Ohio Sports Turf Managers Association(OSTMA) OSTMA will host the second annualRegional Chapter Workshop on July 18th at Ohio

State University The event will include presentations byL Murray Cook President of Global Stadium Servicesand President-Elect of STMA and Steve Trusty STMAExecutive Director as well as a tour of the OSU athleticfacilities conducted by Brian Gimbel a tour of the OhioTurfgrass Foundation Research Center conducted by DrJohn Street a tour of Cooper Stadium home of theColumbus Clippers conducted by Jeff Limburg and atour of Crew Stadium home of the Columbus Crew con-ducted by Darian Daily The day will conclude with atten-dees enjoying dinner at the Crew Stadium and thenwatching a professional soccer game The Ohio Chapteranticipates attendees from the Michigan MidwestIndiana Tennessee and KAFMO Chapters and issues anopen invitation to others to attend Contact OSTMA orSTMA National Headquarters for more information onthis event This event will be followed on July 19th by theOSTMA first Annual Chapter Challenge Golf Outingalso in Columbus Ohio with the proceeds to benefit theOSTMA scholarship fund The Chapter also is planningits 4th Annual Fall Field Day at the Ohio StateUniversity Intramural Complex on September 11 Thisevent will feature a line-up of speakers in the morningand an afternoon with vendors OSTMA is acceptingscholarship and Field of the Year nominations untilOctober 1 2001 Visit the website or contact BoydMontgomery for further informationFor information on the OSTMA Chapter or upcoming

events call Joe Zelinko at 800-897-9714 or BoydMontgomery at 419-885-1982 ext 50 or visit the chapterswebsite at wwwglstmaorg

Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association Upcomingevents for the Iowa Chapter include an IrrigationWorkshop to be held at the Iowa City Kickers SoccerComplex in Iowa City on July 18 Iowa Turfgrass Field Dayto be held at the ISU Horticulture Research Station inAmes on August 2 and a BaseballSoccer Workshop to beheld at Upper Iowa University in Fayette on October 9For information on the Iowa Chapter or upcoming activi-

ties contact Lori Westrum of The Turf Office at tel 515-232-8222 or fax 515-232-8228 or e-mail Loriiowaturfgrassorg

Colorado Sports Turf Managers Association TheColorado Chapters Mountain Seminar will be held on July20 at Canyon View Park in Grand Junction The 65-acrepark is home to eight soccer fields four softball fields anda baseball field Watch for more details on the 6th AnnualLawnmower Man Open Golf Tournament to be held onJuly 24 at Westwood Golf Course in Arvada Another com-ing attraction to be held this fall is Turf Day At InvescoField at Mile High the new home of the Denver BroncosFor information on the Colorado Chapter or upcoming

activities visit the Chapters website-wwwCSTMAorg-or call the CSTMA Chapter Hotline at 303-346-8954

STMA bull httpwwWSportsturfmanagercom

Minnesota Chapter STMA The Minnesota Chaptersannual Tour on Wheels will be held on July 25 TheChapter will participate in the MTGF Field Day to be heldat the University of Minnesota on July 26 Details on theseevents will be announced soonFor information on the Minnesota Chapter or upcoming

events contact Ron Unger Director of Parks amp Recrea-tion City of Kasson at tel 507-634-4165 or e-mailParkNRecCityofKassoncom

Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers Association(TVSTMA)TVSTMA is planning a July event at Vanderbiltin Nashville and a September or October event in JacksonFor information on the TVSTMA Chapter or upcoming

events call Bill Marbet Southern Athletic Fields Inc at931-380-0023 or 800-837-8062

Nebraska Sports Turf Managers Association TheNebraska Chapter is planning an August 6th event at theMead Turf Show in the morning and Seward in the after-noon In the planning stages is an October meeting atHaymarket Park in Lincoln Nebraska the new home ofthe University of Nebraska Huskers Baseball Team andthe professional baseball Northern League team theSaltdogs More details will be announced soonFor information on the Nebraska Chapter or upcoming

events call Gregg Bostelman City of Grand Island at 308-385-5426

Florida Chapter 1 The Florida Chapter will againparticipate in the Florida Turfgrass Association Show Thisyears event will be held in Gainesville FL August 13 14and 15 The Chapter is planning an Irrigation Seminar atHoliday Park in Ft Lauderdale on October 16For information on the Florida Chapter or pending

activities call John Mascaro at 954-341-3115

Midwest Chapter STMA Upcoming events for theMidwest Chapter include a Tour on Wheels in August aFall workshop at the Lincolnshire Sports Complex inOctober and the annual North Central Turf Expo atPheasant Run Resort in DecemberFor information on the Midwest Chapter or pending

activities call The Chapter Hotline at 847-622-3517

Mid-Atlantic Athletic Field Managers Organization(MAFMO Chapter STMA) The MAFMO Chapter is plan-ning an August 24 Design and Construction Seminar to beheld at the Annapolis Waterfront Marriott HotelFor information on the MAFMO Chapter or pending

activities call the Hotline at 410-290-5652

Sports Turf Managers Association of Arizona TheArizona Chapter will be partnering with the ArizonaParks and Recreation Annual Conference in Phoenix TheChapters event a Summer Seminar will be held onAugust 30 at Pointe Hilton at Tapatio Cliffs Resort at11111 North 7th Street in Phoenix Featured speakers

July 2001 41

include Dr Ronnie Duncan University of Georgia onPaspalum Grass Dr Thomas Lubin Professor Emerituson Humates amp Other Organics in your Soil Dr DavidKopec University of Arizona Extension on SimpleMethods to Successful Overseeding and Developing Year-round Maintenance Schedules and Dr Charlie RodgersResearch Geneticist for Seeds West Inc on NewBermuda Seed Varieties for the Southwest Market Forinformation on this event please contact ChrisCalcaterra City of PeoriaFor information on the chapter or other upcoming

events contact Bill Murphy Recreation and FacilitiesManager City of Scottsdale Park at e-mailbmurphyciscottsdaleazus or tel 480-312-7954

MO-KANSports Turf Managers Association TheMO-KAN Chapter is planning a Fall Field Day from 745AM to 200 PM on September 12 at Satchel PaigeMemorial Stadium in Kansas City This event will behosted by Kansas City Missouri Parks and RecreationMorning sessions include Fall and Winter TurfManagement presented by Chuck Dixon JL Bruce ampCompany a session on Turf Renovation andOverseeding and Breakout Hands-On Training ses-sions on Basic Turf Renovation and Overseeding

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Irrigation Troubleshooting and Repair and Seed Pre-Germination Techniques Following lunch and vendor pre-sentations attendees will have the opportunity to visit withvendors or take part in the question and answer sessionswith the breakout session instructors The days events willwrap up with the MO-KAN Business MeetingFor information on the MO-KAN STMA Chapter or

upcoming events call Trevor Vance at 816-504-4271 GaryCustis at 816-460-6215 or Jody Gill at 913-681-4121

Southern California Chapter For information on theSouthern California Chapter or pending activities call RonKirkpatrick at 858-453-1755

Northern California Chapter of the Sports TurfManagers Association The Nor-Cal Chapter is in theprocess of planning their annual Seminar on Wheels eventDetails will be announced soon For information on theNor-Cal Chapter or pending events call Janet Gift at 530-758-4200

Gateway Chapter Sports Turf ManagersAssociation For information on the Gateway Chapter orupcoming events call Mark Jennings at 314-983-5345 orJim Anthony Saint Louis University St Louis MO at 314-977-2956

Indiana Chapter For information on the IndianaChapter or pending activities call Terry Updike B amp BFertilizer at 219-356-8424

Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organiza-tion (KAFMOSTMA) For information on theKAFMOSTMA Chapter or other upcoming events contactDan Douglas Reading Phillies Baseball Club at tel 610-375-8469 ext 212 or chapter e-mail addresskafmoaolcom

Michigan Sports Turf Managers Association(MiSTMA)For information on the Chapter or other pend-ing events call Rick Jurries West Ottawa Public Schoolsat 616-738-6974 or go to wwwmistmaorg to visit the chap-ters new website

Sports Field Managers Association ofNew JerseyFor information on the New Jersey Chapter or upcomingevents call Jim Gavigan Lesco at 732-248-8979 or callEleanora Murfitt Director Township of Clinton Parks ampRecreation Department at 908-735-5999

North Texas Sports Turf Managers AssociationFor i~ormation on the North Texas Chapter or pendingactivities call Kayla McAfee at 972-234-6584 or ReneAsprion at 972-647-3393 or visit the website atwwwntstmaorg

Suth Te~as Sports Turf Managers AssociationFor information on the chapter or upcoming events callTom McAfee Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium SanAntonio at 210-207-3754

sporfsTURFmiddot hftpllwwwsporfsturfonlinecom

Virginia Sports Turf Managers Association For infor-mation on the Virginia Chapter or upcoming events contactChapter Vice President Randy Buchanan County of HenricoRecreation and Parks via e-mail buc06cohenricovaus orat tel 804-261-8213

Wisconsin Sports Turf Managers Association Formore information on the Wisconsin Chapter or other pendingevents call Richard Miller at 608-756-1150

Mid-South Chapter STMA For information on theMid-South Chapter or upcoming events contact RobertBodi at e-mail TURF419aolcom or Jim Calhoun at tel901-755-1305

Chapters On The Grow

Las Vegas With the STMA Annual Conference ampExhibition headed for Las Vegas January 16-202002 plansfor the formation of a Las Vegas Chapter also are movingforward For more information on the developing chapterplease contact Rod Smith Grounds ManagerCashmanCenter at e-mail rmslvcvacom or at tel 702-386-7140

New York A chapter is forming in Central New YorkThe group will meet at 1030 am on the third Wednesday ofeach month at the National Soccer Hall of Fame For moreinformation contact Kevin Meredith National Soccer Hallof Fame at e-mail Kevinwpecom or at tel 607-432-2953

STMA bull httpwwwsportsturfmanagercom July 2001 43

(continued from page 46)

the same amount ofK as N When high N plus high K ratesare combined with low soil moisture salt levels within thesoil may become high and actually reduce water uptakeOther nutrients should be kept at recommended levelsaccording to soil tests for optimum growth Supplementaliron applications can provide desirable green turf withoutpromoting succulent shoot growthPests can weaken turf and make it more susceptible to

drought so try to reduce pest problems when necessaryThis is particularly true for root feeding insects such asgrubs and mole crickets Weeds also compete with turf forwater so timely weed control is important

Managing Under Drought ConditionsSo now you are in the middle of the drought your water

authority has dramatically limited your irrigation and youare wondering what to do with those parched fields First bea good citizen and follow mandated water restrictions Youdont want the wrath of an angry concerned citizen becauseyou broke the rules nor do you want to pay any levied finesif you are caught in violation of irrigation restrictionsIrrigate to moisten the upper 10 to 12 inches of soil ForFloridas sandy soil that is about 75 to 1 inch of waterIrrigate late at night or early in the morning to maximizethe water Second post some signs and make some phonecalls to let the proper people know that the fields are cur-rently under imposed water restrictions This way they knowit is not your fault that the fields begin browning

The turf will reduce growth without adequate water somowing needs will be reduced You will need to mow lessoften and at the highest height when you mow Researchhas shown that turf maintained at a greater height of cutwill lose more water per day than turf maintained at alower height But the same studies also indicated that turfmowed lower lost its quality quicker under drought stressbecause the shallower root system of the more closelymowed turf could not obtain sufficient water under mois-ture stress So raising the mowing height is good insurancebecause it increases the ability of grass to respond andadapt to stressful conditionsPostpone or reduce fertilization Apply low rates of

nitrogen to keep color No more than 05 pounds of N per1000 square feet per application You dont want to promotelush growth Recuperation from damage will be dramati-cally slower than when adequate water is available This isa good justification to limit the use of the field If this is notpossible at least keep the decision-makers informed aboutthe damage that may result from excessive useI would also suggest that herbicide applications be post-

poned Most post-emergence herbicides used on athleticfields can stress a turf even under good conditions A wisefield manager once told me that weeds take on field painta lot better than dirtAt this point there is not much you can do Everything

has its weakest link Without adequate water no amount offertilization wetting agent soil amendment etc is goingto do much good

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BY DR GRADY MILLER

ENVIRONMENTAL HORTICULTUREDEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF flORIDA

SEND THEM TO GRADY MILLER AT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PO Box 110670 GAINESVILLE FL32611 OR E-MAIL

GLMIUFLEDU OR SEND THEM TO DAVE MINNER AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY 106 HORTICULTUREHALL AMES IA 50011OR E-MAIL DMINNERIASTATEEDU

]oversee the management of a

number of fields in Florida As Iam sure you currently know we

are having a severe drought and arebeing limited by the WaterManagement District on how oftenwe can irrigate My fields were builtwith a typical Florida sand and dur-ing normal times I irrigate every dayfor about 20 minute per zone Someof my customers are asking if thereis anything I can do to keep my fieldsfrom turning brown I have discon-tinued fertilization based on theadvice from my local extensionagent so some of the brown colormay be due to lack of fertilization Ifwe dont get some rain soon I amafraid my bermudagrass fields maydie What do you suggest I do Isthere anything I could have doneearlier to prepare my fields for thedrought-Via e-mail Florida

Your questions have beenasked a lot in the last coupleof months I know in

Gainesville Florida we have nothad rain in over 45 days and ouryearly total to date is holdingsteady at 8 inches Sandy soils withhigh infiltration rates and lowwater retention capacity make thesituation even worse If I knew thesteps to a rain dance I would prob-ably be outside right now wearingholes in the soles of my shoes Eventhough there is overlap let meaddress your questions separately

Preparing for DroughtFirst bermudagrass is a pretty

amazing grass In fact most agrono-mists consider it a very difficult-to-killweed Without adequate water fromeither rainfall or irrigation it will rollits leaf blades to conserve water andsend its roots deeper into the soil tofind water During an extendeddrought leaf tissue may die and dropfrom the plant although the grasswill generally recuperate from stolonsand rhizomes upon receiving ade-quate water So how do you improvethe drought conditioning of thegrassLess frequent longer irrigations

throughout the year will assist inestablishing a deeper more viableroot system The deeper the root sys-tem the greater volume of soil for theplant to pull water from during a dry-down Apply enough water to wet thesoil in the rootzone and then dontwater again until about 30 of theturf shows signs of wilt Check yourirrigation system frequently to makesure it applies water uniformly and isin good working order Poor de-signinstallation broken heads or abusted valve all can contribute to aninefficient system While checking outyour system determine how long thezones have to run to put out 75 inchof water This will come in handywhen setting your watering timesduring the year (based on ET) If youhave some dry spots you may want toadd a commercial wetting agent tothose locations so the soil will absorb

water uniformly Addition of some ofthe porous soil amendments to sandysoil may also reduce dry spots andimprove water holding capacity Theimpact of these amendments variesdepending on the amendment basesoil type amount used and how theyare utilized (all beyond the scope ofthis discussion)Mowing height can impact drought

conditioning Use the highest mowingheight that you can If you have avery demanding clientele you mayonly be able to go from 75 to 1 inch Ifyou can get away with it I would mowTifway bermudagrass at no less than1 inch if water is limiting and 15 to 2inches would be even better Thegreater the leaf area the deeper andmore extensive the root system willbeFertilization practices can enhance

drought tolerance of bermudagrassExcessive nitrogen (N) enhances colorand shoot growth but root growthmay be reduced High N rates alsopromote lush shoot growth that iswater hungry Potassium (K) is oftenmentioned as a nutrient that pro-motes drought tolerance There hasbeen some research that indicatesthat K can increase stress tolerancebut there has been little data to sup-port the exaggerated rates that someare using Potassium can leach insandy soils which should also be aconsideration when determiningrates and timings A general recom-mendation that I use is to apply about

(continued on page 44)

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