Sports Turf Management in the Transition Zone

SPORTS TURF MANAGEMENT
IN THE TRANSITION ZONE
Gregg Munshaw
Cale Bigelow
Contact Information
• Gregg Munshaw - University of Kentucky
• gcmunshaw@uky.edu
• Cale Bigelow – Purdue University
• cbigelow@purdue.edu
Web-Resources
• Purdue: http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf
• Kentucky: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/ukturf/
Feel Free to Connect with us on Social Media
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)
gm
The Transition Zone
The Transition Zone
What is it?
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
Winter Comes to the Transition Zone but How
Long/Severe varies each year
Severe Summer Stress Can Have
Consequences for Intense Fall Use on
Cool-Season Turfgrasses like KBG
The Transition Zone
Factors to Consider when Selecting a
Turfgrass in the Transition Zone
• Upper or lower TZ
• Time of athletic season
• Amount of play
• Equipment
• Irrigation
• Budget
• Coach’s preference
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?
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Growth Habits
Spreading Grasses = Recovery
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?
Kentucky bluegrass?
• Weaknesses
• durability for early
season football
(July/Aug)
questionable
• 1-2” cutting height
required.
• Very slow to establish.
• Strengths
• lots of seed and cultivars
readily available
• good traffic tolerance
when mature (will it
mature fast enough for
your use?)
• recuperative potential
comes from rhizomatous
growth habit.
Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivar Diversity
One Strength is How “Cleanly” it Mows
Striping Too…
KBG Field-Summer
Kentucky Bluegrass
Cultivar Categories
• Common types
• Aggressive types
• Compact types
• Mid-Atlantic types
• BVMG
• Texas x Kentucky Hybrids (Thermal)
KBG Cultivar Variability
Notice the difference in leaf elongation rates
Long-term Annual bluegrass Encroachment
Summer Patch
Necrotic Ring Spot
Perennial ryegrass
• Weaknesses
• Gray leaf spot
• no recuperative
potential
• clumpy
• Strengths
• lots of seed and cultivars
readily available
• excellent traffic tolerance
when mature
• rapid germination and
establishment.
The gray leaf spot problem is significantly reducing the
amount of perennial ryegrass being used on athletic fields,
but mixtures of KY BG and Per. Ryegrass are still very popular.
Photo: Brad Park- Rutgers
The Reality of Inferior Seed, Species and
a Spring Seeding, Mismanagement
Perennial Ryegrass Can Become Clumpy
when Overused and Thins
Photo: Ohio State Turf Science
OSU RPR Research
showed most stolon
growth at 2 inches
and took 2 years to
establish. Some
appear ok, some not.
Do your homework!
Gray Leaf Spot
Image: PaceTurf
Tall fescue (Turf-types!!!)
• Weaknesses
• Strengths
• can thin out significantly
• lots of seed readily
during the summer in
available for many
heavy use situations (but
cultivars
does have a very deep
• good traffic tolerance
root system that keeps it
when mature (will it
going)
mature fast enough for
• requires a regular 2-3”
your use?)
mowing height.
• better shade tolerance
• Difficult to mow--requires
than bermudagrass
a very sharp blade.
• quick establishment rate
• No recuperative
potential.
KBG vs. Tall
fescue during and
after summer
stress
Kentucky Bluegrass
Tall Fescue
Choose Turf-Types
How Low can you Mow?
Brown Patch
Research @ UK has shown very little
rhizome production with dense turfs
Other Cool-Season Choices?
Creeping bentgrass
Fine fescue
Supine bluegrass
Annual ryegrass
Intermediate ryegrass?
KY 31 tall fescue
Tall Fescues?
Leaf Texture, Unacceptable ?
Warm-season grasses
Turfgrass Seasonal Growth Patterns
Cool-season grasses
Bermudagrass
• Strengths:
• Weaknesses:
• better adapted to late
• full sun turfgrass
spring/summer
• winter dormancy…
conditions
acceptable or not?
• rapid establishment
• cold tolerance concerns
and recuperation rate if
• most rapid growing grass
timed appropriately
in this climate (ie lots of
• excellent wear, heat,
cutting and vertical
drought, and pest
mowing necessary… of
tolerance
course, this might be a
strength as well!)
• mow between 0.5-2”
Bermudagrass
Tif-Sport
Patriot
Two weeks after divoting
“Close, regular” mowing to facilitate a
“faster surface” = better ball speed
Surface Stability/Reliability
Summer Clippings
Cultivars Vary in Winter-Survival/Kill
Latitude 36
NorthBridge
Kentucky Bluegrass
Cultivar Categories
• Common types
• Aggressive types
• Compact types
• Mid-Atlantic types
Bermudagrass
• BVMG
• Texas x Kentucky Hybrids (Thermal)
Tif-Sport
Patriot
Traffic Tolerance: Cultivar Differences
Riviera
Latitude 36
Tifway
Plant Morphology Differences
Dr. Goatley “Building
grass from the
ground up…”
Winter Traffic
Feb. 16, 2008
Mar. 20, 2008
•Spring recovery/greenup in March approximately 50% for control
plots, 15% for drained traffic, and <10% for wet traffic.
•Control areas reached 100% spring recovery/greenup in April vs.
June for the areas receiving winter traffic.
Spring Green Up Following Fall Use
cb
Spring Dead Spot???
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?
cb
In Addition to Persistence/Adaptation
Selection Needs to be Based on
Expectations???
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?
Best Species
for Fall Use ?!
Take home message:
There is NO PERFECT grass!
Major Cool-Season Turfgrasses:
• Kentucky bluegrass (cultivar!)
• Turf-type tall fescue (cultivar!)
• Perennial Ryegrass (cultivar!)
• Species Mixtures
• Other species?
• Remember
• Wear and Recovery are different!
• Matching Intense Use with Seasonal Turfgrass Growth
Patterns?
Traffic Management!!!
Traffic Management
Late Fall Bermudagrass Soccer Performance
Winter Survival?
Traffic Issues
Long-Term Success = Cultivate,
Cultivate, Cultivate That Soil
Mowing Practices
• Height/frequency/equipment
• ALWAYS think about how mowing will
stress the turf
• Too high?
• Too low? (scalp)
• Clipping management
• Compaction effects
Reel-type mower for 1” Cutting Height
Mowingever remove more than 1/3 of the plant at a time.
Foliage removed
40%
50%
after 33 d
60%
80%
90%
Effects on root growth
Slowed but not stopped
35% of roots growing
Stopped by the 28th d
Stopped by the 10th d
No root growth
Mowing Height Ranges for Commonly
used Turfgrasses on Sports Fields
Turfgrass
Kentucky bluegrass
Tall fescue
Perennial ryegrass
Bermudagrass
Range (in inches)
0.75-2.0
2.0-2.5
0.5-2
0.5-2
Raising the mowing ht does
not improve traffic tolerance
but will increase rooting, resulting in increased stress tolerance
Question: How Low Can you Go?
How low should you
mow?
Tall Fescue mowed at 1 inch
Mowing Height and Sprint Speeds
• K.J. Trotta, 2004.
6.2
Athletic Turf News.
sprint speeds on turf
mowed at 1, 2, and 3
inches.
• JV and Varsity football
athletes.
Time (Seconds)
• Measured 40-yard
6
5.8
JV
Varsity
5.6
5.4
5.2
5
1"
2"
3"
Mowing Heights
Offseason Mowing Heights
• Mow tall, but mow!
Aesthetics?
Turf Fertility and Fertilizer Products
General Fertility Program?
• Fall Nitrogen = Yes!!! But how…and How Much?
• Many product options… but your fertility program all
begins with nitrogen fertility
• This nutrient is the catalyst for uptake of so many other nutrients
• Goal: apply nitrogen in a controlled manner to NOT
force too much leaf growth and not compromising root
growth or carbohydrate storage.
Growth-Color
Response
Growth Responses of Fast and Slow
Release Fertilizers
1 lb N fast release
1 lb N slow release
Time
Nitrogen Timing For Cool-Season Grasses
• Spring/Summer Nitrogen Encourages:
• Crabgrass
• Foxtail
• Dallisgrass
• Johnsongrass
• Bermudagrass
• Nimblewill
• Nutsedge
• Apply N Every Fall
• Less on Good Soils
• Less When Not Irrigated
• Less when not trafficked
• Less on large industrial lawns
ADVANTAGES of Fall Nitrogen
on Cool-Season Grasses
• Greener Color in Winter
• Less Spring Mowing
• Less Weeds in Summer
• Less Heat Stress in
Summer
• Less Water Needed
in Summer
• Less Disease
Problems in Summer
Rules of Thumb
Nitrogen Timing For Warm-Season Grasses
Maintenance Program
Normal (native soil)
Nitrogen Recommendation per Growing
Month
0.5-1.0 lb/1000 ft2
Intensive (native soil)
1.0 lb/1000 ft2
Intensive (sandy soil)
1.0-2.0 lb/1000 ft2
General Fertilizer Timing Warm-Season Turf
Irrigated Turf
Sand-based Fertilizer Timing
Irrigated Turf
Spoon-Feeding
My Question: How Low Can you Go?
Concerns with Bermudagrass Fall Fertilizing
• Leaching
• Winter Weeds
• Winterkill?
Other Nutrients and Supplements?
• All other nutrients should be applied based on soil test
•
•
•
•
results
P
K
Micros
Other products?
PGRs and timing?
Summer Clippings
Improved Mowing Quality w/ PGRs
Overseeding
Bermudagrass Overseeding
• What species?
• Alternative/Non-traditional Species?
• Removal and Transition?
Overseeded Fall Use
VERY POOR OVERSEEDING
DISTRIBUTION
Photo: L.B. McCarty
Covers
The Effect of Overseeding on Bermudagrass
Winter Survival
Honestly, we don’t know
much in terms of facts?
Plant More Warm-Season Fields?
Questions/Follow-up
Contact Information
• Gregg Munshaw - University of Kentucky
• gcmunshaw@uky.edu
• Cale Bigelow – Purdue University
• cbigelow@purdue.edu