BASF Turf Talk » kmiller1

With College Football Comes Snow Mold

kmiller1 — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:32:34 +0000

With College Football Comes Snow Mold
The Virginia Tech Hokies finally put a win on the board against ECU after a rough first two weeks. It felt like 100°F in the stands on Saturday (my sunburn proves it). Looks like Mother Nature is going to get in a few more hot days this week (90′s in VA) before she shuts down for the summer at the end of the week.

Regardless, all of my snow mold cooperators have their BASF protocols as they prepare for the upcoming season even though cold weather does not seem possible right now.

With the new restrictions on PCNB, everyone is scrambling for possible alternatives that will not empty their wallets. Some excellent recommendations can be found at the “Center of all Snow Mold Research’” otherwise known as the University of Wisconsin Turf Pathology Team.

Jim Kerns provides his list of top performing products. Check out the list (pictured); our own Insignia® SC Intrinsic™ brand fungicide and Trinity® fungicide receives high marks when used in tank mixes.

Herbicides To Manage Naturalized Areas

kmiller1 — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:57:53 +0000

VIDEO: Presentation by Kyle Miller, Senior Technical Specialist for BASF Turf & Ornamentals
Check out my weed control recommendations for golf course naturalized areas presented at GIS and hear why these areas require a “low-maintenance”? weed control plan as opposed to “no-maintenance.”? In this video, I explain the following:
-Why naturalized areas are desirable on the golf course
-Native grass and wildflower choices for the golf course-Herbicide products available for these areas
-How to put a plan together
Click here to view video. And click here to download the Managing Golf Course Naturalized Areas PDF.

Golf Course Native Areas Weed Control

kmiller1 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:02:31 +0000

Chemical techniques control weeds in native grass areas on golf courses
“So boss, what do I do, throw the kitchen sink at it”? That’s the kind of comment you hear from a spray tech when native grass areas get overrun with weeds. The response needs to be “absolutely not”, but more importantly, “let’s put together a season long plan to manage these areas”.

These areas, as we all know, require yearly maintenance. Preemergent herbicides like Pendulum® are your best friend. They are economical and provide control of both grassy and broadleaf weeds. And remember, preemergents were initially discovered for use in row crops so they are very effective in controlling those large obnoxious weeds like barnyardgrass, johnsongrass, foxtail, panicum, ragweed, pokeweed, spurge and lambsquarter which commonly take over these areas.

When to spray preemergent herbicides on native grass areas
An application in the spring after mowing and one in the fall after a clean-up mow will make your life a little less stressful, and keep those areas looking like you want.

5 Sections Not To Skip On A Label

kmiller1 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:29:39 +0000

What do most turf professionals skim to when reviewing a product label? Rate information. A product label provides a lot of other important information. Here are five key sections you shouldn’t skip:
Tank Mixing
-Most labels have a tank mixing section, which includes what you can and cannot tank mix with a particular product as well as the mixing order.

Special Statements
Products often have special statements on the label to help users utilize the product correctly (temperature restrictions at application time, drying time, etc.)

Group Numbers
-The front page of many product labels includes a group number (based on mode of action), which helps users avoid resistance issues with fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.

Agricultural use requirements
-The agricultural and non-agricultural use requirements on product labels are important for users and vary depending on product use.

General restrictions and limitations
-These are also known as “do not”? statement is a strong declaration that needs to be followed.

Make sure you stay on top of your most commonly used product labels and review them once a year. The best place to obtain current labels is http://www.cdms.net/