1

59 Select a Species Part 2 Multi-Sport Complexes

60 Multi-Sport/Species Complexes Sports Tourism Estimated at $6 bil yr!

61 Maryland SoccerPlex

62 Elizabethtown Sports Park

63 Grand Park (Westfield Indiana-2014)

64 Location of Sports Complexes

65 E-town Sports Park Facilities Acres 12 baseball/softball fields 9 full size soccer/multi-purpose fields 2 full size football/soccer Championship fields One synthetic field Paths, parks, picnic/play areas

66 What Grasses to Plant?

67 What grasses to plant?

68 What grasses to plant?

69 Elizabethtown, KY Sports Park

70 Part 2 Select a Species Exercise

71 Take home message: Select a Species Exercise! Take Home Message REMEMBER: There is NO PERFECT grass!

72 Managing That Grass! Pest management Problematic weeds Chronic diseases Insects? Other products Plant growth regulators Soil surfactants/wetting agents

73 Managing That Grass! Primary cultural practices Mowing, Fertilization program, Supplemental irrigation Secondary cultural practices OM Mgmt: Coring/vertical mowing, sand topdressing Overseeding Pest management/other product

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75 Planner Cont.

76 Very important for: Cool-season Kentucky bluegrasses Tall fescues Warm-season Bermudagrasses Cultivar Discussions

77 Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivar Categories Common types Aggressive types Compact types Mid-Atlantic types BVMG Texas x Kentucky Hybrids (Thermal)

78 Latitude 36 Kentucky Bluegrass NorthBridge Common types Aggressive types Compact types Mid-Atlantic types Cultivar Categories Bermudagrass BVMG Texas x Kentucky Hybrids (Thermal) Tif-Sport Patriot

79 Remember Wear and Recovery are different! Matching Intense Use with Seasonal Turfgrass Growth Patterns? Traffic Management!!!

80 Mowing Practices Height/frequency/equipment ALWAYS think about how mowing will stress the turf Too high? Too low? (scalp) Clipping management Compaction effects

81 Reel-type mower for 1 Cutting Height

82 Aesthetics?

83 Supplemental Irrigation

84 Supplemental Irrigation

85 Turf Fertility and Fertilizer Products

86 General Fertilizer Timing Irrigated Turf

87 Sand-based Fertilizer Timing Irrigated Turf

88 Rules of Thumb

89 Soil Management..Cultivate!!!

90 Sand-topdressing still important

91 Weed Control

92 Crabgrass will be an issue regardless of desired species!!!

93 Annual Grassy Weed Management

94 ABG encroachment

95 Long-term Annual bluegrass Encroachment

96 Selective ABG Suppression Options?

97 PGRs and timing?

98 Bermudagrass Overseeding What species? Alternative/Non-traditional Species? Removal and Transition?

99 Covers

100 Management Program Scenarios Cool-season sports fields Stadium vs. general use Warm-season sports fields Overseeded warm-season sports field

101

102 Planner Cont.

103 Warm-Season Fields

104 The Transition Zone

105 Web-Tools

106 Questions/Follow-up Contact Information Gregg Munshaw - University of Kentucky gcmunshaw@uky.edu Cale Bigelow Purdue University cbigelow@purdue.edu