3

NORTHWEST

The Official Publication of the Northwest Turfgrass Association

vol. 34. NO. 3 spm* 1990/91

3
1991 Turfgrass Summerfest
Set For June 24 and 25
Arrangements for the two-day 1991 Turfgrass
Summerfest sponsored by the Northwest Turfgrass Association, in cooperation with the WSU Puyallup Research
and Extension Center, the High Cedars Golf Club, and the
Tumwater Valley Golf Club, have been finalized.
Summerfest events will kick off with an 8:00 a.m.
check-in and 9:00 a.m. shotgun start for the annual NTA
R. (Roy) L. Goss Golf Tournament for Research Monday, June 24th, at the Tumwater Valley Golf Club in
Tumwater, Washington. The Tumwater Valley Golf Club,
owned by Pabst Brewing Co., is donating theircourse and
waiving their green fees in support of this annual research
fund raising event. The tournament entry fee is $50.00 per
player which includes a tee-packet, lunch and a research
fund donation.
Day two of Summerfest, June 25th, is a full day of
activities, too. Beginning at 9:30 a.m. the WSU Puyallup
Research and Extension Center will conduct its annual
WSU Turfgrass Field Day at Farm 5. At the conclusion of
the field day, the group will move just down the road to the
High Cedars Golf Club for the annual Turf Grounds
Maintenance and Irrigation Equipment Display and
Demonstration along with the traditional no-host hamburgers and beans cookout. Events at High Cedars are
scheduled there from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Many thanks
again go out to the High Cedars Golf Club owner/manager
Wally Staatz for donating his driving range, hosting the
display and demonstration and providing the cook-out.
Summerfest registration materials were mailed during
the third week of April. If you haven't received them yet and
are interested in golfing, displaying equipment or just
attending the events, contact the NTA office for information.

Tumwater Valley Golf Club Hosts
Summerfest R.L. Goss Golf
Tournament
18 holes. 7,110 yards. Par 72. Grass Tees. Course
ratings: championship 73.6, men 70.5, women 73.7; slope121, 116, 123.
Tumwater Valley Golf Club in Tumwater, Washngton
will be this year's host course for the annual Summerfest
R.L. Goss Golf Tournament for Research scheduled for
Monday, June 24,1991. Tumwater Valley Golf Club is one
of the most enjoyable courses in the Pacific Northwest. This

toughtrack, rated among the nation's top-50publiccourses
by GOLF DIGEST, offers a full range of amenities, including a restaurant that serves international cuisine. Tumwater
Valley's staff, including longtime head PGA pro Gary Parker
and superintendent Jeff Mason, is a friendly, conscientious
group. The course's locale in a scenic valley allows regular
visits from deer and Canada geese, and affords vistas of
Mount Rainier. It's also the site of the famous artesian wells
of the old Olympia Brewing Company now owned by Pabst
Brewing Company. Tumwater Valley was built by the
Olympia Brewery in 1968 as a recreational facility on the
site where their beer's key ingredient—"it's the waterswas obtained. Though Olympia was purchased by Pabst in
the early 1980's, the brewery and golf course have continued their amiable partnership.
GOLF DIGEST'S high ranking of Tumwater Valley is
well deserved. In summer, its undulating greens are very
fast and difficult to negotiate. Sand traps lurk alongside
fairways and greens, and the Deschutes River (no relations
to the like-named Oregon waterway) winds through the
course to cause additional trouble. Other water hazards,
presumably of the artesian variety, enter play as creeks and
ponds. A listing of top holes would always include the 4th,
a 456-yard par-4 that features a creek 50 yards off the tee,
a lengthy fairway, and a speedy, contoured green. Also
worthy of note are the 2nd and the 17th holes, both par-3s
with two greens. Each Tumwater Valley hole is an adventure, and after a round, players don't know whether to
mutter "it's the water," "it's the sand," or "it's the putter."
Source: Golf Courses of the PNW

45th NTA Northwest Turfgrass
Conference and Exhibition Taking
Shape
Enclosed in this newsletter is an announcement and
invitation pertaining to the Northwest Turfgrass Association sponsored 45th Northwest Turfgrass Conference &
Exhibition scheduled for The Coeur d'Alene Resort and
Conference Center in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho September 1619,1991. This year's program will kick-off Monday with two
choices for registrants—the tour of turfgrass related facilities in the area orthe traditional conference golf tournament.
That evening the day's activities will culminate with a repeat
of last year's immensely popular get-acquainted reception
and table-top supplier exhibition.
(continued on page 2)

President's Message
Spring has finally sprung for
most of us and that means a start
to putting the harsh realities of
winter behind us. Most of us view
winter as a time to regroup, recharge the batteries, or plan for
the coming growing season. Many
of our members have had to face
yet another winter that has meant
loss of turf and plant materials.
Areas along the Columbia River
Bill Griffith
by Portland and Vancouver,
Easter Washington (especially Spokane), and I'm sure
there are others, have been hard hit for the second year in
a row. This can cause extreme pressure on the turf and
grounds managers especially when their "consumers"
think that they can control Mother Nature. It is my desire to
have a good panel discussion on the "Prevention and
Recovery from Winter Desiccation" at the fall NTA conference. If you have experience and/or knowledge in this
area, please call me and be willing to share your experiences
and ideas with the rest of us. For those of you faced with
many more weeks of recovery, my prayer is for much better
than normal growing conditions.
P.S. Don't forget this year's Summerfest (Golf Tournament to be held at the beautiful Tumwater Valley Golf
Course) on June 24 and 25.

Turfgrass Conference
(Continued from page 1)

Tuesday morning will be the first of two and a half days
of a wide variety of professional development training and
information sessions. Pesticide recertification credits
(Washington and Oregon) and GCSAA Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available for those sessions of the
program qualifying. The program will again include a mix of
general sessions and two-track sessions. The two-track
sessions will consist of one track designed for golf course
personnel and the second track for parks, grounds and
athletic field personnel.
Wednesday night's traditional annual banquet has
been shelved for this conference and will be replaced by an
evening cruise on Lake Coeurd'Alene. Other social activities
will be available for registrants, members of the family and
guests.
Look for your conference registration information in the
mail beginning in May and June. If you need information
before that, call the NTA office for information.

Coeur d'Alene Golf Course
Features First Floating Green
Coeurd'Alene is underscoring its reputation as "Playground of the Pacific Northwest" with the opening of the
Coeurd'Alene Resort's new waterfront golf course.
Imagine yourself at the 45th Northwest Turfgrass
Conference and Exhibition golf tournament standing on the
fourteenth tee looking across the sparkling waters of Lake
Coeur d'Alene to the fourteenth green floating some 130

yards from the shore. Your tee shot hits the heart of the
green, avoiding the sandtraps and flower beds that rim the
green. A quick chauffeured boat trip whisks you and your
group to the green to finish the hole, then back to the shore
and the fifteenth tee. You've mastered one of the top golf
holes in the world on what promises to be one of America's
most spectacular courses.
The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course was designed
by Scott Miller, president of Scott Miller Design and a 10
year veteran of the Jack Nicklaus organization. Miller's
credentials include design work on Castle Pines Golf Club,
Agusta National Golf Club (renovation), two new courses
for Westin Hotels in Hawaii and two courses in Japan.
According to Miller, "The Coeur d'Alene course is
designed to be challenging yet fair to all skill levels, from
professional to amateur, and playable for both men and
women, affording each player the opportunity to create his
or her own challenge."

1991/92 Board Director
Position Nominations
This year's NTA Nominations Committee, chaired by
William Johnston, is soliciting names of individuals interested
in serving as board directors on the NTA Board of Directors.
The terms of two board directors end this year. Both are
eligible for nomination and re-election to a second term but
neither has expressed his intentions regarding running for
a second term, as yet. In addition to openings created by
expiring board director terms, the association of officers
quite often come from the board director ranks thus opening
director positions.
Nominations of directors candidates may either come
from the Nominations Committee or via a written nomination endorsed by not less than fifteen (15) active members
of the association. Such written nominations must be
received in the NTA office at least twenty-five (25) days
before the date of the annual membership meeting (September 18, 1991). Nominations cannot be accepted from
the floor at the annual membership meeting, so anyone
interested in running for a director position should either
contact the nominations committee chair or prepare to
submit a written nomination as prescribed above.
Vacancies on the board of directors are filled by vote of
the members present at the annual membership meeting
conducted during the annual conference. Board directors
are elected for three year terms.

NTA Members To Get
BACK NINE Magazine
As a result of recent discussions between NTA and
BACK NINE magazine publisher/editor Alan Wentzel, all
NTA members are to be added to the BACK NINE magazine circulation list free of charge. Some superintendents
are already getting the magazine; however, steps have
now been taken to include members on the magazine's
circulation list.
BACK NINE is a subscription supported magazine
aimed at golfers in the Pacific Northwest. It is published six
times a year by Back Nine Publishing Co., Inc. based in

Seattle, Washngton. Publisher/editor Wentzel says superintendents are essential personnel to the success and
quality of the golf course industry in the Pacific Northwest
and he wants those folks to be receiving his publication.

Annual Dues Deadline
For 1991
The deadline for members to pay their dues for the year
is MAY 15,1991. If you are one of those folks who may have
allowed your membership to lapse, now is the time to get
those dues in. This newsletter will be the final edition mailed
to those who have allowed their membership to lapse and
only those who have paid their dues for the year appear in
and receive the year's annual directory.

1991/92 Annual Membership
Director
The Directory of the Northwest Turf grass Association
for 1991/92 is being put together now and should be ready
for distribution during the summer. The directory includes
an alphabetical listing of active members by name with a
cross reference by company. Also included is a listing of
NTA Research and Scholarship Fund contributors; officers
and committee chairs for the association; a listing of cooperative extension offices in the region; a listing of greens
industry publications; a listing of greens industry associations; a list of sources for technical assistance with turfgrass
related concerns; et al.
The directory is one of the membership services that
comes with the payment of member dues. Any member
who has not received a director by the end of July should
contact the NTA office.

1991/92 Annual Directory
Advertising Space

for research activities and scholarships should be representative of the key organizations in the region now giving
out grants and scholarships. When establishing its committees for 1990/91, the NTA board responded to the group's
recommendation by revising the NTA Research and Scholarship Committee composition to the following: two (2)
members from the Inland Empire Golf Course Superintendents Association (IEGCSA); two (2) members from the
Northwest Turfgrass Association; two (2) members from
the Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association
(OGCSA); and, two (2) members from the Western
Washngton Golf Course Superintendents Association. Each
organization selects its own representatives and the chair
of the committee is appointed by the NTA President and
approved by the NTA board. Current members serving on
the committee are: lEGCSA-Larry Farwell and Mike
Kingsley; NTA-Jon Hooper and Tom Wolff; OGCSA-John
Alexander and Robert Senseman; and, WWGCSA-Jeff
Mason and John Monson.

NTA Approves $35,160 For
Turfgrass Research
The NTA Research and Scholarship Committee recently submitted its recommendations to the NTA Board of
Directors concerning research funds for the 1991/92 fiscal
year. The committee, composed of representatives of the
golf course superintendent associations in the region and
(continued on page 4)

Scott has the
answer to minor
element deficiencies
in turf

The deadline for ordering advertising space in the
Directory of the Northwest Turfgrass Association for
1991/92 is on top of us. Anyone who has not already
ordered advertising space and wants to have an ad in the
next membership directory needs to contact the NTA office
no later than May 15,1991.

To provide your turf with all the major
nutrients along with selected micronutrientsmagnesium, sulfur, copper, iron, manganese,
molybdenum and zinc-and to prevent
deficiencies from occurring, incorporate
ProTurf 26-4-13 Fertilizer with Minors in
your fertilizing program.

NTA Research and Scholarship Fund
Committee Undergoes
Reorganization

Ask your ProTurf
Tech Rep for details.

For some time now, an extensive amount of work has
been done by a group of representatives of the golf course
superintendent associations in the region and NTA to
devise a system whereby allocations by these organizations
for research and scholarships would be as representative
as possible of the views of the contributors and contributors
would get the biggest bang for their buck.
One recommendation of the group was that the NTA
committee considering allocations of NTA collected funds

Don Clematis
(503) 549-3933
Mark Jones
(509) 255-6033
Rick Stycr
(206) 859-6610

26-4-13

Fertilizer
with Minors

Research Grants
(Continued from page 3)

NTA, reported that over $53,000 in grant fund requests
were received this yearfromthe research universities in the
region. After reviewing each of the proposals in depth and
considering the funds available in the NTA Research Fund,
the committee recommended to the NTA board that grants
totaling $35,160 be approved for the coming fiscal year.
The grant funds will be going to the following programs:
OSU-$5,000;WSU/Pullman-$16,000; and, WSU/Puyallup$13,560. The grant funds will be disbursed beginning July
1,1991 for the fiscal year July 1,1991 -June 30,1992.
Research project and activity proposals received by
the committee this year included the following:
• Improved Turfgrass Establishment and Quality Utilizing Solid Matrix Seed Priming
• Evaluation of Bentgrass Germplasm for Turf Quality
and Water Use Efficiency
• Protective Covers and PGRs on Bentgrass Putting
Greens
• Necrotic Ring Spot Disease Research
• Bentgrass, Bluegrass, and Fescue Cultivar Evaluation
• Snow Mold Fungicide Trials
• Poa annua Biotype Characterization and Biological
Control
• Management of Necrotic Ring Spot
• Turfgrass Water Use/Deficit Irrigation and Wear Tolerant Turf Management

• Quantification of Fate of Nitrogen From Amended and
Trafficked Sand Putting Green/Tee Profiles
• Continued Maintenance and Development of the
Lewis Brown Horticulture Research Farm

Research and Scholarship
Fund Raising Campaign
Tom Wolff, chairperson of the NTA Research and
Scholarship Fund Committee, urges everyone to remember the 1990/91 Research and Scholarship Fund fund
raising campaign currently underway.
Intimately involved with turfgrass management, we
realize more than most, that today's turfgrass quality is the
result of knowledge and technological gains resulting from
research and education accompanied by hard work and
effort. We owe our thanks to those who give their time and
money to make the research and education possible, for
without them we would have to rely on our own slow trial
and error methods.
Few of us are independently capable of nor prepared
to conduct the research or develop the education program
necessary to keep the industry on the leading edge. Recognizing this, the Northwest Turfgrass Association created
a research and scholarship fund to help make it possible for
each of us to participate significantly in the advancement of
present and future knowledge. Through this fund, each of
us can financially contribute to industry research and
education advancements.

Donation forms will be mailed to members and industry
supporters in the very near future. Contributions are tax
deductible and those contributing to the research and
scholarship fund each year are recognized in the NTA
Annual Directory.
Buy a share today in better turfgrass for tomorrow.

'91 Sod Summer Convention
Moves To Portland, Oregon
In a sudden move, caused by existing and potential
problems associated with the 5-year-old California drought,
the American Sod Producers Association (ASPA) 1991
Summer Convention has been relocated from Santa Barbara to Portland, Oregon. The Convention and Field Days
will be July 31-August 2, one week later than originally
scheduled.
JB Instant Lawn and Turf-Seed, Inc., readily agreed to
host the Portland Convention that will include a welcoming
banquet on the JB turfgrass sod farm, equipment displays
and demonstrations and a comprehensive tour of TurfSeed's 110-acre research facility, as well as a tour of
another sod farm in the area, Oregon Tree and Turf. The
Red Lion Lloyd Center in downtown Portland will serve as
the group's headquarters hotel. ASPA's annual business
meeting, educational sessions and committee meetings
will be held at the hotel.
The decision to relocate the convention was made by
ASPA officials at the recommendation of the California Sod
Producers Association. The group cited unpredictable water
supplies, and questionable field conditions that would have
diminished the meeting's success.
Complete details and registration materials for the
Summer Convention and Field Day can be obtained by
calling the ASPA offices at 708/705-9898, or by writing
ASPA at 1855-A Hicks Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008.
Fax requests should be sent to 708/705-8347.

Product Warning
We have learned that DuPont has issued an immediate
recall of all Benlate50DF,Benlate 1991DF and Tersan 1991
DFbrand fungicides. These products should not be used or
sold. Superintendents with any of these products should
return them to the place of purchase for full credit.
DuPont believes the products may have been contaminated with low levels of atrazine and could therefore
injure turfgrass or other plants. The company plans to keep
the products off the market until they can verify their purity.
Superintendents can contact DuPont at 800/441-7515 if
they have questions.
The company is making plans to notify all customers.
However, I urge you to take immediate steps to communicate
this important information to superintendents in your area
so that we may prevent potential damage. Thank you in
advance for your assistance.

Good Herbicide Management
by Chuck Buffett
Portland Community College

There is a need to learn how to manage herbicides
properly for maximum profit, says Dr. Bert T. Swanson,
Department of Horticulture, University of Minnesota.
Swanson lectured at the 1990 Ornamental Northwest
Seminars.
Swanson began by asking, "Why are we interested in
weed control for our landscape plants?"
Weeds can retard the growth of landscape plants and
can cause their death, he says. Weeds often harbor insects
and diseases along with hungry rabbits, voles and other
animals. Weeds also compete with landscape plants for
light, water and nutrients retarding their growth.
Weed control methods
There are several weed control methods available,
Swanson explains. The use of mulches, hand weeding and
other cultivation practices have been used for centuries,
and while they have their place there are also high labor or
material expenses to consider. The use of large cultivating
equipment has its own hazards and can damage bark and
roots of landscape plants, what Swanson refers to as
"tractor blight." Some success has been demonstrated with
biological control of weeds, using a virus on Canada thistle
for example, but this method of control is still in the future.
For cost and effectiveness, chemical control of weeds
is a technology that is here today, Swanson says. "Unfortunately, this is pretty scary (herbicides) to nurserymen yet
today," he adds.
The challenge for nurserymen and landscapers of
using herbicides effectively is great. The biggest obstacle
is the very nature of the job and the diversity of the
landscape plants that need to be kept weed free. Herbicide
tolerance will vary with plant age, type of soil and rooting
depth. Also, chemical companies would rather develop
herbicides for large acreage monoculture crops like wheat
than develop a chemical that can be used on a wide variety
of landscape plants.
Read the label
Swanson stresses the importance of reading the herbicide label before application. Taking the time and effort to
understand the label can avoid costly mistakes. For example, applying a herbicide at half the recommended rate
will result in no weed control, a waste of time and material.
It also pays to find out what landscape plants cannot
tolerate the herbicide. A landscape plant not listed on the
label may have its growth rate adversely influenced if the
chemical is applied.
Swanson gives this example of the basic mistake of not
reading the label: A person always fertilized his lawn and
yard with Ureaform, a nitrogen fertilizer, before going on
vacation. The product was hastily grabbed from the store
shelf and applied. After returning from vacation, this person
found all of the plants in the yard were dead. Instead of
applying Ureaform fertilizer, Ureabor had been purchased,
a herbicide used as a soil sterilant. After removing a foot of
contaminated soil, the yard was replanted.
"It does pay to read the label," Swanson says. "We owe
it to our plants to make sure we are not spritzing (spraying)
them with herbicides that might kill them."
(continued on page 6)

Herbicide Management
(continued from page 5)

Herbicide basics
Swanson says the key to good herbicide management
is to have a good thorough knowledge of the basics of the
different types of weed control chemicals, formulations and
their application.
He explains that there are four classifications of herbicides commonly used by nurserymen and landscapers:
postemergent, pre-emergent, soil fumigants and soil sterilants.
Post emergent herbicides are used to kill vegetation
already growing. A specific product is chosen to control the
target plants. The rate of chemical use can vary depending
on the weed to be killed, Swanson says.
Postemergent herbicides have four types: contact selective, contact non-selective, systemic selective and systemic non-selective.
Contact herbicides kill foliage. Plant tissues die when
they come into direct contact with the chemical. This
process usually takes just a few days. Systemic herbicides
work differently by killing the entire plant. When the chemical comes in contact with the plant, it is absorbed and
moves to other parts of the plant. However, the process of
plant death will take longer.
Contact selective herbicides kill specific groups of
plants, for example, broadleaf weeds. Swanson says that
2,4-D is a frequently used example of this type of chemical.
Herbicides that kill all plant tissues sprayed are contact
non-selective herbicides, such as herbicidal oils and Paraquat.
Systemic selective herbicides control specific groups
ofweeds,suchasgrassesorbroadleafs. Poastand Fusilade
are examples.
The most widely used of the four is a systemic nonselective herbicide such as Roundup. With the non-selective chemicals, it is important to direct the spray to the weed
to be killed to avoid injury to non-target plants, Swanson
says.
Pre-emergent herbicides are the largest group of
chemicals—Surflan, for example—used by nurserymen
and landscapers. These products are applied before weeds
germinate and do not kill weeds, with some exceptions,
once they have started to grow. Pre-emergents are applied
at a specific rate to give a broad spectrum of control. They
work by forming a chemical film. Once a seed germinates
in this herbicide environment, it dies, Swanson explains.
Soil fumigants kill everything in the soil including
growing plants, weed seeds and other organisms. Examples of these chemicals are Methyl Bromide and Vapam.
Swanson stresses the importance of adequately aerating
the soil once the soil fumigant has done its job so that
landscape plants placed in the treated soil do not die.
Swanson feels that there is little place in the nursery
situation for soil sterilants These chemicals have long
residual time in the soil and may be used on roadways, for
example, for weed control as long as it is away from plant
production areas.
Herbicides come in a variety of formulations, both dry
and wet, to better match the chemical to the weed control
job. Wettable powders (WP) are a dry product that ends up
being a spray. This powder becomes suspended in the
liquid. It is added to an emulsifiable concentrate (EC) is a
product in a liquid form. It is an emulsion or a suspension

of product in minute globules in anotherliquid.Bothof these
formulations need to be agitated, continuously mixed, to
keep the active products suspended.
A formulation applied dry is granulars. Some granulars
are water dispersible. These can be put in a liquid without
dissolving and can be sprayed.
Spray adjuvants are products added to herbicides to
enhance the performance of the chemical. They could be
wetting agents and penetrants that allow the herbicide
easier access into the plant or drift control agents.
Swanson sees a big future for slow-release herbicides.
They can be a potential money saver by providing longerterm control of weeds with less injury to landscape plants
and fewer numbers of herbicide applications.
Sprayer calibration
Calibration of spraying equipment is most important,
Swanson says. The following quote illustrates this:
"An hour spent calibrating your equipment before the
first day in the field and a few minutes each day to recheck
performance can pay your wage to the envy of a corporate
executive.Despite the potential money savings of properly calibrated spray equipment, statistically applicators are not
taking the time to calibrate, Swanson says. A 1986
surveyindicated that 67 percent of private and commercial
applicators had an error rate greater than five percent from
the recommended application rate. Five percent or less is
considered an acceptable error rate when applying a
pesticide. The average error rate was 26 percent. This
means one-quarter more or one-quarter less of the recommended rate of the chemical was applied.
An underapplication of an herbicide would mean an
ineffectual control of weeds. An additional application would
be needed, which means more expense for fuel, product
and labor. Also, the critical time for weed control is lost.
An overapplication of the chemical incurs additional
expense due to waste of product. And, herbicide residues
may injure the landscape plants.
Furthermore, there are calibration decisions that need
to be made:
• How much of the formulation to use
• What application rates are for the product
• What speed over the ground
• How much of an area to apply
• What the application pressure will be for liquids.
Equipment needed for making calibration calculations
are: a stop watch, graduated collection container, tape
measure, flags and stakes and a small calculator, Swanson
says.
When applying liquids the spray nozzle needs special
attention. The most important calibration, Swanson says, is
the nozzle flow rate. Nozzles also determine the pattern of
spray. The spray pattern should not overlap.
Nozzle size and tip pattern should be the same on the
sprayerto ensure uniformity. Additionally, the nozzles need
to be tested to determine if each nozzle is delivering the
same amount of product. Do not rely on the manufacturerstated nozzle output, he says.
Test the nozzles on the sprayer by setting pressure
with a collection container under each nozzle to measure
output for a given time period. Add up the volumes discharged from each nozzle and divide by the number of
nozzles. This will give the average volume from each
nozzle. If the actual nozzle delivery is greater than five

percent from the average delivery, clean or replace the
nozzle.
To increase the output of the nozzle do not increase the
pressure. To double the output of a nozzle it would be
necessary to increase the pressure by a factor of four. This
puts the pressure level far above the optimum operating
range. The resulting high pressure creates very small
drops, increasing the chance for chemical drift and wears
out the nozzles. Put on a larger size nozzle or increase the
number of nozzles on the sprayer.
Another part of the calibration is the ground speed of
the sprayer. The speed of the sprayer is inversely proportional to the application rate. When the speed increases the
amount applied decreases. If more chemical is to be
applied, for example, decrease the speed.
Swanson gives the following list of suggestions for
apply herbicides:
• Apply when trees and shrubs are dormant
• Apply when weeds are small and actively growing
with good soil moisture conditions
• Apply granular herbicides on dry foliage and irrigate
to wash off chemicals from landscape plants and activate
the chemicals
• Do not apply in windy conditions; early morning is
best.
• Apply in optimum temperature and humidity conditions for the chemical being used.
The only way to manage herbicides and profit from
their use is to know all we can about them.

TURF-SEED PRODUCTS
ARE DISTRIBUTED IN THE
NORTHWEST BY" 'THE CHIEF

Norm Whitworth

Minors in Agriculture
In Washington State, agricultural workers under age
18 will be covered under the same kinds of employment
standards as non-agricultural workers when new rules
become effective Nov. 1.
The regulations cover age of employment, hours of
work, types of employment, and parental and school authorization for children working in agriculture.
Meal and rest break requirements for all agricultural
workers took effect Aug. 1.
The new rules were designed to:
• Protect children from workplace hazards and abuse.
• Encourage school attendance.
• Provide flexible hours of employment to meet the
unique requirements of agricultural employers.
The rules were developed at the direction of the 1989
Legislature and in conjunction with a 14-member Advisory
Committee on Agricultural Labor, consisting of agricultural
employers, farm worker representatives, department officials and legislators.
Public testimony was heard at seven informal and
seven formal public hearings statewide last fall and spring.
A summary of the facts is as follows:
Age of employment
In general, the minimum age to work will be 14. Children 12 and 13 can work during non-school weeks handharvesting or hand-cultivating berries, bulbs, cucumbers
and spinach.

KENTUCKY
BLUEGRASSES

•Columbia'Midnight
Challenger
•Galaxy Blend
FINE FESCUES

•Shadow *Flyer
• Fortress

PERENNIAL
RYEGRASSES

•Citation II* Birdie II
HARD FESCUES • Omega II • Manhattan II
• CBS D Blend
• Aurora'Waldina
SHEEPSFESCUE TALL FESCUES

• Bighorn

•Olympic *Apache
• Monarch
CREEPING
BENTGRASSES •Triathalawn Blend
•Penncross'Penneagle
Wildflower mixture
•PennLinks
• Pennway blend
• Bloomers

Norm Whitworth
Turf Products Division
RO. Box 68314 • Oak Grove, OR 97268

(continued on page 8)

503/650-3639

Minors in Agriculture
(continued from page 7)

Hours of work
Age 12 and 13: Can work up to eight hours a day and
40 hours a week during non-school weeks.
Age 14 and 15: When school is in session, 14- and 15year-olds can work up to three hours a day before or after
school and up to 21 hours a week. This includes up to eight
hours per day on weekends. When school is not in session,
they can work up to eight hours a day and 40 hours a week.
Age 16 and 17: When school is in session, 16- and 17year-olds can work up to four hours a day before or after
school and up to 28 hours during school weeks. When
school is not in session, they can work up to 10 hours per
day and 50 hours a week. For the wheat, hay and pea
harvests, up to 10 hours a day and 60 hours per week is
permitted.

• Transporting, transferring or applying anhydrous
ammonia.
• Handling or using blasting agents, such as dynamite
or blasting caps.
• Harvesting crops prior to the expiration of the preharvest interval. The pre-harvest interval is the time required between the last pesticide application and harvest of
the crop, according to Environmental Protection Agency
labeling requirements.
Some work prohibitions that currently apply to nonagricultural workers will be extended to agricultural workers. Examples include operating power-driven wood and
metal working machines, meat packing or processing, and
roofing, among others.
Meal and rest breaks
A paid 10-minute rest break must be provided for every
four hours worked. Employees working more than five
hours shall receive a meal period of at least 30 minutes.

Start and finish times
Age 12 and 13:5 a.m. to 9 p.m., when school is not in
session.
Age 14 and 15: On school days, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.,
except for work in dairy, livestock and irrigation, which can
begin at 6 a.m. On non-school days, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Age 16 and 17: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., but not later than 9
p.m. on consecutive school nights preceding a school day.

Minor work permits
Employers will be required to obtain a minor work
permit from the department within three days after hiring a
minor. These permits must be posted in a conspicuous
place at the work site.
One permit is required for each employer hiring minor
workers. The permit must be renewed annually.

Days per week
All minor workers can work a maximum of six days per
week. Those who work in dairy, livestock, hay and irrigation
may work seven days per week, with one day off every two
weeks.

Parental/school authorization
Before employing minors, employers must obtain written permission from the minor's parent and from the school.
School authorization is required only during the school
year, and the school must specify the number of hours (up
to the maximum) the student can work.

Prohibited/hazardous employment
Minors under age 16 are prohibited from certain dangerous work as prescribed by federal standards. Federal
work prohibitions include operating corn pickers and grain
combines.
The following prohibitions apply to all minors:
• Handling, mixing, loading or apply dangerous pesticides.

QUALITY
AT ITS

(BEST)
J. R. SIMPLOT COMPANY

(BEST)

FERTILIZER
(206) 822-3895

Penalties
The department can suspend the employer's minor
work permit if conditions exist that can cause death or
serious harm. The permit will be suspended until the danger
is removed. In addition, the employer can be fined up to
$250 per violation.
Variances
Variances will be allowed for weather emergencies. In
addition, other variances to hours of work and type of
employment also may be granted when they will not:
• Harm the minor's health, safety or welfare, and
• Harm the minor's school performance.
Variances will not be granted for age of employment,
meal and rest breaks, minor work permits, and parent and
school authorization.
For more information, or copies of the rules, please
contact the Department of Labor and Industries at 1-800547-8367 or (206) 753-6311.

Sunlight and Your Skin
by Stephen E. Chiarello, M.D., P. A.
Dermatology & Dermatological Surgery

Why Avoid the Sun?
Sunlight permanently damages the skin. Ordinary sun
exposure during tanning and outdoor sports causes permanent skin changes. These changes build up over the
years, so that even moderate repeated sun exposure
causes visible skin damage. Most of the wrinkling, roughening, freckling that appears on the face, hands and arms
of white adults come from sun damage, not age. You can
see this if you compare less sun exposed areas, such as
your abdomen or the undersides of your arms, with sunexposed areas such as your face, neck, or upper surfaces
of your arms. The natural coloration of your skin, pigment,
protects you from the damaging effects of sunlight. Persons with fair skin, who have little pigment, are more prone
to sun damage than dark-skinned individuals.
The Skin-Damaging Effects of Sunlight
The skin-damaging effects of sunlight gradually lead to
roughening, freckling, and wrinkling. Many people in their
30's and 40's are unhappy because their wrinkled, roughened, sundamaged skin makes them appear 10 or 15 years
older. Unfortunately, there's no way to undo these changes.
Young people should realize that they'll ultimately pay a
steep price for the temporary glamour of a deep tan.
A more serious effect of sun damage is skin cancer.
Sun damage is the chief cause of skin cancer. Sun damage

is the chief cause of skin cancer. Here again, fair skinned
individuals are much more susceptible. Skin cancer rarely
occurs in blacks. As you might expect, skin cancer tends to
occur on overexposed areas such as the face, back,
shoulders and arms. While skin cancers can usually be
removed by minor surgery in a doctor's office, it's better to
prevent them.
Sun-Protective Measures
There are two basic ways of protecting your skin from
the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays: (1) blocking out all
light with an opaque material such as clothing and (2) using
a chemical sunscreen that selectively absorbs ultraviolet
rays. Blocking out all light with clothing is most effective.
Certain sun protectives depend on the same principle.
They coat the skin with a paintlike pigment that mechanically blocks light. They work well, but they're messy and
rather unsightly.
There are also many clear sunscreens that absorb
ultraviolet light. These "clean" sunscreens contain either
PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) or benzophenone compound. Some of the PABA-containing sunscreens are
taken up by the skin and will provide some protection in the
water, provided they are applied one or two hours before
swimming. An occasional person is allergic to PABA or its
derivative. So please try PABA-type sunscreens on a small
area of skin before spreading it all over your body. The other
chemical class of sun protectives, the benzophenones,
(continued on page 10)

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Sunlight and Your Skin

The Turfgrass Industry

(continued from page 9)

rarely cause skin allergy. Benzophenones wash off, however, and therefore do not protect swimmers. Some benzophenones have a bitter taste that can be annoying when
applied near the mouth.
There are many sun protectives on the market. If
they're designed and act as "sunlight blockers" and contain
a PABA derivative or benzophenone, they're probably
adequate. Water removes most sunscreens. Remember to
put on another coat of sunscreen after swimming or bathing. If you're sweating, heavily, use some more sunscreen
every hour or two. If you're in very bright sunlight, it's wise
to protect your skin as much as possible with clothing (long
sleeves, gloves, wide brimmed hats) and use one of the
"clean" chemical sunscreens on the parts of the skin
exposed to the sun.
Protect your lips from sun damage. The darker lipstick
shades are effective for women. Men—and women who
don't wear lipstick—should use ultraviolet-absorbing lip
pomade. Women can use makeup with a sun protective.
The sun protective should be applied first, then the makeup
itself—especially if heavily colored—provides some sun
protection.
You should aim to minimize sun exposure, not avoid it.
Being outdoors is fun and healthy; don't let fear of sun
damage keep you inside during sunny weather. Do use sun
protectives when enjoying sports or a walk in the sun.
Specific Sun Protection Instructions
1. Avoid the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. sun whenever possible
as 70% of the earth's harmful radiation reaches us at that
time.
2. Wear protective clothing: a broad brimmed hat and
long sleeved, tightly woven white cotton shirt.
3. Apply a sunscreen containing both PABA and Benzophenone to dry skin at least one (1) hour before sun
exposure for maximum protection. Wipe or wash residue
from palms. Let dry before putting on clothes.
Hydration of Skin: (Bath or Shower) Immediately before application, provides an increased "protection reservoir". Daily application maintains this "protective reservoir".
Always re-apply after swimming or excessive sweating.
Exposed areas of the skin most likely to suffer sun
damage are the face (especially the ears and nose, the
scalp if you are bald), the back of the neck, arms, tops of the
hands and exposed parts of the chest.
Source: North Ohio Turf

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J .A. Jack & Sons

* IMPERIAL AGLIME
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SEATTLE
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Turfgrass has a direct effect on the way many people
live. It provides the medium for play on many recreational
facilities; it modifies our environment to make life easier and
more pleasant; it provides opportunity for a pleasing and
functional home landscape; and, in turn, the turfgrass
industry has a significant direct economic impact on our
economy and huge indirect impact on our tourist economy.
Many recreational facilities depend on a uniform, vigorously growing and recuperating, well-maintained turf sward
for many activities. Common examples include soccer,
baseball and football fields, general use and specialty
parks, and school grounds. Turfgrasses provide uses and
also provide a safety cushion that is especially beneficial in
contact and intensely physical sports.
Because many people now live in urban and suburban
centers where glass, steel, concrete, asphalt, buildings and
cars prevail, turfgrasses directly influence our immediate
environment in many positive ways. As examples, actively
growing turfgrasses have been shown to reduce high
summer surface temperatures because of transpirational
cooling. Turfgrasses, often with trees, shrubs and
groundcovers, reduce discomforting glare and traffic noise.
Soil erosion is reduced from surfaces covered with turfgrass,
dust is stabilized, and fire opportunity is reduced or eliminated. Turfgrasses increase infiltration of water into the soil
profile and also increases the water quality when this water
moves below the turfgrass system.
Turfgrasses are used extensively in most home landscapes. In many settings, they provide the functional cover
for child and adult activities and household pets. A welllandscaped home adds to the economic value of the
property with the recovery value at, or exceeding, 100%.
Lastly, the turfgrass industry has a sizable direct economic activity for individuals and organizations involved in
the design, installation, maintenance and support services
for the industry.

Home Mechanics, It Isn't
Slick to Dump Oil
by Matthew L Wald, NEW YORK TIMES

Only the biggest spills get much attention, but the
smallest ones add up. The amount of oil dumped by do-ityourself auto mechanics every two and a half weeks is
roughly equivalent to the amount spilled by the Exxon
Valdez, experts say.
The environmental damage from lubricating oil is not
nearly as dramatic as the results of the Valdez accident, in
which the tanker dumped 11 million gallons of crude oil off
Alaska, but it is still damage. Used engine oil contains lead
and other toxic materials and has caused cancer in laboratory animals.
When the oil is dumped into sewers, it can reach lakes,
streams and harbors and leave slicks, which interfere with
photosynthesis and the water's oxygen level and can
introduce oil into the food chain.
If oil goes through a sewage plant, it can disrupt
bacteria that break down organic wastes, resulting in the
release of improperly treated sewage. A quart of oil can foul
the taste of a quarter-million gallons of drinking water.

It's the thousand cuts kind of thing, rather than bleeding
from the jugular," said Dr. Roberta E. Weisbrod, special
assistant to the commissioner of the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation.
Statistics from the American Petroleum Institute, the
industry's main trade association, tell their own story of the
hazard of pollution: Each year 1.2 billion gallons of lubricating
oil are used in vehicles; 600 million gallons are burned up
in engines, and 600 million are removed at oil-change time.
Drivers who change their own oil account for 350 million of
the removed gallons, and they improperly discard 240
million gallons of used oil.
Pollution from motor oil is an example of the democratization of pollution, with the damage coming from individual consumers, not big industry. It joins harmful products
like the chlorofluorocarbons from air-conditioners that deplete the earth's protective ozone layer, the lawn-care
products that kill wildlife or pollute streams and the carbon
dioxide from home heating systems and cars that add to the
greenhouse effect.
But experts say the failure to recycle oil is more than a
hazard to the environment; each quart dumped also represents a lost opportunity to reduce dependence on imported
oil. The petroleum institute estimates the oil dumped could,
if burned, meet the annual electricity needs of 360,000
houses. The institute says it takes 42 gallons of crude oilbut only a single gallon of used oil—to make 2.5 quarts of
virgin lubricating oil.
The principle is enshrined in federal law. "Used oil is a
valuable source of increasingly scarce energy and materials," says the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act,
the main federal statute to control pollution of water in the
ground.
Drivers who change their own motor oil should collect
it in a plastic contained with a top that fastens securely.
Disposing of it safely will require some effort.
They should check with the local service stations.
Stations are required to recycle their oil, and in some state
they must accept small quantities from people who change
their own oil; in New York, for example, they must take up
to five gallons, free. But in most places there is no such
requirement. In Indianapolis, Sue Kleinke, public information office with the Department of Public Works, says—for
the moment, at least—residents who want to dispose of
crude oil should contact recycling companies or businesses
that specialize in oil changes.
Otherwise, the oil can be stored in a secure container
and taken to a collection site on the next Tox-Away Day,
which probably will be this fall. She says she knows of no
requirement in Indiana for service stations to accept used
oil.
By law, corner gas stations and 10-minute oil change
shops must send used oil for re-refining into new lubricating
oil, or for burning as fuel.
But consumers, about two-thirds of whom change their
own oil, generally do not read laws and may not even know
they are doing something illegal. The institute estimates
that 61 percent of do-it-yourself mechanics dump their
used oil or put it in the garbage to be taken to a landfill,
where it will leak into the soil. The Environmental Protection
Agency things the figure could be 90 percent.
Whichever number is correct, it appears to be rising,
even though some places offer curbside pickup.
In Oregon, cities with populations of 4,000 or more and
with garbage pickup, must recycle oil.

Just how much gets dumped improperly each year is
uncertain. Although the petroleum institute puts it at 240
million gallons in a study a year ago, other estimates run
higher. Almost all experts say that of the amount drained by
do-it-yourselfers, more than half is disposed of improperly.
To Peter H. Spendelow, a recycling specialist at the Department of Environmental Quality, in Oregon, one clue is that
empty cans or bottles of new oil that motorist leave at the
curb. If they did not take away those containers, he said,
they probably did not take away the old oil either.
In some places, however, consumers who want to
recycle their oil may find it hard to do. Many service stations
will not accept the oil unless state law requires them to. The
stations fear that consumers will give them anti-freeze or
degreasing agents that they have poured into the same
container as the oil.
More station owners accepted oil when it was worth
something, environmental officials say. They could sell the
used oil for 30 cents a gallon when crude oil sold for $30.00
a barrel. When oil fell below $10 per barrel in 1986, some
service stations had to pay to have their oil hauled away.
Now it brings a few cents a gallon, hardly an incentive to
gather it.
Much of the oil that consumers buy comes from discount stores and auto supply stores, but few of those places
take used oil back.
At the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Janet
Graham, director of a program that coordinates recycling in
12 communities, said that in rural areas, people use oil to
keep down road dust or spread it on animals to kill insects.
Neither is a good idea. "There are several uses," she said,
"none of them sound."

Ideas to grow with

'Vv w l j r
V

Caldwell, Idaho
(208)459-1631
Kent, Washington
(206)441-8927
Moses Lake, Washington
(509)765-9157
Pasco, Washington
(509) 545-9329
Portland, Oregon
(503) 227-3525
Pullman, Washington
(509) 872-2231

Spokane, Washington
(509) 928-4512

Serving the
Northwest
Turf and
Ornamentals
Industry
with Fertilizers, Herbicides,
Fungicides & Insecticides

Twin Falls. Idaho
(208)734-1880
Walla Walla. Washington
(509) 529-5381
Wenatchee, Washington
(509) 663-8754
Yakima, Washington
(509) 248-6171

Calendar of Events

1990-91
NTA Board of Directors
President
William B. Griffith
Golf Course Superintendent
Walla Walla Parks & Rec. Dept.
Veterans Memorial Golf Course
P.O. Box 478
Walla Walla, Washington 99362
(509) 527-4336
Vice President
Thomas M. Wolff
Golf Course Superintendent
Sahalee Country Club
21200 N.E. 28th Street
Redmond, Washington 98053
(206) 868-1600
Treasurer
Bo C. Hepler
Turfgrass Agronomist
Senske Lawn and Tree Care
P.O. Box 9248
Yakima, Washington 98909
(509) 452-0486
Past President
William J. Johnston
Turfgrass Agronomist
Department of Agronomy & Soils
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington 99164
(509) 335-3471
Directors
Larry L. Farwell
Golf Course Superintendent
Wenatchee Golf & Country Club
610 S. Lyle
E. Wenatchee, Washington 98802
(509) 884-1238
Rebecca R. Michels
President
Messmer's Landscaping Svc. Inc.
2466-156th S.E.
Kent, Washington 98042
(206) 228-5779

Directors (continued)
Jon C. Hooper
Grounds Manager
Physical Plant FG-10
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington 98195
(206) 685-1407
Patrick J. Nibler
Vice President Operations
PROGRASS Landscape Services
8600 S.W. Salish Lane
Wilsonville, Oregon 97070
(503) 682-6076
Alan L. Nielsen
Golf Course Superintendent
Royal Oaks Country Club
8917 N.E. 4th Plain Blvd.
Vancouver, Washington 98662
(206) 256-1530
David P. Jacobsen
President
Farwest Turf & Indust. Equipment
3265 N.E. Yeon Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97210
(503) 224-6100
Director Emeritus
(Nonvoting)
Roy L. Goss
Extension Agronomist
(Retired)
13716 Camas Road
Anderson Is., Washington
98303
(206) 884-4978

June 23

NTA Board of Directors Meeting
Contact: NTA Office (206) 754-0825

June 24-25

NTA 3rd Annual Turfgrass Summerfest
Contact: NTA (206) 754-0825

July 31-August 2

ASPA 1991 Summer Convention
Contact: ASPA (708) 705-9898

September 16-19

NTA 4tth Annual Northwest Turfgrass
Conference and Exhibition
Contact: NTA (206) 754-0825

September 18

NTA Annual Membership Meeting
Contact: NTA (206) 754-0825

- Pesticide Programs ontact WSU Conferences & Institutes (509) 335-2946 for "Pesticide PreLicense" and "Pesticide Recertification" programs in your area.

NTA Executive and Editorial
Office
P.O. Box 1367
Olympia, Washington 98507
(206) 754-0825
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Blair Patrick

NORTHWEST
TURFGRASS
ASSOCIATION

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ADVERTISING/EDITORIAL
DEADLINE
15th OF MONTH
PRECEDING PUBLICATION

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(206) 754-0825

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ADDRESS
CORRECTION
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