www.sportsturfassociation.com | AUTUMN 2008 11 Thursday, September 11 th dawned crisp and clear as over 225 turfgrass industry professionals gathered at the Sports Turf Association’s 21 st Annual Field Day at Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park in Brampton, Ontario. Our yearly event continues to offer an impressive roster of speakers with 2008 topics ranging from safety to seed to stretching your budget. This, coupled with the knowledge and expertise shared by our exhibitors, sets the stage for a winning educational forum and networking opportunity for our delegates. We now turn our attention to the 2009 Field Day with consideration given to the many evaluation responses which we received. Thank-you to all who participated in making our 21 st Annual Field Day our 21 st Annual Success! MAR-CO Clay Products Inc. EQUIPMENT LTD. September 11, Brampton, Ontario 21st ANNUAL STA FIELD DAY RECOGNIZING THE GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR SPONSORS Left: Our speakers Paul Stevens/Pickseed, Dan Murnaghan/City of Guelph and Darrell MacLean/Town of Oakville. Right: Chair of the day, Andrew Gaydon, with Lorrie O’Brien, Director of Parks, Maintenance & Operations, who wel- comed us to the City of Brampton. Middle: Mike Vanderjagt of the Toronto Argonauts with Field Day Committee Member Jane Arnett-Rivers. Mike, our keynote speaker, described for us his jour- ney though professional football from which we could all extrapolate a number of life’s lessons – dedication, determina- tion, perseverance, and belief in one’s self, to name but a few. If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. Turn the page for a photo gallery...
Transcript
www.sportsturfassociation.com | AUTUMN 2008 11
Thursday, September 11th dawned crisp and clear as over 225 turfgrassindustry professionals gathered at the Sports Turf Association’s 21st AnnualField Day at Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park in Brampton, Ontario.Our yearly event continues to offer an impressive roster of speakers with2008 topics ranging from safety to seed to stretching your budget. This,coupled with the knowledge and expertise shared by our exhibitors, sets thestage for a winning educational forum and networking opportunity for ourdelegates. We now turn our attention to the 2009 Field Day with considerationgiven to the many evaluation responses which we received. Thank-you to allwho participated in making our 21st Annual Field Day our 21st Annual Success!
MAR-COClay Products Inc.
EQUIPMENT LTD.
September 11, Brampton, Ontario
21st ANNUAL STA FIELD DAY
RECOGNIZING THE GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR SPONSORS
Left: Our speakers Paul Stevens/Pickseed,Dan Murnaghan/City of Guelph andDarrell MacLean/Town of Oakville.
Right: Chair of the day, Andrew Gaydon,with Lorrie O’Brien, Director of Parks,Maintenance & Operations, who wel-comed us to the City of Brampton.
Middle: Mike Vanderjagt of the TorontoArgonauts with Field Day CommitteeMember Jane Arnett-Rivers. Mike, ourkeynote speaker, described for us his jour-ney though professional football fromwhich we could all extrapolate a numberof life’s lessons – dedication, determina-tion, perseverance, and belief in one’sself, to name but a few. If at first you don’tsucceed, try try again.
Turn the page for a photo gallery...
12 AUTUMN 2008 | Sports Turf Manager
www.sportsturfassociation.com | AUTUMN 2008 13
THANK-YOU!ExhibitorsAWS Irrigation Management
Bannerman Ltd.Corix Water Products
DCS Agronomic ServicesDol Turf Restoration Ltd.
DryJect OntarioG.C. Duke Equipment Ltd.Hutcheson Sand & Mixes
John Deere Landscapes Ltd.Mar-Co Clay Products Inc.Master’s Turf Supply Ltd.
O’Neil’s Farm Equipment Ltd.ON Turfgrass Research Foundation
Athletic Field Construction ManualCLASSIFICATION I SPECIFICATIONS I FIELD EVALUATION I FIELD DIMENSIONS
The objective of the recently released Ath-letic Field Construction Manual is to pro-vide specifications and guidelines for thedesign and construction of grass athleticfields. The Manual is designed to assessthe requirements for the field and topresent the specifications for constructionof the field to meet those requirements. Itapplies to all types of athletic fields thatrequire a natural turf surface on all or partof the play area.
Invaluable Resource Produced by the STA
Table 2.2.6 A summary of the design requirements for the five field categories (excerpt from Section 2 of the AFCM).
DESIGN REQUIREMENT
<8.0
Yes
Yes
Yes
All Soils
No
No
No
Soil (% silt + clay)
Sub-Surface Drainage System
Irrigation
Lights
ONE FIVE
>40
Yes
Optional
Optional
FOUR
25-40
Yes
Optional
Optional
THREE
<25
Yes
Yes
Yes
TWO
Bringing uniformity to the constructionof grass athletic fields, this manual is longoverdue as a staple reference for those inthe sports turf industry. It establishesstandards for the design and constructionof the root zone. The standards are basedon a classification system (1-5) for theathletic field which is primarily based onthe root zone material and the provisionof drainage, irrigation and lights. Also in-cluded are permitting hours and mainte-
An invaluable, unique reference manual that takes a sys-tematic design-oriented approach to the construction ofnatural turf sport fields based on a field classificationsystem and the anticipated calibre of play and turf wearby user groups. ~ D. Murray Cameron OALA
nance costs for field categories; a check-list to evaluate the condition of existingfields; and more than 20 diagrams out-lining the approved field dimensions formost field sports using a turf surface.
www.sportsturfassociation.com | AUTUMN 2008 15
How the System WorksMTO monitors the accumulation of
demerit points from collisions, convictionsor inspections over a rolling five year pe-riod. The more serious the incident (colli-sion or conviction), the higher the demeritpoints.
Should the CVOR accumulate morethan the allowable threshold of demeritpoints or if there is a high profile incidentlike a serious or fatal collision, MTO iswithin its rights to conduct a “facility au-dit” of the employer.
If an unfavourable facility audit occurs,MTO may issue warnings and fines to thecorporation, and/or the driver, and/or re-
EQUIPMENT LTD.
Paul TurnerSales Representative
1184 PLAINS ROAD EAST, BURLINGTON, ON L7S 1W6Burlington (905) 637-5216 Toronto (905) 338-2404
HOW DOES ‘CVOR’ LEGISLATION APPLY TO YOUR OPERATION?
DARRELL MACLEAN, FLEET TRAINER/SAFETY OFFICER, TOWN OF OAKVILLE, 2008 STA FIELD DAY SPEAKER
Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) is the monitoring system that the Ontario Ministry of Transportation(MTO) uses much like a report card to review the operations of the fleet and its drivers who own or operates trucks that areeither registered to, or actually weigh more than 4,500 kg (including load, tools, passengers, etc.). Generally anythingover a 3/4 ton truck may be a CVOR truck. CVOR regulation does not apply to vehicles under 4,500 kg.
duce the size of the CVOR fleet, and/orwithdraw CVOR driving privileges –meaning all vehicles weighing or are reg-istered to weigh more than 4,500 kg willnot be permitted to operate at all.
How to Identify Registered WeightTo identify if your truck is a CVOR,
look on the mid right panel of the owner-ship for “Reg Gross Wt (RGW).” If it ishigher than 4,500 kg, it is a CVOR truck.
If it is registered under 4,500 kg, butyou are unsure of the fully loaded weightof the truck, get it scaled.
In the event the weight of the truck (in-cluding its load, passengers and anything
else it carries) or gross weight weighsmore than the RGW, you can be chargedwith an overload violation. If the grossweight is more than 4,500 kg and not reg-istered, you can be charged for operatinga truck without a CVOR. ♦
16 AUTUMN 2008 | Sports Turf Manager
www.sportsturfassociation.com | AUTUMN 2008 17
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T IGNORE THATCHKATERINA JORDAN, PLANT PATHOLOGIST & ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF PLANT AGRICULTURE, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
What Does It Do?Thatch and mat play an important role
in cushioning the turf surface, improvingwear tolerance, decreasing soil compact-ion and protecting the crown of the plant.However, when levels become excessive(usually more than 1.3 cm [0.5 in.], nu-merous issues can arise including:• increased pest damage• decreased water and nutrient retention• reduced water infiltration• decreased root health
Thatch is the intermingled layer of undecomposed organic material between the turf canopy and soil surface. It comprisesliving and dead plant tissue including shoots, stems and grass roots. The mat layer is the area of thatch mixed with soil,also found between the turf canopy and the soil surface, usually seen on golf course putting greens. It is often a result offrequent topdressing. Both thatch and mat are the subject of many turfgrass maintenance discussions and articles, prima-rily because excessive levels are responsible for a number of negative effects on the soil profile and turfgrass growth. Evenwith this wealth of information floating around, excess thatch continues to be an issue on a number of courses, whether onfairways, tees or greens. As such, this article will describe the effects of excess thatch, the factors that lead to its develop-ment and, most importantly, discuss preventative practices to reduce thatch levels.
• increased potential for localized dryspots
• reduced tolerance to extreme tempera-tures
• reduced efficacy of certain pesticides• higher potential for scalping and
crown damage
Thatch layers provide a haven for in-sects, weed seeds and overwintering struc-tures of disease pathogens. The highorganic matter content and large pore
Excess thatch layer
Cores, followingaerification, showing
thatch layer.
ADJACENT & TOP INSET, PAM CHARBONNEAUTOW
N OF OAKVILLE
18 AUTUMN 2008 | Sports Turf Manager
REIST INFIELDER72” width • Floating clod breaking pulverizer roller
& leveling bar • 6 section packer roller, reducesskidding during turns & comes with a 5 YEAR WARRANTY
Also features the first in spring loaded wing brushesOPTIONAL 48” width available & tow hitch
with adjustable wheelsThe BEST WARRANTY in the industry.
REIST AERASEEDER
Visit our website www.ReistIndustries.com
1-877-467-3478to preview a video presentation of our equipment.
Comes in widths of 24”, 48", 72" & 96"With the largest seed box capacity
The 72" will give you over 1700 perforations persquare yd • The base unit comes with front cone spike
or knifing tine roller and a solid rear packer rollerSeed is distributed through our ground drive mechanism
Peter Coon • Cell: 705-715-3760John Konecny • Cell: 905-376-7044
DISTRICT SALES MANAGERS
Cathy Wall • Cell: 416-802-4391PRODUCT MANAGER
Exclusive Distributors for hydraulic mulches featuringFlexterra FGM • Jet Spray • FlocLoc TackifierFuterra F4 Netless Erosion Control Blanket
www.sportsturfassociation.com | AUTUMN 2008 19
space makes it ideal for the developmentof chinch bugs, sod webworms andcutworms. Diseases such as gray snowmold (Typhula incarnata/ishikariensis)and dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpa)are able to overseason in the thatch layer.In addition, root diseases such as summerpatch (Magnaporthe poae) and take-allpatch (Gaeumannomyces graminis) aremore severe, due to overwintering andreduced stress tolerance. Stress-relateddiseases such as anthracnose (Colleto-trichum cereale) have also proven moresevere due to the decreased overall healthof the plant.
Water movement is also negatively af-fected. When thatch layers become exces-sive, roots and rhizomes (horizontal stems)are restricted to those layers, likely be-cause pore spaces are larger and easier totraverse. However, because of these largerpore spaces, water retention is quite poor.Over time, the plants suffer from droughtstress; the roots are in the thatch layer, butthe moisture is not. The lack of root growthin the soil layer beneath the thatch alsoreduces the porosity of the soil, often lead-ing to greater bulk density. More oftenthan not, areas suffering from excessivethatch for extended periods of time havecompacted soil underneath. At this point,water infiltration is often reduced, as thewater is trapped in the thatch layer andunable to penetrate the compacted soil.This further restricts root growth, as mois-ture is available only in the top layer be-neath the plant; roots can get water withoutgoing any deeper.
If the thatch is allowed to completelydry out, water repellency can occur. Be-cause thatch is primarily organic material,it is very difficult to re-wet after it hasdried. This often leads to localized dryspots. This, in turn, causes increased run-off and wasted water, as well as drought.All of these factors damage both root andoverall plant health. The roots remain shal-low and more prone to drought stress, butare also more susceptible to temperatureextremes as the large pore spaces cannotbuffer temperatures as well as the soillayer.
Excessive thatch layers can also reducepesticide and fertilizer efficacy. Manypesticides applied for weed, insect or dis-
ease management are organic in nature.Given the high organic matter content ofthatch, pesticides can get bound in thethatch layers and not reach their targets.In addition, the microorganisms thatbreak down thatch often break down thetrapped pesticides before they have thechance to be effective. Fertilizers mayalso get stuck in the thatch layer due todecreased infiltration. They may be lesseffective for the plant becausevolatilization of certain nitrogen sourcesis found to be greater in excess thatch lay-ers compared to soil.
Where Does It All Come From?Thatch develops naturally from the
breakdown of the various parts of theturfgrass plant. Excess thatch builds upwhen the rate of production of plant ma-terial exceeds the rate of decomposition.Most often, plant material that does noteasily decompose contributes to thatchlayers – namely stems, stolons, rhizomesand root tissue. These tissues are highlylignified and therefore much more resist-ant to microbial breakdown. Leaf bladesare about 80 per cent water and comprisedprimarily of cellulose, which is much
Finally, an excess thatch layer can leadto physical damage of the plant eitherthrough an exposed crown or mower scalp-ing. Thatch often raises the level of thecrown, making it and the plant more sus-ceptible to injury. In addition, the spongi-ness created by a thick thatch layerincreases the potential for mower scalp-ing due to bouncing of the equipment.Even if the plant is not scalped, the cut isoften uneven, which compromisesplayability.
more easily degradable than lignin. Thisis why, in most cases, leaving clippingson the surface will not significantly con-tribute to a thatch layer. However, if therate of growth greatly surpasses the rateof decomposition, thatch can result fromthe senescence of any plant materials.
Factors that can contribute to thatchdevelopment include turfgrass species andcultivar, excess nitrogen fertility or irri-gation, continual use of broad-spectrumpesticides, non-neutral pH levels and com-
Excessive thatch layers can also reduce pesticide and fertilizer efficacy.Both can get stuck in the thatch due to decreased infiltration and notreach their intended targets. Excessive thatch can also lead to physicaldamage of the plant through an exposed crown or mower scalping.
TOWN OF OAKVILLE
20 AUTUMN 2008 | Sports Turf Manager
pacted soils. Certain turfgrass species –including Kentucky bluegrass (Poapratensis), creeping bentgrass (Agrostisstolonifera) and velvet bentgrass(Agrostis canina) – are more prone todeveloping excess thatch than others.Within these species, different cultivarshave varying potential for thatch devel-
The effect of excess nitrogen fertilityon thatch development is related to in-creased growth. When high amounts ofquick-release nitrogen are added to turf,growth is often rapid, which leads to ex-cess thatch formation over time. Excessirrigation, use of broad-spectrum pesti-cides and highly acidic or alkaline soils
microorganisms function best at neutralpH levels (pH = 7.0); therefore highlyacidic or alkaline soils decrease microbialactivity and, subsequently, decompositionof thatch.
As mentioned earlier, soil compactioncan result from excess thatch levels, but itmay also contribute to thatch develop-ment. Highly compacted soils are resist-ant to root penetration and waterinfiltration and also have reduced porespace and subsequently oxygen availabil-ity. All of these factors lead to shallowrooting and reduced microbial activity inthe soil, both of which can lead to excessthatch formation.
What Can You Do About It?Knowing the contributing factors is the
first step towards prevention. Aside fromspecies or cultivar choice, many dailymaintenance decisions can affect the po-tential for thatch development.
• Use smaller amounts of nitrogenmore often to discourage a sudden flushof growth. If large amounts are applied
Soil compaction can result from excess thatch levels, but it may also con-tribute to thatch development. Highly compacted soils are resistant toroot penetration and water infiltration and also have reduced pore spaceand subsequently oxygen availability.
also lead to increased thatch developmentas they inhibit the microbial populationsresponsible for breakdown of the thatchmaterial. Excess irrigation often leads toreduced oxygen in the thatch and soil, rob-bing the organisms of the oxygen theyneed to function. Overuse of broad-spec-trum pesticides is also believed to reducemicrobial population levels. Finally, most
opment. Newer, finer-leafed cultivars ofcreeping bentgrass such as the A and Gseries are notorious for building excessthatch layers in a relatively short periodof time, as is velvet bentgrass. These spe-cies and cultivars are known for theirdense growth, which produces more ma-terial than can be broken down by themicroorganisms.
