Logo: SyngentaCarl Wittenauer, CGCS at Brookside Golf & Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, knows that timing is everything.

Carl Wittenauer

Carl Wittenauer

Take his role as superintendent for example — three months after accepting the assistant superintendent job at the course, the superintendent position opened up, presenting him with a perfect opportunity to take the reins.

Armed with 30-plus years of knowledge of Brookside, Wittenauer knows all too well that timing is also key when it comes to controlling the No. 1 issue he faces on fairways: dollar spot.

“We’re constantly fighting dollar spot and if you’re not on a two-week program, it can be hard to control,” he says.

Optimal control and flexibility

Photo: Brookside Golf & Country Club

Photo: Brookside Golf & Country Club

Last year Wittenauer was presented with an option to change that way of thinking. Syngenta Technical Manager Mike Agnew, Ph.D., and Territory Manager Gregg Schaner approached Wittenauer about hosting a trial of Posterity and Secure Action fungicides.

The first application took place in early June — the heart of dollar spot season, according to Wittenauer — with Posterity being applied at a rate of 0.16 fl. oz./1,000 ft2 on one 10,000 ft2 plot, Secure Action applied at 0.5 fl. oz./1,000 ft2 in another and a small strip with no treatment as the control.

The team let the trial go for five weeks and at the end, to no surprise to the Brookside crew, the control plot was covered in dollar spot. However, the plot treated with Secure Action had minimal breakthrough of dollar spot and the one with Posterity had even less, Wittenauer recalled.

After the five-week mark, the crew applied the second application, discovering how both products worked on a curative basis as well. After cleaning up the area, the areas were protected for another four to five weeks.

Posterity test plot and Secure Action test plot. Photo: Brookside Golf & Country Club Left: Posterity test plot. Visit GreenCastOnline.com/Posterity for additional data and rates.
Right: Secure Action test plot. Visit GreenCastOnline.com/SecureAction for additional data and rates.
Photos: Brookside Golf & Country Club

Smart savings

The extended protection equals big savings for Wittenauer and his course.

“If you do two applications of Posterity, you could possibly eliminate one whole spray somewhere, maybe even two, resulting in significant savings for someone on a tight budget.”

He has two applications of Posterity scheduled for his 2019 program. “I feel confident recommending Posterity to other superintendents,” Wittenauer says.

Staying informed about the latest developments in dollar spot management is also key, which is why Syngenta created its Dollar Spot Solutions site at GreenCastOnline.com/DollarSpot. This website features dollar spot alerts based on the Smith-Kerns dollar spot model.

Dollar Spot alert, SyngentaA superintendent can sign up to receive texts or emails that will notify them five days before a course is predicted to reach a 20% risk of developing dollar spot, allowing superintendents to plan their sprays accordingly.

“If you let it get in front of you, it will be a challenge for the rest of the season,” Wittenauer warns. He recently signed up for the tool and completed his first Posterity application for the season. “If you can have an indicator that it’s time or getting close, that is a great tool.”


Sign up for dollar spot alerts from Syngenta

The season-long alerts forecast disease development risk five days into the future. Superintendents may sign up to be notified by email or text, when conditions in their area are conducive to dollar spot development.

For additional trial data and to sign up for dollar spot alerts based on the Smith-Kerns model, visit GreenCastOnline.com/DollarSpot.

Graphic: Syngenta Graphic: Syngenta

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This page was produced by North Coast Media’s content marketing staff in collaboration with Syngenta. NCM Content Marketing connects marketers to audiences and delivers industry trends, business tips and product information. The Golfdom editorial staff did not create this content.

Header photo: Brookside Golf & Country Club