BASF Turf Talk » kkalmowitz1

VIDEO – Why Does Turf Die in the Summer?

kkalmowitz1 — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:38:27 +0000

PACE Turf video explains the cause of summer turfgrass damage
I wanted to share a great video for turf managers and golfers alike who want to understand how heat impacts turf quality and growth, especially during this hot 2010 summer season.

Watch the brief footage to learn why turf fails in the summer, how damage occurs and what can be done to rescue turf after damage has been done.

This video was created by PACE Turf, http://www.paceturf.org.

Southern Turf Conditions & Weed Updates

kkalmowitz1 — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:49:19 +0000

Check out my podcast interview with Pat Jones of Golf Course Industry magazine

Pat and I talk about “Warm-Season Turf Conditions Affected by Cold Winter in the South.”

Podcast highlights

Field update on golf course superintendents working to recover their turf health this spring in light of a slow start to season.
Winter damage to greens, especially ultradwarf bermudagras greens.
Threat of increased pest pressure, including fusarium patch in the Southeast and leaf spot outbreaks in ultradwarf bermudagrass, as a result of the irregularly cold weather.
Disease prevention tips.
Top weeds to watch, including tropical signalgrass is spreading in Florida and doveweed in the Carolinas down to Georgia.

Click here to download Dr. L. B. (Bert) McCarty’s, Clemson University, and BASF’s doveweed management program featuring Tower® herbicide from BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals. And read how Augusta Country Club used Tower herbicide for preemergent control of doveweed here.

Comment below to share what’s happening on your warm-season turf.

Transition Zone Turfgrass Update

kkalmowitz1 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:42:02 +0000

BASF is working with the entire turfgrass team at UT in various research areas. Among the trials that were on tour were fungicide work showing Emerald ® fungicide on bentgrass greens for control of dollar spot, and a suggested BASF fungicide rotation program for bentgrass greens management as compared to turfgrass quality throughout the summer from the best UT Program and other companies. Results from an on golf course trial for zoysia patch control was talked about with Trinity ® fungicide applied with two applications in the fall as the best management program for that disease and product. Herbicide work was evident in both warm and cool season grasses with work on Virginia buttonweed in bermudagrass with sequential applications of Onetime ® herbicide as one of the stops creating some interest. Crabgrass and goosegrass control was shown with many products including the new BASF product Tower ® herbicide.

For those of you who could not attend the Field Day this year, check out this short video created by the UT staff recapping the event here. One of the first shots is of Wayne Ducote, Senior Sales Specialist for BASF - he’s the handsome guy standing with yellow shirt on.

Talk to you soon.
Kathie

NC State Turf Files Disease ID Tool

kkalmowitz1 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:55:25 +0000

Hi, everyone—I want to share a great Web tool for researching and learning about turfgrass diseases.

North Carolina State University TurfFiles: http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/diseaseID

What’s nice about this site is you can select the type of turfgrass you have and the month, and it provides a list of diseases that affect the host turf during that time. Below is an example for anthracnose.

Weed Control For Golf Turf, Lawns, Sod

kkalmowitz1 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:29:10 +0000

Technical Presentation by Kathie Kalmowitz, Ph.D., Market Development Specialist for BASF Turf & Ornamentals
Did you know that Drive® XLR8 herbicide controls many broadleaf weeds, not just crabgrass! This could save your budget dollars. Let me show you Drive XLR8′s broadleaf weed control.

Onetime™ herbicide – a 3-way mix herbicide contains no 2,4-D and still delivers control to a long list of troublesome broadleaf weeds plus crabgrass. Onetime is not just called onetime- find out more on these two POST control products.
Click here to view the video.

Trinity Fungicide Turf Disease Control

kkalmowitz1 — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:10:16 +0000

Golf course superintendents prepare for Zoysia Patch & Large Patch outbreaks
Trinity™ fungicide continues to get more exposure in the zoysia patch segment. Every golf course superintendent I’ve spoken with after using Trinity has been very pleased with the results. Fall and spring applications at 1-2 oz. are the standard recommendation here in the Ohio Valley. Some will go with 2 oz. in the fall then 1 oz. in the spring; a few might go 2 and 2, and some are going down with 1 and 1.

Trinity™ fungicide controls Large Patch in warm season turf on golf courses
Trinity on Large Patch (a.k.a Brown Patch) in Seashore Paspalum (and other warm season turfgrasses such as St. Augustinegrass, centipedgrass or bermudagrass)

As the change in warm summer nights begin to occur and lower night temperatures combine with cooling of the soil, the potential for activity of Rhizoctonia solani (AG 2,2) can be triggered for disease development. The entire south to southeast across the lower transition zone has prime conditions with temperatures and potential for wet conditions due to tropical storms.

Large Patch/ Brown Patch outbreak on turf.

Prevention of Zoysia Patch & Large Patch/ Brown Patch on turf is essential
Most turf managers know that getting behind in the control of zoysia patch/large patch can cost you with development of large patches that continue to green-up in the spring when loss of turf will become very apparent.

For the past two years Trinity has been trialed for control of the warm season turfgrass brown patch. When symptoms are fully developed and patches are expansive it is harder to control than if you use well-timed preventative applications this fall. The most effective use of fungicides has been noted as the fall applications.

Fall Application Recommendations

Make 1 to 2 applications of Trinity fungicide 30-days apart beginning in September and before the first frost date. It is important that the spray has good coverage, particularly for control of basal sheath rot and crown rot.

Trinity at 1 to 2 ounces per 1,000 square feet in a 1 gallon spray volume will result in good control. Use a flat fan nozzle and deliver Trinity to the crown for complete coverage.

If you don’t want to make two fall applications then make one fall treatment followed by one spring application (if you’re in the transition zone, then apply Trinity as the turf emerges from dormancy). Spring only applications do not provide good curative control.

Turfgrasses under higher nitrogen programs and lower mowing heights may be most susceptible as you go towards prime environmental conditions for Zoysia Patch/Large Patch development.

Protect your turfgrass now in the next couple of weeks as the disease becomes active.