WM. H. BENGEYFIELD Western Director Vol. 8 - No. 3 • Western Turf l e t t er • Hay - June 1959 EMERGENCY CONTACT FOR SUMMER ASSISTANCE * * * * *An important part of your USGA Green Section Visiting ^ ^Service is emergency assistance* If you are unable to ^ ^contact us at Kellogg 2-2935 this summer, please call ^ ^Jefferson 7-8694, Garden Grove, Calif. Mrs. M. Siegel,^ *Green Section Secretary will have a complete itinerary ^ *of my travels and will be happy to co-ordinate emergen-^ *cy contacts. ^ F I V E, F O U R, T H R E E, T W O, O NE As with missilmen preparing for a launching, the "Spring Count Down11 for Golf Course Superintendents has reached "Zero.11 A long, hot summer stretches ahead. During the next three months your golfers and your club will need all of your professional knowledge and experience to provide the best in golfing turf. It has been proven time and again that people succeed best when they have definite ideas of what they are going to do before they start doing it. Yet no precept is more generally neglected. We drift into situations and find ourselves at the mercy of circumstances. To avoid such a situation, look over the following "Summer Check List" and Plan Ahead. Have you: 1. Fully instructed your night irrigator as to how to water each green? Does he know what you expect of him? Does he know where the trouble spots are? Are you sure he knows how to "Roil with the Weather". Remember, the night irrigator is the most important man on your summer crew. 2. Instructed all men on the crew to constantly check greens as they go about their work? Do they know how to recognize wilt, how to syringe? Do they realize they must work with a living plant and not against it? Your men reflect you. 3. Made provisions so that greens will be frequently checked during Saturdays and Sundays? Remember, Wilt Won't Wait Too Latel Monday is often Summer Check List - Continued - Have you: 4. Planned an adequate summer feeding program? You want uniform growth and a control of nitrogen levels. 5. Prepared a preventative disease control schedule? This means knowing the exact size of each green and apron to be treated; it means applying the right fungicide at the right time at the right concentra- tion in the right way to be effective. 6. Made plans to apply iron to greens often? Practically every golf course in the west has reported a response to iron treatments on putting greens. This response means healthier turf -- all summer long. Remember, frequent applications of 2 ozs. of ferrous iron sulfate in no more than 5 gals, of water per 1000 sq. feet can make a difference* This is a leaf feeding and should not be watered in. 7. Checked with your Green Chairman as to the best method of "keep- ing the golfers informed11 of turf conditions this summer. Many Superin- tendents came under fire last year because they forgot ,fthe little things'1 around the course. Clean towels and public relations are fairly close friends. ASK A QUESTION. ~ RECEIVE AN ANSWER. "Who Knows The Nematode?11 was the question asked in the last issue of Western Turfletter. To our rescue comes Dr. Gene Nutter, now Executive Director of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and formerly Turf Technologist at the University of Florida. Gene Nutter has been involved with the Nematode problem for several years and comments on our article: "I feel we can 'button down1 the nematode problem to a greater extent than your article indicates. For example, paragraph 1-C on page 2 leaves the impression that we did not receive a favorable response from the Nemagon appli- cation in August, 1958. The 200% increase from August 1957 tcx August 1958 was before treatment with Nemagon in August, 1958. After treatment with Nemagon, our control was fantastic. Over-all treatment improvement was 2106% after three weeks and 3455% after eight weeks." "I believe we are beginning to box the nematode control problem. Method of application is proving to be a tremendous factor. Close mowing, soil aeration, high gallonage application and an immediate water seal are essential techniques for successful nematocide treatment to established turf. The soil should be moist prior to application.11 For those interested in Dr. Nutter's full report "Nematode Investiga- tions On Putting Green Turf", please refer to the February, 1959 issue of USGA Journal and Turf Management. Our thanks to Gene Nutter for this clarification. It is good news to all turfmen to learn that Nematode control techniques have made great advances The problem of "what constitutes a critical nema- in the past year. tode population" still exists however. And until this problem is tied down, let us remain suspicious of the Nematode but not blame every "cause unknown" turf problem on them. FUNGICIDE REVIEW The business of controlling turf diseases with fungicides sounds simple /¿nough. Certainly they are an important aid to the modern Golf Course Superin- tendent. Dr. Marvin Ferguson, USGA Research Co-ordinator reminds us however that the fungicide is a valuable "crutch" but not a substitute for other sound maintenance practices. "If all else fails - FOLLOW DIRECTIONS" is an old vaudeville punch line, but it could well apply to the application of a fungicide. One of the most frequently overlooked "Directions" is that of applying the proper amount of water. The standard recommendation is 10 gals, of water per 1000 sq. feet. This is enough to wet the grass leaves and crown of the plant -- where the disease is active. In many cases, too much water is used and the effective- ness of the material is greatly reduced. The same is true if a fungicide is applied and then "watered in." There is ik> advantage in "cutting" the fungi- cide concentration with excess water. Ten gallons per 1000 sq. feet will do the job nicely. Several new fungicide materials have been placed on the market this spring. Inquiries have been received by this office concerning their use and the following is the best information available from research stations at this time. 1 • Tersan OM (DuPont) . This material contains 45% thiram and 10% hydroxymercuri chlorophenal (6.6% mercury) . It has been tested as high as 1 lb. in 5 gals, of water per 1000 sq. feet at approximately 90° F without injury or discoloration to bentgrass. The recommended rate for preventative treatment is 3 ozs./lOOO and 5 ozs./lOOO as curative measures. New Jersey (Bachelder and Engel), Ohio (Runnels) and Rhode Island (Poland and Howard) report excellent control of dollar spot with turf color and quality excellent. Oklahoma (Wadsworth) reports excellent control of brown patch and HeIminthosporium and good dollar spot control. Summary: This broad-spectrum fungicide shows promise and worthy of investigation under your conditions. 2. Thimer (W.A. Cleary). A broad-spectrum material containing 75% Thiram and 3% PMA. In past-years^ the vfii-rg» ^ pMA-S good control of the Helminthosporium complex (Oklahoma) and dollar spot (New Jersey). It seems this new mixture could be used with more safety at higher temperatures (90°F and above), with better turf color, quality and crabgrass control when compared to PMAS alone. Summary: Looks like a "happy marriage". Worth of investigation under your conditions. has given Cad-trete (W.A. Cleary). Another broad-spectrum material contain- ing 75% thiram and 8% cadmium. Manufacturer recommends a rate of 3 ozs./lOOO and specific for brown patch, snow mold, dollar spot and copper spot. Summary: Contains two good ingredients. Should be interesting to watch. In addition to the materials mentioned above, let's not forget the list of fungicides that have served well in the west in the past. Among them are Acti-dione, Cadminate, Calo-Clor, Kromad and several others. It is always wise to try the new materials as they come along, but wise too to make changes only after thorough investigation. No endorsement of named products is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products which are not mentioned. ii & *k -jV ic /V ic Vc ie -k *k & ii |§ * There1s no ce11ing on ef fo r11 Harvey C . Fruehauf . U.S. GOLF ASSOCIATION GKEM SECTION WESTERN OFFICE P.O. Box 567 Garden Grove, California BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE P A ID Garden Grove, Calif. Permit No. 83 Dr. J. R. Watson, Jr. Cheif Agronomist Toro Manufacturiag Corp. Minneapolis fe, ini*,