2016 Summer Newsletter - Colorado Sports Turf Managers

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SUMMER 2016
COLORADO
SPORTS TURF
MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALF-TIME
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Feature Article...
MANAGING INFIELD
BALL SPEED
DON’T MISS THIS EVENT!
FALL SEMINAR/DEMO DAYS
AUGUST 17
BROOMFIELD COUNTY COMMONS PARK
Are Your Bases Covered?
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
No shifting. No sacrifices. No
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Your Head Groundskeeper and crew need to negotiate rigorous – and often unpredictable –
issues regarding the playing surface at your stadium.
That’s where the Sports Turf Managers Association comes in. STMA members are expertly
equipped to deal with these issues and are up-to-date on all the latest information in the
industry. Their expertise in resource utilization, operations management, and agronomics
allow you to protect your players on the field and reduce your expenses while doing it.
Support your grounds crew’s STMA membership for access to the latest information,
education, and industry developments. For over 30 years, STMA members have ensured
their fields are among the safest, most playable and most beautiful around.
Are your bases covered? Is there an STMA member on your grounds crew?
To become a member, go online to www.stma.org
or call 800-323-3875.
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SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME TABLE OF CONTENTS
President’s Message . . . . . . . 2
CSTMA Photo Quiz . . . . . . . . 3
Fertilizers 101: Basics
You Should Know. . . . . . . . . . 4
Managing Infield
Ball Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Member Profile. . . . . . . 14-15
Glendale Infinity Park
Networking Day. . . . . . . . . . 18
22nd Annual LMO . . . . . . . . 18
STMA Environmental
Facility Certification
Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2016 CSTMA
Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
CSTMA Spring Seminar . . . 23
1
CSTMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Cody Witham
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
6000 Victory Way
Commerce City, CO 80022
Phone: 720-363-9577
Email: Cody.Witham@TeamKSE.com
Past President
Dave Radueg
Columbine Equestrian Center
6900 S. Platte Canyon Road
Littleton, CO 80128
Phone: 303-859-3245
Email: Daveradueg@gmail.com
Vice President
Steve Shoultz
Douglas Co. Parks & Rec.
9651 S. Quebec Street
Littleton, CO 80130
Phone: 720-933-0452
Email: sshoultz@douglas.co.us
The Rocky Mountain Half-Time
is published quarterly by the
Colorado Sports Turf
Managers Association
www.CSTMA.org
CSTMA
3758 East 104th Ave., #69
Thornton, CO 80233
Editor - Steve Shoultz
E-mail: sshoultz@douglas.co.us
John Frankenfeld, CSFM
City of Thornton
13399 York Way
Thornton, CO 80241
Cell: 720-355-5411
Email: john.frankenfeld@cityofthornton.net
Ryan Jensen
City and County of Broomfield
3001 W. 124th Avenue
Broomfield, CO 80020
Phone: 303-464-5687
Cell: 303-901-8577
Email: rjensen@broomfield.org
Gabriel Aksamit
City of Boulder
5200 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80301
Cell: 303-551-2188
Email: aksamitg@bouldercolorado.gov
Chuck Klafka
Douglas County Parks, Trails, & Grounds
9651 S. Quebec Street
Littleton, CO 80130
Phone: 720-733-6984
Email: cklafka@douglas.co.us
Commercial Officer
Ben Boehme
Golf Enviro
PO Box 49039
Colorado Springs, CO 80949
Phone: 719-491-0591
Cell: 719-773-9619
Email: benb@golfenviro.com
Commercial Office Elect
Todd Morris
DBC Irrigation Supply
5805 East 39th Ave
Denver, CO 80207
Cell: 303-981-0788
Email: tmorris@dbcirrigation.com
SUMMER 2016
DIRECTORS
Jon Kingsley
City and County of Broomfield
3001 W. 124th Ave.
Broomfield, CO 80020
Phone: 303-356-2631
Email: jkingsley@broomfield.org
Executive Director
Drew Barber
Town of Erie Parks and Rec
150 Bonnell Ave.
Erie, CO 80516
Phone: 303-926-2890
Fax: 720-598-0484
Cell: 970-846-7163
E-Mail: dbarber@erieco.gov
COLORADO
SPORTS TURF
MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
2
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
President’s Message
Cody Witham, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
President CSTMA Chapter
Y
ou know the saying, “You
get what you give”? Give no
respect and get none in return, or
give the effort to get the better result. Or even, give to a good cause
and get the satisfaction of making
a difference. Do you suppose this
can relate to the role of a Sports
Turf Manager?
Spring has passed us by and summer is here folks. So I challenge
you as a Sports Turf Manager
to find better and more efficient
ways to give in order to get better
results on your fields. Here are a
few examples that comes to mind
and they don’t involve much of
your time. Give your staff the recognition they deserve and maybe
you’ll get a little more effort and
understanding from them. Many
of us rely on seasonal or part-time
staff to get us through, so do not
forget that you’ll never win the
battle alone. Give field users a
clear understanding of the rules
on the field. Pets, vehicles, tents,
stakes, liquids, and such. Some
don’t think of those things before
they head out to the game, so
I’ve found they often appreciate a
knowledgeable explanation. Then
remind them to have fun and enjoy their time on your field.
How about giving a bit of your
time to assist another department
or group within your organization? Yea, you may not see eye to
eye on field use and event load, but
there’s no need to take the “It’s not
my job” approach. Often you’ve
got the equipment and manpower
to pitch in and lend a hand. Eventually the tables will turn and you
will get a favor in return.
Lastly, give something to the entire
community of Sports Turf Management. We are part of a huge
network and every one of us has
something to contribute. You’re
busy, but why not reach out or
accept the responsibility of giving
something. I’d say what you get in
return will likely be worth at least
what you give.
One easy way is to become involved in CSTMA. As a board
we are always open to others who
wish to share their thoughts and
ideas. Plus, giving your time is
worth getting the satisfaction of
being part of a great group. This
fall we’ll be accepting nominations
for new 2017 Board Members, so
please consider.
Before summer passes us by,
please take a look at what you have
to give. I often do, and it rarely
does me wrong. Keep in touch
with your Chapter and look for
regular updates on the CSTMA
website and within this newsletter regarding upcoming events
and announcements. This is your
organization, so if you want to get
what it can offer, you’re going to
have to give the effort to become
involved. On behalf of the entire
Board of Directors, please stop by,
our doors are always open.
SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME CSTMA PHOTO QUIZ
Can you identify this
sports turf problem?
Problem: Yellow spots and lines
Turfgrass area: Baseball Outfield
Location: Platte Valley Middle School Football field
Grass Variety: Kentucky Bluegrass
SEE ANSWER ON PAGE 20.
If you would like to submit a photograph for the Photo Quiz please send it to
CSTMA, 3758 East 104th Ave., #69, Thornton, CO 80233 • call 970.846.7163 or email admin@cstma.org.
If your photograph is selected, you will receive full credit.
All photos submitted will become property of Colorado Sports Turf Managers Association.
3
4
Fertilizers 101:
Basics You Should Know
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
By Susan Haddock
T
urfgrass fertility management is
a year round task, so a review of
fertilizer basics may be helpful.
Generally, fertilizer is defined as any substance containing one or more recognized
plant nutrients that promote plant growth.
Checking with the Department of Agriculture in a number of states results in a mixed
bag of definitions. Many states include
any substance that controls soil acidity or
alkalinity, provides other soil enrichments
or provides other corrective measures to the
soil in the fertilizer definition. Most states
exclude unmanipulated animal or vegetable
manure and some states exclude marl, lime,
limestone, wood ashes, peat and/or compost that has not been shown to have value
in promoting plant growth.
There can be confusion over the terms natural organic, synthetic organic and organic
fertilizer. Natural organic refers to products
that are derived from either plant or animal
products containing one or more elements,
other than carbon, hydrogen and oxygen,
which contribute to plant growth. These
products are derived from living organisms
and may include dried blood, composted
manure, fish bi-products, bone meal and
cottonseed meal.
Synthetic organic refers to products that are
manufactured chemically from elements
or other chemicals. Synthetics go through
some sort of manufacturing process,
although they may come from naturally
occurring mineral deposits. Synthetic products may also be referred to as inorganic
fertilizer.
environmental impact (product leaching or
volatilization). Nitrogen is the most critical
nutrient source that promotes turf growth,
so turf performance depends on the nitrogen source in the product.
In general, there are three nitrogen release sources: fast release, slow release and
controlled release. That being said, there are
many environmental and cultural factors
that critically affect the ability of turf to
uptake nutrients and produce acceptable
turf quality. These factors must be evaluated, monitored and corrected, if necessary,
before creating a fertilization plan. Soil tests
are the basis for developing a fertilization
plan and provide information on what the
soil needs or does not need to provide for
turf nutrient requirements. Additionally,
tissue testing can reveal whether the turf is
effectively taking up the nutrients.
This article will focus on synthetic
products.
Fast release sources are referred to as soluble due to their high solubility in water. Fast
release nitrogen sources release nitrogen
very quickly and may have a quick greening response that lasts just a few weeks.
Multiple applications are usually necessary
to maintain turfgrass quality. Nitrogen deficiency symptoms may occur between applications due to the cycling between high and
low nitrogen levels. Fast release sources may
promote excessive shoot growth and readily
volatilize or leach. Common examples include urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium
nitrate and calcium nitrate.
Important considerations are the expectation on product release rate (how quickly
turf greens up), product duration (how long
the product produces a greening effect), and
Slow release and controlled release
sources provide nitrogen gradually over
time and promote more consistent turf
quality and fewer deficiency symptoms.
Organic fertilizer, in the strict sense of
definition, refers to a product containing
carbon and one or more elements needed
for plant growth, other than hydrogen and
oxygen. Organic includes both natural and
synthetic products. Hence the confusion, as
most who desire an organic fertilizer really
want a natural organic or non-manufactured product.
These sources also minimize losses due
to volatilization, leaching and excessive
shoot growth. The terms slow release and
controlled release are frequently used
interchangeably. Here, slow release refers to uncoated products and controlled
release refers to coated products. Uncoated
products are homogenous, meaning that
the composition is the same throughout
particles. Examples of uncoated products
include ureaform (UF) and methylene urea
(MU). These uncoated products contain
about 40% nitrogen and rely on microorganisms to mineralize the nitrogen.
Because of this reliance on microorganisms the nitrogen release rate can be quite
variable, usually between 8 and 12 weeks, depending upon pH, soil temperature and soil
moisture. During cool or cold seasons UF
and MU may not be the products of choice,
as microorganism inactivity will prevent the
nitrogen from being released. Another example of an uncoated product is isobutylidene
diurea (IBDU), containing 32% nitrogen.
IBDU is soluble and releases nitrogen by hydrolysis, like the fast release nitrogen sources,
except that it has low solubility and therefore
releases nitrogen very gradually over time
depending upon soil moisture. Because of
the reliance on soil moisture, dry or drought
conditions will delay nitrogen release.
Additionally, low pH and high temperature
will accelerate the release of nitrogen. Since
IBDU is not dependent on microorganism
activity it is a preferred product for cool
season application.
Coated products include sulfur-coated urea
(SCU), polymer-coated fertilizers (PCF)
and hybrid polymer-coated sulfur-coated
SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME fertilizers (PCSCU). SCU is 30 to 40% urea
nitrogen coated with sulfur and sealed with,
typically, wax. Imperfections, micro pores
and cracks in the coating allow water to enter and dissolve the urea rapidly. Once water enters, the urea can release very quickly
and is sometimes referred to as catastrophic
release. Coating thickness and imperfections control the release rate, so particles
release at different rates, usually between
6 to 16 weeks. Microorganism activity is
needed to break the sealant to expose the
sulfur coating.
During cool seasons microorganism
inactivity and coating variability can cause
a mottling effect on turf. When the sulfur
coating is too thick, the nitrogen does not
release, and is referred to as lock-off. These
particles may rely on some physical disturbance, such as mowing, to break the particle
and eventually release the nitrogen.
Polymer-coated fertilizers release nitrogen
by diffusion through a polymer coating.
These products may contain other nitrogen sources such as ammonium nitrate, or
other nutrients such as phosphorous and
potassium. There are a variety of methods and chemistries used to produce the
coating. Regardless, manufacturers are able
to produce quite predictable release rates
depending upon the number of layers and
thickness. Water diffuses through the coating to dissolve fertilizer inside. The fertilizer
then moves out of the polymer coating into
the soil. Eventually, over 8 to 52 weeks, all
of the fertilizer is dissolved from inside the
polymer coating.
Polymer-coated sulfur-coated urea is
produced with a polymer layer around the
sulfur layer instead of a wax sealant. The
polymer layer provides more protection and
results in even more predictable and uniform nutrient release. Water must diffuse
through the polymer coating, dissolve the
urea through imperfections, micro pores
and cracks in the sulfur coating and then
diffuse back through the polymer coating
into the soil.
Another brand layers the polymer coating
on the urea granule with a sulfur coating and wax sealant on the outside of the
particles. With either production method,
release rates are longer and less temperature
dependent, and surge growth after application is reduced.
Labels
All fertilizer labels will provide a Guaran-
5
teed Analysis. The Guaranteed Analysis
is the manufacturer’s guarantee for minimum percentage of nutrients claimed for
the product. In the guaranteed analysis,
nitrogen must be guaranteed as Total
Nitrogen (N). If chemical forms of nitrogen
are claimed, the forms will be shown in the
Guaranteed Analysis. No particular order
of forms of nitrogen is required. When a
fertilizer contains determinable forms of
nutrients that are slowly available and a
slowly available claim is made, then the
guarantee is shown as a footnote, rather
than as a component in the guaranteed
analysis. See below. To determine the slow
release component or percent divide the
slowly available nitrogen by the total nitrogen and multiply by 100.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Total Nitrogen (N) x%
x% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
x% Nitrate Nitrogen
x% Urea Nitrogen*
x% Other Water Soluble Nitrogen
x% Slowly Available Water Soluble
Nitrogen
• x% Water Insoluble Nitrogen
• *x% Slowly available urea nitrogen from
_______ (nitrogen source material)
Forms of nitrogen and their sources that
may appear in the Guaranteed Analysis
include:
• Ammoniacal Nitrogen sources include
monoammonium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, ammonium sulfate,
ammonium nitrate, urea ammonium
nitrate, ammonium polyphosphate, calcium ammonium nitrate and ammonium
thiosulfate.
• Nitrate Nitrogen sources include urea
ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate,
potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and
sodium nitrate.
• Urea Nitrogen can come from sources
that include urea ammonium nitrate,
urea, urea triazone, sulfur coated urea
and polymer-coated urea.
• Other Water Soluble Nitrogen can come
from sources that include methylene
urea, urea triazone, methylene diurea,
dimethylenetriurea, dicyandiamide, triazone, ureaform and urea-formaldehyde.
• Slowly Available Water Soluble Nitrogen
sources include methylene urea, urea triazone, methylene diurea, dimethylenetriurea, dicyandiamide, triazone, ureaform
and urea-formaldehyde.
• Water Insoluble Nitrogen sources that
include ureaform, isobutylidene diurea,
urea-formaldehyde, feather meal, blood
meal, corn gluten meal and other natural
organic materials.
So, which fertilizer source is the best?
First and foremost, you must practice sound
agronomic practices: perform soil and/or
tissue testing, improve soil conditions and
correct detrimental cultural practices. Plan
nutrient management based on environmental and seasonal influences such as
temperature, rainfall and/or irrigation, use
intensity and proximity to water bodies. The
type of turfgrass, expected quality and budget also influences management strategy.
In addition to fertilization management,
you may wonder if the use of biostimulants
will produce higher quality turf.
Dr. Keith Karnok from the University of
Georgia says turfgrass managers recognize
biostimulants to be a product/material that
is non-traditional in that it is not a fertilizer
or pesticide per se, but is applied to the soil
or plant in hopes of improving turfgrass
performance (usually roots and shoots).
Humic acid, seaweed extract, salicylic acid
and plant hormones are commonly used
turf biostimulants. Research has shown
that biostimulants may improve turfgrass
response to environmental or culturally
induced stress conditions; however, it needs
to be applied before the stress condition.
Predicting stress conditions, such as summer stress, drought or disease may be pertinent in the successful use of biostimulants.
Researchers at Virginia Tech (Drs. Xunzhong Zhang and Richard Schmidt) have
performed studies on turf response to
various biostimulants in regard to enhanced
root and shoot development, drought tolerance, salt tolerance, disease resistance, UV
light tolerance and heat tolerance showing
that biostimulants can improve turf health
and stress tolerance. The consensus regarding use of biostimulants is to research products diligently, avoid products that make
boastful claims without evidence from
scientific studies performed by independent
or university backed research, communicate
with other turf managers about products
that work, test on small areas prior to widespread application and do not substitute
biostimulants for a fertilizer management
plan.
Susan Haddock, B.S., MBA, is an Agent II
for the University of Florida, IFAS Extension,
Hillsborough County.
6
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8
Managing Infield Ball Speed
“What height are you mowing that
infield at now?”
F
or all of us involved with baseball
in the sports turf industry, this
is a question we are asked quite
often, from high school baseball all the
way up to the big leagues. The question comes not only from players and
coaches. With nearly everybody having
mowed a lawn at some point, many in
society feel knowledgeable on the subject. Thus, the question on height of cut
is directed at us from administrators,
executives, media members, fans and
parents. It seems to be a straightforward question, and you can provide an
answer any way you would like. Some
possible responses:
•
•
•
•
•
“About an inch and a quarter.”
“One and five-sixteenths inches.”
“Higher than last season.”
“None of your business.”
“Twenty-four millimeters.”
That last response is the one I like to
use here at our ballpark. It is more or
less the height we have been at since
2010; it’s an accurate answer and
makes people think a bit. Twenty-four
millimeters is .94 inches by the way.
Baseball is interesting with its tradition of not regulating the height of
cut for turfgrass in any way. At the
major league level, stories have long
been told of managers conspiring with
groundskeepers to speed up or slow
down infield ball speed by manipulating the height of cut. Sometimes this
has to do with the makeup of the team.
In other situations, the physical dimensions of the ballpark will influence the
team’s approach for the speed of the
infield. In a small ballpark where the
ball carries well and hitters are favored,
management may want a slower infield
to help out the pitching staff. While
soccer appears to be more interested in
monitoring mowing heights (the En-
glish Premier League Handbook states
simply that the height of the pitch
grass shall not exceed 30mm), baseball
continues without any requirements.
The subtle variations in turf and infield
management at each ballpark, due to
climate or team preferences, are an
appealing part of the game for serious
baseball fans. Of course, as turf managers we are well aware that height of cut
is not the single determining factor in
how fast, slow or consistently your field
plays on a daily basis. So consider what
your infield is made of, and how your
cultural practices can influence the
speed and playability of your turfgrass.
Having worked for 20 years in professional baseball, my current view is that
it is the job of the turfgrass manager
to execute a maintenance program
meeting the needs of the players and
coaching staff. For our discussion here,
we will focus on the speed and pace
of ground balls. In baseball, we do not
have a technical device such as the
Stimpmeter used on golf greens. What
we do have is an opportunity daily to
watch hundreds of ground balls in batting practice, both from fungoes and
live hitting. This can serve as a good,
preliminary informational resource for
the turf manager. From there, you can
watch game situations and seek input
from key players and members of the
coaching staff. Finding the right mowing height/ball speed relationship is
something that evolves at the ballpark.
Your job is to look to accommodate
your team, find what works for them,
and manage the turf from there.
Perhaps you have had the opportunity
to construct or renovate your infield
turfgrass recently. Consider your rootzone material. The physical structure
of your rootzone will have a real and
noticeable impact on how your infield
plays. We value sand for its compaction
resistance, drainage capacity and aera-
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
By Larry Divito
tion properties. We also know that an
ideal rootzone has nearly equal parts of
air and water filled pore space. When
building or renovating, it is critical to
have particle size testing done on your
rootzone.
A helpful document to acquire is the
ASTM’s “Standard Guide for Construction of High Performance Sand
Based Rootzones for Sports Fields.”
This guide has detailed information to
help you understand the details within
your test results. Two things to consider are particle sizing and Coefficient of
Uniformity (Cu). It is recommended
that you avoid any extreme percentages
of angularity or roundness in your sand
particle sizing. Related to that is the Cu
calculation, which measures the uniformity in particle sizing. The ASTM
range for Cu of sand based athletic
fields is at 2.5-4.5, with the lower end of
the Cu range meaning a more uniform
particle size and better resistance to
compaction.
So what does all that mean for your
ground balls every day? My opinion is
that a Cu near or above 4.0 is higher
than you would want for a baseball infield. You do not want the sand or soil
below your turf to help accelerate the
speed of a ground ball. While you need
a certain amount of firmness for footing, a rootzone that compacts too easily
can tend to play a little harder than you
would like. I feel that a Cu near 3.0 is a
nice target number. With a Cu higher
than 3.5, compaction has the potential
to prohibit the rootzone matrix from
absorbing the force of the batted ball.
Type of grass
Your type of turfgrass is of course an
important consideration. Be it Bermuda, Kentucky bluegrass or perennial
ryegrass, the key point here is to grow a
dense, healthy stand of turf. I recall an
excellent talk I attended at the STMA
SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME Conference in 2012 by Dr. Karl Danneberger from Ohio State University.
The lecture was titled “Solar Radiation
is the Driving Force of Sports Turf
Management.” It sounds simple, but
after 20 years of doing this, I continue
to be astounded by the positive impact
of bright sunlight on turfgrass.
Of course, the other side of that is the
infield tarp. Quite often, many of us
at the college and professional levels
have our infield tarp on during daylight
hours on a game day. The threat of rain
or light snow in the spring leads to a
great deal of sunlight being denied to
the turfgrass. By blocking light to the
plant, the wear tolerance of the turf decreases significantly. Because of that, we
like to focus on pre-stress conditioning
by keeping potassium levels high and
using biostimulants in our spray program. Tarping for extended periods of
time also increases the disease pressure
on the turfgrass. I find it useful to have
the infield and other turf under the tarp
on a separate fungicide program. Daily
evaluation of the turf and anticipating
problematic weather conditions will
drive the use of contact and systemic
fungicides.
Given that you are likely mowing at
9
your preferred height of cut at least
four times per week, keep in mind
the goal is to maximize the density of
the plant. Along with that, we try to
avoid having the turf laying over due to
continued mowing of the pattern with
reel mowers. At the professional level,
the expectation is usually for the turf to
be mowed every game day at a consistent height during the season. If you
are looking to speed up or slow down
your infield, you can simply increase
or decrease your frequency of cut over
the course of a week without changing
mowing heights.
Our preference here in Minnesota is
to mow a neutral cut every third day
during a homestand. Starting at first
base and mowing to third base, we
then mow back over the same path
in the opposite direction. When the
team is out of town, we mow in that
same procedure from different angles. Frequent mowing at a lower end
height of cut will help improve turfgrass density in cool season turfgrass.
Improved seed varieties of both Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass
will tolerate mowing heights between
7/8” and 1” quite easily. My experience
with warm-season grass was during
my four seasons at Dodger Stadium,
where I had the benefit of working for
Eric Hansen. As soon as the team was
out of town, Eric’s program for the 419
Bermuda turf was to take the height
of cut down a bit, maybe 1/8” or 3/16”
and mow in three directions. This
reduced the grain in the 419, eliminated any puffiness of the turf, and helped
transition out the ryegrass by exposing
more of the Bermuda to sunlight. With
fertility and some time, the 419 would
settle back into its game day condition
in about a week. Again, remember
your goal throughout the season is to
increase turf density and maximize the
leaf surface of the plant.
One challenge we face in baseball
is timing of irrigation during home
stands. With games daily for 7-10 days,
and start times that vary greatly for TV,
infield irrigation is not at all on a set
program. Consider also that during a
homestand the tarp may be involved
quite a bit as well. For about the past
10 years or so, I have been exclusively
hand watering the infield turf during
home stands. This keeps our baselines,
cutouts and dirt edges from being oversaturated and gives me time to evaluate
the turf as well. If we are playing a day
game, we never water the turf in the
morning, preferring to do so the night
10
before if necessary. Working around
the schedule, and watching weather
patterns, the goal is optimal rootzone
moisture while still having time to dry
down the upper canopy of the turf.
plan, there may be other events scheduled for the field. Time of year and type
of turfgrass will influence your plan for
those weeks. With cool season turf, I
like to be sure we slice seed the infield
on two different occasions prior to
I use a Turf Guard sensor on the infield, June 1. Core aerification occurs when
which gives me moisture content read- there is a proper window for recovery
ings at a 2” and 7” depth. Depending on prior to our next game. Because our
time of year and expected weather, we
rootzone has a Cu slightly below 3.0,
may want to be 12% or 14% moisture
we pull cores on the infield as follows:
on average for the two depth readings
1. Topdress with USGA sand. 2. Core
on a sand-based field. Regarding wetaerify 3. Hand rake cores. 4. Roll in two
ting agents on the turf, I prefer to use a directions with the greens roller. This
penetrant type. If I am hand-watering
process eliminates any wheel indentathe morning of a night game, I need to
tion from the weight of the topdresser,
be sure that water is moving downward and gives us a pool table effect on our
that morning. We don’t want to overflat infield turf after using the greens
water at all, but also try and avoid situa- roller.
tions where the rootzone would dry out
too much during a game. My goal is for During the summer months and
the turf and soil matrix to absorb the
through the end of September, we take
force of the baseball. This leads to truer every opportunity we can to execute
bounces and better consistency.
solid tine aerification. Dependent on
timing, this can be with either needle
There is no time to rest when a big
tines or slicing tines. Any time we can
league team heads out on a road trip.
get oxygen into the rootzone is a posiCultural practices need to commence
tive for us. I have also been very pleased
right away. In addition to your work
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
by the benefits of having a lightweight
greens roller the past few years. It gives
an excellent finish after coring, particularly on newly sodded areas when you
are coring to break up the sod layer in
the upper rootzone. Again, our goal is a
dense stand of turf, with a firm enough
but not overly hard rootzone.
Fertility
What about your fertility program? It
is nice to write up a preseason plan for
feeding your infield turf, but I prefer
to monitor as I go through the season.
Because of the tarp, poor timing with
weather may lead to weeks without
natural rainfall. Or you may get heavy
rainfall when the team is out of town
and your tarp is not on. We enjoy
that natural rain, but it also can mean
nutrients get flushed from a sand-based
rootzone. We are trying to grow dense,
healthy grass, but we do not want to
overfeed it. Excessive nitrogen can
lead to lush, slick and divot-prone cool
season turfgrass. It may also slow the
baseball down more than you would
like. I prefer nitrogen to potassium
SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME ratios of 1:2 with granular products.
For instance, I may apply a granular
6-0-12 product, all soluble nitrogen,
at a rate of .25 lbs. N/ .50 lbs. K every
18-21 days. Should rainfall flush any
of that application, I will tighten up
the interval as needed. Along with the
granular applications, spoon-feeding of the infield is supplemented by
foliar feeding as well. This allows us in
between home stands to apply micronutrients and biostimulants such as
humic and fulvic acids, plant sugars,
and sea plant extracts. We will also add
about .10 lbs. N to our spray just prior
to the home stand.
At different points in my career, my
favorite infield conditions have been
with turf that is primarily perennial
ryegrass. I enjoy its uniformity at a
lower height of cut and like the way the
baseball moves across it. Also, as a finer
bladed turfgrass, there is better overall
nutrient uptake of foliar spray applications, which means more control of
week-to-week fertility.
What about plant growth regulators?
PGR use will give you an increase in
turfgrass density as well as controlling
clippings. Better lateral growth from
PGRs improves the overall leaf surface
of the plant, forming the dense mat
and strong tensile strength you are
looking for to get optimum playability.
PGR use results in greener turf due
to reduced leaf elongation, thus concentrating chlorophyll in the smaller
blades. Along with thoughtful fertility
and sound cultural practices, PGR use
enhances the turfgrass through prestress conditioning.
The most commonly used PGR is
trinexapac-ethyl. Research into the
use of Growing Degree Day models
to gauge intervals for applications
of PGRs is becoming quite useful to
turf managers. The product will break
down more rapidly during times with
high air temperatures. For the steadiest growth regulation of your turf, it
is common to start with a half-rate
application, followed by lower rates of
trinexapac-ethyl applied more frequently to benefit the turf. If using a
11
PGR, you may consider avoiding areas
of extreme traffic where you need
aggressive growth to combat wear in
those isolated spots.
We have focused quite a bit on the
turfgrass and rootzone of the infield.
What about the skin areas? First of all,
you can help or hinder the playability
of your infield tremendously with how
you manage the dirt area in front of
home plate. That is often where ground
balls begin. By keeping the area soft
and consistently moist, you can take
speed and topspin off the baseball. If
it is too hard, it will produce acceleration and increased topspin. This not
only speeds up the ground ball, it also
can lead to a high bounce on the last
hop for the fielder, due to the increase
in topspin. To work the dirt in this
area, you can drop eight to ten bags of
calcined clay there and rototill it into
the top three or four inches (stay a foot
away from the foul line, where players
leave the batter’s box). Level it out, roll
it and soak it down. Give it at least a
week to settle down. The increased volume of calcined clay will retain more
moisture for you and help minimize
the force of the ground ball off the bat.
More on dirt
What about your infield dirt in general? We always stress keeping good
moisture in the infield skin area. You
need to think about watering through
the entire dirt profile going into a
homestand. A heavy soaking needs to
saturate the dirt and perc all the way
through. The first key to good bounces
on your dirt is having that moisture all
the way though the profile. The time
to do a heavy soaking during a homestand is right after a game, giving you
the next day to start your prep work
on the dirt. From there, your game day
routine involves working the upper ¼”
or so of the dirt with your nail drag,
rakes, mat drag and walking roller. Pregame watering should be a touch up for
game conditions, taking into effect the
sunlight, wind and dew point that day.
Topdressing materials and quantities
seem to vary due to personal preference. An abundance of calcined clay as
topdressing will help hold moisture in
the dirt, but it also changes the pace of
the ground ball.
It is hard to describe in writing, but
the correlation of speed of the infield
grass and the infield dirt is a key factor
in achieving optimum playability. For
instance, a shortstop would generally
not like an infield with tall, dense cool
season turf and dirt that is a bit dry and
fast. The pace of the ball will change in
that case. My goal is for the infield to
play a bit on the fast side, not excessively though, with the turfgrass evenly cut
to form a dense mat, and the dirt to be
firm and moist. Part of that program is
mowing height and frequency, part of
it is turf fertility and part of it is infield
dirt topdressing, which we like to be
consistent and sufficient rather than
excessive in volume.
The other key factor is water management of both the rootzone and the
infield skin. The goal with the pace of
the ground ball is for it to be consistent
from turf to dirt. This is especially important for middle infielders and their
mental “game clock” when it comes to
making decisions on plays. The consistent pace will lead to an increase in
double plays turned and better overall
play.
It is not my intent to offer one fixed and
absolute way of doing things. Generally, better playability comes when the
turfgrass and dirt have enough give to
minimize the force of a batted ball. Ultimately, what is most important is to
first gain an understanding of what the
ideal speed and pace of the ball is for
your facility. From there, take into consideration all of the variables discussed
here. Put it all together and achieve the
level of playability that makes you, the
players and your coaching staff happy.
Larry DiVito is Head Groundskeeper for
the Minnesota Twins.
12
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
Amy Graff 303-518-8999
agraff@greenoneindustries.com
Deep Tine Aeration
LeRoy Butler 303-598-6109
leroy@greenoneindustries.com
Topdressing
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V3009 EG R COLO STMA 2015_T1025-A Feb&Nov BB/EG Sprttrf04 2015-01-12 5:15 PM Page 1
SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME 13
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14
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
QA
MEMBER PROFILE
Jon
&
Kingsley
City and County of Broomfield
Parks Services Division
Where are you from and how did
you end up where you are today?
I grew up in Broomfield, CO and currently reside in Westminster.
What attracted you to the Sports
Turf Profession?
My first summer job was working for
the City of Broomfield in 1996 doing
ball field maintenance. I really enjoyed working outdoors and learning the ins and outs of athletic field
maintenance. I look back and chuckle
at some of the maintenance practices
that were common years ago. This
industry has come a long way.
What types of fields to you care for?
Baseball, softball, football, soccer,
lacrosse. Both natural grass and synthetic turf fields
What do you enjoy the most about
the Sports Turf Industry?
The people who are in this industry
have a passion for what they do and
take enormous pride in their work.
The thing I enjoy most is working with
my fellow crew members who are
constantly looking for ways to improve the condition of their fields.
What do you enjoy the least about
the Sports Turf Industry?
Our sports seasons run from March
into November, but we are only fully
staffed during the summer months
with seasonal help. Only having three
months for the athletic facilities to
look their best is the most frustrating
thing and what I enjoy the least about
the working in the industry
What is something you’ve learned
working in Sports Turf that you
would like to share with others?
Getting to know the representatives
from the different user groups is a
must. Communication between
everyone involved helps better serve
the needs of the fields, the sports organizations, and the athletic facilities
managers.
Can you tell us about your trip to
the STMA National Conference in
San Diego?
Being able to attend the STMA National was a great opportunity to
network with other sports turf professionals and national vendors. A common theme is that many sports turf
managers face similar obstacles no
matter what part of the country you
live in. Most of us deal with restrictive
budgets, over-scheduled fields, and
not enough manpower. The STMA
National Conference provided great
educational opportunities, and the
high level of professionalism throughout the entire conference was evident.
SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME QA
15
MEMBER PROFILE
John
Frankenfeld
City of Thornton
Parks Division
Where are you from and how did
you end up where you are today?
I am from Goodland Kansas. In 1995
I graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in
Agriculture/Turf Management. While
attending KSU I worked at Manhattan
Country Club, after graduation I was
offered the assistant superintendent
position at Salina Country Club in
Salina Ks. I changed my career path in
1998 by accepting a job with the City
of Thornton parks Dept.
What attracted you to the Sports
Turf Profession?
The attraction for me was the opportunity to work closely with athletics.
As a collegiate baseball player and
avid sports fan, I thought what better
way can I utilize my agronomic background and turf management skills
and be close to something that I really
enjoy.
What types of fields to you care for?
Currently I manage Thornton Trail
Winds Park; this includes 16 acres of
soccer/football natural grass fields
and 3.5 acres of synthetic field turf, 85
acres of open/natural space and The
Thornton Veterans Memorial Aquatic
Center grounds.
What do you enjoy the most about
the Sports Turf Industry?
My greatest joy comes from providing
a safe, enjoyable sport facility for all
&
users. I also enjoy the many challenges of managing a high use facility.
What do you enjoy the least about
the Sports Turf Industry?
The lack of respect and professional
courtesy turf managers receives from
our recreational and competitive
sports user groups. There are many of
us that take this job very seriously and
truly love what we do, it is a struggle
to convey to our coaches, and parents
the importance of basic management
practices we perform daily to ensure
safe and high quality fields for their
children.
What is something you’ve learned
working in Sports Turf that you
would like to share with others?
The best advice I have ever received
from was my superintendent in
Manhattan Kansas, he said to me “if
you listen to your turf, it will tell what
it needs”. This may sound odd but it
makes a lot of sense when you take
everything into consideration when
turf problems arise. Consider your
soil moisture, heat, disease pressure,
insects, humidity, soil compaction
by excess activity, all microclimates
and macroclimates involved and you
will easily find the solution to your
problem. I use this type of thinking
all time in my job. Bottom line, don’t
over think it and rely on your experience and education.
Can you tell us about your trip to
the STMA National Conference in
San Diego?
I had a great experience at the 2016
STMA conference I attended educational classes, learned important
information, interacted with fellow
turf managers, and enjoyed the local
scenery. I was there for the full conference and took advantage of all the
activities and opportunities that were
offered. The highlight for me was the
Friday night awards banquet because
it was encouraging to see our profession represented and celebrated by so
many professionals in the turf industry and I was recognized for receiving
my CSFM.
What did winning a trip to the 2016
STMA National Conference mean to
you?
Shortly after being notified that I had
earned my CSFM, Drew Barber called
to let me know that I was selected
to receive one of the scholarships.
Going to San Diego was a great way
for me to celebrate my hard work and
increase my knowledge.
16
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
Save
The
Date
Fall Seminar/
Demo Days
Wednesday
August 17th
Broomfield
County
Commons
Park
Watch
for more
details
2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Lawn Mower Open
July 12 @ The Ridge, Castle Rock, CO
Summer Seminar
August 17th, Broomfield County Commons Park
Annual Meeting
December 7th @ RMRTA Conference
SUMMER
2016• THE
• THE
ROCKYMOUNTAIN
MOUNTAINHALFTIME
HALFTIME WINTER
2014
ROCKY
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18
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
Glendale Infinity Park Networking Day
The 2016 CSTMA Networking Day event took place Saturday, April 23rd at Infinity Park in Glendale, CO. Nearly
65 members and their family took the opportunity attend the event and rugby match. Former CSTMA President
and CSFM recipient, Ross Kurcab of Champion Sports Turf Systems provided a great presentation on the challenges of field management before, during and after large events. CSTMA would like to send a special thanks to Noel
Harryman, CSFM, and the Infinity Park crew for an amazing event and facility.
22nd Annual
p
pen
lawn mower
Tournament Information
ENTRY FEES
PER PLAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HOLE SPONSOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FOURSOME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FOURSOME & HOLE SPONSOR . . . . . . . . . .
$138
$100
$550
$650
PLAYER OPTIONS
BIRDIE PACKAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35
CLOSEST TO PIN HOLE, (2) DOUBLE YOUR MONEY HOLES, PAR & POKER*,
AIR CANNON LAUNCHER, 6 RAFFLE TICKETS & 2 MULLIGANS-$50 VALUE
PURCHASE DAY OF TOURNAMENT: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50
Tuesday, July 12th 2016
The Ridge at Caste Pine North
8:00am Shotgun Start
Modified Scramble
Registration 6:30-7:30am
ALL ENTRIES MUST BY RECEIVED BY JUNE 26TH
Followed by Lunch, Raffle, Silent Auction
6 RAFFLE TICKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5
25 RAFFLE TICKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20
2 MULLIGANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10
TOURNAMENT CONTESTS
Closest to Pin
Double Your Money
Inside Circle
Stay on the Green
Longest Drive
Straightest Drive
Hole in One Contests
Par & Poker
SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME 19
20
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
STMA
Environmental Facility Certification Program
The Environmental Facility Certification program was designed to promote environmental stewardship and awareness for STMA
members by documenting the impacts of their management practices on the environment. The program has four components:
1. Self Assessment tool - Gathers information on 10 different Best Practice areas. These areas include storm water management,
fertilization, pesticide/integrated pest management, recycling, composting, mowing, energy conservation, shop buildings and
storage areas, irrigation, and educational outreach.
2. Attesting - One very important component of this certification process is to have another person validate your responses by
doing a walk-through of your facility with you. STMA will provide the attester form and instructions.
3. Certification - For a facility to achieve certification, it must achieve a score of “complying”; the Environmental Committee is
still working on determining what that “score” is. Once achieved, the facility will be certified for a certain number of years, and
certification stays with the facility even if the sports field manager changes.
4. Renewal Process -- STMA Environmental Committee is still formulating this process.
STMA is piloting this program on a broad scale this year. If you are interested in participating in the pilot, please contact Kim Heck,
kheck@stma.org. The information submitted by pilot testers will be considered an official application for environmental certification. If your facility qualifies by meeting the yet-to-be-determined percent of Complying and the attesting component noted above,
environmental certification will be awarded from your pilot process when this program is officially rolled out in 2016.
ANSWER TO CSTMA PHOTO QUIZ - PAGE 3
Every year the FFA along with the AG department host a 3 day long stock show. Over 50
head of beef and dairy cows are shown on the
field. The yellow stripes are from the fencing
and the round spot are from the cows doing
their business.
If you have any interesting photos and would like to
submit them for the next newsletter, please contact
us at admin@cstma.org.
GroundSolutionsFP_Layout 1 1/22/14 9:13 AM Page 1
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22
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
2016 CSTMA Scholarships
The 2016 Colorado
Sports Turf Managers Association Board
would like to offer you
a new look at continuing education or assisting in your degree
program to be a Sports
Turf Manager. In years
past only students
were able to receive
these benefits. Please
look over the different
scholarship programs
we now offer and think
about furthering your
education. CSTMA is
committed to allowing
all Sports turf personnel the option to better
themselves through
this new program.
Visit our website at
www.cstma.org under
CSTMA Resources, to
download the application and instructions
to get you started down
the path to receive one
of these great benefits.
Two Year Horticulture Student Scholarship- $500 each
2 Will Be Awarded
• Student must be enrolled full time at a 2 year college in Colorado
• Student must be a member of CSTMA
• Enrolled to attend classes towards a degree or certificate in a
sports turf industry field
Four Year Horticulture Student Scholarship - $1,000
2 Will Be Awarded
• Student must be enrolled full time at a 4-year college in Colorado
• Student must be a member of CSTMA
• Enrolled to attend classes towards a degree or certificate in a
sports turf industry field
Employee Continuing Education Scholarship- $500 each
4 Will Be Awarded
• Employee must be employed full time
• Employee may not be enrolled full time at a college
• Studies must be sports turf industry specific
• Employee must be a member of CSTMA in good standing
CSFM Scholarship- $350 each
• Must be a STMA & CSTMA member in good standing
• Scholarship will be paid once completion of the CSFM certificate is provided to the board.
• Member must work in the Sports Turf Industry
• Must apply before taking CSFM exam
National STMA Conference Scholarship (2016)
• Must be a CSTMA member in good standing
• Member must work in the Sports Turf Industry
COLORADO
SPORTS TURF
MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
SUMMER 2016 • THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME 23
CSTMA Spring Seminar
Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium
The 2016 Spring Seminar took place on May 25th at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. Over 100 members took the opportunity to tour the facility and attend the seminar. Chris Hathaway, Turf Manager at the Sports
Authority, gave a wonderful speech on field maintenance and the transition of the playing surface over the past
year. The seminar included an opportunity to meet many CSTMA sponsors, a tour of the facility, lunch and the
presentation. The CSTMA Board of Directors would like to thank the entire Broncos crew and all the members
that attended.
A better course,
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SUMMER 2016
COLORADO
SPORTS TURF
MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALF-TIME
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Feature Article...
MANAGING INFIELD
BALL SPEED
DON’T MISS THIS EVENT!
FALL SEMINAR/DEMO DAYS
AUGUST 17
BROOMFIELD COUNTY COMMONS PARK
24
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN HALFTIME • SUMMER 2016
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©2015 The Toro Company. All rights reserved.
Your Head Groundskeeper and crew need to negotiate rigorous – and often unpredictable –
issues regarding the playing surface at your stadium.
That’s where the Sports Turf Managers Association comes in. STMA members are expertly
equipped to deal with these issues and are up-to-date on all the latest information in the
industry. Their expertise in resource utilization, operations management, and agronomics
allow you to protect your players on the field and reduce your expenses while doing it.
Support your grounds crew’s STMA membership for access to the latest information,
education, and industry developments. For over 30 years, STMA members have ensured
their fields are among the safest, most playable and most beautiful around.
Are your bases covered? Is there an STMA member on your grounds crew?
To become a member, go online to www.stma.org
or call 800-323-3875.
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