Research

Lyme disease and deer ticks

July 9, 2019 By Clark Throssell, Ph.D.

Clark Throssell, Ph.D., discusses Lyme disease and deer ticks with Timothy Gibb, Ph.D. Gibb is an entomologist at Purdue University. Tim has worked on numerous insect problems throughout his career, including turfgrass pests and insects that impact human health. You ...

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Data-driven irrigation scheduling techniques for sand-capped fairways

July 9, 2019 By Ben Wherley, Ph.D., Kevin McInnes, Ph.D., Rebecca Grubbs, Ph.D. and Reagan Hejl

With current strains on water resources and with the increasing trend of capping degraded golf fairways with sand, the golf industry needs research toward efficient methods for irrigation management on sand-capped soil. While Reference ET-based scheduling — based as it ...

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Trouble with goosegrass control

July 9, 2019 By Jim Brosnan, Ph.D.

Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) is a problematic annual grassy weed found on golf course turf across the United States in summer. This species germinates from seed each spring, with emergence typically occurring several weeks after superintendents begin to see summer annual ...

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Measurement devices used in this research. From left to right: TruFirm, Clegg and TDR350 with Turf Rod Spacers at 0.5-, 1.0- and 1.5-inch depths. (Photo: Daniel O'Brien)

What putting green firmness measurements actually tell us

June 5, 2019 By Daniel O’Brien, Doug Karcher, Ph.D. and Mike Richardson, Ph.D.

Firmness is an important attribute of championship greens, affecting both playability and durability of the putting surface. However, firmness can be interpreted and managed in various ways. Underlying factors often associated with firmness include volumetric water content (VWC), organic matter ...

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Dollar spot foliar lesions on leaf blades of bermudagrass are one of the telltale signs of dollar spot. (Photo: Bayer)

Defeating dollar: Tips for controlling dollar spot

June 5, 2019 By Sarah Webb

Dollar spot is a fungal disease that affects a wide variety of turfgrasses. The disease pressure of this pathogen can vary by region because its prevalence is dictated by the weather. According to Clark Throssell, Ph.D., research editor for Golfdom, ...

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Selecting appropriate sand-cap depths

June 5, 2019 By Philip Brown, Ph.D. and Bert McCarty, Ph.D.

Poor drainage is a major concern for golf course superintendents. It can restrict play, which reduces income, potentially having a long-term negative financial impact on a course. Drainage problems are compounded by demands for perfect facilities and playability, while rainfall ...

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