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Not another back-to-school commercial

By |  August 18, 2017 0 Comments

When I arrived at Ohio State University in the 1980s, we held our research field day on the second Tuesday of September. We continued this through most of the 1990s. I liked the schedule because it was after Labor Day, which for most marks the end of summer, and because it was before the start of classes (we were on quarters at the time).

The field plots looked visually appealing, particularly important in studies where quality was a factor. Weed control studies, especially crabgrass studies, provided attendees with a visual impression of how long a herbicide might work, which also applied to insect control studies such as those on white grubs. Unfortunately, disease studies often were limited mainly to dollar spot control.

Over time, September was criticized as being too late in the growing season. An earlier date was becoming more desirable because researchers wanted a more stressful time that would differentiate treatment effects from both abiotic and biotic factors, and superintendent attendance was dropping. The most common reason was that seasonal help was returning to school, causing a labor shortage at a time when the labor-intensive practice of coring and topdressing was occurring. An “all-hands-on-deck” attitude was growing, and it was difficult for superintendents to get away for a day.

Before the 1980s, the vast majority of high schools didn’t start classes until after Labor Day. From the 1980s on, we have watched the start date creep back before Labor Day, with most schools starting between mid- to late August. Being of a generation that went to school when air conditioned buildings were an exception and not the rule, I assumed the earlier start dates were due to modern schools having air conditioning. That assumption, however, was not the case. Educational professionals reported that earlier start dates boost academic outcomes (those infamous test scores).

As we moved field days into early to mid-August, I observed more golf courses coring and topdressing in mid-August. I know it takes more than just losing your seasonal staff to school to cause a change in the important practice of coring and topdressing. The move away from traditional staffs to those described in this issue of Golfdom have an impact on “seasonality.” The golfing schedule at a club influences whether coring and topdressing is done early or late into the fall.

For many, mid-August coincides with the impression that the “worst” of summer is over. However, just like having earlier field days or earlier school start dates, it’s still hot outside. August is still known as the “dog days” of summer — a time of considerable heat and moisture. Thus, the intensive mechanical operation of coring and topdressing requires a few cautionary steps.

When coring, check to make sure that adequate moisture is present. Coring and exposing the holes to rapid drying from evapotranspiration rates causes rapid wilting of the turf around the hole. In combination with topdressing, work the sand in as quickly as possible. Sand remaining on the turf surface can result in a rapid temperature buildup. Providing irrigation immediately following coring and topdressing reduces the risk of moisture stress. Additionally — and this often is overlooked — check the core holes over time to see if some of them are devoid of sand. These core holes devoid of sand topdressing (often associated with some sort of mistake during moving the sand into the holes) are due to cutworms.

As we move to earlier and earlier start dates for coring and topdressing, the advantage of quicker turf recovery from coring and topdressing needs to be balanced against the risk of both abiotic and biotic stress. Whether you outsource fall coring and topdressing or not, be sure you have the proper equipment and labor requirements for a successful agronomic operation.

This is posted in Columns

About the Author: Karl Danneberger, Ph.D.

Karl Danneberger, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of horticulture and crop science at The Ohio State University. He is author of the popular The Turf Doc column that appears monthly in Golfdom. Karl writes on topics ranging from Poa annua to pest control.


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