Farm & Ranch
[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] 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.(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) “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.(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. -30-
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By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
Since their introduction to the U.S. in the early 1900s, Old World Bluestems such as King Ranch bluestem and Dahl bluestem have become established on farms and ranches from the Rio Grande to Nebraska. With such a wide range of adaptability, these species are subjected to a wide range of management, depending on location and the goals of the rancher.
Due to the aggressive nature of OWBs, producers in far South Texas have been trying to find a way to eradicate OWBs in their pastures. Texas AgriLife Extension bulletin “Introduced Bluestem Grasses: Management on Native Lands” describes several methods being used in the effort to rid pastures of OWBs. In 2016, one project involved using chemicals, plowing, mowing, reseeding, summer burning, and combinations of these practices.
To read the about the researchers findings and hear Tony’s take, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Rayford Pullen
Watching our pastures over the years, I have noticed our forages quit growing when nighttime temperatures begin hitting that 45-degree mark, and in North Texas, that will usually be around October 20.
While growth stops, our forages will still be high quality which allows our momma cows to gain weight for another 40 days or so.
Getting these cows in better condition is key to getting them through the winter and breeding after they calve.
Read more in the October issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available online and in print. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive NTFR in your inbox each week.
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