OTFNewsVol65No2

8/14/2019 OTFNewsVol65No2

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Volume 65 No

March April 20

Inside:2003 OTF Board and TrusteesSee pages 45

Brian Gimbel discussing TS-II in Ohio Stadiumas part of OSU Short Course.

BillbugsSee pages 1617

Graduate Student CornerSee pages 1820

Mike OKeefe & Pam Sherratt

Deb Holdran & Dr. J. Street

Sports Turf Short Course attendeestreated to National Championship trophy


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TurfNews distributes useful and timely advice,information and research from Ohios mostknowledgeable experts and professionals toOTF members and those in the turfgrass industry.

Vol. 65 No. 2 2003TurfNewsis produced by the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation,PO Box 3388, Zanesville, Ohio 437023388,1888OTF3445 and is available to all members.www.OhioTurfgrass.org

Inside:Message From The2003 OTF President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2003 OTF Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42003 OTF Trustees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5OTF News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Golf Course Tips

Late Spring Pink Snow Mold . . . . . . . 8Residental Turf Tips

Springtime Broadleaf

Weed Control Strategies. . . . . . . . 911SportsTurf TipsUsing Growth Tarps/Covers . . . . 1213New Growth and Technology

BillbugsThe GreatTurf Destroyers of 2002 . . . . . . . 1417Graduate Student Corner . . . . . . 1820Member Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . 21

HortShorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22OTF Guest Column. . . . . . . . . . 23Message from the Director ofEducation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Corporate Sponsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

OTF Calendar of Events 2003OTF/OSU Turfgrass Research Field DayAugust 13, 2003OTF Research & Education Facility888-683-3445

For more information or to register for OTF eveplease contact the OTF office at 888-683-3445visit www.OhioTurfgrass.org.

2003 OTF Conference & ShowDecember 912, 2003Greater Columbus Convention CenterColumbus, Ohio888-683-3445

March April 2003

This Issue Sponsored By:

Related Events:Ohio Sports Turf Managers Association (OSTMA)Spring Athletic Field Painting ClinicApril 14, 2003Fremont, Ohio419-824-9805

Ohio Sports Turf Managers Association (OSTMA)Workshop at the Great American BallparkJune 10, 2003Cincinnati, Ohio419-824-9805

Northeast Ohio Lawn Care Seminar (OLCA)June 26, 2003Wooster, OH800-510-5296

Turfgrass Producers InternationalSummer Convention & Field DaysJuly 22-25, 2003Dayton, OH847-705-9898

2nd Annual OSTMA/OLCA Golf OutingJuly 30, 2003(tentative)888-683-3445

Ohio Lawn Care Association (OLCA)Central Ohio Diagnostic SeminarAugust 14, 2003OTF Research & Education Facility, Columbus800-510-5296



OTFAlive and WellNow that was a winter! Whereveryou are in Ohio, it is probably asafe bet that you couldnt wait toget this winter over with. You realizeits been cold when you had thefirst 30-degree day and drivers hadtheir windows down and their armsout the window.

It is my pleasure and honor tointroduce myself as the 41stPresident of the Ohio TurfgrassFoundation. The 2003 Board ofDirectors have met and begun plan-ning this years activities. In January,

a 2-day Committee Summit was conducted that involved notonly OTF board members but also volunteers from both OSUand the Green Industry. Many new ideas were discussedand budgets were set. Thanks to all the volunteers that attend-ed the 2-day meeting.

Thanks to the leadership of last years OTF President,Mark Heinlein. The relationship between OTF and the OSUTurf Team has been strengthened by Mark, and is one area

the 2003 OTF Board will continue to develop.Sitting on the OTF board the last 7-years, I have learned somuch from the past presidents such as Mark Heinlein. Iremember the first few years thinking, How can these peo-ple be so dedicated to the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation? Afterattending numerous OTF Annual Awards Banquets and see-ing checks like this years donation to The Ohio StateUniversity of $153, 549, which represented research grants,financial support and student scholarships, I realize whyboard members are so dedicated to the OTF cause.Witnessing students receiving scholarships that will assist themin earning a Turf Degree is the most gratifying moment forany board member. If you have not attended an Awards

Banquet before, mark your calendar for the 2003 banquet inDecember.

On behalf of the 2003 board, we look forward to workingwith our Executive Director Kevin Thompson and OffingerManagement Company. Kevin is constantly looking out forthe best interest of the OTF member and has a great sup-port staff in the Offinger office in Zanesville. The OhioTurfgrass Foundation is Alive and Well! The mission of the2003 board is to make this great organization, greater!

John Mowat2003 President, OTF

Message FromThe President

Annual OSU Sports TurfShort CourseOne hundred field managers and industrypersonnel from Ohio, Maryland &Tennessee came to Ohio Stadium in Marchto participate in the annual OSU sportsturf short course. Distinguished speakers,such as Dr. A.J.Powell from the Universityof Kentucky, Matt Williams from theCincinnati Reds, Dr. Chuck Darrah from

CLC LABS, and Jeff Limburg from ToledoMudhens joined the OSU turf faculty andthe OSTMA in hosting this event.

Session topics were varied in nature andwere very practical and much needed,especially after the wet fall of 2002. Allparticipants also received the new OSUSports Turf Resource Manual, whichis a composition of helpful articles andresources relating to athletic fieldmanagement.

As well as a tour of the 2002 champions

stadium, everyone was given the opportu-nity to have their picture taken withthe Circuit City trophy, which had beenkindly (and trustingly!) provided by thestadium staff.

What a great and informative event. Werealready planning to be bigger and better inMarch 2004!

On The Cover

Stephen Myers and Stephen Baertsche


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Mark Grunkemeyer

Mark Grunkemeyer,Owner/President of BuckeyeEcoCare in Dayton, was elected tohis second term on the OTFBoard of Directors. BuckeyeEcoCare is a 19 year old lawn carecompany serving Dayton and sur-rounding areas. Grunkemeyer, aPast-President of the Ohio LawnCare Association, has been anOTF member since receiving anOTF Scholarship in 1975. Mark isa 1976 graduate of The Ohio StateUniversity/Agriculture TechnicalInstitute with a degree in TurfgrassManagement.

OTF 2003 TrusteesTerm Expires 2006

Mark Jordan

Mark Jordan, elected to his secondterm on the OTF Board of Trustees, iscurrently the Club Manager for theWestfield Companies Country Club.He served as Superintendent from1989-1999. Prior to that, Mark servedas the Assistant Superintendent for theWinding Hollow Country Club inColumbus and the Hyde Park Golf andCountry Club in Cincinnati.

Mark served as the GolfTournament Committee Chair in

2002, while also serving on theMembership Services and PublicityCommittees.

He is a Past President of theNorthern Ohio Golf CourseSuperintendents Association (NOGC-SA), and has been active on theNOGCSA Board of Directors since1996. Mark has been a member of theOSU/ATI Turfgrass ManagementCurriculum Advisory Committeesince 1996.

Mark graduated from The Ohio

State University/Agriculture TechnicalInstitute in 1984 with an Associates ofApplied Science Degree in TurfgrassManagement, and then went on toreceive his Bachelor of Science degreein Agriculture from The Ohio StateUniversity in 1986.

In his free time, Mark enjoys play-ing golf, coaching Little League, fol-lowing the Indians and spending timewith his wife, Melinda, and four chil-dren Nathaniel, Alaina, Janelle, and

McKenna.

Dan Walter

Dan Walter, Superintendent,City of Blue Ash Golf Course, waselected to his first term as an OTFTrustee. Dan joined the course asassistant superintendent in 1992and became superintendent in1995. Prior to Blue Ash Dan wasassistant superintendent atMoundbuilders C.C.

Dan earned a degree inTurfgrass Management from TheOhio State University/AgricultureTechnical Institute. He has servedon OTFs Program DevelopmentCommittee the last three years,and is a Past President of theGreater Cincinnati Golf Course

Superintendents Association.Dan resides in LibertyTownship with his wife Renee andtwo children, Christian andCourtney.



OTF News

2003 MembershipRenewals DueIt is time to renew your membership to OTF. TheOTF Membership year runs from February 1January 31. Membership renewal invoices weremailed to all 2002 members in late January, with aMay 1 due date.

Please renew your membership immediately. If wedo not receive your renewal before May 1, you will notbe listed in the 2003 Membership Directory, you will

stop receiving this newsletter, and other valuable OTFmember benefits and services will expire.

Following is a brief description of each OTFMembership Type:

Organizationalany company currently involved inthe management of turfgrass, including: golf courses,lawn care companies, landscapers, nurseries, sod pro-ducers, parks and recreation, grounds maintenance,cemeteries, athletic fields, suppliers, and all otherrelated organizations. Organizational members haveone contact person with full voting privileges.

Affiliate OrganizationalAny one person whosecompany has joined as an Organizational Member.Affiliate members receive all OTF mailings, are listedin the Membership Directory, and receive memberbenefits, but have no voting privileges. This is onlyavailable to Organizational Members.

IndividualAnyone currently involved in the man-agement of turfgrass. Individual members have fullvoting privileges.

StudentAny student currently enrolled in a highschool, vocational, technical school, college, or univer-sity. Student members have no voting privileges.

FacultyAny person involved in teaching turfgrassmanagement, landscape, horticulture, or other relat-ed field. Faculty members have no voting privileges.

If you have questions about your member-ship, please call OTF at 888-683-3445, orvisit www.OhioTurfgrass.org.

45 Attend Ohio SodProducers Winter Seminar

The Ohio Sod Producers Association (OSPA) held itsannual Winter Seminar February 5 at the Ramada PlazaHotel, Columbus. Forty-five sod producers from aroundOhio attended the all day workshop entitled Safety onthe Sod Farm.

This highly informative workshop includedspeakers covering the following topics:

1. Forklift Safety

2. Tractor SafetyJohn Fields, JD Equipment

3. Harvester SafetyIan True, Brouwer TurfEquipment

4. SafetyWhy its Important, Gary Hanson,American Safety & Health Management

As a sod producer and business owner, the issues ofworker safety and workers comp are both a moral oblig-ation and financial issue in todays business climate,

according to OSPA President Mike Ward, Eastgate Sod,Cincinnati, OH. I was excited to include several of myemployees in this training as well as see a great turnoutfrom other Ohio Sod Producers. This should be a greatstart to the year for our safety and training programs.

Attendees received certificates signifying that theyhad participated in the all-day workshop geared specifi-cally to safety training in sod production.

Included in the agenda was a brief OSPA businessmeeting and deli lunch buffet. At the business meeting,Mike Blair, Green Velvet Sod Farms, updated memberson the planning of the Turfgrass ProducersInternational (TPI) Summer Convention that will be

held at Green Velvet Sod Farms in Dayton, July 22-25,2003. For more information contact TPI at 847-705-9898, www.TurfGrassSod.org.

The annual Winter Seminar is one of themany benefits of OSPA membership. For moreinformation, contact OTF at 888-683-3445.


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OTF TurfNews Vol 65 No. 2 2003

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The Ohio TurfgrassResearch Trust (OTRT),the tax-exempt fund-rais-ing arm of OTF, is direct-ed by a six member Boardof Directors who workhard to make The OhioState University TurfProgram the best turf pro-gram in the country.

OTRT is pleased toannounce Joe Duncanand Joe Motz as new

trustees serving 3-year terms on the Board ofDirectors. Paul Jacquemin, OTRT Trustee since 2000,was nominated to serve a 1-year term as Treasurer.

Joe Duncan is the owner/president of Ever-GreenTurf and Landscape in Troy, OH. From 1975-1984Duncan was Zone Manager for Leisure Lawn, Inc.

He served as Treasurer of OTF from 1992-1995 andPresident in 1998. Duncan is currently on the OhioLawn Care Association (OLCA) Board of Directorsand a Trustee of the Miami County Foundation. He isalso on the officiating staff for Big Ten football andprofessional arena football. Duncan has been marriedto his wife Gina for 22 years and has two daughtersAlyson and Natalie.

Joe Motz is President & CEO, The Motz Group,Inc., Cincinnati, OH. The Motz Group specializes inthe design, consultation, construction, and manage-ment of high performance natural and synthetic ath-letic field systems. He is a member of the Sports Turf

Managers Association (STMA), National Associationof State Universities and Land Grant Colleges(NASULGC) and the Council for AgriculturalResearch, Extension and Teaching (CARET).

A 1997 graduate of The Ohio State University,Motz is a Past President of OTF (1991) and receivedthe 1994 OTF Professional of the Year Award.He resides in Cincinnati with his wife Jane andthree children.

Duncan and Motzsucceeded DougHalterman and GeneProbasco on the Board ofDirectors. The 3-yearterms of Halterman andProbasco, both OTF Past

Presidents, expiredJanuary 31, 2003.Halterman, PastPresident and Treasurerof OTRT, and Probasco,Auction Committee

Chair played important roles in establishing OTRT.Both men retired recently after many successful yearsas professionals in the turfgrass industry.

Doug Halterman and Gene Probasco will be sore-ly missed, lamented Randy Tischer, current OTRTPresident. I cannot think of two more dedicated,

respected individuals to have served on this board.They deserve a lot of credit for all their hard workover the years, he added. But I am looking forwardto the additions of Joe Duncan and Joe Motz. Theyboth bring a great amount of knowledge, enthusiasm,and leadership to the organization. They will serveOTRT and OTF very well.

Also serving on the OTRT Board of Directors isMark Heinlein, The Motz Group, Inc. and BobOBrien, Century Equipment. Heinlein is OTFsImmediate Past President and is serving as the OTFliaison to the OTRT Board. OBrien, another OTFPast President, has been an OTRT Trustee since 2000.

OTRT is a non-profit, charitable foundation desig-nated as a 501 (c)3 organization by the IRS. Utilizingits tax-exempt status, OTRT plans to raise significantfunds specifically for turfgrass research. OTRT is dedi-cated to a strong turf program in Ohio and appreci-ates the past support of OTFs members as it looks for-ward to an even bigger and better future.

Ohio Turfgrass Research TrustAnnounces 2003 Officers and Trustees

Joe Motz Joe Duncan



Late Spring PinkSnow MoldJ.W. RimelspachDepartment of Plant Pathology The Ohio State University

Prolonged wet conditions and cooler temperaturesare ideal for the occurrence of Pink Snow Mold.This disease can occur from fall through late spring.In Columbus 1 or 2 cases often occur in early Juneeach year. The problem with this disease is that it isoften misdiagnosed as cool temperature pythium inthe spring. Rarely do we see cool temperature pythi-um. This disease is especially active on annual blue-grass in areas that are in shade, wet, north facing, orhave a history of the disease. Creeping bentgrass is

also susceptible to pink snow mold but not to thesame extent as annual bluegrass. Young, juvenile, orlush turf is more susceptible then mature stands.

Although golf course superintendents commonlyknow this disease as pink snow mold, the official nameof the disease in the plant pathology world when thereis no snow, is Microdochium patch or Fusarium patch.Pink snow mold is usually seen in winter when therewould or could be snow cover. This may all seemconfusing, and it is. I tend to call it pink snow moldall year long.

Through the winter pink snow mold symptomsusually appear as circular patches that tend to be tan

or whitish and in some cases have a pinkish border. Inlate spring when temperatures are between 40 and60F and abundant moisture is present or duringrainy periods, the pathogen becomes quickly active.The pathogen produces spores that move in wateralong drainage patterns and can easily be tracked bymowers. In spring, symptoms are more variable andmay appear as streaks, which can cause confusion withcool temperature pythium. Symptoms initially appear

as a yellowing of the infected turf area that progressesrapidly to a rusty, reddish, brown color. The source ofspores is often from old patches that were on the turfin the winter or the thatch. When the disease occursin late spring it is usually active for short periods oftime so the patches are not as large, distinct, or welldefined as in winter and makes diagnosis more diffi-cult. With the return of warm and dry weather the turfwill often recover rapidly. Pink snow mold does survivein grass residues, infected plant parts and thatch.

Cultural management of pink snow mold includesmowing greens, if possible, when they are dry; andimproved drainage. Often these are limited things youcan do since the weather is out of your control and isthe major factor for disease development. If establish-ing a new turf area, there are significant differences increeping bentgrass cultivar susceptibility to pink snowmold. For more information on cultivar susceptibility,contact the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program(NTEP), the web site is: www.ntep.org.

Fungicide treatments can be effective for control-ling pink snow mold. Some products to considerinclude: iprodione, vinclozolin, trifloxystrobin,

chlorothalonil, and fludioxonil. The combination ofiprodione and chlorothalonil is especially effective.There have been cases of resistance to certain fungi-cides such as iprodione, however not permanent. Ifsevere disease occurs there is often a large amount ofinoculum in the turf for reinfection to occur.Repeated applications are needed if environmentalconditions persist that favor continued developmentof the disease and on sites with severe disease.

Golf CourseTips



Residential TurfTips

Spring is just around the corner, and so is a freshcrop of annual and perennial broadleaf weeds. Fall isthe best time to control perennial weeds, such as dan-delion, the plantains, and white clover. However,spring and early summer (depending on the weed) isthe time to target annual broadleaf weeds. You shoulduse either postemergence herbicides early in theweeds life cycle, or, if possible, the same preemer-gence herbicides you might already be using for crab-grass prevention. Use the guide on page 11 to deter-

mine what strategies to use to control your most com-mon annual broadleaf weed problems. If you musttreat perennial broadleaves in the spring (as is oftenthe case), remember that best control in cooler weath-er is with ester formulations of the phenoxy andpyridinoxy herbicides. Be aware, though, that as tem-peratures rise into the 60s and 70s that the ester for-mulations become very volatile, and non-target injurycan occur. Amine formulations will reduce this risk inwarmer weather. Regardless of formulation, postemer-gence broadleaf herbicides should not be appliedwhen air temperatures exceed 80-85 degrees.

CarfentrazoneThere are a few changes to our arsenal for

broadleaf weed control. FMC corporation is market-ing a stand-alone carfentrazone product.Carfentrazone was introduced last year as a compo-nent of the Powerzone and Speedzone products fromPBI Gordon. The herbicide is a cell membrane dis-rupter, and results in faster burn-down of weeds com-pared to treatment with a phenoxy or pyridinoxy

alone. Even though it is being sold as a stand-aloneproduct, it should not be used by itself. Rather, theintent was to allow the user the ability to combine thefaster action of the material with the traditionalbroadleaf herbicide or 3-way material they werealready using.

ClopyralidThere continues to be considerable confusion sur-

rounding the label change to clopyralid that willreflect the decision to pull this product from residen-tial turfgrass usage. The EPA approved new wordingon the clopyralid technical labels in October 2002.Changes to technical labels occur before changes aremade to package labels, which is what end-users referto when applying products. DowElanco and otherswho use clopyralid in formulated products have untilSeptember 2003 to change the wording on end-usepackage labels to reflect not for use on residentialturf. Dow expects to submit the new package labelsto the EPA in March. Once the labels are approved(expected in June), any product manufactured fromthat date must have the new label language on it,including Confront, Momentum, Millennium Ultra,Chaser Ultra, and etc.

End-use product manufactured in the fall of 2002and winter/spring 2003 will have the residential uselabel on it since the EPA has not received and hadtime to review the revised end-use labels. And, afterthe not for use on residential turf labeling isapproved, it will not be illegal to sell or use productinventory that contains the old label for use on resi-

Springtime BroadleafWeed Control StrategiesDr David GardnerDepartment of Horticulture and Crop Science The Ohio State University



dential turf. There are other gray areas with thelabel change. For example, what happens if you are alandscape maintenance contractor servicing a residen-tial development, such as a retirement home. Theopinion of the legal staff at DowElanco at the time ofthis writing is that this would be considered commer-cial property and use would be allowed. Remember,

the purpose behind the label change is to preventclopyralid residues from appearing in composted turf.

So if you are a commercial applicator and you useclopyralid on commercial property, take steps toensure that the clippings on those sites are returned,not collected. Questions about this issue should be ref-ered to the state EPA or Department of Agriculture.DowElanco is actively conducting research on flurox-ypyr as an alternative to clopyralid and labeled prod-

ucts may begin appearing late this year.

Dr. David Gardner and fourteen students in The Ohio State University Turf Clubattended the GCSAAs 74th International Golf Course Conference and Show inAtlanta, Georgia. The contingent included a student in the OSU international

program from Great Britain, one from Ireland, and two from Australia. In addition toattending educational sessions and competing in the Turf Bowl, the students exhibit-ed a booth highlighting the Turfgrass Management program at The Ohio StateUniversity as well as the turfgrass industry in the state of Ohio. The exhibit was madepossible through a generous donation from the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation. Fivestudents lined up internship opportunities.

The GCSAA conference provides a valuable opportunity for students to interactwith industry representatives, student clubs from other universities, and prospectivefuture employers. This was the second year that the OSU turf club attended. Thestudents would like to thank the OTF membership for providing funding support forthe trip, and to thank those members who stopped by the booth. We are lookingforward to next years conference in Atlanta.

Students Attend GCSAA ConferenceOhio State students

who attended this yearsGCSAA conference:

Adam Alt

Ryan Beeson

Sean Brennan

Phillip Brodzinski

Pat Burton

Matt Cochran

Sherwin Elias

Chad ElkinsAdam Farrell

Katie Flath

Pete Foreman

Lance Fox

Jesse Hartman

Charlie Hobor

Mark Kuligowski

Julian Mooney

Brad Novotny

Raemonn OneillKyle Smith

Erica Titus

Christina Todd

Gina Wirthman



Knotweed(Sometimes con-fused with crab-grass when firstemerging)

Annual Broadleaf Weed Control GuideControlling annual broadleaf weeds is easy if you use recommended herbicides and

target their application to the time that the weed is most vulnerable.

Mallow(Has a central taproot and does not root at the nodes likecreeping charlie)

Spurge (Milky sap distinguishes from knotweed)Black medic(Short stem on end leaf distinguishes from white clover)

Mallow can be controlled with postemergence productsearly in its life cycle. Black medic may be controlled withdithiopyr or with postemergence materials.

Knotweed germinates early in the season, so preemergenceherbicides typically need to be applied before traditionaltimes for crabgrass.

Pigwee(May have dish stem ataproot)

Purslane (Fleshy leaves)

Oxalis(Yellow Woodsorrel),(Heart-shaped leaves)

These weeds (right column) germinate later in the season.Prodiamine and dithiopyr are labeled for pigweed.

Pendimethalin, prodiamine, dithiopyr, and oxadiazon are labeledfor the others. Once emerged, you may need to spot apply

postemergence materials early in the life cycle, before seed set.



Sports TurfTipsUsing GrowthTarps/CoversDr. John R. Street and Pamela J. SherrattThe Ohio State University Department of Horticulture & Crop Science

Throughout the year, the aim is to retain100%grass cover of desirable species on the fieldbecause the key to providing a safe athletic fieldis to have adequate grass cover. The grass coverprovides (1) athlete foot traction, (2) surface fric-tion, and (3) a surface that can absorb athleteshock forces.

The window of opportunity to establish new

grass is very small, with sometimes only a few daysbetween games. One tip for establishing fast grasscover is to bring soil temperatures up quicker inthe spring by using growth tarps or covers.

A wide variety of growth covers are available.Check with your local distributors for types andcosts. Growth covers vary in price. An evergreencover from Covermaster costs around $3000 tocover the area between hashes and end zones. Itrequires manpower to put the covers on (especiallyif they are wet or frozen) but they have beenshown to offer benefits. Most importantly, coverscan raise soil and turfgrass canopy temperatures,

thereby:

1. Encouraging quicker spring green-up by up to4 weeks

2. Extending fall color

3. Encouraging seed germination

4. Minimize soil freezing, thereby allowing thefield manager to get on the field earlier inthe spring.

Darian Daily, field manager at the Columbus Crewstadium has the following helpful hints on using covers:

When placing covers in the fall, cover the entirefield, or the field will be different shades of greenthe following spring.

Put the covers on as early as possible, once snowcover has gone, to encourage soil warming (Darianaims for February 1).

Because temperatures underneath can be as muchas 10F higher than outside the cover, and air circu-lation is minimal, watch carefully for turfgrass dis-eases, such as pink snow mold, if covers are in placefor an extended period of time. Preventative fungi-cides limit possible disease problems.

Roll the covers back up onto a drainage pipe, foreasy maneuverability & storage.

Use colored side staples to pin the cover down, sothat they are easily located and do not end up loston the field potentially damaging mower blades.

In the fall, put covers on when frost is forecast, toprevent the soil from freezing.

Buy the best you can afford. Some cheaper coverswill rip quickly & carry no warranty.

One field manager in Ohio used a small section ofgrowth cover to show the school administrationhow good the field could look by using covers.He had no problem getting the money topurchase one.



Manchester United, UK (above) and Ohio Stadium (below) are using covers for more rapid seedinggermination and establishment during windows of opportunity between games. Covers custommade to size come in several pieces.



For the second summer in a row, billbugs causedmajor damage across Ohios turf, especially inresidential lawns, grounds and sport fields.

Many lawn maintenance firms are already planningreseeding projects for their customers, but their expla-nations for the reasons for turf loss rarely includebillbugs. This is because many people, especially newhires and turf managers not exposed to billbugzdamage in the 1990s, simply do not have the experi-ence needed to diagnose billbug activity and damage.

In Ohio, the most common billbug is the bluegrassbillbug, Sphenophorus parvulus. We also have the less-er billbug, S. minimus, but we have not yet confirmeddamage by the hunting billbug, S. venatus. The lesserbillbug is a bit smaller than the bluegrass billbug andit has a life cycle that is nearly identical. Therefore,there is no real need to differentiate between thesetwo billbugs. The hunting billbug is mainly a pest ofbermudagrass and zoysiagrass, though it has beenfound attacking cool-season turf in New Jersey andPennsylvania. The hunting billbug has a very differentlife cycle, often overwintering as larvae, but since it isnot common in Ohio, I will not discuss it further.

Billbug DiagnosisThe InsectBillbugs are merely weevils in which the beak

(snout or bill) and first thoracic segment are as longas the rest of the body (wing covers and abdomen).Most weevils have the wing covers and abdomen muchlonger than the head and first thoracic segmentlength. The bluegrass billbug adults are about 5/16-inch to 3/8-inch in length. They are a slate black incolor, but the bodies can be coated with soil which

gives them a dark brown look. The pronotum (the first seg-ment behind the head) has numerous small punctures whichmay be missing down the top mid-line. The wing coversappear to be grooved with regularly spaced lines, but if youlook under a microscope, these grooves also have regularlyspaced pits.

Billbug adults commonly wander about and end up onsidewalks, driveways and along the curbs of streets.

Billbug larvae look like miniature white grubs (somewhatC-shaped grubs with a brown head capsule), but if you look

closely, they have no legs. Billbug larvae generally have morepointed abdomens, being thicker in the middle of the bodythan regular white grubs. Early instar billbug larvae usuallyburrow within grass stems and can be 1/16 to 1/8 inch. Theseare rarely seen unless you specifically look for them. Once thelarvae become too large to fit within stems, they drop out andfeed on the crowns and roots while burrowing through thesoil. Mature larvae can reach 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch in length.The larvae tend to remain at the soil-thatch interface and theycan be easily detected when their populations cause death ofturf in mid-June to early July. However, once the larvae areready to pupate, they dig deeper into the soil, often one totwo inches down.

Billbug DiagnosisTurf DamageBillbug damaged turf is commonly misidentified as some

other kind of damagedisease, drought-induced dormancy,chinch bug or white grub attack, etc. Fortunately, billlbugdamage can be easily diagnosedafter the damage has beendone! Simply grasp stems of turf that have turned brown andpull up. If the stems break off easily and, upon inspection ofthe broken ends, they appear to be filled with a fine sawdust-like material, billbugs have been active. This procedure is call

BillbugsThe Great Turf Destroyer of 2002!

New Growth and Technology

Dr. David Shetlar (the BugDoc)Department of Entomology

The Ohio State University

BillbugsThe Great Turf Destroyer of 2002!



2002 Memorial Scholarship Winners

Fred Bosch, Solution One, presentsRyan Beeson with the 2002 DonSweda Memorial Scholarship.

ll Prest, Sweetbriar Golf Club,esents the 2002 George Biddulphemorial Scholarship to Ryan Margraf.

the tug test and it only takes a few seconds to perform.The tug test can be done from mid-June into

October, so there is no reason to deny that billbugs werethe problem even when turf doesnt recover inSeptember or October.

In general, slight or early damage will appear asround to oval spots, three to five inches in diameter thatturn straw colored. This usually begins in mid-June andthe damage can be mistaken for dollarspot disease ordamage from cutworms or sod webworms. Moderate

damage shows up as the scattered spots expanding tojoin together in a general mottled pattern across thelawn. This often happens in late-June and if drought isalso occurring, significant turf loss can be expected.Unfortunately, this damage is often mistaken for leafspotdiseases or chinch bug damage. Again, the tug test willconfirm whether the damage is from billbugs or not.Heavily damaged lawns simply look like they have com-pletely gone into summer dormancy, usually by July. Theturf will first be straw yellow in color, but the stems soonblanch to a straw white color. The damaged stems alsotend to fall over and lay flat on the ground. This is differ-ent from summer dormancy or chinch bug attack where

the stems remain yellowish and stay upright.Early detection of billbug damage is difficult but a

sharp eye will alert you to its potential. When you see theseed stems turning straw colored in June, pull on a fewstems just to see if they have been hollowed out by bill-bugs. If they havent been fed upon, youre likely safe forthe season. However, if you find quite a few stems hol-lowed out, be sure to tell the turf owner to water morethan normal, especially if drought is expected. This willallow the turf to grow and mask most of the potentialdamage.

Billbug Damage and DroughtThrough much of the 1990s, I mentioned in several

years that billbugs were very common, but their damagewas rarely noticed. Why? Its because of the relationshipof the billbug life cycle and the normal growth cycle ofthe turf.

Billbug females generally seek out expanding seedstems in May in which to insert their eggs. The larvaeburrow up and down these stems, eventually moving

toward the crowns. During this same period, our mowingpractices force the turf plants to switch to asexual repro-duction and expansiontillering. The new tillers have torely on the parent plant for support until they establishtheir own root systems. If a single billbug larva destroysthe supporting parent crown, before the tillers haveestablished roots, a patch of turf, often three to five inch-es in diameter, will collapse and turn straw color. This ismost evident during drought periods in mid-June.However, if there is sufficient soil moisture (rain or irriga-tion) this total plant collapse doesnt occur. Instead, thenew tillers are able to set roots and fill in where the par-ent plant was killed.

If drought continues, the billbug larvae may move lat-erally and feed on roots and stems of additional plants,thereby extending the damage into the mottled look.And, if the drought continues even further, all the turfplants in an area can be killed, resulting in large areas ofdead turf.

Bluegrass billbug larvae feeding on basil stem/crown with resultant frass.



Billbug ControlBillbugs can be controlled using cultural (resistant

turf) and chemical means. Overseeding or interseed-

ing with endophyte-containing perennial ryegrass orfescues is a long-term solution. Dr. Doug Richmond, aformer graduate student, found that a single overseed-ing of endophytic perennial ryegrass into an existingstand of Kentucky bluegrass provided protection with-in two seasons. He also confirmed that about 40% ofthe grass stems needed to contain the endophyte inorder to keep billbug populations below damaginglevels. In essence, you dont need 100% of a turf stand

to have the endophyte. Therefore, if renovation is tobe undertaken the fall or spring after significant bill-bug damage, consider using endophytic perennial rye-grass or endophytic turf-type tall fescue.

Chemical control has generally relied on two useapproachespreventive and curative. In the preven-tive approach, Dursban or diazinon was applied inearly to mid-May to kill overwintered female billbugsbefore they laid sufficient eggs that would lead to sig-nificant damage from the larvae. Billbug activity diag-nosed in mid-June could also be treated with diazinonor one of the grub insecticides such as Oftanol orTriumph. Unfortunately, because of the EPA-FoodQuality Protection Act implementation, Oftanol andTriumph have been removed from the market,

Dursban has been banned from residential use anddiazinon will soon follow this fate in 2004.Over the last decade, my technicians and I

have been evaluating all the new turf insecti-cides for their potential as preventives andcuratives for billbug control. At present, thereis no insecticide that seems to have the activityof Dursban and diazinon as preventivetreatments (Table 1). However, several of thepyrethroids have shown good control whenused as preventives and Merit and MACH 2have also shown promise, mainly aspreventives. We have yet to discover a good

replacement insecticide for curative controlof billbugs!

Now, Im not recommending that wereturn to the lawn care practices of the 1970sand 1980s where every lawn received a generalsurface insecticide treatment in May or Junefor billbug, chinch bug and sod webworm con-trol! Over the last two years, Ive seen certainneighborhoods that seem to be hit moreseverely by billbugs than others. This is mostlikely due to the use of highly susceptibleKentucky bluegrasses or endophyte free peren-nial ryegrasses that were planted on all the

lawns during the initial neighborhood development. In such areas, a preventive strike with apyrethroid, or Merit or MACH 2 may be inorder. Remember, Merit labels recommendthe higher rate of 0.4 lb.ai./acre when goingafter billbugs. This rate, applied in May, shouldalso provide sufficient residual activity to sup-press chinch bugs and the white grubs thatappear in July and August. MACH 2 labelshave also been changed for 2003 from a 1.5lb.ai./acre rate to 2.0 lb.ai./acre.

Rate aveInsecticide lb.ai./A % Control #Tests

CARBAMATES

Carbaryl 6.0 91.7 1(=Sevin) 8.0 58.3 1

Chlorpyrifos 1.0 47.8 3(=Dursban) 2.0 74.5 3

Diazinon 4.0 88.2 4

PYRETHROIDS

Bifenthrin 0.05 50.1 1(=Talstar) 0.1 54.2 1

Cyfluthrin 0.14 39.4 2(=Tempo)

Deltamethrin 0.06 71.0 1(=DeltaGard) 0.13 75.2 2

Lambda-cyhalothrin 0.06 81.0 1(=Scimitar)

NEW COMPOUNDS

Halofenozide 1.5 62.6 6(=MACH2) 2.0 41.4 2

Imidacloprid 0.3 86.4 8(=Merit) 0.4 61.5 6

Thiamethoxam 0.2 81.0 1(= Meridian) 0.26 100.0 1

Table 1. Efficacy of Billbug Insecticides

(used as preventives)19892002a

a Data from ESA publications (1989-2002) using bluegrass billbug data wheretiming of application was at egg lay to early egg hatch. Note: Thiamethoxamis not yet registered for turf usage, chlorpyrifos is no longer available forresidential usage and diazinon is not available for golf course or sod farmuse.compiled by D.J. Shetlar, January, 2003.



Billbug damaged lawn (above) and stems damaged by billbug larval feeding, the tug test (below).


18/28

Major Advisor:

Dr. Parwinder GrewalDepartment of Entomology

Ohio State University, OARDC, Wooster OH

OTF TurfNews Vol 65 No. 2 2003 Page 18

Abstract:Endophytes are beneficial fungi belonging to thegenus Neotyphodium that live in the leaves and stemsof grasses. This association naturally occurs in perenni-al ryegrass and fescue grasses. Endophytes enhancegrowth and survival of the grass plants. The plant

provides all the food resources for the fungus, andthe fungus confers resistance to the grasses againstinsects, diseases, and drought. Endophyte infectedgrasses are better able to tolerate environmentalextremes such as drought and acidity than thoseplants without the endophytes.

In fact, the endophytes provide a built-in systemicpesticide to the plant. Defensive chemicals are pro-duced by the endophytes which are disruptive tonumerous animal species capable of utilizing endo-phyte-free grasses. Three classes of fungal metabolites,the indole diterpenes, the ergot alkaloids, andperamine have been implicated as being responsiblefor the insect resistance of endophyte-infected peren-nial ryegrass. The lolitrems, paxilline, and indolediterpenes are toxic to Argentine stem weevil. Theergot alkaloids affect the Argentine stem weevil and

Japanese beetle. Peramine occurs widely in endophytecontaining grasses and seems to play an importantrole in the resistance of ryegrass to the Argentine stemweevil, sod webworm, and the greenbug aphid.Peramine solely functions as a feeding deterrent toinsects. Bluegrass billbug can be controlled withoverseeding endophyte infected perennial ryegrass inKentucky bluegrass lawns. Research shows that onlyabout 40% of the plants in a turf sward have tocontain the endophyte to obtain effective control ofbluegrass billbug and sod webworm. Many turfgrassinsect pests, plant-parasitic nematodes and mitepests can be managed with the use of endophyte

containing grasses.My research has been with the black cutworm,

Agrotis ipsilon, a generalist plant feeder that is able todevelop on endophytic perennial ryegrass. I wanted todetermine the compatibility of endophytes and insect-parasitic nematodes in managing the black cutwormlarvae. My research demonstrated that older larvae(4-5th instars) feeding on plants with high (>90%)incidence of endophyte become less susceptible to the

Dissertation Title

Plant fungal endosymbionts alter host-parasitrelationships between generalist

herbivores (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)and an entomopathogenic nematode.

Graduate Student CornerDissertation Title

Plant fungal endosymbionts alter host-parasitrelationships between generalist

herbivores (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)and an entomopathogenic nematode.

Student: Brian A. Kunkel Degree: Ph.D.



nematode Steinernema carpocapsae than those larvaefed on plants with no or low incidence of endophyte.Early (2-3rd) instars were equally susceptible to nema-tode attack regardless of the host plant consumed.

I found that none of the ergot alkaloids reducednematode survival at either 200 or 100 g/ml, butergocristine reduced the infectivity of S. carpocapsaeat both concentrations. Upon further examination, Ifound that ergocristine inhibited the growth ofXenorhabdus nematophila, the symbiotic bacteria ofS. carpocapsae. Furthermore, X. nematophila grownin broth with 200 g/ml of ergocristine was less patho-genic to the wax worms. I also injected X. nematophi-la into the fall armyworm larvae and found that thelarvae that had consumed endophyte free grass diedquicker and in more numbers than those that hadconsumed endophyte infected grass clippings. Myresults suggest that the generalist plant feeder A.ipsilon receives resistance against insect parasiticnematodes when it consumes endophyte infectedperennial ryegrass. I concluded that the presence of

the endophyte-produced alkaloid, ergocristine, is partof the mechanism for this resistance provided by theinteraction.

The significance of this research is that nematodesare capable of controlling black cutworm if they areapplied when the insect is still in early stages of devel-opment. Older instars (>4th) that consume exclusivelyendophytic perennial ryegrass become less susceptibleto the nematode. This research demonstrates the abili-ty of fungal endophytes to influence the compositionof communities through multi-trophic interactions.

While at The Ohio State University, I was responsi-ble for the organization and implementation of thefirst four Annual Night Insect Walks of Wayne County.These events were very successful with each evenattended by over 200-400 children and parents. I havebeen involved in other university-sponsored events tohelp educate children such as: Bug Zoos, the WayneCounty Home and Garden Shows, Plant DiscoveryDays, and BiOhio. I have also given extension talks atThe Ohio State University Turf and Ornamental FieldDays.

OARDC/University sponsored events are held regularly on and off campus to educate children, the public, and the industry.



Formby G.C.Travisenjoys the beach

Professional Awards Received:Recipient, University Graduate SchoolLeadership Award, May 2002

Recipient, OARDC Graduate StudentResearch Enhancement CompetitiveGrantFunded, May 2002, $5,000

Recipient, DeLong Student PaperCompetition Award, The Ohio StateUniversity Travel Fund Competition, 2001

Recipient, First place, Student PaperCompetition, APS/MSA/SON Joint Annual

Meeting, 2001

Publications from the Dissertation:Kunkel, B.A. and P.S. Grewal. 2003. Endophyte infec-tion in perennial ryegrass reduces the susceptibility ofblack cutworm to an entomopathogenic nematode.Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. [in press]

Kunkel, B.A., P.S. Grewal and M.F. Quigley. 2003.Endophyte infection in perennial ryegrass reduces thesusceptibility of black cutworm to an entomopatho-genic nematode: the mechanism. Biological Control [inpress]

Kunkel, B.A., P.S. Grewal and K.T. Power. 2003. A sim-ple method to remove Neotyphodium endophytesfrom perennial ryegrass and tall fescue seed. [inreview]

Kunkel, B.A., S. O. Salminen, and P.S. Grewal. 2003.Fate of Neotyphodium lolii - produced alkaloids ingeneralist herbivores, Agrotis ipsilon and Spodopterafrugiperda and possible ecological consequences.[in prep]



How does a plant pathologist, turfgrass specialistand OTF member from Sheffield Lake, Ohio findhimself fighting bioterrorism for the U.S. Navy?

Ask Mike Boehm, Associate Professor in OhioState Universitys College of Food, Agriculture andEnvironmental Sciences.

Boehm recently returned from a call to duty fromthe U.S. Naval Reserves, for which he has been amember since 1995. During this call, he was stationed

in Silver Springs, Maryland, where he managed thedaily operations of the Biological Defense ResearchDirectorate.

This effort included the dispatch of a field team toUzbekistan to search for biological and chemicalweapons in Afghanistan.

Whenever you heard news about the detectionand seizure of the al-Qaidas biological weapons, wewere involved in the testing, says Boehm

In addition to this weighty task, Boehms team par-ticipated in the much publicized search and disposalof the anthrax-enhanced letters mailed to governmentofficials and media personalities. We tested approxi-

mately 16,000 samples that came in from severalFederal agencies, says Boehm.

Boehm also assisted the Navy in creating a disasterrecovery training program for vessels under biologicalattack. On a ship, the Damage Control Partyresponds to fires, flooding, and missile explosions,says Boehm. Until recently, this group had had noexperience with biological agents. Boehms responsewas to equip the Damage Control Party with facemasks to filter airborne chemicals, equipment to testthe air for agents and a program to educate the entireorganization of the ship-from the ships medical staff

MemberSpotlight

Defending Your Turf

On a ship, theDamage Control Party

responds to fires,flooding, and missile

explosions...

Mike BoehmAssociate Professor

The Ohio State UniversityCollege of Food, Agriculture,and Environmental Sciences

to the commander of the ship. Boehm and his teamwere eventually able to equip five aircraft carriers withhis training system!

Now that he is safely home again with his familyand in the classroom and lab at OSU, has OTFsdefender against agricultural terrorism found his landlegs? It was a difficult absence, says Boehm. I wasaway from all I hold dear for so long: Family, friends,colleagues and OSU. But such a call to duty requiresyou to go and to help provide answers. So much is atstake.

Boehm indicates that much was learned that couldbe of relevance to the industry and to the academiccommunity. He plans to initiate a course at OSU thataddresses issues on homeland security and biological,chemical and nuclear weapons. He envisions partici-pation from related departments, such as publichealth and animal sciences.

The chain of protection must be addressed:From plants to animals to people, knowing how toprotect and strengthen each link against biological

attack is key in our fight against these threats.Back in his lab at OSU, Boehm is also conductingresearch in the area of biological control, which,boiled down, involves the employment of organicmaterials and microbes to control bad microbes andagents. He also plans to travel to Chicago inNovember to give a speech to the Midwest Associationof Golf Course Superintendents (MAGCS).

I am so thankful for these everyday activities, SaysBoehm, and for being able to participate with my fel-low American in the defense of everyday activities forall its citizens.



Goldenlarch (Pseudolarix amabilis).As you might imagine from its name, goldenlarch

develops lovely golden fall color. What I did not realizeuntil this fall is that the rows of small upright cones arealso a waxy golden color in the fall - and this is a truly mag-

nificent feature though a bit lessened by the fact thatcones are often obscured by being high up in the tree.Nevertheless, it is worth the search and the needle colorsthroughout the year are more than enough in the mean-time. In April and May the radiating clusters of needles onthe spur branches are a soft light green, springy to thetouch, stiffening through the season to the yellow andorange golds of autumn. It is a medium size tree (30-40feet), typically open in habit with some horizontal branch-es; excellent for large areas such as a golf course as long aspH is not too alkaline and the tree is not completely opento wind exposures.

Larch (Larix spp.).Larches are similar to goldenlarch in some ways, but

trees are more pyramidal, more graceful when young withhorizontal branches and drooping branchlets and with amore blue-green tint to the foliage in summer. If you havea low swampy area in a golf course or parkland settinglarches will do well, though this does not mean that theywill thrive in heavy clay soils. As with goldenlarch, larchesprefer acid rather than alkaline soils. Again foliage is mag-nificent with a soft light green incomparably verdant lookand feel in spring and outstanding spun gold color in fall.Larches range from the U.S. native Eastern or American

larch or tamarack (Larix laricina) to the European larch(L. decidua) and the Japanese larch (L. kaempferi).Female flowers in spring are a spectacular rosy to magen-ta color for a short but splendid period as is the waxy rosecolor to the young female cones which later mature tosmall attractive brown cones.

By Jim Chatfield

Ohio State University Extension Nursery Landscape and Turf Team

Deciduous Conifers for Ohio

HortShorts

The term deciduous conifers almost seems oxymoronic - arent conifers evergreen? Most are, ofcourse, from pines to spruces, from hemlocks to firs. But there are several cone-bearing, needle-bearing trees which are deciduous; they do lose those needles in the fall in Ohio. Lets take a brieflook at these deciduous conifers for Ohio landscapes: baldcypress, dawnredwood, larch, and a mostwondrous but little known example - the goldenlarch. Lets start with...

Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum).This is a far more versatile tree than we sometimes real-

ize. Not only is it a great choice for a grove of trees in aswampy area but baldcypress can also thrive in more uplanddrier sites, though dont push this too far and put it in a

postage stamp plot in a parking lot! Baldcypress does notquite match the fall color beauty of larch or goldenlarchbut the pumpkin to orange brown feathery foliage is still apositive ornamental feature. This feathery foliage is quite anattribute throughout the growing season as are the reddishbrown buttressed trunks and the narrowly pyramidal sym-metrical growth habit. Baldcypress can become fairly tallwith age and provides a sentinel-like aspect in the winter-scape. If you plant it near a lake or other water feature, littlecypress knobs or knees may emerge in wet soil areas or inthe water, which come to think of it, are probably not muchfun for the golfer whos shot has gone astray.

Dawnredwood(Metasequoia glyptostroboides).

The story is almost familiar now, about the discovery ofthis tree first in the fossil record and then in a living standin eastern China in the early 1940s. Brought out to the restof the world by an Arnold Arboretum plant discovery mis-sion in 1948, dawnredwoods are now again spread over theearth from New Zealand to Greenland, from Maine toFlorida. They do quite well in Ohio, with fast-growing tower-ing trees in arboreta and landscapes throughout the state. Ithas lovely feathery foliage (larger than baldcypress) on

opposite branchlets, a gloriously pyramidal shape, flutedtrunks, a graceful look in all seasons, attractive tiny cones,and good orange-golden fall foliage. Dawnredwood strawunder the tree by November makes a wonderful soft bed, aperfect lie perhaps for the errant golf shot, and if the treesare limbed up a bit, possibly not a bad place to line up yournext shot. Give dawnredwoods plenty of vertical spacetheywill grow in a hurry.

Try these lovely deciduous conifers, they add grace tothe large plantscape, have few pests though larch casebear-ers and baldcypress mites can occasionally be problems, andadd textural features throughout the season and especiallyfoliage effectsexcept in winter.



Tournament PreparationFor Your Golf Course

As I sit here looking out the window and watching the snow fall, I am wondering, as mostsuperintendents are, what the summer will bring in terms of challenges. We have alreadystarted planning for the upcoming Nationwide Tour event and I hope all other superin-

tendents have started planning for the big events at their clubs. The planning will include thingssuch as irrigation upgrades to make sure those areas not covered as well as we would like are nowcovered, changes in bunkers to make them play the way they should (correct drainage problems,add sand or change sand type, etc), trees that need to be pruned or taken down and many othertasks that will improve the playability of our golf courses. We should also be planning our fertil-ization and chemical applications at this time. While we are months away from our events we stillhave a pretty good idea of the potential pathogens that might be around at the time of ourevent. Since we know the dates of our event we can work backwards making the last applicationabout 3 to 5 days prior to our event and then making all other applications fall into place. Wemust also be thinking of the way we want the course to play during the event. What speed wouldwe like the greens to roll? How firm would we like the greens, tees and fairways to be? Plan thenumber of tasks that you will need to do to make your event perfect. At the same time start plan-ning for the staff you will need. How many will you need and will anyone returning need to betrained in a new task? Are you going to do something different with the technique you use to

rake your bunkers (spin rake, hand rake, use a broom) and how long will it take to make yourstaff proficient at it? These are just a hand full areas we must plan for to make our next memberguest or club championship more successful.

The other part of our plan that must come together is who will make sure all of the traininggets done and in the proper way? We as golf course superintendents find ourselves involvedmore and more with the business end and less and less with the day to day agronomics and tasksthat must be done. We must delegate to our assistants, irrigation technicians and foremen all ofthe tasks we no longer have time to do. This means that those to whom we delegate to must beproperly trained and we must still check to see that the task is being done correctly. We mustmake sure from time to time that as those who are trained are not forgetting important steps andthat the next generation of trainer is not forgetting more steps and pretty soon you end up withsomething you have never seen before! Superintendents must be good communicators in orderto properly do their jobs!

If we properly plan in the off season we set ourselves up for success in the heat of battle. If wefail to plan, we plan to fail! Take time in your off season to set goals for the upcoming season andinclude those goals in your plans. Push yourself and your staff to be better at everything next yearthan you were this year. Proper planning allows superintendents to do the things they need toduring the stress of the season instead of putting out fires all summer. Be in fire preventionmode, not fire fighting mode!

Good luck in your upcoming season!

John Miller, CGCSYankee Trace Golf Club

OTF GuestC O L U M N



AgriscapesCraig Montgomery6456 Cincinnati-Dayton RdLiberty Township, OH 45044Phone: (513) 779-7002Fax: (513) 779-1799E-mail: [email protected]: www.agriscapesohio.comLandscape contractor: Quality grown bluegrass and fes-cue turfgrass sod, Hydroseeding and Hardscape ser-vices. Serving the Cincinnati and Dayton Areas.

Bucyrus Equipment CompanyMark Hildreth or Brent Vosika209 MainHillsdale, KS 66036Phone: (913) 783-4600Fax: (913) 783-4606E-mail: [email protected]: www.bucyrusmagnum.comMagnum Sod harvester for Big Roll applicators, sizesavailable 30 - 48. Magnum 136A Installer/Loader.Full line distributor of Magnum Netting Products (BigRoll wrap and Field Net), Sod tubes, staples and otheraccessories.

Clive Brofford Sod FarmClive Brofford3315 Norton RdGrove City, OH 43123Phone: (614) 878-1758

Bluegrass sod, wholesale-retail field pick-up or delivery.

Columbus Turf Nursery, Ltd.Daniel Huggett14337 US 23Ashville, OH 43103Phone: (740) 983-8873Fax: (740) 983-6580E-mail: [email protected]: www.columbus-turf.comGrowers of The Best Quality Turfgrass Sod in PremiumBluegrass Blends and Elite Tall Fescue for SportsFields, Golf Courses, Schools, Parks, and Home Lawns.

ET&TBryan Ross5801 S Section Line RdDelaware, OH 43015Phone: (740) 881-5800Fax: (740) 881-5749E-mail: [email protected] and seeding.

Eastgate SodMike Ward10491 St Rt 48Loveland, OH 45140Phone: (513) 683-6436Fax: (513) 683-2128E-mail: [email protected]: www.eastgatesod.comEastgate Sod is a grower of premium turf type tall fescuesod for the Greater Cincinnati area. Pick-up, delivery,and installation available.

Eastside Nursery SouthernOhio DivisionBrad Meyer2830 Greentree RdLebanon, OH 45036Phone: (513) 934-1661Fax: (513) 934-1795E-mail: [email protected]: www.eastsidenursery.comWholesale sod; sod and seed installation; landscapedesign and installation.

Eastside Nursery, Inc.Brad Dutton7623 Lithopolis RdGroveport, OH 43125Phone: (614) 836-9800Fax: (614) 836-SODDE-mail: [email protected]: www.eastsidenursery.comFull service landscape design installation and sod installa-tion, brick pavers, tree farmer - wholesale supply Koipond installations and designs.

In 2002, the Ohio Sod Producers Association (OSPA) and OTF formed anexciting and unique relationship in which OSPA members automaticallybecome members of OTF. With this relationship, OSPA and its membersmaintain their identity as sod producers, while being provided the manybenefits of OTF membership.

Following is a directory listing of OSPA members, listed alphabetically. These sod produc-ers are all members of OTF. OTF members are encouraged to patronize members ofOSPA/OTF. When making your next sod purchase, please consult this directory. A separatedirectory with a locator map will soon be made available. For information, contact the sodproducers near you, or call OTF at 888-683-3445.

Ohio Sod Producers AssociationMembership Directory



Green Acres Sod FarmsRodney Howald6801 Troy RdRadnor, OH 43066Phone: (740) 815-2963Fax: (740) 595-3505E-mail: [email protected] bluegrass to sell in the field to installer and producers.

Green Carpet Turf FarmsCarl Brofford2246 Harrisburg PikeGrove City, OH 43123Phone: (614) 878-0020Bluegrass Turf, Wholesale-Retail, Delivery, Installation,Seeding.

Green Prairie Turf Inc.Jerry Ittel or Jeff Ittel6893 Jones RdCollege Corner, OH 45003Phone: (513) 523-2634Fax: (513) 523-7229

E-mail: [email protected]: www.greenprairieturf.comFescue, bluegrass, bentgrass, zoysia, sod grown. USGA sand-based sod grown, serving Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky andbeyond.

Green Velvet Sod FarmsRandy Tischer3620 Upper Bellbrook RdBellbrook, OH 45305Phone: (937) 848-2501Fax: (937) 376-1153E-mail: [email protected]: www.greenvelvet.comGrower of Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and fine leaf fes-cue sod; Distributor of grass seed, fertilizer and turf suppliers.

Henderson Turf Farm, Inc.Kevin Elcook2969 Beal RdFranklin, OH 45005Phone: (937) 748-1559Fax: (937) 748-1568E-mail: [email protected]: www.turfman.comAt Henderson Turf Farm we wholesale and retail our sod andprovide a complete sod and seeding service for residentialand commercial customers.

Industrial Parkway ServicesMark Vollrath729 Millcrest DrMarysville, OH 43040Phone: (937) 642-3995Fax: (937) 644-9556E-mail: [email protected], retail sod sales, delivery available.

Lavy Enterprises Turf Grass, Inc.Stuart Young12386 W National RdNew Carlisle, OH 45344Phone: (937) 845-3721Fax: (937) 845-0840E-mail: [email protected] of irrigated bluegrass, turf type tall fescue, and bent-grass sod. Wholesale distributors of Jacklin Seeds.

Medina Sod Farms, Inc.Scott Gregoire14349 Burton City RdOrrville, OH 44667Phone: (800) 683-1686Fax: (330) 683-1256E-mail: [email protected]: www.medinasodfarms.comSod grown to job specifications or choose from one of our quali-ty seed blends grown on peat or soil - big roll or 1 yard roll sizes -delivery and installation available.

Motz Turf Farms LTDDaniel Motz or David Motz6280 Clough PikeCincinnati, OH 45244Phone: (513) 231-4844Fax: (513) 231-6457E-mail: [email protected]: www.motzturffarms.comTurf type bluegrass and tall fescue; turf cut bigrolls and sheets.We do installation

Princeton DeliverySystems Inc.Bill Pohl955 W Walnut StCanal Winchester, OH 43110Phone: (614) 834-5000Fax: (614) 834-5075E-mail: [email protected]: www.piggy-back.comPrinceton Delivery Systems manufacturers Piggy Back truck-mounted forklifts with capacities from 3300 to 6500 lb. andother options. Additional information available at www.piggy-back.com or call (800) 331-5851.

Riverside Sod Farm LLCCharlie Price or Becky Morris3500 Hillpoint DriveCharleston, WV 25302Phone: (304) 344-0581Fax: (304) 344-0582

Website: www.riversidesod.comSod production and installation; hydroseeding; wetland delin-eations and mitigation; turf consulting; commercial landscaping.

Sharon Lawn Equipment(Brouwer)Dave Cradler11674 US 42Sharonville, OH 45241Phone: (513) 769-4061E-mail: [email protected] Turf Equipment Dealer, B & L Mowers


26/28

Message From YourDirector of Education

3. Turfgrass NewsA periodic update of information, news, and eventscalendar for various OSU faculty and staff. The websites for #1 and #2 can be accessed from this site.The web site address is http://hcs.osu.edu/turf

4. Horticulture in Virtual PerspectiveAn opening or web site window into the world of plants

and various OSU activities. This web site has beendeveloped by Dr. Tim Rhodus, Professor ofHorticulture. Web site is http://www.hcs.osu.edu

5. PlantFactsPlantFacts is a search engine for subject matter on spe-cific topics to plants and plant management. It is themost comprehensive source of university publicationsand fact sheets about plants, including turf, from manyuniversity and other sources. The web site address ishttp://plantfacts.osu.edu

6. Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL)BYGL is a weekly newsletter publication of the OSU

Extension Nursery Landscape Turf Team (ENCT) pro-viding information on timely topics, pest problems, andcurrent hort and turf problems across the state on aweekly basis. The on-line site is enhanced with links tomore information and color photos. The web-site addressishttp://www.bygl.html.osu.edu

7. BugsBugs is a compilation of fact sheets, extension bulletins,and a link to Dr. Shetlars Pest Newsletter. The PestNewsletter is a bi-weekly publication on timely topics onhort and turf insect problems occurring across thestate. The web-site address is http://www.bugs.osu.edu

8. OTF website provides information on current OTFevents and activities. The OTF address ishttp://www.OhioTurfgrass.org

These are eight great web-based resources for yourbrowsing pleasure and seasonal maintenance needs. Enjoy!

Yours for a greener turf,Dr. John R. Street

Director of Education

OTF TurfNews Vol 65 No. 2 2003 Page 26

Well, the 2003 growing season is almost upon us.Although, as I look out my office window ( February 27), Istill see snow covered, frozen turf. I sure hope there is stillgrass under that tundra. It sure has been an interestingwinter. I bet Mother Nature is proud. I am ready for spring.Are you?

Web technology and the internet are two of our bestfriends. Educationally, here are some tools and resourcesthat you can get to quickly and may help you in your hourof need.

1. Sports Turf NotesA weekly posting of timely topics and other insights onathletic field management is provided by the OSUTurfgrass Team with the point person being PamSherratt, Sports Turf Extension Specialist. The web siteaddress is http://hcs.osu.edu./sportsturf.

2. Superintendents KornerA weekly posting of timely golf maintenance topicsand tips and other insights is provided by the OSUTurfgrass Team with the point person being Dr. KarlDanneberger, Professor of Turfgrass Science.The web site address is http://hcs.osu.edu./sk.

Web-basedFor 2003


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2003 OTF OfficersPresident

John MowatCentury Equipment

Vice PresidentGeorge FurrerLesco, Inc.

TreasurerDr. Chuck DarrahCLC LABS

Immediate Past PresidentMark HeinleinThe Motz Group

Director of Education

Dr. John R. StreetThe Ohio State University

Executive DirectorKevin ThompsonOTF/Offinger Management Co.

OSU TurfgrassScience TeamDr. Michael J.BoehmThe Ohio State UniversityDept. Plant Pathology

Dr. Karl DannebergerThe Ohio State UniversityDept. Hort. & Crop Science

Mr. Michael FultonThe Ohio State UniversityAgricultural Technical Institute

Dr. David GardnerThe Ohio State UniversityDept. Hort. & Crop Science

Dr. Parwinder GrewalOARDC/OSUDept. Entomology

Dr. Ed McCoyOARDCSchool of Natural Resources

Mr. Joseph W. Rimelspach (Chairman)The Ohio State UniversityDept. Plant Pathology

Ms. Pamela SherrattThe Ohio State UniversityDept. Hort. & Crop Science

Dr. Dave ShetlarThe Ohio State UniversityDept. Entomology

Dr. John R. StreetThe Ohio State UniversityDept. Hort. & Crop Science

Dr. Daniel VoltzThe Ohio State UniversityAgricultural Technical Institute

OTF Board of TrusteesTrustees

Term Expires 2004Boyd MontgomerySylvania Recreation

Lin RoppUHS

Todd VossDouble Eagle Golf Club

TrusteesTerm Expires 2005

Glen PottengerLarch Tree Golf Course

TrusteesTerm Expires 2006

Mark GrunkemeyerBuckeye Ecocare

Mark JordanWestfield Companies Country Club

Dan WalterCity of Blue Ash Golf Course

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Zanesville, OH 437023388

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