UNITED STATES GOLF'ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION M i d - C o n t i n e nt T u r f l e t t er NO. 2 April - 1961 D R. M A R V IN H. F E R G U S ON M I D - C O N T I N E NT D I R E C T OR N A T I O N AL R E S E A R CH COORDINATOR J A M ES L. H O L M ES MID-WESTERN AGRONOMIST W. W A Y NE A L L EN S O U T H W E S T E RN AGRONOMIST M I D - W E S T E RN D I S T R I CT ROOM 241, L A S A L LE H O T EL C H I C A GO 2, I L L I N O IS T E L E P H O N E: S T A TE 2-7485 S O U T H W E S T E RN D I S T R I CT T E X AS A & M C O L L E GE C O L L E GE S T A T I O N, T E X AS T E L E P H O N E: V I C T OR 6-5210 TIMELINESS An article entitled "The Importance of Timeliness11 appeared in the April, May, June, 1961 issue of the Sports Turf Bulletin published in Bingley, Yorkshire, England. The following paragraph is taken from the article. Its message is commended to our readers1 attention. For best results turf requires the right treatment at the right time. Our advisers can recommend the right treatment and indicate the approximate time for carrying it out, but the success of any treat- ment depends on the skill of the man on the spot in picking exactly the right time for it. The importance of timeliness factor is not sufficiently recognized by many people. For every single operation in turf production and management it is possible in most years to pick just the right conditions. SOIL TEST RESULTS REFLECT FERTILIZATION PRACTICES Several interesting points about turf soils tested by the Soils Testing Labora- tory of Purdue were reported by Dr. W. H. Daniel recently in the Midwest Turf News and Research. Of the samples on which the report was based 10% of the putting greens, 61% of the fairways, 11% of the established lawns, and 36% of the new lawns might need lime. This is based on the pH reported for the various soils. There were 96% of the putting greens with high to excess phosphorus. In part this may have resulted from naturally high rates of phosphorus in mixed ferti- lizers. Ten per cent of the established lawns and 45% of new lawns might respond to phosphorus applications. Based on the soil tests 53% of the putting greens, 86% of the new lawns and 40% of the established lawns sampled would probably respond to potassium applications. A UNIFORM POLICY FOR LABELING FERTILIZERS At a recent meeting of North Central Region agronomists, state control officials and representatives of the fertilizer industry, a uniform policy for labeling fertilizer contents was discussed and agreed upon. It is intended that the plan be ratified by each of the states and the necessary regulations be pursued so that it may become effective in all states on July 1 this year, or as soon there- after as possible. The points included in the uniform policy are as follows; 1. State officials will require guarantees at minimum levels, in percentages«* of all available nutrients for which claims of beneficial effects to plants are made. 2. All the secondary elements (calcium., magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, zinc, manganese, iron, molybdenum, cobalt, chlorine, sodium and the primary element nitrogen will be labeled as elements. Phosphorus and potassium, the other two primary elements, will be labeled as the element, the oxide, or both. 3. Warning statements are to be included for fertilizer products which contain more than #025?o boron in a water-soluble form. 4. Using the terms "balanced" and "complete" will not be permitted unless the label shows the intended meaning of the all-inclusive term. FERTILIZER - INSECTICIDE - HERBICIDE MIXTURES The dynamic turf fertilizer industry provides many formulations for turf managers. Among these are fertilizer-insecticide mixtures. The rates of each must be care- fully determined so that the desired results will be obtained without ill effects to the turf. Some advantages are reduced number of applications because both are applied to- gether and more even distribution of the insecticide than otherwise because of the greater volume of material per application. One disadvantage is that once the mixture is made it cannot be separated. This could necessitate purchasing additional fertilizer or insecticide should the need arise for either singly. Another is that of correlating the rates of both so that proper rates of each are applied. Should a fertilizer-insecticide-herbicide mixture become available for turf usage these same factors for consideration would still hold true. The chief difference would be that three chemicals rather than two would be involved. DRIFT OF PESTICIDES In a recent article by Robert Z. Rollins9 Chief, Bureau of Chemistry of the California Department of Agriculture, some interesting facts about pesticide drift were reviewed. While the article largely dealt with the problem from the standpoint of aerial applications, the principles are applicable to other methods of application. "Consider, for example, pesticides of dust or spray dropping 10 feet in an air movement of three miles per hour. This small air movement is almost imperceptible. It is not enough wind to move a wind vane, but in dropping 10 feet in such an air movement, a 100-micron particle drifts 50 feet. miles, and a A 10-micron particle drifts one mile, a 5-micron particle one-micron particle drifts 84 miles.11 Change the height of drop to 5 feet and double the wind to a modest 6 miles per hour and these figures remain unchanged. For those pesticides which may prove harmful to areas on which they may drift, several considerations prior to their application may prove beneficial. Two of these are the usage of sprays rather than dust when possible and avoiding application of very fine mists. Sometimes reducing the nozzle pressure or increasing the nozzle orifice will increase the droplet size and will consequently decrease the drift hazard. NATIONAL GOLF WEEK - MAY 29 THROUGH JUNE 6 National Golf Week has been observed in previous years as National Golf Day. The expansion of the event to a seven-clay period will give more golfers an opportunity to match scores with the winner of the "Round of the Champion." Jay Hebert, current PGA champion and Arnold Palmer, U. S. Open Champion, will play their round at Olympia Fields on June 6. All who have an interest in turf have a stake in National Golf Week. From 1960 funds derived from this event, a total of $15,000 was appropriated for turf interests. Of this total $7,800 was awarded to colleges for turfgrass research through the medium of the U.S..G.A* Green Section Research and Education Fund, Inc. Another $7,200 went to the Golf Course Superintendents Association's Research and Scholarship Fund. Support National Golf Week and in this way provide better turf and more enjoyment for the future. June 5 Central Plains Turfgrass Foundation Field Day Moila Country Club, St. Joseph, Missouri Mid-Continent Turf letter USGA GREEN SECTION BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID College Station, Texas Permit No. 80 Qr/'J* R. Watson, Jr. Chief Agronomist Toro Mfg. Corporation Minneapolis 6, Minn.