Dr. Lee Miller July Report

     Dr. Lee Miller is the Turfgrass Pathologist from the University of Missouri.  This is part of his report for July.  This really hits home for me.  Dan and I have put in an enormous amount of time trying to care for our greens.  It has been a very frustrating July.  In the past 29 days we have recorded over 9 inches of rain.  We are reevaluate some of our cultural practices for next season.  I also believe we need  more and better fans.  I will look into this for next season.   We have a lot of Bentgrass growing around the surrounds of our greens that is burning out we need to replace this grass with a hardier variety like Turf type Fescue on the green sides and Zoysia grass in the aprons.  We are not the only course that is having issues.  That does not make Dan or I feel any better.  I hope this article helps explain what we are going through.  We are battling exactly what he is saying in this post.  You can access Dr Millers site  from my blog at the bottom right of my page.  Just hit the link University of Missouri Turf Pathology.  He puts out a new post once a month.   Below is Dr. Millers July Post.

Dr. Lee Millers Post

Bentgrass Decline – The Perils of Too Much Water

Samples of declining bentgrass putting greens have flooded into the MU Plant Diagnostic Clinic over the last two weeks.  This persistently terrible weather pattern for bentgrass health has taken an extreme toll on the health of these cool season plants that are perilously trafficked, groomed, and cut at marginally sustainable heights.  Many are also facing maintenance heavy and high expectation tournaments in late July or August, which are doing no favors.
Below are the three most often observed problems on bentgrass putting greens we’ve seen in the Clinic over the past month in order of prevalence.  Note all of the issues are root related.  Management practices should be focused on this aspect during these times of turmoil, while simultaneously not neglecting the normal stress preventers (raising mowing heights, smooth rollers, spoonfeeding, etc.).  A preventive soilborne fungicide program is warranted, but also realize the answers to these problems will not solely come out of your sprayer boom.  Lastly, the physiological decline of the plant due to inhospitable weather conditions is paramount here. So addressing this first, as I will, can reduce your management inputs substantially for the true biotic issues.

Early August Outlook

1. Heat expected to return next week. - Source: NOAA CPS
2. Above average rainfall pattern expected to stay in the early August. - Source: NOAA CPS

 

1. Root Physiological Decline

Physiological Root Decline

1. Sloughing off of cortex of hot saturated root.
2. An extremely affected root, with only a very unprotected vascular cylinder remaining.

Air vs. water - the struggle is more than real now in a bentgrass root’s existence.  Needs both, but most of the time the overabundance of water is the true enemy.  Water excludes air indiscriminately in pore spaces of saturated soils, and then holds a constant temperature for an extended amount of time.  Root growth stops at 86 degrees F (30 C), and daily 2” soil temperatures in native soils were averaging 90 degrees and above during this latest heat wave.  These water soaked soils simply don’t cool off at night, leaving roots to continually boil.  This high specific heat capacity of water keeps fish in the deep pond happy, but won’t keep shallow roots growing in the wading pool of a summer putting green rootzone. Managing greens with a soil moisture meter (TDR) is a good way to dial in the difference between underwatered, adequate, or oversaturated. 
Recently, Dr. Bill Kreuser from the University of Nebraska posted a video regarding the cooling effects, or lack thereof, of syringing greens (click here to view).  Several superintendents are stopping or considering stopping the practice of cooling off greens with water throughout the afternoon heat and focusing on utilizing morning irrigation only to provide water throughout the day.  From a root perspective, this is a wise move, since most syringing practices in my estimation provide considerably too much water into the rootzone during the heat of the day.  This water sticks in the organic matter, heats up, and commences to sous vide the short root system for an extended amount of time.  Additionally, this excess water provides a suitable environment for soilborne pathogens, particularly Pythium root rot.
The true hero of cooling is air movement.  As stated a few times in these updates, fans have been the best, most consistent fungicide and plant health tool I’ve observed.  As shown by David Han at Auburn University, fans reduce not only air and canopy temperature, but also soil temperatures by 5 – 7 degrees F.  This makes sense when thought of in the air vs. water perspective.  Humidity in the air and moisture on the leaf is reduced, allowing the plant to continually move water through its system and out to the atmosphere.  Functioning roots in turn pull water out of the soil pores and leaves air, which won’t hold on to that high temperature so stubbornly when the evening hours finally arrive.  So break out the generators and box fans on troubled greens to encourage recovery, and put in a request for 220 volts of beautiful wind.
Lastly, venting greens needs to go on your calendar just as much as when to make fertilizer and pesticide applications.  This is a crucial water and air management tool for your rootzone during the summer heat, and should be planned biweekly at a minimum.  The damage done during the venting process pales in comparison to the damage that will be done if venting doesn’t occur regularly.

2. Pythium Root Rot

Pythium Root Rot Still Widespread
Several samples of “wow” amounts of Pythium root rot have been submitted recently.

In past reports, I have beaten to death the amount of Pythium root rot observed this season.  In the last few weeks, several samples of “wow” Pythium root rot infections have continued to come in, indicating again how widespread this epidemic is in the region.  A preventive program using watered-in (approximately 1/8 inch) fungicide applications should been in place, particularly in areas heavily impacted by July rains and those that have had a history of the disease.  As detailed by Dr. Jim Kerns at NC State University, a 14 day rotational program using Segway (low rate) as a base (i.e. Segway – Signature Xtra – Segway – Banol – Segway – Subdue, etc.) is the current suggestion for controlling this difficult disease.  Dr. Kerns will be visiting the MU campus on September 21 to give a seminar to the Plant Sciences Division.  Superintendents interested in attending should send me an email for more details.

3. Summer Patch

Summer Patch on Bentgrass

1. Stand symptoms include a mottled and wilted appearance. Fairly indiscriminate from other root issues.
2. Roots appear with darkened vascular cylinders.
3. Pathogen mycelium coming out of root stele.

Last, but certainly not least, we have observed a number of cases of summer patch on creeping bentgrass as the primary cause of decline, and also as an “add-on” in root physiological decline.  This pathogen begins to infect earlier in the summer (65 F soil temperature) and gradually takes out the root system with summer stress being the final deliverer of symptoms.  Stand symptoms appear as mottled, droughty areas.  Individual roots have extremely darkened vascular cylinders with symptoms that extend all the way up to the base of the plant.  On bentgrass putting greens, a preventive strategy of watered in applications of QoI fungicides (Heritage, Insignia) or mixtures with QoI fungicides (i.e. Briskway, Lexicon) are recommended.    
Lee Miller
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Extension Turfgrass Pathologist
University of Missouri 

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Published by Division of Plant Sciences, 52 Agriculture Lab, Columbia, MO 65211  | plantsci@missouri.edu |  573-882-3001.

Revised: July 28, 2016

Greens

     If you have played golf in the past week you are aware some of our greens are stressed.  Every year we struggle with 3 or 4 greens on the back nine.  10, 11, and 12 are the weakest greens.  This season has been very tough.  We had a wet May followed by hot and dry June and now we are having a wet and hot July.  We have recorded 8.5 inches of rain in the month of July with temperatures well above 90 degrees.  The greens I am most worried about are 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 and 15.  12 is the most critical.  We have lost a lot of grass on the right side of this green.  It will take a little time to get this green back in shape. 
     As of July 18th we were in pretty good shape.  We had some thin spots on our weaker greens 10, 11, 12, but for the most part I was feeling pretty good about getting through this season with some minor issues.  On Monday July 18th I sprayed my last application of Nematode control along with a fungicide and wetting agent.  Tuesday Morning I notice  whitish patches throughout # 4 and 5 greens.  Tuesday evening we received 2 inches of rain.  On Wednesday morning I noticed some of the patches on 4 and 5 were turning brown.  With all the rain we received  I had to wait and spray greens Thursday.  We sprayed Thursday morning.  By Thursday afternoon we had wide spread loss of turf on a number of greens.  Friday I called  Dr. Miller from University of Missouri.  He said he was getting a number of samples in with Pythium root rot.  He advised I should spray another application of a different Pythium control and aerate greens.  We aerated the 5 worst greens and I sprayed the Pythium application that evening on all greens. I mailed off samples for Dr. Miller to diagnose on Friday.  They should have arrived to his office on Monday July 25th, but our great Postal Service lost the package.  As of today he has not received the package.  So I collected another sample and my wife ran the sample to Columbia for me.  He found Pythium root rot and a little anthracnose in my sample.  Our root system is very shallow with the combination of the Pythium and high temperatures turf has been lost.  He feels my Pythium applications was successful in controlling the out break but the damage has been done.  What is most disappointing to me is I am on a 2 week spray interval for disease control.  A Pythium control is in my tank every 2 weeks throughout the summer.  I use the rate that suppose to last 2 weeks.  My last application did not make it the full 2 weeks before it ran out.  We had 4.5 inches of rain during that time period and the fungicide could not hold on for the entire time. 
      The cooler temperatures have been a blessing this week.  That will give us time to start healing.  We will need to seed and plug areas on greens 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12.  Not all greens were affected like the ones mentioned above.  The Putting green and holes 1-3,6-9, 14-18 are in much better shape  some of them without a blemish.  Dr. Miller advises we aerate every 2 weeks raise mowing height and alternate mowing and rolling.  We raised our mowing height last week and have already been alternating mowing and rolling.  We are also walk mowing 4, 5, 10-12 greens.  We still have some summer left the fight is not over.  We are working hard not to lose anymore turf.  I feel terrible this has happened.  We will work very hard to get the greens back in shape as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience during this time.
Ed Wachter

 Picture taken 7/19/16

Picture taken 7/22/16

Karen Burns

    

      Yesterday we said goodbye to Karen Burns our course Horticulturist. Karen took a job with the City of Webster Groves Parks Department.  We wish her all the best but it comes with heavy hearts.  It is hard to say goodbye to someone you have worked with for 12 years.  Someone you respect professionally but more importantly you say goodbye to your friend.  Karen was like our mother.  She knew everyone's birthday's.  She made sure we celebrated everyone's birthday except hers. She would not tell anyone what day her birthday was on.  I could have easily looked up her birthday but I respected her wish.  Karen was a team player she cared about the entire operation.  Always willing to help out where she could.  Raking bunkers, picking up trash, moving tee block,  picking up debris,  cutting up fallen tree's, laying sod, helping with green aerification are just a few of the things she would help out with.  If you worked next to her you needed to give her a good 5 feet of space closer than that and you might get the end of a shovel or rake in the head.  Her work with our landscape beds throughout the golf course was fabulous.  She could start from scratch or work with existing plants and make it beautiful.  She was a master at planting containers she knew what plants worked best together.  She took our landscaping to the next level.  I would put our landscaping up against any course in the state.  Her budget was very modest compared to most clubs in the St. Louis area.  She did more with less.  She loved to burn and hated moles.  Some of you might have caught her slamming a shovel in the ground and hear her saying a few choice words, that was bad news for a mole.  We will miss her enthusiasm, passion, dedication, and friendship. It was my pleasure to work with her but more importantly I am honored to call her my friend. 

Burning Prairie she loved to burn





 Bigger the fire the better



Some of her work

 

 

 



Tee leveling update

     We finished the first phase of our tee leveling and sodding.  The red gold tee on 1, black tee on 3, white tee on 6 and the red gold tee on 14 have been completed.  It did rain before we could get all the sod laid on 6 and 14.  That was bad luck.  We need 1 more hour and we would have been done.  I would like to congratulate my  staff for job well done.  We did increase the size of all tee's. August 1st. we will do the remaining tee's,  1 white, 5 blue, and 12 white.  Here are few pictures of the Laser leveling and sodding. 

 Tilling up tee



Leveling Tee



Video of Laser leveling tee

 

 Putting finishing touches on level tee.
 

 We sodded tee's with 14 big rolls.
 

Tractor installs sod.  rolls are 3 1/2 feet wide

 

Video of sod installation

 

The rain caused a little bit of a problem.  We could not use tractor to install so we did it the old fashion way by hand.

#3 after sodded

 

After sod is laid we sand all seams.

 

Laser leveling tee's

     We are in the process of leveling 7 of our tee's.  We will do 4 on Wednesday 7/13/16.  # 1 red and gold, # 3 black, # 6 white and # 14 red and gold. Tee's that are contaminated with Bermuda grass will be sprayed with Roundup  and killed before we cut the sod off.  Tee will be tilled up and then laser leveled.  Some tees will be enlarged in the process.  After leveling we will install new Zoysia sod.  In about 2 weeks tee will be ready to play on.  The remaining tee's we have to do are # 1 white, #5 Blue front part, and # 12 white.  Here are a few pictures of staff cleaning off couple of our tee's.

# 3 black tee

# 3 black cleaned off

# 14 red and gold tee

#14 red and gold cleaned off.

Tee Aerification

     It is that time of year to aerify our Zoysia tee boxes.  Zoysia grass is a warm season Turfgrass.  It thrives in the hot summer months.  The best time to aerify is when the Turfgrass is growing at it best.  This is a very labor intensive cultural practice.  I have 7 people involved in this job. We have a total of 69 tee boxes on our course that need to be aerified.   Here are a few pictures of the process. 

Dan running the Aerifier.

All cores are in nice windrow.

We push cores in piles and pick them up with scoop shovels.

After tee is blown  off with Back Pack Blower we are done.

Article on Driving Range Use

Here is a link to a good article from the USGA on how to use your Driving Range Tee. 
http://gsrpdf.lib.msu.edu/ticpdf.py?file=/article/mcclellan-practice-6-8-12.pdf

Fore The Golfer: Why Artificial Mats Are Used On Driving Ranges

     Here is a good video on the use of Artificial Mats on Driving Ranges with Tee being too small.  This fits our Driving Range perfectly.