creeping bentgrass and annualbluegrass at approximately 70% to30%, respectively, and at TGCcreeping bentgrass, annualbluegrass, and rough bluegrass atapproximately 50%, 40%, and10%, respectively. Theexperimental design is a randomcomplete block, replicated sixtimes. The study incorporatedapplications of the fungicidesBanner Maxx; (propiconazole) andDaconil Ultrex; (chlorothalonil) inthe fall/winter and spring. Therates used are 1 fl oz/1000 ft

ofpropiconazole and 3.2 oz /1000 ft

of chlorothalonil with 2 gallons/ 1000 ft

of water as the carrier.Since the major goal of the studyis to see if there is a correlationbetween climatic conditions andthe timing of fungicideapplications, the followingequipment and procedures arebeing utilized: Spectrum

Technologies’s, Model 450

watchdog weather loggers with the900 series and the 2000 serieswatchdog weather stations(Spectrum Technologies, Inc.,East - Plainfield, Illinois) to recordatmospheric temperature, relativehumidity, soil temperature, andprecipitation amounts. In addition,six RZ Wireless soil sensors(Advanced Sensor Technology,King of Prussia, PA) were installedat each location with equaldistance between each sensor tomeasure soil moisture,temperature, and salinity. Eachsensor is equipped with twoprobes which were installed at theone and three-inch soil horizons(continued on page 4)

Climatic Conditions andTiming of FungicideApplications

–

ContinuingResearch for Dollar SpotManagement in Fairways

Ongoing research is beingconducted by the Department ofPlant Pathology to answer keyquestions for the best approachto manage dollar spot(

Sclerotinia homoeocarpa

) infairways. Mr. John Koenig, agraduate student, is heading upa portion of this work involvingthe monitoring of climaticconditions and evaluation of thebest timing for fungicideapplications to asymptomatic(before dollar spot symptomsdevelop or are seen) turfgrass tomaximize the delay of dollar spotdevelopment and severitythroughout the growing season.The objective is to correlateunder what climatic conditionsfungicide applications should bemade, in the late winter or earlyspring, to maximize the impacton the pathogen in the turfgrassecosystem and delay the onsetand severity of the disease. It isthought that during certainenvironmental conditions the

pathogen is more “vulnerable” to

fungicide applications such thatapplications can be strategicallytimed to maximize chemicaleffectiveness.This study is being conducted intwo locations, one at The OhioState University, Ohio TurfgrassFoundation Research andEducation Facility (OTF) and theother is at The Golf Club of NewAlbany (TGC). The compositionof the fairway turf at OTF is

Board of Directors

President

Todd Voss, Double Eagle Club

Vice President

Dan Walter, City of Blue Ash

Treasurer

Joe Enciso, Advanced Sensor Technology

Immediate Past President

Mark Jordan, Westfield Companies C. C.

Executive Director

Kevin Thompson, OTF

Director of Education

Dr. John Street, The Ohio State University

Trustees

Mike Dietrich, John Deere LandscapesKyle Frederick, Rattlesnake Ridge G.C.Doug Gallant, The Cincinnati RedsMark Grunkemeyer, Buckeye EcoCareKim Kellogg, Grasshopper Property Maint.Don Lawrence, Red Hawk Run G.C.Jason Straka, Hurdzan/Fry G.C. Design

The Newsletter of the Ohio Turfgrass FoundationOSU Turfgrass Science Team

Horticulture and Crop Science

Dr. Karl DannebergerDr. David GardnerDr. Ray MillerDr. John StreetDeborah HoldrenPamela SherrattMatt Williams

Entomology

Dr. Parwinder GrewalDr. David ShetlarDan DigmanJoAnne Kick-RaackKevin Power

Plant Pathology

Dr. Mike BoehmTodd HicksJoe Rimelspach

School of Natural Resources

Dr. Ed McCoy

Agricultural Technical Institute

Dr. Daniel VoltzDavid Willoughby

Intramural Sports

John Mott

Athletics

Dennis BowsherBrian Gimbel

International Programs

Mike O’Keeffe

June 2008

OSU PLANT PATHOLOGY RESEARCH UPDATE

Koenig, Boehm & RimelspachDepartment of Plant PathologyOhio Turfgrass Foundation888-683-3445www.OhioTurfgrass.org

- 1 -

GOLF TURF TIPSThoughts on Sand Capping -

Ed McCoy and Karl Danneberger

Sand capping of golf course fairways generally consists of adding a 2- to 4-inch layer of sand or a sand mix to the surfaceof the fairway area. The reasons for this are principally to improve playability when commonly fine-textured native soils are,at times, wet and soft. Additional benefits that may be associated with a sand cap include compaction resistance,increased water infiltration rate, better root zone aeration, and where appropriate better leaching characteristics wherepoor irrigation water quality (high salt) is used.Yet, there are potential problems that may arise from installing a sand cap. One problem occurs when the sand moves orshifts under foot and vehicle loads. This can cause a rough and potentially rutted playing surface. In temperate regions theestablishment of cool season turfgrasses is often difficult and slow contributing to the lack of stability. Another problem thatmay occur is the accumulation of excess water within the sand cap due to the shallow layering over slowly permeablenative soil.An alternative means of establishing a sand layer on fairways is a heavy frequent topdressing program. In general, thesand layer that develops is more stable, but similar problems associated with sand capping exist. Considering thatinstalling a sand cap represents a very expensive investment, it is important to mitigate these potential problems as bestas possible.

Sand Bearing Capacity and Strength -

Sand that moves or shifts under load has an inadequate bearing capacity, wherebearing capacity is the maximum contact pressure the sand can withstand without producing shear failure. Thus bearingcapacity is closely related to the shear strength of the sand. Recent work at Michigan State (Crum et al., 2003) and PennState (Yi et al., 2002) has shown that shear strength is further related to the properties of the sand. Sand and mix factorsthat have been considered include sand particle size, sand size uniformity, particle shape, and amendment with soil orpeat.The Michigan State work principally examined the interaction between sand size and uniformity using sands ranging insize from finer (D50 = 0.3) to coarser (D50 = 0.6) and either more uniform (CU = 1.8) or less uniform (CU = 3.0). Labmeasurements showed the coarsest and most uniform sand to be the weakest. Yet, decreasing the uniformity of this sandadded a degree of strength. Overall, however, the finest sand showed the greatest strength regardless of whether it wasmore or less uniform in particle sizing.In addition, field measurements on existing greens showed the benefit of amending sand with soil where 10% by volumeadded sandy loam generated about twice as much bearing capacity than an unamended sand.Lab measurements at Penn State, using a cubic-triaxial tester, showed that a uniform, finer (D50 = 0.38) sand had greaterstrength than uniform, coarser sand (D50 = 0.68) with a round sand shape showing a lower strength than an angular sandshape. Yet, overall, size was a more important factor. When considering less uniform sands, the lowest strength was againobserved for round grains as compared to other sand shapes, but this response was modulated through the addition of20% vol sphagnum peat to the point where sand shape was immaterial.Taking the Michigan State and Penn State results together, it appears that coarse and uniform sands have the loweststrength and reducing uniformity adds to strength more so for the coarser sand than the finer sand. Sand shape appears toonly play a role if the sand is rounded, in this case weakening the sand. Amendment with peat or soil, on the other handserves to strengthen sands such that the shape effect disappears. Indeed, it was these amended sands that appear tohave the greatest strength.

Sand Cap Permeability and Drainage -

But if these sand caps are to drain, they must first have adequate permeability.Here also we know that properties of the sand or mix can influence permeability values. Thus, all other things being equal,finer sands have lower permeability than coarser sands, less uniform sands have lower permeability than more uniformsands, and soil-amended sands have lower permeability than unamended sands (McCoy et al., 2004). Yet for a deeperinsight, let

’

s look at these factors in the order of the magnitude of their response on permeability.Within the range of commonly used root zone sands, permeability decreases by about 3 in h-1 for every unit increase ofCU (adapted from Zang and Baker, 1999). So modestly reducing sand uniformity to increase strength does not pose agreat risk with regard to root zone permeability. Given an unamended, uniform sand, permeability decreases with thesquare of the D50 value, so while using finer sand adds strength, it does so with somewhat of a risk on permeability.Finally, amending sand with 10% silt and clay can result in an order of magnitude (10-fold) decline in permeability; yieldingthe greatest risk.

Continued on Page 3

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SPORTS TURF TIPSBuckeye Sports Turf: Onward& Upward!

Pam Sherratt, OSU Department ofHorticulture & Crop Science

Congratulations to

Chris Fox

, (left,with Joe Motz) named the

2008 SportsTurf Student of the Year

. The award,given in honor of industry pioneer

JoeMotz

, recognizes a student thatpersonifies excellence both in theclassroom and in the sports turfindustry. As part of his studies, Chrisinterned at OSU Athletics and TheCleveland Browns. Since graduationhe has accepted a position at

Columbus Crew Stadium as anassistant groundsman. Previouswinners include Erica Titus, RodneyBockwrath, Wes Appelfeller, andRussell Horn.Buckeyes on the Move: WesAppelfeller has left Columbus CrewStadium to take up a position withDave Mellor at the Boston Red Sox.The new Director of Stadium Groundsat Columbus Crew is Brett Tanner, whograduated in 2007. Another graduatefrom 2007, Russell Horn, has returnedto the Buckeye State. Russell left theWashington Redskins to take aposition at the Cleveland Browns withChris Powell. Brian Holtzapfel has leftthe LA Galaxy to take a HeadGroundsman position at LoyolaMarymount University in CA. Currentsenior, Jeff Boll, will be joining Brian inCalifornia as an assistant this summer.And last but not least, Brad Kammerhas a taken a new position with theMyrtle Beach Pelicans.Internships: Two sports turf studentswill be crossing the pond this summer

–

John Torres will be interning atArsenal Football Club in London andBen Jackson will be interning atBlackburn Rovers Football Club inLancashire. Both clubs are in thePremier League with first class

academies attached to the club. Ben’s

internship is being sponsored byBlackburn goalkeeper, ex-USA soccerplayer and Ohio native, Brad Friedel.The International Internship Programcan be reached through:http://top.osu.eduCloser to home, sports turf student JoeKirschner will be interning at theCincinnati Reds with Doug Gallant thissummer.England Tour: In the fall, PamelaSherratt, Matt Williams and Dr. KarlDanneberger will be taking a group ofturf and landscape horticulturestudents to England on a study tour toinclude Manchester United FootballClub and Royal Birkdale Golf Course,home of the 2008 British OpenChampionship.

Continued from Page 2

Finally with regard to drainage of sand capped fairways, selecting an adequately permeable sand may still be insufficient foradequate drainage within all areas of the fairway. It should be anticipated that some supplemental drainage would be requiredin the funnel shaped, low elevations portions of the sand-capped area. These supplemental drainage steps may includeinstalling a drainage array, performing sand slitting, or perhaps periodic deep tine or similar treatments may be sufficient.

Integrating Strength and Permeability -

So in conclusion, and relative to the information available on this emerging issue, itseems reasonable to suggest the following: Avoid coarser (D50 >= 0.5), uniform (CU <= 2.5), and well rounded sands. Thenthere is a choice. On the one hand, uniform, finer sands (0.2 < D50 < 0.4) would seem perfectly acceptable as would coarser(0.4 < D50 < 0.6), less uniform (2.5 < CU <= 3.5) sands. Addition of soil to a mix would only be acceptable at very modestamounts, and then only to a coarser sand. Peat amendment may also be considered, but the cost may be prohibitive. Ofcourse, with time, even a weak sand supporting turfgrass should gain strength as it becomes contaminated with fines, buildsorganic matter, and the turfgrass cover and thatch buffers it from shearing forces. Finally, one should anticipate localizeddrainage issues when the underlying native soil is fine-textured. If positive water pressures develop in the sand cap (i.e. thecap becomes 'supersaturated') then all strength will be lost, regardless of sand type or mix composition.Note: Uniform sand with D50 value equal to 0.5 would be one with essentially 50% coarse and 50% medium sized particles.Uniform sand with D50 value equal to 0.2 would be one with essentially 70% fine (USDA) and 30% medium sized particles.

Literature Cited



Crum, J.R., T.F. Wolff and J.N. Rogers. 2003. Agronomic and engineering properties of USGA putting greens. USGATurfgrass and Environmental Research Online 2(15):1-9.



McCoy, E.L., P.J. Sherratt and J.R. Street. 2004. Golf course & athletic field soils. In J.M. Scheyer (ed.), Encyclopediaof Life Support Systems, UNESCO, Oxford, UK(www.eolss.net).



Yi, H., B. Mittal, V.M. Puri, A.S. McNitt and C.F. Mancino. 2002. Measurement of bulk mechanical properties andmodeling the load response of rootzone sands: Part 3: Effects of organics and moisture content on continuous sandmixtures. Particulate Sci. Technol. 20:125-157.



Zhang, J. and S.W. Baker. 1999. Sand characteristics and their influence on the physical properties of rootzone mixesused for sports turf. J. Sports Turf Res. Inst. 75:66-73.