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Turfgrass management best management practices (BMPs) encompass a wide variety of activities, including fertilization, irrigation, mowing, pest control, and soil management. Little attention is given to determining just how effective information regarding BMPs is being assimilated and used by professional turfgrass managers. The objectives of this study were to assess the current perception and implementation of selected turfgrass BMPs and to determine whether or not those perceptions and implementations differed 1) between turfgrass advisors and managers and 2) between general and sports turfgrass managers. Professionals from the turfgrass industry, with an average of 13 years of experience and largely comprised of decision-makers (88%), were surveyed at the University of California, Riverside, Turfgrass Research Conference and Field Day in Fall 1998 and 1999. Turfgrass managers, especially sports turfgrass managers, were found to be the most committed to implementing the BMPs in the survey. Overall, survey respondents considered BMPs to be important and not highly difficult to implement. Limitations to the adoption of BMPs were a lack of financial backing, employee education, and necessary time—all of which could be remedied with a sufficient commitment of resources by the turfgrass industry.
Abstract
A modular assimilation chamber (MAC) was developed for rapid examination of CO2 exchange rate (CER) of multiple turfgrass replicates. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L. ‘Enoble’) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. ‘Houndog’) were grown in Cone-tainers with attached base plates under greenhouse conditions. A chamber top was sealed to the base plate to complete the MAC. It then was used under laboratory conditions to measure CER by an open, differential CO2 method or by closed chamber-syringe sampling method. The two-module concept provided a relatively simple tool for making rapid, multiple measurements of CER when used as part of a closed system. However, a larger chamber volume is needed for closed system measurements because: 1) CER values were significantly larger with the open system, rapid drops in CO2 concentration occurred during closed-system measurements, and CER measurements after 2 min of closure were significantly lower than those made after 1 min of closure.
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of two plant growth regulators (PGR) and two soil moisture levels (SML) on the evapotranspiration (ET) rate, leaf extension rate (LER), and visual turfgrass quality of `Texas Common' St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] grown under glasshouse conditions in black plastic minilysimeters. Treatments included mefluidide at 0.42 kg·ha-1, flurprimidol at 0.84 kg·ha-1, and no PGR, each grown under optimal (– 0.01 MPa) or suboptimal (– 0.8 MPa) SML. Both flurprimidol and mefluidide significantly affected ET rate, LER, and turfgrass quality, whereas the durations of the responses to both PGR treatments were affected by SML. For both SML, the durations of significant reduction in ET rate, LER, and turfgrass quality were longer for flurprimidol than for mefluidide. Application of either PGR at either SML caused a significant reduction in ET rate averaging 18% and a significant reduction in LER averaging 83%. Flurprimidol was more effective than metluidide in terms of ET rate and LER reduction. However, the considerably longer duration of reduced turfgrass quality of flurprimidol-treated turf was a negative effect. Chemical names used: α-(1 -methylethyl)- α -[4-trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]-5-pyrimidinemethanol (flurprimidol) and N- [2,4-dimethyl-5-[[(trifluoromethyl) sulfonyl]amino]phenyI] acetamide (mefluidide).
Summer decline of annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) putting greens is a major concern of golf course superintendents. Low soil water infiltration rates and high concentrations of salts in the root zone are contributing factors. This study was conducted to determine the effects of summer cultivation treatments on field infiltration rates of water, soil salinity, oxygen diffusion rates (ODR), bulk density, total and air-filled porosity, and root weight density. This research was conducted during two summer seasons (1996 and 1997) on a practice putting green located at Industry Hills Golf Courses, City of Industry, Calif. The green was constructed to U.S. Golf Association (USGA) specifications in 1978. Cultivation treatments consisted of: 1-3) water injection cultivation (WIC) applied with a Toro HydroJect every 21 d (raised position), and every 14 or 21 d (lowered position); 4) solid tine cultivation (STC) applied every 14 d; and 5) no cultivation (check). Results showed WIC and STC significantly increased field infiltration rates of water and lowered overall soil electrical conductivity of the extract (ECe) at depths of 2.5 to 7.5 cm and 7.5 to 15.0 cm in the root zone. The effects of WIC, raised position, did not differ significantly from those of STC, but infiltration rates of water were greater on all rating dates. Cultivation treatments had no significant effects on overall soil ODR, bulk density, and porosity or on overall root weight density.
Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy] greens across the southern United States are normally overseeded in the fall to provide a uniform green playing surface and tolerance to wear during winter bermudagrass dormancy. The spring transition from overseed grass back to bermudagrass is a major problem associated with overseeding because there can be a decline in putting green quality and playability. There have been recommendations, but relatively few published reports, on the effect of treatments associated with seedbed preparation and overseeding on bermudagrass spring transition. The objective of this 2-year study was to determine if spring transition of an overseeded `Tifgreen' bermudagrass green was influenced by fall-applied scalping level, chemical, and seed rate treatments. Treatment factors and levels were designed to reflect the range of practices used by golf course superintendents in the region at the time of the study. The green was located in the Palm Springs, Calif. area, which has relatively mild winters and a low desert, southern Calif. climate. The first year of the study was from September 1996 to July 1997 and the second year was from September1997 to July 1998. Scalping level treatments included a moderate and severe verticut and scalp; chemical treatments included a check, trinexapac-ethyl at two rates, and diquat; and seed rate treatments included a high and low rate of a mixture of `Seville' perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and `Sabre' rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.). The plot was maintained under golf course conditions and a traffic simulator was used to simulate golfer traffic. Visual ratings of percent green bermudagrass coverage were taken every 3 weeks from 20 Feb. 1997 to 29 July 1997 and from 11 Nov. 1997 to 22 July 1998. Visual turfgrass quality ratings were taken during the second year of the study. Results showed that spring transition was not influenced by fall-applied treatments during both years. Also, visual turfgrass quality was not influenced during the second year. Chemical names used [4(cyclopropyl-_hydroxy-methylene)-3,5-dioxocyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethyl ester (trinexapac-ethyl); 9,10-dihydro-8a-, 10a-diazoniaphenanthrene (diquat).
Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy] greens across the southern United States are normally overseeded in the fall to provide a uniform green playing surface and tolerance to wear during winter bermudagrass dormancy. The spring transition from overseed grass back to bermudagrass is a major problem associated with overseeding because there can be a decline in putting green quality and playability. There have been recommendations, but relatively few published reports, on the effect of treatments associated with seedbed preparation and overseeding on bermudagrass spring transition. The objective of this 2-year study was to determine if spring transition of an overseeded `Tifgreen' bermudagrass green was influenced by fall-applied scalping level, chemical, and seed rate treatments. Treatment factors and levels were designed to reflect the range of practices used by golf course superintendents in the region at the time of the study. The green was located in the Palm Springs, Calif., area, which has relatively mild winters and a low desert, southern California climate. The first year of the study was from Sept. 1996 to July 1997 and the second year was from Sept. 1997 to July 1998. Scalping level treatments included a moderate and severe verticut and scalp; chemical treatments included a check, trinexapac-ethyl at two rates, and diquat; and seed rate treatments included a high and low rate of a mixture of `Seville' perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and `Sabre' rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.). The plot was maintained under golf course conditions and a traffic simulator was used to simulate golfer traffic. Visual ratings of percent green bermudagrass coverage were taken every 3 weeks from 20 Feb. 1997 to 29 July 1997 and from 11 Nov. 1997 to 22 July 1998. Visual turfgrass quality ratings were taken during the second year of the study. Results showed that spring transition was not influenced by fall-applied treatments during both years. Also, visual turfgrass quality was not influenced during the second year. Chemical names used: [4(cyclopropyl-αhydroxy-methylene) -3,5-dioxocyclohexanecarboxylic acid ethyl ester (trinexapac-ethyl); 9,10-dihydro-8a-, 10a-diazoniaphenanthrene (diquat).
Abstract
Harvest date, bulb weight, and the number of scale and leaf primordia of the daughter axis of July-to-October-harvested bulbs of Lilium longiflorum Thunb. cvs. Croft, Ace and Nellie White were harvest maturity indices (HMI) evaluated as predictors of subsequent bulb responses to dormancy-removing and flower-forcing treatments. Higher HMI ratings associated with late harvest, e.g., increased bulb size and increased numbers of daughter leaf primordia, favored early shoot emergence and flowering with standard forcing programs. However, early-harvested bulbs with lower HMI ratings could be forced with equal or superior quality when given modified forcing regimes. Early-harvested bulbs without cold treatment were more responsive to long day (LD) flower induction than late-harvested bulbs. The optimum dormancy-removing temperature was always 15°C, but the flower-inducing optimum tended to shift from 10° to 5° with progressively later harvest. However, 10° storage favored earlier emergence, greater leaf and flower numbers, while total days to flower from potting remained the same at the 2 inductive temperatures. The interaction of bulb maturity at harvest and forcing regime emphasize the necessity of tailoring the forcing regime to the HMI of the bulb.
We compared the potential for foliar dehydration tolerance and maximum capacity for osmotic adjustment in twelve temperate, deciduous tree species, under standardized soil and atmospheric conditions. Dehydration tolerance was operationally defined as lethal leaf water potential (Ψ): the Ψ of the last remaining leaves surviving a continuous, lethal soil drying episode. Nyssa sylvatica and Liriodendron tulipifera were most sensitive to dehydration, having lethal leaf Ψ of –2.04 and –2.38 MPa, respectively. Chionanthus virginiana, Quercus prinus, Acer saccharum, and Quercus acutissima withstood the most dehydration, with leaves not dying until leaf psi dropped to –5.63 MPa or below. Lethal leaf Ψ (in MPa) of other, intermediate species were: Quercus rubra (–3.34), Oxydendrum arboreum (–3.98), Halesia carolina (–4.11), Acer rubrum (–4.43), Quercus alba (–4.60), and Cornus florida (–4.88). Decreasing lethal leaf Ψ was significantly correlated with increasing capacity for osmotic adjustment. Chionanthus virginiana and Q. acutissima showed the most osmotic adjustment during the lethal soil drying episode, with osmotic potential at full turgor declining by 1.73 and 1.44 MPa, respectively. Other species having declines in osmotic potential at full turgor exceeding 0.50 MPa were Q. prinus (0.89), A. saccharum (0.71), Q. alba (0.68), H. carolina (0.67), Q. rubra (0.60), and C. florida (0.52). Lethal leaf Ψ was loosely correlated with lethal soil water contents and not correlated with lethal leaf relative water content.
To test the usefulness of methanol treatments in enhancing yield and drought tolerance, we applied methanol with and without nutrients to a wide range of crops across California: lemon (Citrus limon L.), creeping bentgrass (Agrotis palustris Huds.), romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and radish (Raphanus sativus L.). Environments included greenhouse and field tests in coastal, inland-valley, and desert locations. Methanol did not increase the yield or growth of any crop. In some cases, methanol caused significant injury and decreased yield.