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[AgriLife Today] Turfgrass researcher works to keep athletic fields green longer

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By: Kay Ledbetter

Fungicide, nitrogen looked at to reduce wear and tear

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Ben Wherley, 979-845-1591, [email protected]

COLLEGE STATION – Sports fans know as fall sets in and their favorite team heads out on the turf, the bright green grass begins to turn brown from the wear and tear and changing temperatures.

Nitrogen rate comparisons on turfgrass plots were done by Dr. Ben Wherley, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist, used this Brinkman traffic simulator on his turfgrass plots.(Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter)

Nitrogen rate comparisons on turfgrass plots were done by Dr. Ben Wherley, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist.(Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter)

But a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist has completed a study identifying ways to reduce the look of wear and tear from athletic turf traffic.

Dr. Ben Wherley, an assistant professor for turfgrass science/ecology with AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M University soil and crop science department in College Station, spent the summer looking at the effects of nitrogen and the fungicide Civitas on foot traffic tolerance on athletic turf.

The plots were Tifway Bermuda grass, which is an industry standard for athletic fields in the south, Wherley said.

“What we’ve done is traffic these plots with a Brinkman traffic simulator,” he said, adding they did either zero, two or four passes per week through the summer and into the fall. “What we’re trying to do is simulate athletic field traffic that would be equivalent to football.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNBE4SB6Nqc&feature=youtu.be

Past research has shown that two passes per week is equivalent to the amount of stress produced by one NFL football game between the hash marks and the 40-yard line, Wherley said.

Dr. Ben Wherley, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist, used this Brinkman traffic simulator on his turfgrass plots.(Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter)

Dr. Ben Wherley, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist, used this Brinkman traffic simulator on his turfgrass plots. (Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter)

“So looking at these traffic levels of one versus two games a week versus no games a week, what we were trying to determine was the relative effects of nitrogen rate and also a biweekly application of a product known as Civitas, which is labeled as a fungicide but also has been shown to have some other side benefits in terms of various types of stress tolerance.”

The application treatment every two weeks included no Civitas, an 8.5 ounces rate of Civitas per thousand square feet and 17 ounces per thousand square feet rate.

“So every two weeks through the summer we basically evaluated percent green cover, the amount of green coverage in the plots, also rating the amount of the injury we’re seeing in the plots,” Wherley said.

Various traffic patterns were compared under treatments of Civitas on turfgrass plots by Dr. Ben Wherley, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist, used this Brinkman traffic simulator on his turfgrass plots.(Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter)

Various traffic patterns were compared under treatments of Civitas on turfgrass plots by Dr. Ben Wherley, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist.(Texas A&M AgriLife Communications photo by Kay Ledbetter)

“Particularly we were interested as we got into the later fall months when temperatures cooled, daylight or solar radiation was lower and Bermuda grass started going dormant to see whether Civitas could prolong the green cover in the plots,” he said. “Representative of a football field getting into the late fall, we wanted to know if this might be used as an alternative to overseeding because of the benefits of the fungicide combined with pigment in this product.”

He said the results showed improvement in green turf cover and color from the Civitas application across all treatments of traffic, “but we had mixed results in terms of improved resistance to or recovery from injury with Civitas.”

Wherley said it was also interesting to note that there wasn’t a big difference between the low applications of nitrogen, a quarter pound per growing month, and the high, typically 1 pound per growing month.

“This is probably a result of the fact that the soils in our plots have a good amount of inherent organic matter and fertility in them,” he said. “The site is an old dairy farm pasture. So what this tells the turf manager is if you have good levels of soil organic matter, there may not be as high of a nitrogen requirement on your turf.”

Wherley said they learned more about the use of Civitas for athletic turf and hopefully through additional testing, will have a good recommendation in the future.

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Farm & Ranch

Acorn Toxicity

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By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH

With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.

If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.

Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.

To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

brown acorns on autumn leaves, close up
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Farm & Ranch

Silver Bluestems

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By: Tony Dean

There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.

Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.

To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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Farm & Ranch

Meanwhile Back At The Ranch

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By: Rayford Pullen

Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.

We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.

To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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