TURF COMMS V/ -X . MAY 1 O PURPOSES To pasm on what we learn willingly and happily to otners in the profession so as to improve turf conditions around the country. CONTROLLING POA WITH PGRs - Dr. Bruce Branham of Mich, spoke on the use Growth Regulators (PGRs) for Poa annua control at the GCSAA Conf. & Show, Houston, '88. My notes read thus: 1. O.M. Scotts granular growth regulator is much like Cutless. 2- In his research there was no difference in the amount of Poa present in fairways when comparing 2 and 6 lb. of N/M/yr over 3 years. 3. Clipping removal lowered Poa 7. by 12% over 3 years - found this was due to a dramatic reduction in Poa seed present in the soil- 12 viable Poa seed/100 gms. vs. 27 where clippings returned. 4. None of the PGR treatments were found to increase the amounts of bentgrass. 5. On the other hand, Embark at higher N levels increased Poa annua levels. 6- Poa loses heat tolerance in fall. TURF ADVISORY VISIT'S Š SUBSCRIBE TVLOUL ? "TURFCDMMS is published at~unpredictablE intervals by the editor and publishers Douglas T. Hawes, Ph D Certified Professional Agronomist Specializing in Golf Course Maintenance Consulting 240B Roundrock Trail Piano, Texas 75075 (214) 867-0176 Subscription cost is »10. Send checks to Doug Hawes at the above? address. PROGRASSŽ IS GREAT OR IS IT ??? A Nebraska superintendent found that Prograss combined with a dry winter was rough on the perennial ryegrass as well as the Poa annua. This was his -first year of use with this selective herbicide. He applied it to old Poa - Kentucky fairways that he over seeded to perennial ryegrass. The winter was dry enough to result in one inch ground cracks. The perennial ryegrass was okay where the sprayer missed but, in bad shape where the sprayer didn't. A phone call before press time found him in a good state of recovery. He had lost some turf. Had reseeded with good results and also had recovery from much of the damaged turf. PROFESSIONAL DEGREE REQUIRED - Seen recently in the newspaper HELP WANTED section under Professional Degree Required: "ASSISTANT 80LF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT - Required for private country club...Degree or experience preferred." Called the Dallas superintendent that placed that ad three weeks later. The ad worked- His new assistant was starting that day. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER AT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DECLARES, "A constant diet of synthetic potassius and nitrogen fertilizer feeds only the grass and does nothing to develop and taintain fertile soil." From column by the Deputy Commissioner, Mike Moeller in the April 13, 1988, issue of the Dallas Times Herald Community Close-up. He also writes in the same column that "frequent applications of fertilizers and pesticides can weaken your soil and create a cheiically dependent landscape/ This was all published in a column titled "Professional care may help some lawns". It appeared to be an attack on the lawn care industry but, more likely was just the opening round in a move by the Texas Department of Agriculture to regulate the industry. After all any industry that makes lawns "chemically dependent" must be just as evil as drug pushers. I'm kidding, but what bothers me is the Deputy Commissioner wasn't ! AMERICAN MODIFIED GOLF - Amik at the GCSAA Conf. Houston, '88 speaking for the American Modified Golf Assoc. said it would attempt to use MacGregor's (Jack Nickalus) light weight golf ball so that golf course would occupy less land. Jack's 1st ball weighed 20 grams compared to 43 grams of the standard. This light ball is very sensitive to wind and imperfections in the putting surface. The American Modified Golf Assoc. is trying a 25 gram ball with a rough cover. This will float. Eagle Landing in South Carolina will be a golf course for modified golf only. TURF TECH A COLLECTION OF OPINIONS ON COMPUTERS, SOFTWARE PROGRAMS, AND APPLICATIONS FOR THE TURF INDUSTRY By Jonathon L. Scott, CGCS Last month I wrote of the value of being able to share information in our industry, especially when the subject matter is as complex and confusing as computers and their various applications. One of the ways to do this is being demonstrated by this newsletter. However, there are other, more personal methods that need to be explored before taking the plunge into a field most people know little about. The first step in this process is becoming more familiar with the tools involved. As in our industry of turf management, computer manufacturers and users have a strange vocabulary which can confound and even discourage the newcomer. How many times have you found yourself talking in "turf talk" to a group not familiar with the terminology and losing your point in the confusion? The same is true of "computerese", the language of "bytes", "K's", and "bauds". To drop in on a group of computer users discussing the latest news is like a trip to the South Sea Islands for most of us. We understand some of the words, but get lost in the language. Basically, these terms will get you started: Bytes; the units of binary measure that represent characters Kilobytes or "K"; 1,000 bytes, used in measuring memory space Hardware; the actual machinery components making up the computer Software; the programs used to make the computer work RAM; Random Access Memory used to store programs, text, and files in the computer only while it is running ROM; Read Only Memory used to store the information needed to start the computer and perform running functions Disk; memory storage device which records and plays back (loads) information for later use Floppy Disk; removable storage disk (also known as diskette) Hard Disk or Drive; non removable storage disk with high capacity Modem; device which allows one computer to exchange information with another With this basic vocabulary, you can at least ask someone what they are talking about when you get lost. For our purposes of getting started, this will do. The first area of consideration when considering computers for business use is what to buy. If you were to believe the former "HASH" characters on TV, the only one to buy is IBM. Of course, even they confuse you with five or six units to choose from. And then what about Apple, Compac, Zenith, ATT, Xerox, and so on? What are the differences between them? Don't expect those answers in this article. We don't have that much time. All you need to know is that all of the name brands will work, and work well enough to do about everything you need. Some just do it better and faster at, usually, more cost. Your first consideration should be the dealer. If you have a good dealer, he or she will get you the type of system you need for your application. Software availability should be a major consideration. Right now, machines that use MSDOS and PCDOS as their operating systems (how to run instructions) are the most popular. The drawback is that they are somewhat harder to learn to run than their Apple counterparts. By far the easiest computer to learn to operate is the Macintosh series. A complete neophyte can be running the Mac in about 15 minutes! However, the Macintosh is somewhat expensive and is not as widely used as MS-PCDOS type machines such as IBM and its look-alikes. That means less software can be shared with other users. However, if you have what you need to do the job, who needs more software anyway? Presently, I am using an IBM Personal System 2 Model 60 for my applications. It is not the ideal computer for a beginner, but it does interface nicely with a lot of software, and there is plenty of help available from others using this type of "Dos" machine. I began with Apple, and still prefer to use that series, Apple lie, lie, and Macintosh, for comfort. However, the versatility of the "Dos" type computers such as the PS2 or the more widely used PC, XT, AT series is hard to match. Trade off some difficulty in learning and gain versatility. Nobody said life was easy. Next month we'll look into a "typical" system and describe the hardware requirements for most turf type applications. If anyone can't wait, feel free to call me at 502-245-1714, and I'll give you a preview. GOPHERS AND/OR GROUND SQUIRRELS GOT YOU DOWN ! Well don't be so quick to kill the next snake you see. They are one of the most efficient rodent killers you have especially rattlesnakes. Remember a lot more people die of bee, hornet and wasp stings than snake bites and you don't go killing every bee, hornet or wasp you see. Besides if the word gets out that there is a rattlesnake out on the back nine; the ladies will stay home. Not that you or I object to women on the golf course. Or we wouldn't IF they'd play a round of golf in a decent amount of time. end