July, 1973 Published monthly by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association MEETING NOTICE Date: July 10, 1973 Tuesday Place: Siwanoy C.C. Golf: 12 noon on Lunch: Available in grill room Cocktails: 6 PM Dinner: 7 PM Speaker: Dr. Ralph Engel — Poa annua Host: Vincent Pentenaro Directions: From Northern Westchester, take Hutchinson River Parkway to Mill Road Exit, take right at exit proceed and go to Waverly Square (Route 22). Make a left proceed to Pondfield Road, take a left on Pondfield Road and the club is on your left. Vol. II, No. 21 insecticide didn’t even give good control. Cornell University has put out plots at Bonnie Briar. If you don’t care to go on a Chip Cal program for Poa eradication try Hyperodes without an insecticide and I am sure you will have equal results. It’s too bad our Hyperodes “King” Bill Caputi wasn’t given time to give some comments at the meeting on his control methods. The USGA did have a Green Section Educational Program at Oakmont on June 13th. It was little known in our area as the communications broke down somewhere and we never received the information. The few who did make it, thought it was a good start but everybody I think would have preferred spending a little more time on seeing the course. It will probably be held at Winged Foot Golf Club next year so many of us will be able to take advantage of having the program in our own back yard. From Long Island and Southern Westchester: take the Hutchinson River Parkway to the Pel­ ham Road exit, take a left on to New Rochelle Road, which will turn into Pondfield Road. Club about 1 mile from exit on the right side. COMING EVENTS: Wee Burn Country Club August 16 MGCSA Field Day: A1 Tretara Chairman August 20 August 22-23 Rhode Island Field Day September 20 Bonnie Briar C.C. MGCSA Invitational, Metropolis C.C. October 2 Annual Meeting — Open for club November Christmas Party — tentative date December 8 Bill Closter MGCSA News: June started off slowly but the second week we had a nice heat wave. It sure kept down attendance at the Rutgers Field Day. Possibly we should have the turf field day again in the fall. Plans call for a building and parking lots to be built where the turf plots are located now. What a shame. We had another fine meeting at Waccubuc Country Club. A1 Moore had the red carpet out. Those who played enjoyed playing on real bent greens some of which had quite alot of velvet. Possibly we should give Afs daughters the credit. They work for Dad as water girls and help change tee markers, check ball washers, etc. He says he never has to worry about the job being done and he is very proud of their work. The course was in excellent condition. Bill Closter gave an excellent presentation on the true patterns of an irrigation system. It certainly cleared our minds as to the various differences in irrigation systems. Those in lower Westchester and parts of Conn, and I am sure Long Island were greeted with a bumper crop of Hyperodes this year. In some cases two applications of True Patterns of an Irrigation System The June meeting of the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association was held at Waccabuc Golf Club. The turnout was good and the dinner and hospitality of the club was quite enjoyable. The guest speaker was Mr. Bill Closter who represented the Sprinkler Irrigation Association. The goals of the S.I.A. are for a greater understanding of irrigation principles and for more control of irrigation projects. The association is also trying to promote an educational program by giving a three day seminar in California. Mr. Closter showed slides and briefly spoke about the fundamental procedures for attaining proper water distribu­ tion. The key points discussed for irrigation uniformity were triangular spacing, using correct pressure, and equal wedge patterns. The meeting was very pleasant and well worth attending. David Lerner Winged Foot Golf Club Editorial Staff Garry Crothers Ted Horton Co-Editor Co-Editor OFFICERS President: First Vice President: Second Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Sergeant at Arms: Harry H. Nichol, Elmwood C.C. Office 914-592-6608, Home 914-268-9370 Garry N. Crothers, Apawamis Club Office 914-967-2100, Home 914-234-3770 Edward C. Horton, Winged Foot Golf Club Office 914-698-2827, Home 914-937-3613 Richard Allen, Sunningdale C.C. Office 914-723-3200, Home 914-723-8097 Robert Alonzi, Burning Tree C.C. Office 203-869-5779, Home 914-937-1527 Anthony Altamaro, Greenwich C.C. Office 203-869-1000, Home 203-661-7019 materials to get them to the lower part of the plant. Professor Hilesky indicated that there were several somewhat similar type fungicides whose breakdown products on the plant were very similar compounds. Clearys 3336, a similar product to Tersan 1991, appears not to control striped smut. For striped smut control, Tersan 1991 should be applied in October and drenced in. Control can be obtained by using spring treatments but it will take more material and additional treatment to get the same affect as one Tersan 1991 drenched in in October. Fusarium roseum controlled by Tersan 1991 when treated in July and August and drenched in thoroughly. Dormant feeding in the late fall appeared good for Kentucky bluegrass but there was some question about its use on bentgrass as it could stimulate and increase Poa annua. Not copyrighted. I f there is good here, we want to share it with all chapters - unless author states otherwise. OSHA regulations. For a 235 page guide of OSHA, send $6.00 to the National Club Association, 1120 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 requesting the “Occupational Safety and Health Manual” and the special Inspection Guide. NCA will also send you the OSHA poster which by law must be displayed prominently by your club. New Jersey 1973 Turf Field Day by Andy Androsko Vertical cutting — on bentgrass mid spring, May, appears best. October thinning encourages Poa annua. Bluegrass is more tolerant of vertical cutting than is bentgrass. For bluegrass, September appears to be the best period. August thinning results in Poa annua and encourages Chickweed. November thinning encourages early spring knotweed. Bluegrass varieties — Nugget greens up slowly in the spring but has excellent summer color; fairly disease resistant but does get dollar spot. Warren A 34 is very aggressive and shows some shade tolerance. Fylking showed some susceptibility to Fusarium roseum. Nugget appears to be hurt by Calcium arsenate. Baron looks good but is still too new. Professor Reed Funk feels that the best bluegrass will be grown where three or four good varieties are used in a mixture. Preferably none of the varieties would be overly aggressive. Poa trivalis — several varieties showing great variation in colors. Quick establishment, 3-4 days; good in moist, cool, shaded areas but burned out during hot weather of summer but greens up rapidly with the cool, wet weather of the fall. Should be fertilized and limed like Kentucky Bluegrass. Chinch bug — many red nymphs present in the sod now, mid-June. It is important to control this first brood to eliminate carry-over which causes the more destructive second brook in August which drags on into the fall; causes many turf problems attributed to other reasons. The second brood overwinters resulting in a new population next spring. Professor Hilesky discussed systemic fungicides indicating that they are absorbed in about one hour after application. They travel from the point of absorption upward and outward so that as the plant grows and the leaf is mowed, the material is slowly eliminated by mowing. It is best in applying these Jim Fulwider, Jr. Jim Fulwider, Sr. Progress in the Control of Turfgrass Weevil, a Species of Hyperodes By H. Tashiro and R. W. Straub Department of Entomology New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva and Highland, N.Y. The turfgrass weevil, a species of Hyperodes was first reported damaging lawns on Long Island in 1957, and repeatedly thereafter as a serious pest of annual bluegrass, Poa annua L., on Long Island and in Westchester County, New York.1 Turfgrass weevil adults overwinter in turfs of fescue and among leaves and debris, and emerge during April to feed on the leaves and oviposit between leaf sheaths of P. annua. Young larvae feed in the stems. As they outgrow the stems they leave to migrate into the thatch and feed externally on the bases of the stems. Damage from turfgrass weevils shows up in late May or early June as brown patches of dead grass. . According to Cameron and Johnson2 the eggs are most abundant during mid-April. Larvae are present from midApril, and reach their peak during late May when the overwintering adults reach their lowest level. As a result of two season’s study2, the following recommendations were made: application of granular diazinon at 3-4 lb Al/acre or chlorpyrifos* EC at 1.2-2 lb Al/acre applied in mid-April and again in mid-May. The first application is directed toward adults before oviposition and the second toward the young larvae1. They2 indicated that further field studies might prove that lower rates or one treatment a year may adequately control this insect. It appeared logical to us that since adult damamge is relatively minor compared to the larval damage, a single critically timed application of the above recommended materials aimed at killing young larvae when most of the eggs had been deposited might provide sufficient control for the season. A single field test was made with this in mind and results are reported herein. „ N Results and Conclusions The results of the treatments are shown in Table 1. A single Methods and Materials On May 4, 1972, 20 x 20-foot plots were established on the application of chlorpyrifos as DURSBAN insecticide and 14th fairway of Brookville Country Club, Glen Head, L.I., New pirimiphosethyl (PP-211, Imperial Chemical Industries), both York. Each of seven treatments was replicated five times in a at 2 lb. Al/acre rate, provided satisfactory control. All three randomized complete block design. All insecticides, pre­ formulations of diazinon at 4 lb. Al/acre fell short of weighed for each plot, were applied in two directions at right satisfactory control and confirmed earlier results by Cameron angles to each other. Granular formulations were applied with and Johnson2 that a single application of diazinon is a 2-ft. Scotts spreader, and emulsifiable formulations were inadequate. Granular formations of both chlorpyifos and diazinon diluted in six gallons of water and applied with a 3-gallon performed better than the emulsifiable formulations. The sprinkling can. The weather, following rain the previous day, night, and following is offered as the most probable explanation for these early morning, was cool and cloudy with a slight breeze. Soil differences. Granules probably sifted into the thatch and were protected from sunlight while emulsifiable formulations temperature at a 1 to 2-in. depth was 64°F. In plant development, Forsythia was in petal fall; flowering remained predominantly on the blades and stems for more dogwood, Comus floride L., and redbud, Cercis canadensis L., rapid ultraviolet degradation. Both chlorpyrifos and pirimiphos-ethyl applied as granular formulations provided suffici­ were in full bloom, and Poa annua was in full head. Growing degree-day accumulation from April 1 through ently high kill of the weevil to indicate the feasibility of May 5, 1972 with a base mean temperature of 40°F for New turfgrass weevil control with a single, properly timed York City was 437 compared to a 10-year normal of 444 application. (personal communication with Dr. B. Pack, ESSA Weather Acknowledgements Bureau Office. Cornell University, Ithaca). Therefore, season We are grateful for the assistance provided by Francis development to this date in 1972 was considered to be about Consolie, N.Y.S. Agricultural Experiment Station, and Robert normal. O’Knefski, Nassau County cooperative Extension Association, Various golf course superintendents reported that very few in the conduct of these studies. The cooperation of E. Latini, weevil adults had been observed prior to May 4. Also, no Superintendent, Brookville Country Club, is also acknowl­ evidence of injury was present. Light to heavy precipitation edged. following application occurred during May 7-9. Literature Cited Injury to the untreated grass at the edges of the fairways 1. Cameron, R.S. and N.E. Johnson, 1971. Biology of a species adjacent to the roughs became apparent during the week of of Hyperodes (Coleóptera: Curculionidae), a pest of turfgrass. May 29. Turf samples were obtained on June 6, 1972. Injury, Cornell Univ. Agr. Expt. Sta., Ithaca, Search Agriculture 1(7): as browning grass, was still present only along the edge of the 31 p. 14th fairway but no apparent differences were observable 2. Cameron, R.S. and N.E. Johnson, 1971. Biology and control among the plots. Therefore, the plots were not rated as to of turfgrass weevil, a species of Hyperodes, New York State Co. index of injury. Agr. Cornell Univ. Ext. Bui. 1226. 8 p. Exploratory examination of several plugs 4.12 in. in TABLE 1. Hyperodes weevil control on fairway Poa annua. Brookville diameter and approximately 1 in. deep, taken with a standard Country Club, Glen Head, N.Y. Treated 5/4/72, turf plugs obtained 6/6 /72 , 6/14-19/72. golf cup cutter from untreated plots revealed the presence of examined % Mean/ Insecticides & Lb. Al Total weevils Hyperodes adults and larvae of various developmental stages, control from 5 plotst+ plot* Formulations /acre 98.8 2 3 0 .6 t both in stems and in the roots very near the soil surface. Larvae Chlorpyrifos 0.5G Pirimiphos-ethyl 2.1 G 93.0 2 17 3 .4 t were also found in plugs from untreated plots in the center of Chlorpyrifos 2E 85.1 2 36 7.2+ the fairway. Seven plugs were removed from each untreated* Diazinon 2G 56.2 2 106 21.2* Diazinon 14G 50.4 4 120 24.0* plot and five were removed from each treated plot. Diazinon AG500 40.5 4 144 28.8* Since Cameron and Johnson1 report that all large larvae are Untreated 242 0 48.4 above the soil in the thatch or within 0.3 in. of soil and that t Plugs 4.12 in. dia. and 1± in. deep obtained with golf cup cutter 99% of the pupae are within 1 in. depth, it was not necessary to + Plots 20 x 20 ft. 5 replications /treatment, 5 plugs/plo t Means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at 5% level collect soil cores to a greater depth. All were obtained at least 3 * according to Duncan's multiple range test. ft. from the borders and placed separately in plastic bags for transportation to Geneva. Other plugs cut from sod were inserted in the holes. At Geneva, the plugs were placed individually in 1-qt. clear plastic cups and covered with lids possessing a 2-in. diameter screen and held at 77°F for growth of larvae to facilitate examination and counting. By head capsule measurements, larvae were determined to be in the 2nd to 5th instars. By June 12 practically all were mature 5th instar larvae or Ed Binsse Al Moore pupae. The temperature in the rearing rooms was reduced to 65° C to decelerate insect development and examinations of all Westchester Classic: Bob DePencier has arranged for compli­ plugs were made during June 14-19. The plugs were picked mentary daily tickets at the up and coming Westchester apart by hand under a 3-diopter magnifying glasslamp to Classic. The complimentary daily ticket will be issued upon remove the weeviles. The soil was screened, then soil plus grass presentation o f your current MGCSA or GCSAA membership were submerged in 2 qts. of water to float any remaining larvae card. Tickets will be handed out at the “Will Call” booth. and adults to the surface during a 20-30-min. period. Out of The official mailing address for M.G.C.S.A. will be: 668 individuals counted, 40 larvae, 8 pupae, and 7 adults were 17 Third Street found by floating. This constituted 8.2% of the total counted Quarry Acres and was therefore considered an essential procedure. Peekskill, New York 10566 * The active ingredient in DURSBAN* insecticide. Richard C. Allen, Secretary 126 Underhill Road Scarsdale, New York 10583 M E L V IN 6 LUCAS -JR A GARDEN C I T Y GOLF CLUd 30 STEWART AV£ GARDEN C I T Y NY 1153d First Class Teddy Temper We can’t do anything about Teddy Temper. But when weed, insects and disease show up on vour turf, we have something for almost everyone of them. ChipcoTurf Kleen. ChipcoTurf 1ierbicide MCPP. SUP’R FLO Maneb Flowable. Chipco Microgreen Liquid. Chip-Cal Granular. And Chipco Spot Kleen. Fverything to help keep your greens (and fairways) in the pink. From Rhodia Chipco Products. /i ^ lvxU a “He s not just another duffer. He s chairman of the greens committee." ANDREW WILSON in c DISTRIBUTORS FOR BUCKNER AUTOMATICS SA LE S. SERVICE . DESIGN > 975 Ball Avenue, Union, New Jersey 07083 ( 201)686-2000