raatS Turf Food is a natural based nutrient deliyery system designed to enhance the

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bull Bacillus licheniformis DAmiddot33 Phytohormone producer effective at higher soil temperaturesbull Paenibacilfu5 azotofixans 5B3154 Converts atmospheric nitrogeQ intCi=~form useable by plants

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Experts on the Field Partners in the Game

Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) members are experts

on athletic field maintenance renovation and construction

Members possess the knowledge and reliability required to man-

age the safest playing fields protecting the well-being and

future of every athlete Members come from all areas of sports

including professional teams colleges and universities other

schools and parks and recreation departments STMA is also

represented by the top commercial and academic industry

leaders Combine science and art to produce playing surfaces

that are safe and aesthetically pleasing and be dedicated tothe sports turf profession Become an STMA memberl

Sports Turf Managers AssociationMembership

Experts on the Field Partners in the Game

Member Benefits Include

bull Educational Opportunities

bull Certification

bull Networking Opportunities

bull local Chapters

bull Research

bull Annual Conference amp Exhibition

bull Interactive WebsitePublications

bull Annual Awards

In order to take advantage of all association benefits and

become a member of STMA contact STMA headquarters at

1-800-323-3875 or join online at wwwsportsturfmanagercom

Call or logon now to join

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storyCollegeUniversity Baseball Field of the Yearos Hawks Field at Haymarket Park of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is the

Sports Turf Managers Association 2003 Baseball Field of the Year

cover

featuresIN amp ON THE GROUND

14 Cool-season blends and mixtures lor athletic lie IdsThe best turfs have good environmental stress tolerance and resist weeds and pestswhiLe providing a high quality playing surface

1 S Selecting turfgrass for pest resistance and stress toleranceThe National Turfgrass Evaluation Program annually tests hundreds of commerciallyavailable cultivars and experimental entries of turfgrass

1 B Mobileturf manager masters mole crickets and fire antsHow Pat White of the Mobile Bay Bears beats these critters

SPORTSTURF MACHINES

24 Growingin a new field in late spring seasonJeff Salmond CSFM gives details on getting good root development before summerwhich he did last year at Northwestern University

AROUND THE GROUNDS

34 Building a prolessional shop at the scholastic levelThe condition of your shop can set the tone for your entire operation

4 April 2004

~II~ ~VOLUME 20 I NUMBER 04

departments

06 From the Sidelines

i--Ii

I

07 STMAPresidents Message

43 SAFE Foundation Column

44 STMA in Action

45 STMA Chapter News

46 Marketplace

48 Used Equipment

50 QampA

ON THE COVERl Over Hawks Field at Haymarket Park Lincoln NEPhoto by Kenneth Peterson

SPORTSTURF (ISSN l001middot687X) USPS 000middot292) (Reg US Pal amp TM Off) ispubli~hed monlhl by Adams Busines Mrxlia at 633 W Jackson 7th FloorChicago IL60607 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Sportsturf PO 602120 Skokie IL 60076middot7620 For subscription information and request callSubscription Services al (847)76]9555 Subciplion rates 1 year $40 US ampPoss 2 years $65 US s Poss 1 year $65 CanadaForeign Surlace 1 yea $130Airmail All subscription are payable in advance in US funds Send payments toSporlsturf PO 80 2120 Skokie fL 60076middot7820 Phone (847)763middot9565 FaB47)763-9569 Single copies or back issues $6 eachUSCmada $9 FoeignPeiodicots postage poid 01Chigo IL and othe mailing offices COPYRIGHT2004 SpM5turl Material y not be reproducelti or photooopied in any form with-out the woitten permissioo of the publisher

SPORTSTURF bull httpwwwgreenmediaonlinecom

Count on theWarm Season Experts

when it comes tohigh quality sports turf

Seed Research of Oregon has whatyou need whether your turf requiresthe cold tolerance of Yukon and

Companion or the heat tolerance and rapidestablishment of SR9554 LaPalomaandlaPrimaAmong turf-type bermudas Yukon tops theNTEP ratings for overall turf quality whilesetting the standard for winter survival andSpring Dead Spot resistance Companionis your best zoysia turf choice for cost savingsand ease of establishment SR9554 andPalema offer high quality dark greendurable tun LaPrima provides fastgermination rapid establishment andexcellent wear tolerance

When you desire a world classsports field or golf course wevegot you covered Put our yearsof experience to work for you

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Grass stainsyou dont want out

I greN up (insert lack of maturity joke here) in Pennsylvania and attended Penn State Late in2002 my wife (a PA native) and I moved our young family from Chicago back to the state capitalHarrisburg My regional bias is always on my sleeve For example Ive been accused by my editorpeers of mentioning Joe Paterno much too often in this space (there I go again) But this monththe pride of place goes beyond the legendary coach and role model to two fellows named JeffFowler and Steve LeGros the founders of Grass Stains Productions

These Keystone Athletic Field Managers Organization (KAFMO) board members one a coun-ty extension agent and the other a turf manager have produced two videos that are must-see foranyone interested in turf management

Jeff (full disclosure - hes on our Editorial Advisory Board) and Steve (full disclosure - hesshaven as a cue ball) have collected photos from turf managers across the country and assembledthem into short video clips set to music They debuted at the 2003 STMA Award Banquet andthen avoided the sophomore jinx this past January with an 8-minute production entitled AReflection that brought down the house

Now heres my point For $20 you can have your own copy of Grass Stains work to use atevents or just to share with your crew The good news is that your $20 isnt going toward gettingLeGros a hairpiece but instead goes directly to the SAFE (The Foundation for Safer Athletic FieldEnvironments) scholarship fund (minus production costs)

I wouldnt pitch this if I didnt think most readers would agree that Grass Stains team hasput together a professional production uniquely paying homage to the turf management profes-sion Send your check made payable to KAFMO to Grass Stains Productions Attn Jeff Fowler867 Mercer Rd Franklin PA 16323 Please include the name and address where the copy shouldbe sent Thanks l

Congratulations are in order for Dan Bergstrom the turf manager for this months STMA Fieldof the Year (see p 8) who in early March was named Director of Field Operations for the HoustonAstros Dans now responsible for the playing field and the grounds of Minute Maid Park the$250 million facility that opened in 2001

According to the February 19 Austin Business Journal SRI Sports Inc has laid off nearly 300employees begun shutting down operations and liquidating its assetsThe company makes AstroTurf AstroPlay and Nexturf The reportsays the company is seeking a buyer for its operations

Minneapolis Metrodome was scheduled to install AstroPlaythis spring but has switched to FieldTurf a source told meAttempts to reach SRI for comment failed by press time but wellfollow up in the next issue

Comments aLways welcomeCaU Eric at 717-805-4197

email eschroderaipcom or writePO Box 280 Dauphin PA 17018

6 April 2004

ij

I

SPORTSTURF833 W Jackson 1111Floor Chicagoll606071312-846-4600 FAX 312-846-4638WEll hltp wwwgreenmedlaontinecom

THE OFFICIAL PUBUCATION OF THESPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT BOB CApaEl~ CSF

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ADAMS BUSINESS MEDIACEO MARK ABAS

sa IPHR amp AnMINISTRITInN MARGIE DAVIS

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SPORTSTURf httpwwwgreenmediaonlinecom

Guardians of the gameWhen Nas the last time you went to a professional or collegiate sporting event and the game asit was contested on the field was the only attraction Bet its been a while

I take the risk of being not in touch with the times but I believe we have lost something not only insports but in society as well

The games we have loved all our lives are in danger of becoming lost in the constantly increasingjumble of activities and sideshows surrounding them Just for the record here are some things abouttodavs sports I dont like

~ Public address announcers who can turn one syllable into four when introducing a batter orrecounting a play the louder the bailer

World Series games played at night

Talking scoreboards that include fireworks Game times set by TV Stadiums with a rooflt Players and fans who do not have reverence for the game Anyone on or off the field who puts themselves above the game Recorded music at games Stadiums that could be confused for a shopping mall

Once upon a time the game and its purity was what it was all about You went to the game toenjoy the experience with your friends or family to escape from reality Ballparks and stadiums weremore passive They werent a place where my participation needed to be active or important in helpingensure my favorite teams success You went to appreciate the complexities of strategy the fairness ofthe contest and the athletic skill it took to be successful as a participant Ballparks were places whereheroes were crowned on merit not places to be used as a stage where the hero can crown himselfand have the media help make him bigger than life Crowns were honestly earned but rarelybestowed

As you entered the stadium you entered another more pleasant world The grass was alwaysgreener and the sky was bluer They dont call ballparks cathedrals of the game for nothing

I think a baseball field must be the most beautiful thing in the world Its so honest and precisesaid Lowell Cohn in The Temple of Baseball

During tirneouts or between innings you could actually talk with your neighbor You werent blastedout of your seat by loud music or bothered by some foolish sideshow at every opportunity The personsitting beside you was probably someone who paid for his or her own ticket instead of receiving theticket as part of a promotion of some silly kind Fans were fans of the team as well as fans of the game

I can sit in a ballpark after a game and love looking at the field one observer of the game hassaid Everybodys gone and the ballpark is empty and Ill sit there I sit there and

think Is this as close to heaven as Im going to get Or If I get to heavenwill there be baseball

The game was enough The players were honored to be playing agame that we all had a love affair with and dreamed of playing from theday we could throw and run It had a special feeling that you didnt wantto end I am afraid those days are gone forever

It seems that recently Ive heard more talk about the integrity ofthe game As sports field managers we are the literally the lastline of defense Most of us got started in this profession becauseof a love of the games in their purest sense The game is the keything whether played in huge stadiums by (Continued on page44)

bcampbeUlllUTKedu

httpwwwsportsturfmanagercom bull STMA

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SPORTSTURF 7

-_j

field of the year

BY SUZ TRUSTY

awks Field at Haymarket Park of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln earned the Sports Turf Managers Association 2003Baseball Field of the Year honors m tile CollegeUniversitydivisionIn 1999 three partners came together to plan and build

Hawks Field at Haymarket Park The University of Nebraska TIle City of Lincolnand NEBCO all agreed to share the construction costs of a S32 lllillion 4500-seatbaseball stadium that includes an upper deck and 18 luxury suites The stadium ishome 10 University of Nebraska Baseball Lincoln Sahdogs professional baseball(Northern Teegue) and numerous city-sponsored events Ihrouglrout the year

0111 Bergstrom became Athletic Turf Manager for the University of Nebraska illNovember of 2000 with Haymarket Park his prime area of responsibility II had beenprojected ~hat the new field would be completed and sodded at that point Insteadhe was OIl hand for the entire field construction

The ability to be on board throughout the project was extremely beneficialsays Bergstrom Knowing what took place duriug construction helps in understandillg what goc~ on under the field Besides the playing field and the turf side of it theextra time allowed me to develop relationships with our user groups as the field wasconstrncterl As construction progre~sed Iwas able to correllte what they were see-

groundskeeper 8 months later Under his management Shively Field at Cliff HaganStadium of the University of Kentucky earned the STfvIA- Beam Clay - SPORTS-TURF Diamond of the Year award in the College Division in 1999

Bergstrom says The field construction had three subcontractors working underthe stadium contractor instead of one general contractor They did all ouhtalldillgjob of working together to produce a quality field Ami it N~SIl1 an easv project Thestadium construction subcontractors needed to be on the playmg surface for con-stmction of the upper and lower seating bowls and the concrete walls The field wasbuill through the winter starting while the crane constructing the upper deck of thestadium was positioned on what would become the infield Because we were racingthe clock to meet the spring opening date the field was actually built in thirds firstleft field then the infield and finally right field This meant the contractors neededto match each element of construction within each third to insure the field wouldfunction properly IS a unified whole when completed

Once a third oflhe field was graded and subgraded installation began Theentire profile is 15 inches The 2-111ehchoker layer anrl 3-ineh gravel blanket layerusc ltI much larger rock than usual in order to create additional porc space to facili-tate the SubAir air h~lldlilig system that operates through die drainage system1here are two 36-incll header pipes that run across the field The 6-ineh lateraldrainage lines arc on lfl-foot centers

This is lopped with tile 10-incll soil profile consistillg of90 percent sand and 10percent Dilko~il reed sedge re~t The irrigation system consists of 22 wnes serving

HAWKS FIELD AT HAY~EARNS FOY HONORSing with details of how tile system interacti to Impact the field Having the sameltldrninistrative team on hand over the past 4 yeari hls allowed us ull to grow thatrelationship

Bergshmiddotom brought a strong academic and experiellce package to the project Heeamed his BS degree with a major ill turfgrass management from Iowa Stltlte in 1()95and ~erYed as assistant grOlll1dikeepcr with lhe Cleveland Browns from 1995 to1996 In 1996 he joined the staff of the Universily of KentLleky and moved to hcad

~~ -

the outlleld infield and kinned area To get tile red color the Hl1Sker~ wanted forthe skinned area ~le material was shipped in from Southern Athletic Fiek10 ilrTennCsee It consistl of 44 percent sand 14 percent silt and 42 percent clay whichis conditioned with vitrified clay

Bergstrom says The field was sodded with hluegrass consisting ofNuGladeFreedom IIArcadia and Award cultivars The sod was fTOWnin Colorado on il soilprofile closely matching that of the field Sodding took place in three stltJge~over a 3-

weck period beginning in April It followed the same progression lS

the field constnletion first left field then the infield then right fieldVe had 4 weeks from the installation of the right field sod and lhemid-May opening

Though field construction had been the last gronp of contractorsto begin their segment they were Ule Ilrsl group completed We hadthe fidd up and running for a month hefore the stadium wa~ fullyoperable Vhile all of the irrigation components were complete theelectrical system for the controllers wasnt ready We HlafJltlged thegrow-in irrigation by manually turning on valves

A staTld of evergreens serves as the batters eye and i1nmctional forthe p~rk Seating berms behind the outfield wall can accollJluodak4000 Tht third base side bullpen is at the end of the seating bennsthe other bullpen is outside the fence in left field Batting cages haveheen constrJlcted in the bulJpens The field lighting is lt1 six-poleMusco lighting syolcrn The Daktronics scoreboard contains ltl videoboaTd and several advertising panels

Billed as a park within a park lhe facility is ltJflIl-frirndly environ-ment A large concrete walkway wraps all around lhe ballparkPlJygroulld anc picnic areas arc plentifuL There are more than 2000tree1 and shrubs and numerous 80werbeds throughout th~ 32--aereJ-Jaynwrke1 Park along with 10 acres of non-irrigaled turf ltmd parking

8 April 2004 SPORTSTURF httpwwwgreenmediaonlinecom

_---- -__--_ _- __ --_--_---- bullbull __

area for more than 2000 vehicles The complex also houses the softball stadium thatserves as the practice and game field for the Huskers team and host other softballteam and city-sponsored events Bergstrom and his staff are responsible for mainte-nauce of the two fields aud the grounds for the entire complex

Field useHawks Field at Haymarket Park is scheduled for at least 213 events over a ]0-

month period each year says Bergstrom Our year hegins in mid-january and con-tinues through late October This is the site for practices as well as games for theHusker team In a typical season theyll have 15 10 20 workouts OJl the field injanuary and February Weekend games during february are roar] tnps to warmer cli-mates March April and May bring the meat of the Husker baseball home scheduleVe anticipate play into the post-season aiming for a slot in the College World Seriesin [nne

During the first week III fvlay the Saltdogs professional team begins their In-dayspring training with the typical drills battillg pTltHticcs and scrimmages The agree-ment between these two major fielrl users gives the Huskers first choice of on-Geldtime Because of class schedules this is usually afternoon or evening So generallythe Sahdogs do their workouts from 9 Alvlto noon The Huskers either use the 2-5PM slot for practice or have a 7 PM game On Thursdays before a weekend ofFriday and Saturday night gamcs and a Sunday afternoon game the H nskers willwork out in the afternoon tile visiting team will hold their workout from 7 to 9 or 10

ARKET PARKPI ln the case of pro practice and a college game on the same day we try to allowtry to schedule 3 hours between the events to allow for a complete cleanup andrepair of the playing surface

Early June is double scheduled as well with Husker post-season play Once theHusker season is finished the Saltdogs move iutu a typical professional team sched-ule In the short-season Northern Ieague that can include up to 96 games with 48of them played on the home field

Bergstrom notes By mid-August the Husker baseball team is returning fromsummer break which puts their ITIfOnll11workouts on the field September bringsthe professional post-season and the start of the Husker fall practice season TheSaltdogs end play ill September The Huskers continue tu late October with the typi-ca I -l-hour cui lege practice for a roster of 40-plus players

Of the 213 events on the field ill 2003 205 were baseball Along with lt111of theabove there are high school tournaments and the standard major college recruitingtournaments involving 6 to 8 select teams The slimmer camp program is designedto spread baseball knowledge to the younger players and plant the seed for consider-ation of a slot on the Nebraska team It involves 6 days during lhe Slunmer 2 ror hit-ting clinics 2 for pitching and 2 for the stars of tomorrow involving high sclloolunderclassmen

V-ealso have the fan-pleasing events of the pro baseball circuit such as fireworkson 4th oOllly and overnight campouts with the Boy Scants and then the Cir Scoutspitching tents on lhe field notes Bergstrom So far the City of LillloITl as till thirdI)arlner in Ihis venture has used their 15 days allhe park primHily for wltat we c11Iparking lot events outside of the actual basehall stadium This is both by chlJ1celIld by I1eeessity due to the already extellsive field use The City owns the land forlhe plrk in a 30-year lease arrangemenl pari oflhe overall agreement wilh the twoprimary field Ilsers The big picture for the City comes with the boost attendeesbriug to lhe local economy and the long-Ierm economic development connectedv-ithHaymarkel Park

January 2004Though it seemS ~urprisillg (luring nOrJJIl1winters Lincoln h8~sevcral pcriod~

of40 degree Sllllny day~ despite shmiddotetches with highs of only 10 or 20 degrees IhecxpeetatioIl of the Husker coaches and administration is that practice should takeplace 011 Ihe lield any day that is 40 degrees and sunny

httpwwwsportsturfmanagercom - STMA

Bergstrom says With the subsurface heating system we can pllmp heat into thefield using an 800 million BTU natural gas furnace for our heat source But there isno roof Oil the field and the sand-based profile is designed to be POroIlS so much ofIhat heat escapc~ if the field isnltarped Still we can normally gel in 15 to 20 on-field workout during January and February

Instead of the typical 2-3 inch snows spread tllroUgllout the vinter most of our20m-2004 seasonal snowfil came in a couple of JanllJry snow events stacked backto b8ck That put 17 illches 01- snow on the fidd The all-tina reeord for Lincoln is18 inches 111at 17 Inches added up to an incredible dTllount ofsnolV spread overOllr 2-112 acres of playing surace Finally a day in [-he IO-day forecast called forSJlnny and 40 degrees or Ivarmer for Febmary 17-18 The team had been practicingindoors and needed to hit the field for some livc ICtiOli

Prior to this year weve been able to clear any aCCJlmulation of snow with ourtractor equipped with a mbhel blade This timc we rcnted a large Bobcat on tTacksfor a low psi pressllre on the field ct the bucket down 10 within 12-inch of thegrass and started our normal practice of rushing snow from the center of the ficldout to the w~rning track Ve then uscd our tractor-mounted snowblower 10 blow theSIlOW up Into the seats or out of tile pink onto the grass berm areas ihe remOa1process look the majority of 4 days to complete Luckily the tempcrdhnes stayedcold so the snow fCTTl~iTlelt1]lowdery and easier to remove Once wcre down to a 12mch or so of snow the sun and subsoilileat provide quick removal on the sand-based field

SPORTSTURF 9

Ifield of the year

Temperature management

Subsurface heating also can keep theground temperature up to the point wherethe March and April snowfall melts quicklyBergstroms experimentation with the systemduring the first season helped him develop aprogram of moderation He says Ve cantbring the soil temperatures up lo MOl) or Junelevels early in the season or a cold sTiap willset back the tender turf and well lose groundinstead of gaining it A lower temperature tostimulate root growth and a somewhat earliergreeTl up works best

The cooling factor is important toosince summer temperatures here arc general-ly hot Its not unusual to get 3-5 days in a rowof 100 degrees or more When night tempera-tures drop into the 60 degree range weve found we can cool the soil profile 10 to11 degrees by combining irrigation with forcing the cool night air through theunderground system

The wind always 1110wsill Nebraska Its I huge asset both for cooling and forreducing disease pressnre on the turf Because of the field use schedu lc were forcedto do the majority of our irrigation at nigh Fveu if the system shuts off at 3 ANI thegraos blades will dry due to the overnight winds

bull

Management strategiesBuck Beltzer Stadium the Huskers former baseball facility had an artificial turf

infield with a baseball cutout and a grass outfield on native soil The beautiful newfacility is a great recruiting tool especially ill combination with the Huskers winningbaseball program

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10 April2004

0e know were always on display withthe coaching staff making a walk on thefield surface and view of the stadium thefirst stop for a new recruit says BergstromThe Saltdogs the city the community awlthe Nebraska fans also rake pride 111 thecomplex so aesthetics are very import-ant tothe program But the lop priorities for mystaff and I is always safety and playabilityTheyll do whatever it takes to produce theplaying conditions we want to achieve andwe strive 10 keep Ihe field ltItthe majorleague level

With the two different teams and stylesof play lIming the field for much of theyear 1Il the ever-changing Midwest climateBerg~trolll is constantly adjusting and fine-

tuning the management program The strltegy works Haymarket Park has beennamed Northern League Field of the Year for the three consecutive seasons Hesays J carne into this project with a pretty aggressive maintenance plan and havebumped it lip a few levels to [Tied fieldneeds Ve took tissue test every) days dur-ing the first season and coupled those results with our soil test results to study justwhat was happening throughout the soil profile and the grass plant We now do tis-sue testing 3-4 tin leo a year to monitor conditions The field receives some type ofspoon-fed liquid fertilizer application every 5-7 days with granular npplicatious every2 weeks Well back off on the nitrogen in the summer to reduce stress But nothingis set in stone its all based on turf appearance and performance

Weve also adjusted the program to concentrate maintenance 11l the high useareas We core aerate the infield four to six times a year and the outfield only once ayear The first two seasons we removed the cores Even though the sad had closelymatched our soil profile we didnt want lhal 10-20 percent of silt amI day to cap itoff vVere now _howing more uniCormily 10 the top of the profile so wcre draggingthe core material hack in Ve topdrels once a year with 18 inch of material malch-ing the profile VVe mow al 7S-111ehwall to wall year round with only one excep-tion Well drop down to 12 inch before Ihe first oflvfarell to removc any brown tipsfrom ovenvintering

Bergslrom believes III havlllg seed ill place for gcrmination during the growingselson md will broadcast seed in the wear arlas for cleating in whenever the field isin llse He uses a bluegrass blend in the sprmg but will add some perennial ryegrass-es later III Ule season There are a couple of wear ~pot hc watches dosely ill Iheright olltfield where every lge group plays frolll Ilearly thc same position but todate no re-sodding has been needed there Hes rerluced re-sodding around lhe plateby expanding the home plate circle to 32 fcet from thc original 26 feet which hecllls more reltllislic for Ihe park Hed allticipatcd the need to re-sod the steeplysloped berms hvice a year hilt hels ldopted In aggressive aeration and fertilizltioncombinalion lhat has kept good turf covcragc without rC-50dding

He SllS Vhile some college baseblll fidds arc unable to use pesticides dne tobudget constraints we choose not to use pesticides for environmental reasons A pru-dentlPIVl program is llnportant at every bcility but we takc our program (0 the I]extlevel III tllat we siTTlplyhave not used a blanket application of any pesticide on thefield to date Only a couple spot treltments with a fungicide have been absolutelynecessary in the past 3 years INe dosely IllOllitor cultural practices and modify thelllas weather conditions lValTanl to alleviale turf stress

Bergstrom credits the gtlbility and commihnent of his two assistanls JenniferRoeber and CeoIT HllInpllrey for lnaking the management program work He says11leyHe tops III performaTice aud dedication Weve developed a rotation to handlethe spring season when blseball and softball are in full swmg and tlte ~ulToundinglandscape needs altentiOll too Vcll bring in an intern dming the sprillg baseballseason and 4-5 part-tune stAr to Vork during the Husker games For the Saltdogsgame season well bring in three lllterns ilnd run an 8--person part-time ercw

The way everyone Norks togdher here is cxceptional especillly tile two majorfield user partners We all COlnlTlllTlicate bringing our perspective on the field andfacility together Wi~l the coaches perspective and the administralors perpeetive todevelop and maintain the most beneficial program for all involved ThaI total coop-eration is what has made the whole Haymarket Park project such a snccess ST

Suz Trusty is director of communications at the STMA and a member of ourEditorial Advisory Board She can be reached at 800-323-3875

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