Their roots run deep

2012 marks the 25^th Anniversary of the Sports Turf Association.  On Oct. 25, 2012 a commemorative banquet was held at Victoria Park East Golf Club.  There were 60 people in attendance ranging from visionary founding members of the association, the current Board of Directors, suppliers, educators and the countless volunteers who have served the association over the past 25 years.  It was an acknowledgement of their contribution to the success and sustainability of the association, which are many. They include organization of educational conferences, workshops and field days, four sports turf management and construction publications, a quarterly magazine and a website.  Most recently they have expanded to Eastern Canada hosting a field day in 2011 and offering a Sports Turf Management & Maintenance Course in 2012 in Moncton, NB. Their expansion also went westward with a strategic partnership with the Western Canadian Turfgrass Association established in 2012.  With the efforts of many over 25 years the Sports Turf Association has been dedicated to the promotion of better, safer sports turf and that commitment continues.  Oh, did I mention there was cake!

Mike Bladon, Founding President of the STA

STA 25th Anniversary cake

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Two diseases are active now on greens

One you need to worry about and one you don’t.  Yellow patch affects bentgrass and annual bluegrass and causes yellow or brownish ciruclar or irregular rings.  Conditions conducive to yellow patch development include rainy, overcast, cool weather.  Sound familiar.  Symptoms disappear quite quickly when the weather turns sunny and dry.  It is considered a nuisance disease and rarely causes turf damage.

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Minor Use Label Expansion Granted for Callisto 480SC Herbicide for Weed Control on Sod Farms

J. Chaput, OMAFRA, Minor Use Coordinator, Guelph

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion for CALLISTO 480SC Herbicide (mesotrione) for control of labeled weeds on sod production turf in Canada.  Callisto herbicide was already labeled for management of weeds on corn, mesotrione-tolerant soybeans, asparagus, cranberries and blueberries in Canada.

This minor use submission was sponsored in 2011 by the minor use office of OMAFRA in response to minor use priorities identified by producers and extension personnel in Canada.

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Minor Use Label Expansion Granted for CHIPCO® TRITON™ Fungicide

 by J. Chaput, OMAFRA, Minor Use Coordinator, Guelph

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of a minor use label expansion for Chipco^® Triton™ Fungicide (triticonazole) for control of summer patch disease on golf course turf in Canada.  Triton fungicide was already labeled for management of several diseases on golf course turf in Canada.

This minor use submission was sponsored in 2011 by the minor use office of OMAFRA in response to minor use priorities identified by golf course managers and extension personnel in Canada.

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Grubs starting to wreak havoc

Right on schedule, calls and emails are coming in about grub damage.  Most of the time they are reporting European chafer damage.  Even though the summer was dry and we anticipated fewer grubs than usual due to the conditions being too dry for egg hatch, there seems to have been just enough rain for the grub eggs to hatch.  The grub infestations seem to be worse in the more southwesterly part of the province where they did get more rain than Guelph or the GTA. 

 

Grub damage

The annoying thing is that on home lawns it is now too late to apply insect parasitic nematodes to areas with grub damage.  It is a good idea however, to make a note of the damaged areas and consider applying nematodes next August.  For golf courses and sod farms that are just now discovering that they have grub damage, there is a short window in which to apply a curative grub control application.  Make sure to water in the product or apply just prior to a rain event.  Results with a curative application at this time are usually poorer than a preventative application applied mid-summer. For more information on the grub species found in Ontario and their biology, please refer to the Grubs in Lawns factsheet on the OMAFRA website at:  http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/08-023w.htm

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