UNITED STATES GREEN SECTION NORTHEASTERN DISTRICT R U T G E RS U N I V E R S I TY N EW B R U N S W I C K. N EW J E R S EY GOLF ASSOCIATION EASTERN REGION MID-ATLANTIC DISTRICT P L A NT I N D U S T RY S T A T I ON B E L T S V I L L E, M A R Y L A ND EASTERN TURFLETTER A L E X A N D ER M. E A S T E RN D I R E C T OR R A D KO C H A R L ES M 1 D -A T L AN T IC K. H A L L O W E LL D I R E C T OR T. T. T A Y L OR N O R T H E A S T E RN A G R O N O M I ST No. 6 December, 1959 MORE ABOUT POA ANNUA (AMNUAL BLUEGRASS) In the September issue of the U.3»G.A. Journal and Turf Management, Dr. Marvin Ferguson, National Research Coordinator for the U»S.G./U Green Section, submitted a twelve point management program far the control of Poa annua. This program is particularly applicable to the Northeast Region. In fact, everyone interested in fine turf for golf is urged to give some serious thought and study of Dr. Ferguson1 s suggestions. Annual bluegrass has been a perpetual problem in this as well as other areas of the country and to quote Dr. Ferguson, "It appears to be unrealistic to anticipate the development of control methods that will operate independently of good management11. We are in complete agreement with the entire program, most of which is applicable during the growing season, ana should be considered in maintenance planning for I960. Is your maintenance program designed PQa annua, or bentgrass? By pampering Poa are you perpetuating it? Since we are now in the off-season, with routine maintenance operations at a minimum, it might be considered an appropriate time to undertake to correct some faults which may be contributing to the Poa annua problem. Good drainage is essential in the control of annual bluegrass. For example, depressions cause constant puddling. These depressions may be lifted, regraded and sodded with bent sod. Mounds and other contours which interfere with good surface drainage might also best be eliminated. Exaggerated contours frequently limit cupping space, which in turn concentrates traffic in specific areas and ultimately produces depressions, and encourages soil compaction inviting Poa annua infestations. Inadequate sub-drainage may be a contributing factor and tiling of certain areas of a green may alleviate serious problems* On some greens, collars and aprons may be out of proportion to the size of the putting surface* In some cases the putting surface may be enlarged by reducing the size of the aprons to allow for more cupping space, dispersion of traffic, and surface run-off• Some greens might be enlarged through minor construction changes without unreasonable strain on the budget. Also to be considered is the present placement of some sandtraps in the greens area* Traps often determine the movement of traffic around*greens and heavy traffic areas are a source of invasion for Poa annua* Could therefore some of these walk-off areas be rearranged to disperse traffic and reduce potential areas of soil compaction, drainage, and Poa annua problems. Apron turf around greens generally suffers to some degree during the summer season, and 1959 was a particularly bad year for aprons* Because of the poor fall season for seed germination, Poa annua may have reinfested aprons in many cases where. th$ seed catch was poor* 'Where bent sod is available, why not resod collars and aprons to a more desir- able turf? There is reluctance on the part of some to adopt drastic methods which will partially reduce or control Poa annua* They reason that Poa annua will provide a good putting ,turf in the cool seasons of the year at a time when bent is slow in growing, such as in the ^Spring of 1959* when Poa annua was a temporary blessing. However, when the going got tough la tor in the season, troubles with Poa began* To avoid the inevitable, frequent light watering was necessary. Some superintendents reasoned that Poa annua was better than no turf at all and they continued with such mthocTs as would hold the Poa annuaj this was expediency to survive one pitfall until a later one developed* In essence they were perpetuating Poa aroma by keeping it alive* They reasoned further that learning to live w iW Poa annua was simpler than drastic control or eradi- cation, a modification of "H you canft lick them join them"* This is a middle of the road philosophy which the hazards of growing turf grass for heavy and constant use impose on the superintendent and one which is frequently adopted as being the least of several evils. In fact, sudden and complete eradication could prove to be undesirable, particularly in highly populated Poa annua turf. A more logical approach y/ould be to increase the bent population to such an extent that the loss of Poa annua would be imperceptible when treated v/ith a herbicide. The superintendent who can hold the Poa annua while increasing the bent population would seem to be on the right trade in preparation for the eventual time of better control with accepted herbicidal treatment. On the other hand, there are circumstances under which it would be desirable to completely replace Poa annua turf (when infestation is heavy) through a "scorched earth" renovation program. The past thirty years may well be classified as ,rThe Poa annua Period", and during the past ten years Poa annua has invaded greens in J an alarming proportion. Tftien the Poa annua population equals or exceeds the bent population on any one green, m:> '""complications arise in trying to maintain satisfactory turf where two types of grass exist with widely different cultural requirements* Briefly, the problem becomes one of attempting to satisfy bent requirements at the expense of Poa annua, but at the same time holding the entire groons turf under control* Completely ignoring the Poa annua requirements could leal to serious difficulties from excessive loss of playable turf. This is wliy a transition period is advisable in which time is allowed for the gradual reduction or control of Poa annua to such an extent that a treatment with herbicide or other control media will not result in the loGO of an appreciable amount of turf at any one time* Until ouch time a a the Poa annua population io under reasonable control, no drastic unprovon treatments should be attempted* Dr* Ferguson* twelve point program ia an excellent one to follow, especially during a transition period in preparation for the*eventual development of better controls, operating either with, or independently of present maintenance practices* January 5 ~ 6 January IB - 21 January 29 Jan. 31 - Febr. $ February 1$ - 10 March 10 - 11 DATES TO RMEMBER Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Conference Lord Baltimore Hotel Baltimore, Maryland New Jersey Turfgrass Conference Rutgers University Now Brunswick, N. J* USGA Qroon Section Educational Program Biltmore Hotel New York, N. Y, 31ot Annual Conference Golf Course Superintendents of America Shamrock Hilton Houston, Texas Penn State Ttirf grass Conference Penn State University University Park, Pa, Massachusetts Turfgrass Conference University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mass, — Eastern Turfletter USGA GREEN SECTION B U LK S. U. R A TE P O S T A GE PAID P E R M IT N O. 3 66 N EW B R U N S W I C K. N. J.