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 From the News Desk...Bethpage State Park group receives IPM awardNearly a decade of research has gone into maintaining optimum playing conditions while minimizing stress to turf on the golf courses at New York’s Bethpage State Park. For nine years, the crew at Bethpage has been working with the New York State Integrated Pest Management program on research focused on reducing pesticide and fertilizer use on the putting surfaces of the park’s Green Course. In that time, they have implemented cultural practices as part of NYS IPM research that have resulted in reducing environmental impact by more than 90 percent compared with recognized management practices while maintaining superior playing conditions, said Jennifer Grant, Ph.D., assistant director of the NYS IPM program. The purpose of the research has been to compare a strict IPM with conventional putting green management, according to Grant. Those on the ground at Bethpage who have implemented this research, including Dave Catalano, Andy Wilson, Craig Currier and Kathie Wegman, have been recognized for the efforts earning the 2008 Excellence in IPM award from NYS IPM. The award, which reflects work completed last year, was presented Aug. 12 during Cornell University’s turfgrass field day activities in Ithaca, N.Y. “As we look back, we’ve found six or seven products that really work. That has been significant. . . . The idea is to keep the grass as least stressed as possible. We focused on changes to cultural practices to reduce turf stress. That’s not news to (superintendents), but if you want to go that route with fewer pesticides, then it’s new.”“They have been significant and important partners in this. The work we do on the Green Course is a true experiment,” said Grant, who also works with fellow Cornell researcher Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D. on the project. “A lot of what we’ve learned we’ve tried to spread around to other areas and to other golf courses at Bethpage. It’s all a spinoff of the research we’ve done.” The IPM program, which presents the award annually, fosters the reduction of chemical pesticides to promote and protect human health and the environment. Criteria on which individual or association nominees are judged include developing new tools that will speed adoption of IPM, allowing IPM methods to be evaluated in their growing operations, encouraging demonstrations of IPM methods on farms, promoting IPM in a business, and bolstering adoption of IPM practices through the work of organizations or through educational programs. Typical management practices that have resulted in reduced stress in other research often include altering mowing, irrigation and fertilizer regimens, which often result in reduced stress, but at the cost of turf quality, according to Grant. The NYS IPM research at Bethpage has been conducted with turf quality in mind. Researchers concluded early on – due to age of putting surfaces and other factors – that conducting their experiments without chemical pesticides was not feasible due to the age of the putting. Their research has included reduced-risk pesticides and fewer applications (30 percent to 60 percent fewer) than non-treated greens. Grant, Rossi and the Bethpage team have intentionally omitted form their research new chemical products that lack supporting scientific research. “As we look back, we’ve found six or seven products that really work,” Grant said. “That has been significant. “The idea is to keep the grass as least stressed as possible. We focused on changes to cultural practices to reduce turf stress. That’s not news to (superintendents), but if you want to go that route with fewer pesticides, then it’s new.” It also is important to be more precise with irrigation practices. That means maybe changing irrigation schedules. For example, Grant said that can include watering early in the morning rather than late the night before. Their research also includes mowing less frequently, rolling and skipping the clean-up pass. “Everything we do, we keep the green speed as part of the criteria so as not to lose quality.” She and others associated with the project also have been surprised by those following the work. There were many who dismissed the validity of the work in its early days, but those detractors are fewer in numbers now. In fact, many both in and outside the golf industry have been following the research with great interest. “People who were against it and those who were advocating for it are now both paying close attention,” Grant said. “There is also more of an interest in the mainstream population, and that has been interesting.” The long-term project eventually will result in an operations manual that can be superintendents throughout the Northeast as a guide to reducing chemical pesticide dependence. |
 In other news... Greens of envy Olympic Club members and 2012 U.S. Open reap benefits of converting from Poa annua to bentgrass. Posted: 11/19/2009 Read more » News and people briefs Register now for New England turf show, Toro introduces walk-behind trencher, Sipcam adds to sales staff Posted: 11/19/2009 Read more » A better divot digger Motorized device developed at the University of Arkansas produces uniform damage quickly and could help advance turf recovery research. Posted: 11/19/2009 Read more » Currier moving on from Bethpage Site of this year's U.S. Open to get new superintendent and 15th green. Posted: 11/18/2009 Read more » Economic struggles mean finding more fat to trim Superintendents look for ways to cut due to shrinking budgets. Posted: 11/16/2009 Read more » Complete news index »
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