BASF Turf Talk » mpoole1

Pool Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:34:19 +0000

The dog days of summer are gone
The “dog days of summer” are behind us now. Why does winter seem to last a year and summer only seems like a month or two? I know that many supts. are excited about the recent cooler day and night time temperatures as well as lower humidity. I know of several supts. from Cincy to Lexington that got a head start on renovation work as soon as the temperatures dropped for several straight days a couple of weeks ago. They got busy with aerification on tees and a few other areas that could handle the stress of that kind of work. Some say it was too early but others said all you need is a few cool days in a row to get it done without causing too much stress. Greens will have to wait until a few more weeks for most folks.

Protect putting green roots from root dysfunction diseases
As the summer starts to fade and fall is more evident, its time to start thinking about protecting roots on putting greens from root dysfunction diseases. Specifically, pythium root dysfunction and take-all patch. Pythium root dysfunction (PRD) is active when soil temps range between 55-70 degrees. At the same time, roots are beginning to grow again and recover from the summer stress. IntrinsicTM brand fungicides (Insignia® SC Intrinsic and Honor® Intrinsic) are rated as the best fungicides for preventing this particular disease by protecting those roots during this critical recovery period. In addition, they are among the most broad spectrum fungicides on the market and are highly effective against other root pathogens. Lastly, Intrinsic brand fungicides are labeled for plant health. They help the turf become more efficient users of their own energy and prepare them for stress events such as aerification resulting in faster recovery and overall more root proliferation. Upwards of 15% compared to other fungicide treatments or untreated areas. Check it out at Intrinsicplanthealth.com.

Don’t let your fairway become susceptible to dollar spot
This is also the time of year for those growing cool season fairways susceptible to dollar spot to start thinking about the last 1-2 applications for end of season control. Emerald® fungicide is a superstar on dollar spot and Curalan® fungicide is a close second. Both products fit well into late season dollar spot applications by providing good control and residual. Going into winter with low dollar spot disease presence helps insure you will come out in the spring ahead of the curve for dollar spot and positioned well for preventative applications throughout the season. Look for more information on Emerald and Curalan at www.betterturf.basf.us.

That’s it for now.

McGee

Pool Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:42:13 +0000

Excessive rain and brutal heat cause disease pressure and cooked turf
It’s back. The summer weather from last year that had many supts. across the country re-evaluating their career choice of turfgrass management has been prevalent the last three weeks. Reports from Evansville, Ind., are stating that it’s been worse than last year recently. This may be due to the excessive rain followed by brutal heat. It’s simply cooking the grass and providing an environment suitable for pythium, brown patch, basal rot anthracnose, wet wilt, scalding, and general bentgrass decline.

Our Intrinsic™ brand fungicides have provided great disease control and plant health benefits. Although nothing is a “silver bullet.” Insignia® SC Intrinsic brand fungicide and Honor® Intrinsic brand fungicide are giving this turf a better fighting chance vs. the competition.

Could sand be the cause of nematode infestations on turfgrass putting greens?
Also, there have been reports of nematode infestations on putting greens in Louisville, Ky., and South Bend, Ind. This phenomenon is difficult to explain as there has never been a history of nematodes in this part of the country. The last two years we have seen nematodes in Lexington, Ky., and Louisville, Ky., at other courses too. Some are speculating that top dressing sand used during aerifcation and periodically throughout the summer could be the source. Just speculation, but how do you explain it?

Travel to turfgrass field days and then vacation in the Miss. Delta
Throughout July I’ve traveled through Indiana working with DSR’s, end users, attending field days, and then back through Kentucky for some of the same. Also, I had a vacation in the Mississippi Delta where I grew up as a child. Here’s a sunset in the Delta looking from my mother’s front yard across Deer Creek and the Stoneville experiment station (a huge Ag research community for the USDA and Miss.)
That’s it for now.

Take care,

McGee

Poole Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:45:14 +0000

Had a great time volunteering with Valhalla Golf Club turfgrass maintenance staff at the Senior PGA Championship!
Valhalla Golf Club hosted the Senior PGA Championship two weeks ago in Louisville, KY. I had the privilege to be a volunteer on the maintenance staff for this event as well as the last time it was here in 2004. Once again, Mother Nature played a part in the early week with strong thunderstorms producing a lot of rain quickly with some damaging winds. As a friend in Northern Kentucky stated, “It seems like the golf gods just don’t like golf tournaments hosted in May on Shelbyville Rd.”

Congratulations to Roger Meier and his full time staff, as well as all the volunteers that came together to present this championship golf course. It was in wonderful condition. The course, especially the greens, held up very well to the adverse weather conditions. They were firm and fast! The pros had to “tap lightly” when rolling the egg. I heard Tom Kite ask sarcastically if mowing the greens would slow them down.

Golf course turf looking good, minor Waitea Patch and Dollar spot
Summer weather patterns are here. Things have quickly dried out in many parts of my territory. Some Waitea Patch and Dollar spot seem to be the only pathogens that I’ve seen or heard much about in the last several days.

In my opinion, this is the time of year when golf courses throughout the BASF northern region really start to become dialed in and really look their best. LCO companies are catching up after a soggy spring to say the least. Pre-emerge applications in this segment and in golf have been delayed in several cases.

Race Update: Always some horse laying in wait to slay some of the tried and true horses
Belmont Stakes: The rubber match is set for the winner of the Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom and the winner of the Preakness Stakes, Shackleford at the Belmont Stakes this weekend in Elmont, NY. The third leg of the triple crown is always the hardest. A mile and one half on “big sandy” can be brutal. Especially, after attempting the first and second leg of the Triple Crown. Many think that the distance favors closers here but I tend to disagree. Therefore, I’ll take a stand against Animal Kingdom and his late running style. Shackleford will be close in the end but watch out for a horse that didn’t race the first or second leg of the Triple Crown. There is always some horse laying in wait to slay some of the tried and true horses that have been running all spring. One reason of many that there hasn’t been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. Related link: Watch this video of Secretariat’s historic Belmont Stakes race on YouTube. Like a machine!!!

Take care.

Poole Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Wed, 25 May 2011 07:00:28 +0000

Dollar spot hits turf in Indianapolis down through southern Ohio and Kentucky
It’s official. We simply won’t have a spring in this part of the country. During the week of May 9, I thought summer had arrived. We had heat and humidity that reminded me of late June. Dollar spot was being reported in the Indianapolis area down through southern Ohio and Kentucky. I believe we saw more fairway sprays go out during that week for dollar spot than any other time yet this year. Emerald® fungicide continues to be the best performing product for dollar spot. Curalan® EG fungicide is tried and true for dollar spot as well. The best fairway dollar spot programs I’ve seen have had these two products on the front end and back end of the season long program.

This has been the worst spring weather I’ve seen in Kentucky!
As we made our way into the weekend of May 14 and 15, the temperatures cooled back down to 15-20 degrees below normal and stayed there for 6 days with constant precipitation for 3-4 days straight. This has been the worst spring weather in this area since I’ve been living here! Weather phenomenons! Good news: The extended forecast looks to be as close to normal for this time of year as can be expected.

That’s it for now,
McGee

Poole Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:25:13 +0000

Turf managers ramping up for preventative golf course fungicide apps and pre-emerge herbicide lawn care apps
It’s looking like another late spring in this part of the country. Very frustrating for the industry as rounds will be down and our applications will be late to start. I’ve got more golf course superintendents using soil thermometers now than in the past. Soil temps are still below 50 degrees so they are waiting for that first greens application of Insignia® SC Intrinsic™ brand fungicide or Honor® Intrinsic brand fungicide for pythium root dysfunction. It seems like we are a long way out for dollar spot applications on fairways too.

Also, the lawn care (LCO) market segment is ramping up with pre-emerge herbicide applications.

Last week I attended the first Bluegrass GCSAA meeting. The new outreach rep was there for the Great Lakes Region. It was a well attended first meeting of the year.

That’s it for now.

McGee

Poole Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:02:55 +0000

Fungicide and herbicide discussions with superintendents during The Experience at FarmLinks
I’m on my way home from a great trip to The Experience at FarmLinks with a great group of guys from Northern Indiana. We arrived after a flash flood of 3.75 inches of rain in one day. However, we were still able to get in a decent round of golf the following day after the water receded.

While there, we all had a lively discussion about fungicide applications with Emerald®, Trinity®, and our Intrinsic™ brand fungicides. Then we discussed different ways to use our herbicides around their golf courses. Now is the time for preemergent applications to be planned as well as the first fungicide applications of the year depending on your particular target pathogens. I’m confident we discovered a few ideas, products, and practices that will make their jobs a little easier in the long run. As everyone returns, they will make final preparations for their golf courses to open soon.

Contact me about a FarmLinks visit
If any supt. reading this blog from my territory has an interest in going to FarmLinks for the first time or again after a visit a few years ago, please contact me and I’ll work on securing a date for you to get down there.

It is a relaxing and fun environment where peers share best practices that help make them better at what they do while learning about chemistries, equipment, fertilizers, and other new innovations from manufacturers in the turf industry.

Till next time.

McGee

Poole Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:28:32 +0000

Turf duties relax in winter, but superintendents warming to idea of summer’s return
My friend and colleague, Ted Huhn, would say, “We are well on our way for ‘another trip around the sun’.” It’s hard to believe that 2011 is upon us now leaving 2010 in the history books. Winter has made itself known in these parts. We’ve had our fair share of snow and ice already as many of you are experiencing the same. I’m certainly looking forward to spring but I know many golf course superintendents may not be yet after the season we just had.

A couple of years ago, a supt. told me that he’s wishing his life away. I asked him to explain. He said, “In the winter, I’m wishing for summer. In the summer, I’m wishing for winter.” This year, I think he’s enjoying looking out over the snow at least for a few more weeks before he starts to get anxious.

Indiana Green Expo – superintendents reported great results with Honor® Intrinsic™ brand fungicide and Tower® herbicide
This past week I spent a few days at the annual Indiana Green Expo. Although trade shows are getting smaller, I felt like this year’s show in Indianapolis had an overall good vibe. These venues always prove to be great for seeing all of our channel partners and lots of end users.

On more than one occasion, supts. told me they had great results with Honor® Intrinsic™ brand fungicide. They made these fungicide applications to prevent dollar spot, pythium root dysfunction, brown patch, summer patch, anthracnose, and a few other diseases. As a result, they realized some of the plant health properties in the root proliferation which helped their greens make it through the difficult growing conditions this past summer.

Also, we had some good discussion about exactly how to use Tower® herbicide to prevent goosegrass in Bermuda fairways as well as yellow nutsedge around cool season green and tee surrounds.

I’m looking forward to the GIS show in Orlando. I hope to see more attendees from my territory this year!

That’s it for now. Take care.

McGee

Poole Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:39:13 +0000

Spring fungicide applications
Isn’t it ironic that February is the shortest month of the year but feels like the longest? Spring is right around the corner. We know this because the ground hog in Pennsylvania didn’t see his shadow a few weeks ago. Therefore, it won’t be long until it's time to put down those Emerald® fungicide first sprays for dollar spot and Insignia® SC Intrinsic™ brand fungicide and Honor® Intrinsic™ brand fungicide on the greens for a myriad of diseases. From pythium root dysfunction to dollar spot, we’ve got it covered with high levels of disease control and even better plant health with our Intrinsic brand fungicides.

Golf Industry Show – booth buzz
GIS was another great event for BASF. Yes, we all know that the show is smaller. However, the supts. and distributor representatives are still there to support GIS. I had some nice discussions about our products. In particular, Insignia SC and Honor have had some great results this past season according to several supts. who stopped by the booth.

Also, our “Who wants to be a thousandaire” game show was a big hit (pictured). I’d guess that most individual supt. participants won about 600-700 dollars answering pop trivia and turf related questions. I hope Las Vegas will be just as fun and successful… I’m sure it will.

Horse racing update – Zenyatta
As you all know, I’m an avid fan of thoroughbred racing. The horses are magnificent athletes! It is very impressive, to say the least to watch a horse win races in the fashion that Zenyatta did over her career. She recently edged Breeders Cup Classic champion, Blame, for horse of the year honors at the annual eclipse awards. Congratulations to Zenyatta! One of the most impressive thoroughbreds I’ve ever seen. By the way, she has a date with Bernardini this spring. I can’t wait to see what that first foal goes for at auction.

Winter continues to be harsh throughout this territory. I remember last winter being rough followed by one of the toughest, roughest summers in recent history. For the sake of supts. sanity and golf courses everywhere, I hope that is not the case for 2011.

That’s it for now.
McGee

Poole Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:12:31 +0000

Memorable Breeder’s Cup Championship – Zenyatta lost by a stride, but won the crowd

My oh my how time flies. The Fall season is almost in the rear view mirror and winter is quickly approaching. November was an eventful month in this area. The highlight was the Breeder’s Cup Championship hosted at Churchill Downs in Louisville the first weekend in November. The Classic race was arguably the strongest field of horses since the Breeders Cup series of races started back in the 80′s. Zenyatta needed one more stride to get to the wire first but her late running style finally wasn’t enough.

The crowd was cheering louder than I have ever heard at a horse race and then silence followed by a few tears when the photo showed the mare losing the race by a head. Regardless of the outcome of this one race, we will likely never see a female horse of that stature and greatness for generations to come. Just to lay eyes on her as she sashayed through the post parade with her “war dance” towering over her male competitors was a great experience. A very unique thoroughbred to say the least.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday as well. We celebrated our Thanksgiving right here at home which was great. It just keeps getting better and as a result we have so much to be thankful for.

That’s it for now.
McGee

Poole Side with McGee Poole

mpoole1 — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:10:58 +0000

Heat and drought linger—golf course superintendents welcome cooler temperatures
It’s been a while since the last update from my territory and I feel like I need to quote Don Henley from his “Boys of Summer” as it is that time of year where we transition into fall, football, and hopefully cooler weather for turf recovery. However, it is going to be 93 degrees today in central Kentucky. This is the summer that won’t end. One supt. told me the other day that there weren’t enough hoses and help to keep it going for him this year.

Turf renovations are in full swing regardless and it seems like the turf managers are making some progress. Even though the day time temps are still high, the nights are cooling off quite nicely. Precipitation: What is that? It is dry in the southern part of my territory. It may snow before it rains around here.

Applications made for Pythium root dysfunction, take-all patch, dollar spot
On the courses in my territory Curalan® EG fungicide and Emerald® fungicide are book ending some fairway programs with Insignia® fungicide and Honor® Intrinsic™ brand fungicide going down for Pythium root dysfunction, take-all patch and dollar spot too. Our research around root proliferation with our Intrinsic brand fungicides will have an impactful message after the season we just had.