Research

The perils of PGR over-regulation

April 15, 2016 By Bill Kreuser, Ph.D.

The benefits of plant growth regulators (PGRs) have been touted for decades and with good reason. Research shows that PGRs can reduce clipping yield, increase turf quality and performance and improve stress tolerance. To sustain these benefits, growth regulators need ...

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Lessen your anthracnose struggles

March 11, 2016 By Brian Aynardi, Ph.D., John Inguagiato, Ph.D., Steve McDonald, Bruce Clarke, Ph.D. and Wakar Uddin, Ph.D.

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum cereale) has been a persistent problem on putting greens, particularly in the northeastern United States, where many golf courses have Poa annua greens, some by choice, others to the superintendent’s distain. While anthracnose can also occur on creeping ...

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Sand-capping effects on bermudagrass fairways

March 11, 2016 By Wes Dyer, Ben Wherley, Ph.D. and Kevin McInnes, Ph.D.

Growing demands for limited water resources mean that golf courses increasingly are being managed with poor-quality irrigation water. Because of this and the need for improved playing conditions, sand-capping fairways has become common in new golf course construction and renovation. ...

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Controlling smooth bromegrass in cool-season turf

February 18, 2016 By Matt Sousek, Zac Reicher, Ph.D. and Luqi Li

Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis) is a difficult-to-control perennial grass in cool-season turf. There currently are no ways to selectively control smooth bromegrass, so superintendents often use non-selective herbicides such as glyphosate. In this study, we explored potential options to selectively ...

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Sniffing out ABWs: Using pooches to find a pest

February 18, 2016 By Ben McGraw, Ph.D.

Over the span of nearly half a century, the annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) or “Hyerodes weevil” (Listronotus maculicollis), has become the most important insect pest of golf course turfgrass in the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada. The last decade has brought ...

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Nematodes Beware: NIMITZ is coming!

February 11, 2016 By Marty Whitford

“NIMITZ Pro G puts nematodes six feet under,” says Marie Knox, resident nematologist and technical services manager for Quali-Pro, a brand of Pasadena, Texas-based Control Solutions Inc. (CSI). Knox and Rick Grant, CSI’s business director for turf and ornamental markets, ...

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