In addition to being a "science blogger guy" for TurfNet, I am also a TurfNet Member. I'm a TurfNet member because I learn a ton of stuff from the webinars, the forums, and of course my fellow bloggers as well as Randy's Vlog!

I am personally psyched about the upcoming "Quality of Cut" week. I can't wait to hear the scheduled industry leaders try and explain the mystery of reel mowing. I researched and read about the history, development, and latest innovations of the reel mower in the mid-2000's when we were conducting our mower evaluations here at Cornell.

At that time we had epidemic levels of anthracnose breaking out on annual bluegrass putting surfaces in the north and bentgrass surfaces in the south. Mowing height was implicated as a primary stress by the Rutgers University team lead by Clarke and Murphy. My question was simply is there something other than mowing height that might be causing the stress?

We investigated head design (flex, float, fixed), frequency of clip, and bedknife position at various bench heights and mowing frequencies. All this to identify potential unintended stressors associated with reel mowing of putting surfaces.

As I look back on our research I continue to wonder about grinding strategies, roller types, number of blades on the reel, as well as the relationship between frequency of clip and mowing height at heights below 0.120"? I am also wondering "how superintendents actually choose a mower or grinding strategy? What makes you decide to purchase after you demo a unit, is it stripes on the turf, comfort level of your equipment manager, local service, and/or a close look at the turf under the prism?

As a TurfNet member I personally am looking forward to getting some help unravelling the mystery of mowing to me. I'll look for a good discussion in the forum this coming week!