Northwest TURFGRASS TOPICS
Vol. 19 - No. 1

PUYALLUP, WASHINGTON

APRIL, 1976

Annual Turfgrass Field Day
The
President's
Corner

By John Monson

•

So far this year, we have had some interesting financial
developments. The Northwest Turfgrass Association seems
o b e recovering with a strong showing of new members. This
s really helping our treasury, and anyone who has brought
in new members deserves a big thank you. This increase in
members aids only the general treasury and does not reflect
on the Special Research Fund which is not coming in very
fast and we need all the help in the way of contributions,
grants or any money making ideas that we can get.
Our association needs to branch out into several areas for
new members other than golf courses. Much of the research
work done at the Research Center in Puyallup is passed on to
the park departments, school districts, cemetery and other
privately owned sports centers, but not many of these groups
names show up on our roster of members or on the
Northwest Turfgrass Association financial reports or on the
contributors list to the Special NTA Research Program of
which Mr. Tom Cook is doing such a great job.

•

It seems only fair that even though the research center
must respond to any citizen tax payer with a turf problem,
many of the larger organizations should help to support this
program financially. The membership of the Northwest
Turfgrass Association would not only help them with
educational information at our conferences, but would help
to strengthen our group to combat the financial squeeze the
State Legislature is putting on Washington State University
to cut back on programs. If we have several hundred people
Representing many different areas of recreational and
commercial turf areas such as golf course (private and
public) parks departments, cemeteries, sports fields, sod
growers, homeowners, industrial parks, just
our
membership numbers, and the dollar value and acres of land
Continued On Page 3

The Turfgrass Field Days for 1976 will be conducted on
May 12, 13 and 14. May 12 will be devoted entirely to the
interests of golf course superintendents and golf course
maintenance personnel. We urge all of you on golf courses to
bring along the chairman of your green committee, your golf
professional, club president, manager or anyone else you
wish to bring who is interested in golf course-type turf.
Discussions will be centered around varietal response and
evaluations, topdressing programs, old and new nutritional
programs, disease and weed control programs. Considerable
expansion has been made since last year and a number of
new things will be observed. Plan now to bring out your
group for discussions and observations of our research
program. The golf course field day will begin promptly at
9:30 a.m. at the main research station on West Pioneer and
we shall try to complete by 12:30 in time for a no host lunch.
The general field day for all people other than golf course
interests will be conducted on Thursday, May 13 and will
start promptly at the main station at 10:00 a.m. A short tour
will be made of the bentgrass research being conducted at the
main station and then we shall proceed promptly to Farm 5
where the major part of the research program is being
conducted. At this location you will see bluegrass, fescue,
ryegrass and bentgrass varietal research, turfgrass
nutrituional programs, weed control programs, topdressing
and disease control investigations. This day will be devoted
to interests such as parks, cemeteries, schools, homeowners,
and any other turfgrass interests outside of golf courses. Any
golf course personnel who cannot make it on May 12 are
welcome to attend this day as well.
Friday, May 15 will be devoted to State, County and
Federal workers only. This field day is designed specifically
for County Extension Agents, but other State and Federal
workers are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

O . J . Noer Research
Foundation Makes Grant
The O.J. Noer Research Foundation, Inc. has approved a
grant-in-aid program to the Western Washington Research
and Extension Center for 1975, 1976, and 1977. The $2,000
grant-in-aid annually will be used to further studies on Poa
annua control with programs currently under way and new
methods currently being developed. Due to the extreme
interrelationship between phosphorus, nitrogen and sulfur
and its effects on Poa annua, some interesting information
should come from this project within the next three years.
We are most grateful to the Foundation for this assistance
to our research project.

Washington Turf and Toro
and T o r o C o r p o r a t i o n
Presents Greens Mower

Keith Gardner, representing Washington Turf and Toro,
presents keys for the new mower to Roy Goss, left, and Tom
Cook right, recently at the Western Washington Research
and Extension Center at Puyallup. The new greens mower is
donated for one-year's use and will be replaced at the end of
the year with a similar mower to aid in the research program.
Washington State University is extremely grateful to
Washington Turf and Toro and the Toro Corporation for
this generous assistance. WSU budgets, and particularly
equipment and operations budgets, are badly crippled and it
is inconceivable that funds to purchase such equipment will
be available in the near future.
Thank you fellows. We really appreciate it.

TURF & TORO
DISTRIB., INC.
Toro—Moist-O-Matic—Ryan,
Standard, Par-Aid

6001 Maynard Ave So.

RO 2-7242

AUTOMATIC - MANUAL

Sprinkler Systems

Complete Line of Water Handling Equipment

POLSON CO.

Northwest Mowers and
Jacobsen Mfg. Corp.
Presents Mower
Art Marston, in the left side of the picture, of Northwest
Mowers, Seattle, Washington, presents keys to Roy Grcs.
center, and Tom Cook, right, for a new 76" Turf King mower
for use in research work at the Western Washington
Research Center at Puyallup, Washington. John Monson,
President of the Northwest Turfgrass Association, standing
in rear, observes. This mower was presented for one year's
use to the Research and Extension Center by Northwest
Mowers and the Jacobsen Manufacturing Corporation.
High speed mowing equipment such as this will reduce the
man hours of mowing time with smaller mowers and will
allow us to utilize shrunken budgets more effectively for
labor involved in our research program.
WSU is extremely grateful to Northwest Mowers and the
Jacobsen Manufacturing Corporation for their generosity.
We hope that our research program is mutually beneficial to
the donors of equipment and products and these donations,
in return, help us to get the job done a little quicker and a
little better.

NORTHWEST
MOWERS, INC.
JACOBSEN

DISTRIBUTORS
SEATTLE

SPOKANE

MA 2-2891

FA 7-9571

926 North 165th St.

542-7484
Seattle, Wash. 98133

A Cool Weather Strain of
Rhizoctonia Brown Patch?
Charles J. Gould
Although the usual type of Rhizoctonia disease is quite
widespread on turf, it has seldom caused much trouble in
Washington because either the temperature or the humidity
is too low. This common type spreads most rapidly at 80-85°
and at a high relative humidity. Within the last few years,
however, an apparent cool-weather strain has appeared,
capable of attacking and persisting at temperatures at least
30° cooler than the regular strain. Typical symptoms appear
in fall and persist through the winter as brown, thin, rather
circular spots, usually without the traditional smoky ring.
We have observed it during the p a # two years in our bent
plots at Farm 5 (Puyallup) and Dr. G. W. Bruehl (Pullman)
has also found the fungus in samples which A1 Law collected
from spots in the bentgrass variety plots at Hangman Valley
Golf Club (Spokane) during the winter of 1974/75. Similar
attacks have also been reported occasionally from other
states. For example, Dr. R. W. Smiley isolated Rhizoctonia
repeatedly from disease patches of creeping bentgrass greens
during the winter and spring of 1974 and 1975 in New York.
The disease "appeared as extensive mosaics encompassing
the entire green". During the summers, the typical warm
temperature brown patch also occurred in New York.
To date, the only pathogen we have found consistently
present in spots at Puyallup is Rhizoctonia,
but the
^possibility remains there may be others which have not yet
been detected.
The symptoms of traditional brown patch as described by
Couch (Diseases of Turfgrasses) are as follows:
"With the conditions of close mowing, as practiced for
putting greens and bowling greens, Rhizoctonia brown
patch appears as irregularly-shaped patches of blighted
turfgrass. Ranging from a few inches up to 2 feet in diameter,
the overall coloration of these patches is usually first a
purplish green, which rapidly fades to light brown as the
withered leaves dry out.
Where management practices include high mowing, i.e.
home lawns, park lawns, and golf course fairways, the
disease may involve areas ranging from 2-50 feet in diameter.
More or less circular in outline, these patches of light brown,
blighted turfgrass are usually closely appressed to the soil
surface, thus creating a sunken or 'pocket* effect.
The chief field diagnostic feature of Rhizoctonia brown
patch is evident during periods of warm, humid weather. At
these times, dark, purplish 'smoke rings (or bands . . .
author's note)', 1/2-2 inches in diameter, may border the
diseased areas. Usually more prominent in the hours of early
morning, these 'halos' may fade as the day progresses."
Nutrition levels may influence disease development as
Couch points out:
'Severity of the disease is much greater in turfgrass grown
fat high nitrogen with normal phosphorous and potassium
levels than when the plants are grown at normal, balanced
fertility. On the other hand, when Phosphorus and
potassium levels are increased concurrently with nitrogen,
there is no measurable increase in disease development. At
Continued On Page 8

Northwest Turfgrass
Conference
By Bud Ashworth
The 1976 Northwest Turfgrass Conference will be held at
the Sheraton Spokane Hotel on September 29, 30 and
October 1. Those of you wishing to play golf can show up on
Tuesday, September 28 to play in the golf tournament and
register and get ready for the opening of the Conference on
Wednesday, September 29.
The hotel is located on the edge of the Spokane river, just a
short walk from the downtown shopping center. It is also
next to Spokane's new River Front Park. The park has quiet
river walks and the famous hand-carved Leoff Carrousel.
Reservation forms for the Sheraton-Spokane Hotel are
enclosed with this issue of Northwest Turfgrass Topics.

Ladies Program
The ladies program is being planned by Pat Angove and
Nancy Ashworth to show you some of the highlights of the
"friendly city" and to help you get acquainted and reacquainted with the other wives. Be sure to bring your golf
clubs, walking shoes and enthusiasm to Spokane for the
1976 Northwest Turfgrass Conference.

The President's Corner
Continued From Page 1

we represent would certainly help to get more attention in
Olympia.
Another financial development that is greatly appreciated
by Dr. Goss and everyone working on the turf program at
Puyallup was the donation of a new triplex greens mower by
Turf and Toro of Seattle and a new triplex mower by
Northwest Mowers of Seattle. Both of these machines were
badly needed and will enable the use of reduced budgets to
go directly to research and not have to be spent on
replacement of equipment. We are very grateful to these
companies.
The turf field day is shaping up nicely and should be very
interesting this year especially with Tom Cook's new miracle
formulation and program to eliminate Poa annua.
Hope to see everyone May 12 for the special golf field day
and on May 13 for the general field day.

THE Ed Short Co.
MOTT-NATIONAL
EXCEL HUSTLER
2450 Sixth Ave. So.

Seattle, Wa. 98134

(206) 622-6711

New Research Initiated
By Roy L. Goss
In the summer of 1975 a 10,000 sq. ft. sand putting green
was constructed at the Western Washington Research and
Extension Center for the purposes of testing all successful
programs on Poa annua control that we have come up with
to date. Most of our previous testing has been conducted on
turfgrass established on a sandy loam soil and although we
may guess and suspect and rather predict what may happen
on sand, we do not positively know until we test these
treatments on a sand green.
This project is in cooperation with Tom Cook and we
hope by the end of 1977 we can have some good data
developed from the following treatments. The plots will
receive urea, ammonium sulfate and Milorganite in separate
plots to supply the total nitrogen. Plots will also receive
various levels of phosphorus and potassium. A you recall, we
can change the Poa annua populations by the manipulation

TOP VITALITY FOR YOUR TURF
. . . with VELSICOL Chemicals
VELSICOL BANVEL® 4S
This new herbicide was developed especially to combat stubborn b r o a d l e a f
weeds . . . even those considered tolerant to phenoxy
herbicides. It's absorbed
two ways — through the
leaves and through the
roots—for complete control.
And it works in either cool
or warm weather.
Approved for use on St.
Augustine, Centipede, Bermuda, Zoysia, Bentgrass
and Bluegrass — Banvel 4S effectively controls:
Curly dock, common chickweed, mouse-ear chickweed, stitchwort, dog fennel, carpetweed, knotweed,
sheep sorrel, clover, knawel, chicory, lawn burweed,
spurry, henbit, English daisy, spurge, purslane,
pepperweed. hawkweed, creeping charlie, spotted
spurge, and many others.

Scotts
P r o T u r f

of phosphorus and particularly when applied in specific rates
and combinations with sulfur. Plots will receive sulfur from
low rates of about 50 lb per acre up to 200 lb elemental
wettable sulfur annually and several combinations with
bensulide and endothal will be carried out.
We would specifically like to know any interactions
between sulfur and bensulide and if there is an advantage of
using either material alone or in combination. Since
Milorganite supplies a reasonable level of phosphorus for
turfgrass nutrition, we are investigating Milorganite with
sulfur, Milorganite with bensulide and Milorganite with
bensulide and endothal compared to Milorganite applied
alone.
Part of this study on Poa annua control is being supported
by the O. J. Noer Research Foundation, Inc. to whom we are
most grateful for $2,000 annual support for three years.
The sand putting green was seeded to Emerald bentgrass
in the summer of 1975 and is fairly mature and ready for
treatment beginning immediately. This is one of the new
areas you will observe at the annual Field Day and more
detailed explanations regarding procedure will be given at
that time. The test is anticipated to run for at least three years
at which time we feel that we can make very positive
recommendations regarding sulfur, phosphorus, bensulide
and endothal for treatment of putting greens built on sand.
Jacobsen
Cushman

Vermeer
Standard and Par-Aide

COMPLETE LINE OF TURF
EQUIPMENT A N D SUPPLIES

BALTZ & SON
9817 E. Burnside
Portland, Ore. 97216

Helping the superintendent
through turf research...

I C o n t r o l l e d R e l e a s e Fertilizers
I Fertilizer/Pesticide Combinations

I Fungicides-Herbicides-Insecticides
Soil T e s t i n g - W e e d & D i s e a s e Identification

SCOTTS • LELY • GANDY SPREADERS
Finest quality turfgrass s e e d - F a i r w a y s • G r e e n s • T e e s • R o u g h s
Scotts W i n d s o r and Victa b l e n d s

L. Ben Malikowski
N. 8007 Howard
Spokane, Wa. 09208
(509) 326-4344

James R. Chapman
17012 NE 21st St.
Bellevue, Wa. 98008
(206) 746-1569 (Seattle)
(503) 287-3414 (Portland)

254-6593

Dick Malpass Elected G C S A A President
Dick Malpass, certified golf course superintendent of the
itiverside Golf and Country Club in Portland, Oregon, was
elected president of the Golf Course Superintendents
Association of America. Dick is the first president from the
Pacific Northwest to head the GCSAA which just completed
its 47th International Turfgrass Conference and Show in
Minneapolis, Minnesota in February, 1976. We are both
honored and pleased to have Dick as the president of this
growing and most worthwhile professional organization.
As many of you may know, Dick has been President of the
Northwest Turfgrass Association, the Oregon Golf Course
Superintendents Association, and has served as director of
the GCSAA for a number of years.
It takes a great deal of devotion and very hard work to
help carry out the functions of this large organization. All of
us in the Pacific Northwest should get behind Dick and give
him all the support we possibly can throughout this next year
to help make the 48th International Turfgrass Conference
and Show, to be held in Portland, Oregtfn in February, 1977,
a great success.
Other members of the executive committee include

Nutrient deficiencies,
weeds, diseases/
thin turf, insects.
erintendent

ProTurf offers research tested,
if

golf course proven professional
turf products.
(Scotre)
ProTurf

Theodore H. Woehrle, CGCS Vice President; George W.
Cleaver, CGCS Secretary-Treasurer; Palmer Maples Jr.,
CGCS Immediate Past President; and Louis D. Haines,
David C. Holler, Melvin B. Lucas, Jr., Charles H. Tadge,
and Gordon C. Wittenven, all CGCS as Directors.
The GCSAA educational advisory committee has selected
its new committee members for 1976, and they will begin
functioning in June with advisory committee meetings. Roy
Goss has been appointed by President Malpass to serve on
this advisory committee for the next three years.
Congratulations, Dick, we wish you much success.

1976
Northwest Turfgrass
Conference
Sept. 28 to Oct. 1

National Recreation and Park Association Conference
The National Recreation and Park Association, Pacific
Northwst District, held its conference at the Ridpath Hotel
the Empire Room at Spokane, Washington on April 24
through 26. Mr. Sam Angove, Director of Spokane County
Parks, coordinated the conference. This is one of the first
conferences sponsored by the NRPA, to the writer's
knowledge, where the heavy emphasis was on maintaining
and managing park systems. It is obvious that parks must be
designed and must be administered, but the real effectiveness
of any park system is the appearance and utility value of this
park to the public who use them.
Program speakers the first day included Dr. James
Watson, Vice President of the Toro Company; Mr. Russ
Rose, Sales Manager of Cushman-Ryan Division of O M C
Corporation; Mr. William Speelman, Director of Product
Application, Toro Corporation, Irrigation Division; Mr.
John Lindig, President of the Lindig Company; Dr. Roy
Goss, Turfgrass Research.
On the second day, April 25, panel discussions were
conducted on "Newest in Building Materials and Facilities"

The Pro's
Know...
Agro quality really counts!
Pacific Agro Company
903 Houser Way No.
Renton 98055
P.O. Box 326 • 228-6565
Suppliers

NITROFORM

by Jerry Williams, Mike White and Bob Carter; and a
second panel on "Community Sponsored Groups and Their
Accomplishments" with Mr. Tom Rodgers, Mr. Harry
Simchuck and Dr. Gene Bruce; and two other talks by Mr.
Ben Malikouski and Mr. J o Johnson covering the subjects of
"What's New in Fertilizers" and Small Town Park
Developments".
On Monday, April 26, Mr. Robert Bignold discussed
"New Construction and Techniques in Valdalproof
Facilities" and a panel composed of Charles Stocker, John
Ballweg and Claude Morris discussed "Cooperative Use of
Equipment". Mr. Thomas Bear, Assistant Personnel Director, Spokane County discussed "How to Train and Motivate
Personnel". Dr. James Watson will discuss "Future Trends
in Equipment and Available Programs", and Mr. William
Speelman discussed "Automative Irrigation Specifications
and Their Value in the Maintenance of Turf Irrigation
Systems".
This conference was one of a great deal of interest and
value to almost anyone in the turfgrass industry, and
particularly to those concerned with parks and recreation.
This was an excellent opportunity to really get in on downto-earth practices in parks. In addition to the conference
room presentations, there were also be product and equipment displays of the new product and equipment lines.

FTur^equipm

• WEED KILLERS
•

HYDROPRILLS

•

FUNGICIDES

of all your professional

mobile service

USE

needs!

TURF & TORO
kwh

NATIONAL

MOBILE SERVICE
6001 Maynard Ave So.

THE

ED

SHORT

CO.

Powered Turf and Garden Equipment

SEATTLE:
18303 Andover Park West
Tukwila, WA.— Ph. (206) 575-0281
PORTLAND:
106 North Main
Milwaukie, OR.— Ph. (509) 653-0071

EXCEL

TORO

RO 2-7242

Smut Invades the Bluegrass
Variety Plots
Charles J. Gould*
Last winter a "new" disease appeared in the bluegrass
variety plots established by Drs. Brauen and Goss at
Puyallup. At first it somewhat resembled the early stages of
Helminthosporium
leaf spot, but as the spots enlarged, it
became evident that it was something different. Samples
were sent to Dr. Drew Smith (Saskatoon) who identified it as
a smut (Entyloma irregulare). This was confirmed by Dr.
Ruben Duran (Pullman) who specializes in smuts. He was
able to germinate the spores — perhaps the first time it has
ever been attempted for this fungus.
There is very little information known about the conditions favoring attack by Entylomas on grasses and
therefore we can not predict if more attacks will occur.
However, we are optimistic in hoping that it may only be a
sporadic problem. Dr. George Fischer reported in 1951
(Plant Disease Reporter V. 35 p. 88) that this smut occurred
in epidemic form on his bluegrass lawn during the mild
winter of 1950/51. It had not been noticed before, nor did it
reoccur as a problem in subsequent years.
Couch (in Diseases of Turfgrasses) describes the symptoms as follows:
"Numerous, gray-black, angular to oblong blister-like
spots develop on the leaves, and less frequently, on the
floral bracts of affected turfgrass plants. Unlike stripe smut
Kind flag smut, the epidermis of the host remains intact over
the developing masses of chlamydospores, thus giving rise to
the very characteristic 'blister' effect."
This smut was first noticed in our plots in December of
1975 and became increasingly severe during the remainder of
the winter. Most varieties were infected — some severely.
However, the disease rapidly disappeared as soon as the
grass began growing in march, 1976.

Research Contributions
A number of research contributions have been made since
the last issue of Turfgrass Topics, but they are coming in
quite slowly and at this time we are far short of our goal
compared to where we should be at this time of the year.
Those of you who have contributed to the research program,
we are most grateful and perhaps you should take it upon
yourselves to call upon friends and acquaintances to make
their contributions to the program if we are to continue in
1977. We have almost enough money in the reserve right now
to carry the program through 1976, but our original goal was
a minimum of three years, and hopefully, four or five year
program.
Any ideas or suggestions that any of you may have for
making money to support this program, we shall be glad to
hear from you.
Total Pacific Northwest contributions since September
1975 are $4,438. Program needs, for Tom Cook's portion
only, are $15,000.

•

End Turf Moisture Problems
with DIALOAM • a soil conditioner that
absorbs 1 5 0 % of its weight in water.
Not a clay • Will not compact # Write
for free sample and prices.
MANUFACTURED BY

EAGLE-PICHER INDUSTRIES, INC.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
DISTRIBUTED BY

Chas. H. Lilly Company
5200 Denver Avenue, South

i
L

n

,

\

* •'. i
i

It

Spokane, Wash. 99204

Chas. H. Lilly Company
7737 N.E. Killingsworth St.

THINKING ABOUT
CHANGING
YOUR SPRAYER?

7

Seattle, Wash. 98108

Chas. H. Lilly Company
228 W. Pacific Avenue

•Plant Pathologist, Western Washington Research and
Extension Center. (Washington State University), Puyallup,
WA. Project #1394.

•

Portland, Ore. 97218

DAN HACKETT
Home: 827-5239
Work: 283-5340

Go John Bean!

9 2 Years Of Dependable Sprayers

j p

m & i

1

HAND PUMP TYPE SPRAYER
USED IN SPRING OF 1870

NORTHWEST MALSBARY
2232 - 15th AVENUE WEST

SALES and SERVICE

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98119

AUTHORIZED JOHN BEAN DEALER

JOHN BEAN DEALER
H P. PUMPS & PARTS
SPRAYERS - ACCESSORIES
WE SERVICE MORE
„
„

(206) 283-5340
THAN WHAT WE SELL

MALSBARY DEALER
STEAM CLEANERS
HIGH PRESSURE WASHERS
GENERATORS

The Thatch Patch
Jim Chapman
The topsy-turvy world EPA dominates is as nebulous as
ever. The mercury fungicides are still with us. After being
cancelled once and production terminated, there was a
change of heart. The two companies that appealed the
original action are now allowed to resume limited production until a hearing is held — probably late May or early
June. Alternate broad spectrum fungicides now in research
and testing programs look to be 2 to 3 years away from
reaching the market.
P O T P O U R R I . . . John Rogers has taken over the
superintendent job at Twin lakes Country Club, Federal
Way. David Gianoli moved to Green Meadows Country
Club replacing John. Ralph Stading, Jr. is once again
manager-superintendent at Lewis River Golf Club,
Woodland. Right after David left, Ralph broke his ankle in a
skiing accident. Talk about bad luck!
Across the river, Glen and Cindy Butherus have moved
from Broadmoor Golf Course, Portland, to Vernonia Golf
Course where they share the manager-superintendent job.
Not far away, Bob Davis is the new owner of St. Helen's Golf
Club in Warren.
When Multnomah County purchased Glendoveer in
Portland, Jim Griffith stayed on as superintendent. After 38
years on the course, they figured he knew his way around.

H U p f e FERTILIZERS
/

F

^

The busiest golf architect in the PN W must be Ron Fream
for sure. He is currently doing redesign work at Marysville,
Washington - Cedarcrest Muni; finishing up Mint Valley,
Longview, and Kayak Point, Stanwood; planning an
executive 9 addition at Emerald Valley, Creswell.
Another new course coming along is Tapps Island at Lake
Tapps near Sumner. Van Bonham is superintendent. Tim
Wymen has replaced Van at Meadowmeer Golf Club,
Bainbridge Island.
Stan Harrington is frantically whipping Wilderness Ridge
into shape for the Pro-Pro in late April. It's tough enough for
any superintendent to get things in shape for a spring
tournament, but a new superintendent on a new course . . .
Then there's easy going Bob Schoessler putting in 35 acres of
sod just to keep busy in his spare time. The Dungeness Turf
Farm is a family operation with a close friend as partner.
Gotta run now. Catch you next trip.

Suppliers of All

TURF CHEMICALS and FERTILIZERS
FUNGICIDES - HERBICIDES
SOIL AMENDMENTS

TACOMA

BR 2-5171

1424 Thorne Road
Tacoma, Wash. 98421

Controlled Release
FERTILIZERS
also
SEEDS & CHEMICALS
Seattle
762-0818

Rhizoctonia Brown Patch?
Continued From Page 3

SEATTLE

MA 2-3228

LILLY/MILLER
Portland
256-4600

Jim's son, Bill Griffith, teaches the turf program at Portland
Community College and just recently also accepted the
superintendent position at Mountain View Golf Club,
Boring. You can bet his class will have the best on-the-job
training available.
On up the gorge, Bob Randolph is new superintendent at
the Dalles Country Club. Over in the high country we find
Ken Johnson is new superintendent at the Bend Country
Club and Skeets LaFleur is busy putting in the next six holes
at Crooked River Ranch, Terrebonne. That development is
surely coming along nicely.

Spokane
838-8211

low nitrogen fertility, with normal levels of phosphorus and
potassium, Rhizoctonia brown patch is much less severe
as compared with disease development in plants produced at
normal, balanced fertility. When nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium levels are reduced simultaneously, however,
disease severity is greater than when the plants are grown at
normal, balanced nutrition.
Under low nitrogen fertility, pH appraently does not
influence disease development. With normal, balanced
nutrition, Rhizoctonia brown patch is more severe in the
acid range; while at high nitrogen fertility, development of
the disease is greater in the basic, or alkaline, range.
Rhizoctonia brown patch has been observed to occur
most frequently, and with greater severity, on short cut
turfgrasses. This is thought to be due primarily to the more
abundant and uniform supply of woundtype infection
counts as the result of frequent mowings."
Many fungicides (Fore, Daconil, Fungo, Tersan 1991,
etc.) are recommended in Washington for the regular brown
patch and are worth trying if the cool weather strain becomes
sufficiently severe (See WSU EM 2050).

Pity the Poor Student
by Roy L. Goss
Those of you who attended the Golf Course Superintendent's meeting jointly between Oregon and
Washington on Monday, April 5, heard Dr. Bill Knoop
discuss golf course superintendent certification programs
and the need for continued education among all professional
people. Also, you have heard the writer continue to plead
with those of you in the field, whether you be in golf courses,
parks, cemeteries, schools, or whatever, to utilize trained
persons for filling jobs with great responsibility. At the
present time Washington State University is graduating
four or five excellent quality students with majors in
Agronomy with specific interests in turfgrass management.
These men should develop into top-notch turfgrass
managers if they are given an opportunity to work with those
of you who have practical experience as well as technical
background to help take the rough edges off their confidence.
The following article was borrowed from the MidAtlantic Newsletter and in my opinion has a real message. At
least the article points out that we must be frank, honest and
fair with students who want to go into this field with
technical education.
"When was the last time you hired a turf student — Mr.
Superintendent? 1 am not speaking of the summer time
^person that is gone in the fall. I am speaking about the turf
"school graduate. Many of us have hired summertime
placement students from turf schools, but these individuals
leave and go back to school and don't present a problem to
us as far as having to lay them off for the winter. The turf
school graduate is another problem. Consider what you have
done for that summer student. You have helped to well
round his education by giving him some valuable field
experience. You have given him a little more attention and
responsibility than the average crewman. You have made
him want to be a superintendent of his own course some day.
You have imparted some of your knowledge to him and in
return you have had some more technically oriented labor.
Now it is one year later and you have a turf school graduate
at your door. What now — Mr. Superintendent? What are
you going to do for that kid you encouraged last year? What
if you had two or three of the students? Are you going to hire
this technician in May and lay him off next winter? Unless
you are looking for an assistant, or planning to build a
smaller full time crew from students, you have a problem. It
is not feasible to keep these students all year unless you have
room or a large budget. You probably already have the
nucleus of a good crew that's been with you for some time.
You have just burst that kid's bubble.
"Maybe we as superintendents could help to relieve this
situation by reviewing our position on hiring students. Ten
Jvears ago the industry was screaming for qualified people to
maintain golf courses. Those of us coming out of school back
then had unlimited opportunities. This is not the case today.
For the last 10 years many colleges have been pumping out
turf students and now the supply far exceeds the demand.
For example, out of eleven students graduating from the two

year program at the University of Maryland, only two have
jobs as assistants or better. As we all know, the
Superintendents Association aids deserving students by
awarding scholarships. We also give many dollars to fund
turf research and create a better atmosphere for our
students. What can we as superintendents do to help ease this
frustrating situation for the students? This is a very good
question with very few good answers. The next time a young
person comes to you for advice on a Golf Course S u p erintendent's career, be honest with him and yourself. Sure,
you love your field of endeavor, you'd have to, to stay in this
business, but think before you talk. Don't build this kid up
for what might be a big let down. When you talk to this
young person, don't tell just the good parts, point out to him
that the bad days sometimes out number the good. Tell him
that a good portion of your life is spent on that golf course
and that its a truly dedicated person that becomes a
superintendent. If possible, have this individual work with
you before he enters school. Check out his working habits,
see if he's got what it takes. Be honest with him, if you have
any doubts about him, discuss it with him. This business isn't
for just anyone. If he's not ready, tell him; you will be doing
him a favor. If you really think he's ready, push him, he'll
overcome any obstacle if he really wants it.
"The only good way to stop the overcrowding is to
encourage the exceptional individual."
The article cited was written by Wayne Evans.

Sunset Northwest
• CUSHMAN Turf Vehicles
• SIMPLICITY Power Products
•COOPER Power Products
• ROPER Power Products
• ADVANCE Industrial Sweepers
•CYCLINE — •AMERICAN-McKISSIC
1919 - 120th N.E. Bellevue, Wa. 98004
455-5640

C u m b e r l a n d Valley Turf
Professional

Turf Growers

Supplying Top Quality

Sod • Seed • Fertilizer
Call Us For Prices
(206) 825-5266
We Deliver

45533 - 212th Ave. S.E.
Enumclaw, Wa. 98022

Z

o

Northwest Turfgrass
Conference
Sept. 28 to Oct. 1

X

H
X
£
m
</>
H

SOD

03

_|

2:"
1 £

C
x

n " -n

LAWNS — TEES — APRONS
BEAUTIFUL — DURABLE

F — S
/A
v© ~ </>
00
C/3
8~
>
0)
O
g
>
5/3

Ask us for price FOB Sumner or your location

Emerald Turfgrass Farms
RT. 1, BOX 146A,
UN 3-1003

SUMNER, WASH. 98390
VE 8-9911

H

IT'S TIME TO LIME
Grass will not grow without sufficient available

CALCIUM!
Kiln dried - Fine ground limestone Flour

HEMPHILL BROS. INC.
Seattle MA 4-6420

J. A. JACK & SONS. INC.
High Calcium, Sacked, Bulk or Spr-ad

FREAM/STORM/ASSOCIATES. LTD.
INTERNATIONAL OOLF COURSE ARCHITECTS 6 P L A N N I N G

CONSULTANTS

Officers of the Northwest Turfgrass
2 OLD TOWN. LOS GATOS. CALIFORNIA 95030
(408) 354-8240
LONDON
MELBOURNE
VANCOUVER

ATTENTION
"GREENS-KEEPERS" of Golf Courses
FAST, LOW COST E X T E R M I N A T O R
We now have available a new Hand inexpensive cartridge
loaded unit which dispenses poison bait automatically
underground in pocket gopher's natural runway, out of
reach of harmless birds and pets. $29.95. Write for
detailed information to:
Spokane, Wa. 99202
George Merriman, Inc.
509-534-9339
3211 East Trent

ASSOCIATION
John Monson
President
Richard Schwabauer
Vice-President
Jim Chapman
Treasurer
Dr. Roy Goss
Exec. Secretary
N O R T H W E S T T U R F G R A S S T O P I C S is sponsored by the Northwest Turfgrass Association and
financed through funds of this organization. Any
communications concerning distribution of this paper
or association business should be directed to Jim
Chapman, 17012 N.E. 21 st St., Bellevue, Washington
98008, or Roy L. Goss, Western Washington Experiment Station, Puyallup, Washington 98371.
Communications concerning content of this paper
should be directed to Dr. Roy Goss, Editor, Western
Washington
Research and
Extension
Center,
Puyallup, Washington 98371.