UF/IFAS-Industry Ties Keep Growing Pro Greens Donates Deep Drill Aerification System to UFFLREC by JOHN CISAR, PH.D
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INDUSTRY NEWS Tidings from the TC UF/IFAS-Industry Ties Keep Growing Pro Greens Donates Deep Drill Aerification System to UFFLREC BY JOHN CISAR, PH.D. IFAS Turf Coordinator ike the song in the Sesame Street video "Elmo Saves Christmas" (remember I have a 2-year old at home so I get to watch the videLo every night) It's Christmas Again in South Florida. On Jan. 7, Santa and his helpers from Pro Greens Turf Services of Safety Har- bor stopped by at the Ft. Lauderdale REC to deliver an FM-60 deep drill aerification machine for University of Florida turfgrass research and use in Mark Atherholt(left) of Pro Greens Turf Services presents IFAS Turf Coordinator, Dr. John maintenance of plots. Pro Greens Turf Cisar with the keys to a totally refurbished FM-60 Deep Drill Aerifying Machine. Also on hand Services is an aerification specialist in from Pro Greens are (l-r) Pat Kearney and Tim Osley. Photo courtesy of Pro Greens. the golf course and athletic field markets throughout the continental USA and that the turfgrass industry of Florida provided an up-to-the minute report on Hawaii. deserves our continual heartfelt thanks the new uses of subsurface pesticide in- At the official passing of the keys cer- for all their help. jection systems for turf and mole cricket emony, Mark Atherholt of Pro Greens, control research. On March 18, Dr. Al along with Tim Olsey, Pro Greens head Education Events Right Around the Dudeck also hosted his annual Overseed of work crews, and Pat Kearney, Pro Corner Field Day in Gainesville. Greens Southeast sales representative, "Tis the season" also for seminars, Regarding upcoming events, on April presented me (on behalf of the Univer- field days and workshops. The FTGA 21, the Everglades chapter is hosting a sity of Florida) with the FM-60. The held its highly popular landscape man- turfgrass seminar in Ft. Myers. Contact value of the gift was approximated at agement seminars throughout Florida Matt Taylor at 941-495-0073 for infor- $35,000. This great gift will go a long way in January. Held in locations through- mation. The 1999 USGA Regional Semi- in helping us maintain turf and set up out the state, seminars were jam-packed nars are scheduled for April 26 in Or- new directions for research. with Florida turf professionals. This year lando and April 28 in West Palm Beach. As stated in their press release on the for the first time, the seminar series car- Contact John Foy at 561-546-2620. The subject: Pro Greens makes this donation ried over to the panhandle and more tentative dates for the University of in the spirit of educating and assisting than 140 attendees were in the audito- Florida Turfgrass Field Day is 23 and 24 research efforts in the turfgrass industry rium. June 1999. This year for the first time, and to honor all golf course superinten- On March 11, the 12th Annual South the overall program field day will be held dents and sports turf groundskeepers Florida Expo at the Ft. Lauderdale REC in Milton at the new UF turfgrass field that devote their livelihood to "Keep attracted turf breeders and developers of plots. Contact Dr. Bryan Unruh at 850- America Playing." the new ultradwarfs to discuss adapta- 983-2632 for further information on This equipment donation is very tion to Florida conditions and address dates and directions. much appreciated by the turfgrass team questions about the new grasses. Drs. at the University of Florida. We have Wayne Hanna and Al Dudeck, and rep- Helios and Goodbyes been blessed with a range of equipment resentatives from Thomas Bros. Turf and Hot off the presses: I just received an donations over the past few years that Coastal Turf were on hand. Also, key- email from Terril Nell that Laurie have really had a significant positive im- note speaker Dr. Will Hudson, ento- Trenholm has accepted the turfgrass re- pact on our plot work. It bears repeating mologist at the University of Georgia, search/extension position at the Univer- sity of Florida's' Drs. Robin Giblin-Davis, Monica extended to Marcus for his tireless com- Gainesville cam- Elliott, and Russell Nagata are on sab- mitment to the Otto Schmeisser/FGCSA pus effective batical leave in 1999. Robin just left for Research Green and UF research in gen- Aug. 1. Our sin- "down under" Australia, Monica is liter- eral. cere congratula- ally "chilling out" in Montana, and tions to Laurie. Russell is "surfing" for new grasses in Passing a milepost Laurie re- Hawaii. This spring marks the first year anni- ceived her B.S. at Marcus Prevatte, the long-time versary of my appointment to the TC the University of groundskeeper of position. What a whirlwind year it has Florida. She was the USGA green been. It's a great point in time to reflect an undergradu- at the Ft. Lauder- on what has occurred during the past 12 Laurie Trenholm ate student at the dale REC, an- months and look to where we are going. (1995 file photo) University's nounced that he One of the most difficult things to do FLREC site. would be leaving objectively is evaluate day-to-day change Laurie received her M.S. degree from UF for an assistant from the inside. For example, looking in working with Dr. A1 Dudeck, her major superin- the mirror, to me, I always look the same adviser, on FloraDwarf nutrition. She is tendent's posi- and I just about always feel the same. Yet, completing her Ph.D. at the University tion at Indian if I look at a snapshot from one year ago of Georgia, working with major advisor Creek. Congratu- or 10, wow, what a difference! The same Dr. Ronnie Duncan on new turf-type lations and best thing holds with this job. I don't easily varieties of seashore paspalum grasses. of luck to Marcus see the change from the inside and some- Laurie was the first recipient of the on his new career. times I get frustrated with the pace of Granville C. Horn Graduate Scholarship Many thanks change in my mind. But then once in a from the FTGA. Clearly, that prestigious Marcus Prevatte from everyone at while it hits home just how much change scholarship is starting to bear fruit. (1996 file photo) the FLREC are has gone on. The All Purpose Fungicide Now a single fungicide that provides CONSISTENT CONTROL of: • Brown Patch (Rhizoctonia) • Leaf Spot • Dollar Spot • Anthracnose • Fusarium & More • Plus Patch Diseases New Standards For Turfgrass Excellence REGAL CHEMICAL COMPANY / P.O. BOX 900 / ALPHARETTA, GA 30239 /1-800-621-5208 During the past year I have been going to different golf course chapters 1999 Florida Plants of the Year - Part 3 to promote our program. Recently, I gave a talk at a local chapter meeting Editors Note: Third in a three part series show casing the Florida Nursery on the Florida Gulf coast. One of the Growers 1999 selections of underutilized but proven Florida plant material. superintendents told me he heard me Common Name: Cross Vine give an overview of the program six months earlier and that he was im- Botanical Name: Bignonia capreolata pressed by the number of new things Hardiness: Zones 6-9 going on at UF and how things had Mature Height X Spread: Climbs 30 feet changed since my previous speech Classification: Vine about our program. That really caught Landscape Use: Pergola, trellis my attention. Frankly, I was pleasantly Characteristics: Flowers orange to orange red surprised because that means people New hybrids are expanding in this under-used vine on the outside are interested in what's whose main flowering comes in late spring with going on, they are communicating back occasional flowers through the summer. Growth is to me, and people are observing the rapid and it will cling to a rough surface or twine as difference. it climbs to the top of its support. Moist, rich soils suit it best, but growth is good even under less- New in the Turf program than-ideal conditions. As a native is well adapted What are some of the great things to the vagaries of our climate. Cool weather brings a bronzing of the leaves, going on? Here's a sample of four: but they will remain on the plant in most years. First, there are four new turf faculty Common Name: Lake Tresca Ligustrum positions at UF that are either being Botanical Name: Ligustrum japonicum 'Lake filled right now or will be advertised Tresca' this spring 1999. Laurie Trenholm has Hardiness: Zones 7-10 accepted the offer to fill the turf posi- tion vacated when Bert McCarty left Mature Height X Spread: 10' x 10' for Clemson University. The Univer- Classification: Shrub sity is advertising for a turf entomolo- Landscape Use: Low hedges or a fine specimen gist for Ft. Lauderdale. In the near fu- plant ture we will be seeking a soil scientist Characteristics: Very compact growth (Everglades REC) with turf in the job A superior cultivar of the common landscape and description and a turf pathologist hedging shrub, selected many years ago in a (Gainesville site). These positions fill Florida nursery but only now becoming well gaps that have occurred either through known. Growth is compact and moderately slow, attrition or anticipated retirements and making a beautiful specimen when mature. Tight expanded programs. These new posi- spires of fragrant, pale flowers are produced in spring and summer. tions will strengthen many of our pro- Common Name: Chartreuse Sweet Potato gram areas and ultimately enable us to provide better service.