Coldest Winter in a Long Time

The temperatures continue to remain cold in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, but it is the cold temperatures in the UK that is a creating a cause for concern for our friends across the pond.  In the past few months, I have been included on some emails from select golf courses in Scotland where unusually cold temperatures and accumulations of snow and/or ice on greens is worrying a few greenkeepers.

From a recent article in the Telegraph (image from telegraph.co.uk):

They predicted no let up in the freezing snap until at least mid-January, with snow, ice and severe frosts dominating.

And the likelihood is that the second half of the month will be even colder.

Weather patterns were more like those in the late 1970s, experts said, while Met Office figures released on Monday are expected to show that the country is experiencing the coldest winter for up to 25 years. 

Read full story here...

Pictured below is one of the greens at Loch Lomond (home of the Scottish Open) just a few weeks back.  David Cole (Head Greenkeeper) was happy with the look of his greens when he left for the BTME Conference in Harrogate, England but was unpleasantly surprised by their color when he returned at the end of the week. In a matter of a few day (once the ice melted), the greens turned from green to brown and the alerts were up.  After sending samples out to Kate Entwhistle of The Turf Disease Centre, it appears that the damage is likely superficial and the crowns of the plant appear to be healthy...for now it is just a waiting game.

Prior to the emails from Mr. Cole, snow and ice covered many other greens throughout Northern Scotland including the likes of St. Andrews and other surrounding golf courses. Another course that had experienced some snow cover and accumulated ice was Lough Erne in Northern Ireland. Director of Golf Course Operations Andy Campbell offered some suggestions to his Greenkeepers for removing the ice. Since granulated seaweed products are so prevalent in the region, he recommended their application over the ice and within a few hours the ice was melted.  This is a similar technique used by some in the US in which an organic fertilizer (Milorganite or similar) or black sand has been used to melt ice on putting greens.

Aside from the worries about winter injury to green dominated by Poa annua (annual meadowgrass or annual bluegrass), others worry about the decreased income from the lack of golf. Despite the region's weather being unpredictable at this time of year, many golf outing and bookings were made well in advance of the current weather.  Decreased income in an already slow economy will only add insult to injury.

For those of you in a similar predicament OR for any of you from the Northeastern US who can offer any bits of advice for dealing with this weather, please leave your comments below.  Our friends from across the pond would be very appreciative!

For your reading pleasure, I have compiled a series of links that may be useful on the topic:

Northeast Winter Injury Initiative
Winter Injury on Annual Bluegrass (from Turfgrass Trends)
Sports Turf Q&A on Winter Injury
Ice Damage/Freeze Smothering (Ohio State podcast)

And just to leave you with something to watch, I included this video of Billy McMillam who I met at the BTME Conference last month.  Billy talks about his family of greenkeepers (literally). It was great to meet him and talk turf, pints, and just the business. (Video from GlobalTurfNetwork)

It's Conference Season

Conferences are a great way to find out the latest research results from Universities and independent researchers in your region. Organizers generally arrange for a variety of different speakers and topics ranging from disease management to weed management to cultural management practices.
Although I have only been to a few conferences so far this year (with many more to come), they have all been full of useful information for turf managers. Below are some highlights of the most recent talk I heard:

Anthracnose basal rot (Dr. Jim Murphy, Rutgers @ Eastern PA Turf Conference): Dr. Murphy summarized some of the research that he and Dr. Clarke have been working on over the past few seasons. The most surprising results are that many of the traditional recommendations provided to turfgrass managers have actually been wrong. Some findings of their work include:

1. Topdressing can actually help to reduce anthracnose (presumably by burying and protecting the crown of the plant)
2. Greenspeed can be maintained and anthracnose reduced by increasing N fertility and rolling instead of lowering mowing heights
3. PGRs commonly used for suppressing annual bluegrass seedheads do not increase disease incidence and in certain years have decreased disease severity
4. Extremes in irrigation (too much or too little) can exacerbate disease activity

Over the next few months, associations around the country will be hosting various educational events.  Take advantage of these opportunities (and don't forget to bring your assistants too) to find some "nugget" of information that may help you this season.

To view some of the upcoming events that may be in your area, check out our calendar page.

Disease Update:
The snow has melted in many parts of the Northeast following some warmer weather revealing Microdochium patch and cool-temperature brown patch.  Golf course superintendents from around the area should also be cautious about the lack of protection on the exposed turf AND also watch out for any rapid thawing/freezing of ice...especially where annual bluegrass populations are high.

As for me, I am listening to the updates of the unusually cold and snowy conditions at the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association meeting (Harrogate) in England.  Hopefully I will be able to give an International Update in the coming weeks with any useful information obtained from the meeting.

Signing off from the large island across the pond...

Now I remember....

For those who live in southern California, we know that the land of palm trees and plastic surgery is far from perfect. Smog, traffic, eathquakes, and high housing prices (plus a >$20 billion state deficit) make us often say "why are we living here?"
















(image from the LA Times)

After this last week of being in the east coast, now I remember. It's in the mid 60s to mid 70s in southern California and mostly sunny. Even in chillier northern California, it's still in the 60s.

Meanwhile, Iowa is getting buried by snow, it's -50F in the Dakotas, and it's been in the 30s all week long in Alexandria VA where I've been. Even in Florida, apparently it's so cold that"Iguanas are falling out of trees."

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=7206353&rss=rss-kabc-video-7206353



Meanwhile in the Wong Lab, it's been quiet since we're just getting back on track from being away for the winter break and mandatory furloughs. Expect rapid blight, dollar spot and Rhizoctonia large patch to be the problems of the week throughout most of California.

Question of the Week



Hey Frank,

I stumbled across an article talking about Kikuyu Yellows (Verrucalvus flavofaciens). It appears to be exactly what happended to my fairways this last summer. Have you done any research on this?

Jeff @ da' Bell

Hi Jeff -

No, I haven't heard of this - but thanks for bringing it up to my attention. Apparently this is a disease described in Australia caused by a oomycete pathogen that's pretty different from other oomycetes (like Pythium) affecting turf.

http://www.pitchcare.com.au/magazine/article/74

This disease has not been reported in the Americas as far as I know of. We haven't seen oospores in yellowing kikuyugrass roots in samples from California - but we will be on the look out since you bought it up to our attention!

I did do some searching on the internet and found this:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120784659/abstract

Apparently you can also get this by Googling "Kikuyugrass", "Wong" and "Dick".

That reminded me that every once in a while you should google your own name and the term "a*****e" just to make sure no one out there is really upset at you.

Ok - thanks for the info and read - good stuff that I didn't know about!

Cheers,
Frank

Signing off from the Right Coast until next week....