IN WET WEATHER, Pene-Turfmakes soil more permeable, aiding

drainage and reducing runoff.

IN DRY WEATHER, Pene-Turfmeans better availability of capillarywater to keep grass from drying out.

Wet or DryPene-Turf Solves Soil Water Problems

For total soil maintenance, you can't beat Pene-Turf Soil Treatment.Extensive university and independent tests prove Pene-Turf makes soilmore permeable and less plastic. That means reduced erosion problems... better drainage in wet weather and better moisture availability in dryweather ...and better pesticide and herbicide incorporation.

Pene-Turf ...a cost-effective, basic part of any good management program.For more information, see your Pene-Turf representative today!

FOUR STAR. AGRICULTURALSERVICES, INC.

2275-N State Road 1, P.O. Box 463, Bluffton, Indiana 467141-800-348-2608

This product is available as Perk Soil Treatment in thefollowing states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA

Circle 115 on Reader Service Card

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HYDROTURFSYSTEM

THE HYDRO TURF MOISTURE SENSOR/CONTROLLER SYSTEM

The Hydroturf System has several advan-tages over other types of moisture sen-sor/controllers:

• Provides complete adjustability of theupper and lower saturation levels withineach watering zone.

• Saturation level can be read with an ana-log meter at any time.

• Highly accurate linear sensitivity tochanges in saturation levels.

• Instantaneous response to saturationlevel changes.

• Not affected by temperature, salts or fer-tilizers.

• Can be used with any time clock or oper-ate on a continuous 24 VAC supply.

• No need for any service or maintenancesuch as water filling, calibration, etc.

• Provides an override switch to allow forextra watering after fertilization or dur-ing hot weather.

• Can be installed and adjusted withoutpower from the clock

~[gPRO 0 U C T S, INC.

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DISTRIBUTOR INQUIRIES INVITED

Circle 124 on Reader Service Card

22 sports TURF

UNCERTAINTY MAYTEMPORARILY CURBSTADIUM INVESTMENT

Sports investors in Phoenix, Baltimore andOakland may be closer to their goal of havinga National Football League (NFL) franchisein their cities in the next few years, follow-ing a recent federal court ruling that the NFLhad violated antitrust regulations while com-peting with the United States FootballLeague (USFL). On the other hand, uncer-tainty caused by negotiations with the tel-evision networks, players and the USFL mayslow down any major new investment instadium fields.

Although the court may have convincedthe NFL that expansion is a good way tostay out of trouble, it's considered doubt-ful that the NFL owners will want to sharetelevision revenues with all USFL teams inthe event of a merger. Analysts speculatethat the major networks will not significantlyincrease, or may not even match, the lastfive-year contract worth $2.1 billion negotiat-ed by NFL Commissioner Pete Roselle in1982.

Some NFL owners have cut profits to thebone to pay players' salaries which havedoubled since the USFL started a biddingwar for talent. Meanwhile, the networks havebeen disappointed with ratings for many ofthe football programs they have aired in thepast four years.

USFL team owners have put their pro-posed 1986 fall season on hold since theydid not receive the enormous damages theyexpected to by proving that they had beendamaged by the NFL's tactics. The juryawarded them a single dollar, which wastripled as required under antitrust law. Theyalso are feeling the effects of high playersalaries and disappointing televisionrevenues.

In fact, had the USFL been awarded the$1.69 billion in damages it sought, the NFLwould have faced hard times. Although theUSFL plans an appeal, it appears that thecourt has secured the future of the NFL whilegetting the message across to expand andshare television revenues. The remainingUSFL owners may be hoping the appealwould provide leverage for them to gain firstrights to any expansion franchises.

To complicate matters further, the NFL'scontract with the Players Association runsout after this season. The players have listedfree agency as their first priority. This wouldpreserve the bidding war made possible dur-ing the past four years by a second profes-sional league.

With all these concerns, owners will beparticularly careful with money until theseissues have been resolved next year. Thefinancial horoscope for field investment isnot good for the next year.

On a final note, municipal stadiums host-ing current NFL teams may also be cau-tious about any major investments for tworeasons. First, Los Angeles Raiders own-er AI Davis won his case against Oakland,CA, in which a federal appeals court ruled

this summer that franchises could move free-ly. Secondly, owners of some current NFLfranchises may want to change cities dur-ing any possible expansion of the league.Instead of teams trading players, they maybe trading cities.

FIRST SURVEYDOCUMENTS INCREASEDTURF ACTIVITY

Managers of all types of sports turf report-ed, in their responses to the July/AugustsportsPOLL, that use of turf areas undertheir care had increased. All resortmanagers, stadium field superintendentsand university grounds managers said theirturf was experiencing greater play. Morethan 95 percent of park superintendentsreported greater turf use as did 89 percentof golf course superintendents.

In general, park superintendents have thelargest amount of turf to maintain with anaverage of 41a acres. They do this with anaverage of one maintenance crew memberper 20 acres. Approximately two thirds ofthe turf area is irrigated and an average ofthree applications of fertilizer are made dur-ing the year. Sixty percent of the parksresponding overseed for turf repair and win-terseeding.

Golf course superintendents are in chargeof an average of 165 acres of turf with onecrew member for each 15 acres. More thantwo thirds of the course is irrigated. Fair-ways are fertilized an average of three timesper year, tees eight times and greens 12times. More than 90 percent of the coursesare overseeded.

Resort grounds managers are responsiblefor an average of 150 acres, but they havemore people to perform the work, one per-son for each five acres. More than 80 per-cent of the turf is irrigated and five to sixapplications of fertilizer are made annual-ly. All resort grounds managers overseedto some extent.

University grounds managers care for 115acres of turf on average. The normal crewsize for this acreage is seven, for an aver-age of 15 acres per crew member. Less thanhalf (44 percent) of the area is irrigated andless than three applications of fertilizer aremade each year. Furthermore, overseed-ing is performed on less than a third of thecampuses.

Stadium field superintendents have anaverage of seven people to maintain 4.5acres of turf. Often, the stadium is just onepart of the superintendent's responsibilityand the crew performs other tasks. Twothirds of the stadiums are irrigated and threeapplications of fertilizer each year are stan-dard. Overseeding is practiced by all thestadium managers responding.

The sportsPOLL in this issue focuses onthe number and type of athletic tacltltlesmanaged by sports turf rnanaqers, We en-courage you to participate in these surveys.

The Ultimate Protection For Lakes And Ponds

FLOOD TESTSMILWAUKEE'S NEWDRAINAGE SYSTEM

With the anticipation of Noah, Harry Gillrepaired and improved Milwaukee Stadium'sold drainage system last fall between twohome stands by the Green Bay Packers.Gill, the field superintendent, had plannedthe new drainage system for years and fi-nally received approval last summer. Ev-ery penney spent on the drainage systemwas justified this summer when seven inchesof rain fell on Milwaukee in less than twohours ... the night before the Brewers wereto start another homestand.

"At midnight on Wednesday, we had fourfeet of water on the field," Gill details. "Bysix a.m. the infield was dry and we startedto pick up debris and mow for the game thatevening. The field was ready for play bynoon. We still had six inches of water in theclubhouse and my office and all my fileswere under water. But, the game was playedwithout a hitch, as scheduled."

The new network of nine-inch deep sand-filled slits spaced 20 inches apart acrossthe field had done its job. The drainage sys-tem, used on many European soccer fields,saved the Brewers from a rainout (See storyin July/August sports'Tlfftf"),

"The newspaper and television peoplewho had criticized the field heavily in thepast suddenly were praising it," boasts Gill.

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One headline read "Gill Exonerated." "Thestadium was the talk of the League thatweek.

TWO DEVELOPERS LINK UPFOR PHOENIX SPORTSCOMPLEX

The Phoenix Professional Sports Advi-sory Committee has recommended that twodevelopers, one from Phoenix and one fromSan Francisco, be awarded the exclusiverights to negotiate with the city for the de-sign, development and operation of a $150million, retractable dome stadium.

The two groups which would merge forthe project are the Phoenix Stadium Group,headed by San Francisco developer MichaelBlumenthal, and the Phoenix Sports andEntertaiment Complex, led by Martin Stonewho is the majority owner of the PhoenixFirebirds.

The multi-purpose dome stadium wouldseat 73,000 for football, 47,500 for base-ball and 25,000 for basketball. The com-plex would also feature offices, retail shops,residences and a hotel at an additional costof $153 million. The dome concept, pro-posed by the Stone group, was combinedwith the surrounding commercial andresidential development concept of theBlumenthal group. A 66-acre site in down-town Phoenix has been designated for thecomplex.

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NOTE: HIGH POINT OF MEMBRANETO BE AT LEAST 18 INCHES ABOVEHIGH WATER LINE

Circle 136 on ReaderServiceCard

The World's Most AdvancedTurf Aeration System

For the first time ever, CoreMasterenables your turf grass staff to im-prove aeration methods, speed com-paction relief and thatch control witha built-in variable depth and patterncontrol system, and the strongestpower source.

CoreMaster is the most innovativeand advanced hollow core aerationsystem today. Hard working, fast andversatile on all turf grass surfaces,CoreMaster aerates easily and effi-ciently. The result stimulates turfgrowth, insuring a healthier, safer,and more beautiful grass surface.

Put these CoreMaster advantages towork on your turf and enjoy thesenew benefits:

o fastest capacity ever and safest

o patented mechanical simplicity-fewer moving parts

o lower maintenance and greatreliability-built to last!

o touch control for coring depthsand patterns with many tine sizes

o new state of the art "quadra-tine"system, never before available

o additional attachments: verti-slicingseeding, core pickup systems andmore

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OversEBermuc

Tips For Achievi

The bermudagrass is scalped and the clippingsare removed.

By Arthur Bruneau, Joseph DiPaola, WiliiamLewis, William Gilbert and Leon Lucas

Bermudagrass usually stops growingand turns brown after the first hardfrost. It remains dormant until temper-

atures in the spring reach 60 degrees F.Each fall, many athletic fields are overseed-ed with cool-season grasses to improve turfappearance, traction, playability and weartolerance during bermudagrass winterdormancy.

Preparing bermudagrass for overseed-ing is a year-long process. Bermudagrassmust be healthy to withstand the harsh cul-tural practices and turf competition associat-ed with overseeding. Careful managementthroughout the entire growing season isneeded for successful overseediog ... ,.

Applications of lime, phosphorus andpotassium based on soil test reports alongwith proper mowing, watering and fertiliza-tion practices should be followed through-out the gr:.owing season.

24 sports TURF

Grooves are cut into the topsoil to receive the seed.

Late summer fertilizations should be lowin nitrogen and high in potassium to insurethat the bermudagrass will not be too com-petitive with the overseeded grasses andyet be healthy enough to withstand the over-seeding process.

Thatch control and the prevention andalleviation of compaction through verticalmowing (verticutting) and aerifying (coring)during the growing season should also bepracticed. All of these procedures are neces-sary to provide a good seedbed and dis-courage the need for heavy vertical mow-ing just prior to overseeding in the fall.

Successful overseeding can be done twoto three weeks prior to the expected fir-stfrost date or when the soil temperature atthe four-inch depth approaches 75 degreesF. Waiting until this time will minimize ber-mudagrass competition, optimize germina-tion and establishment of overseeded grass-

es and reduce seedling diseases. Other fac-tors, such as tournament play and specialevents, may dictate that seeding dates bealtered.

The reduction or removal of ber-mudagrass thatch to insure good seed-to-soil contact is critical to the successful es-'tablishment of cool-season grasses in ber-mudagrass turf. Athletic fields seldom re-quire the intensive preplant procedures ap-plied to golf greens and tees.

Extremely close mowing just prior to over-seeding is essential. Common ber-mudagrass, if sufficiently open, does notrequire heavy verticutting for removal ofthatch. However, moderate verticutting, lightslicing (rotating flat tines that slice throughthe soil) or coring and pulverizing of coresare advisable. Coring should be done severalweeks in advance of overseeding. Corescanbe broken up after drying by pulling a,. ," ,

edingJgrass:I Good Results

Clippings from scalping and thatch from verticutting are picked up with a vacuum beforeseeding.

chain link fence or mat over the surface.Intensively managed areas such as base-

ball fields should be filled with original rootzone mixture to bring them up to grade.

Annual and perennial ryegrasses are themajor grass species used for overseedingathletic fields. Both are very quick to es-tablish, relatively inexpensive and fairly weartolerant. Common perennial ryegrass shouldbe avoided because it is a hay or pasturetype. Only 'turf-type' perennial ryegrass cul-tivars should be chosen. These grasses,sometimes used on golf courses, are finertextured, denser, more uniform, and near-ly as fast to establish as annual ryegrass.They are also more disease, heat, and coldtolerant and make a smoother transition thanannual ryegrass. They are also more ex-pensive.

Another type of ryegrass, referred to asintermediate ryegrass, is now available. Cul-

tivars of intermediate ryegrass are moder-ate in performance compared to perenni-al ryegrass yet superior to annual ryegrass.

Cultivars of perennial ryegrass differ intheir fall performance and spring persis-tence. This is relatively unimportant to thehomeowner yet may be of prime importanceto those who maintain athletic fields. Cul-tivars that perform well in the fall and donot persist in the spring are the logical choicefor football fields that are used heavily inthe fall. Certain perennial ryegrasses, suchas Barry, Derby and Manhattan, have thesecharacteristics. Cultivars with late transition,such as Delray and Prelude, may be thelogical choice for soccer fields receiving alot of play in the spring.

Areas receiving heavy traffic may requirewear-resistant blends accompanied withoccasional reseeding. Entrances to soccergoals, areas in front of benches and turf be-

Seed is applied at a rate of 10 to 40 poundsper 1,000 square feet depending upon the site.

tween the hash marks are more subject towear and tear than other parts of the field.

Sports turf managers should always speci-fy at the time of purchase the minimum per-cent purity and germination that they willaccept. Overseeding mixes should not con-tain annual bluegrass. Seed producers whocertify their seed, test each lot of seed forgermination, purity and off-type seed.

The only way to be certain of these factsis to buy certified seed and read the bluetag attached to the bag. Any crop or weedseed content will be listed. Crop is definedas any plant material that is grown for profit.Many difficult to control weeds, such as or-chardgrass, can be found in this category.

Sports turf managers should plan aheadand place their seed orders early enoughto insure that the desired seed and seedquality will be available. Seed companies

continued on page 26

September 1986 25

A granular fungicide is applied to avoid an outbreak of pythium during germination. Nonitrogen is applied, just phosphorus.

Overseeding Bermudagrasscontinued from page 25

are recommending that orders for specificvarieties of perennial ryegrass be placedno later than spring since the latest seedharvest may not meet existing demand.

Treating seed with fungicides, such asmetalaxyl (Apron) or etridiazole (Koban) orspraying before or after seeding with Kobanor metalaxyl (Subdue) will reduce the poten-tial for seedling loss due to pythium diseases.This is extremely important for early over-seeding.

Remember to purchase extra seed forrepairing small areas over the winter thatmay be damaged by pests, weather or traffic.Accurate measurement of the areas to beseeded and the seeding rate will assure thatonly the right amount of seed is purchased.Any extra seed should be stored in a cool,dry place to retain germination.

Seeding rates depend on the grass orgrasses being used and the density of theturf desired. Grasses with small seed suchas bentgrass and rough bluegrass can beseeded at lower rates compared to grass-es with large seed such as annual andperennial ryegrass, yet still provide a com-parable number of plants per given area.Areas receiving a lot of traffic will have tobe seeded at higher rates compared to areaswhere winter color is the main objective.Higher seeding rates will increase cost butmay enhance cover and establishment.Avoid planting at excessively low or highseeding rates to prevent thin, open turf andthe incidence of disease.

Unlike bermudagrass, ryegrass does nothave the ability to spread and fill in whereseed does not land. A uniform green turfcan only be achieved if the seed is appliedaccurately and uniformly. To insure uniform

Greens can be lightly topdressed with sand to help cover the seed.

26 sportsTURF

coverage, use a centrifugal (rotary) or drop-type spreader, applying half the seed in onedirection and the other half moving at rightangles to the first pass. A drop spreaderis preferred for defining the margins of over-seeded areas.

Athletic fields should be dragged withchain link fence, carpet drag or somethingcomparable. Topdressing may not be neces-sary except on intensively managed ortrafficked areas. All equipment and person-nel involved in seeding, topdressing andmatting operations should be confined tothe area being overseeded to avoid spread-ing seed and to maintain clean definitiveedges. Use carpet to clean shoes and equip-ment before leaving the overseeded area.

Intensively managed areas planted withuntreated seed may need to be treated im-mediately after seeding with a fungicide forpythium control. Brown patch may also killseedlings in circular patches. These dis-eases are especially active when temper-ature and humidity are high. Become familiarwith seedling diseases and apply appropriatefungicides as needed.

As soon as possible begin to lightly waterthe new seedlings just enough to moistenthe surface without causing puddling ormovement of the seed. Do this four or fivetimes daily for a week to ten days. Gradu-ally reduce the frequency and increase theduration of irrigation until the ryegrass iswell established. After establishment, irri-gation should be deep and infrequent. Waterto a depth of six inches and wait until yousee signs of moisture stress, such as blue-green appearance, leaf curl or foot printsthat remain on the turf. In cool weather, theryegrass may need to be watered only onceevery two weeks.

Germination will depend on the type ofoverseeded grass and the age of the seed.Ryegrass germination can occur in less thanseven days under favorable conditionswhereas bluegrass may take as long as twoto three weeks.

Begin mowing as soon as the new standis 30 to 40 percent taller than the desiredmowing height. Infields are usually mowedat 1/2 to 3/4 inches, while outfields, soc-cer fields and football fields are cut at 3/4to 11/2 inches. New seedlings must bemowed when relatively dry using a sharpblade. This will reduce the chance of pull-ing or damaging the seedlings.

Do not fertilize at the time of overseed-ing because this may encourage ber-mudagrass recovery. There should be suffi-cient tertlllzerln the soil and food reserveswithin the seed to allow for proper germi-nation. Begin to fertilize shortly after shootemergence (three weeks after seeding) andcontinue until cold weather halts growth ofbermudagrass. This normally requires theapplication of 1/4 to 1/2 pound per 1,000square feet of quick release (water soluble)nitrogen every two to three weeks or 1/2to one pound per 1,000 square feet ofcontrolled-release nitrogen each month.Remember to maintain adequate levels ofphosphorus and potassium for good plant

growth based on soil test results.Wear from traffic should be minimized

whenever possible. Reduce compaction onathletic fields by keeping field use to a mini-mum when wet. Postpone play or use analternate site for team and band practice.Move non-stationary goals so that play willnot be concentrated in a given area. Keeptraffic off all areas whenever the ground isfrozen, frost is present or shortly after sur-face thaws.

In the spring bermudagrass resumesgrowth when soil temperatures approach60 degrees F. The aim is to aid the transi-tion from the cool-season grass back to thebermudagrass. Some cool-season grass-es, especially the new agressive, heat-tolerant perennial ryegrasses, can success-fully compete with bermudagrass. This canresult in poor spring transition.

When night temperatures approach 60degrees F. begin mowing the overseededturf lower. This will stress the ryegrass,reduce its ability to compete with the ber-mudagrass and help the soil warm up faster.

Avoid applications of fertilizer duringspring green-up to prevent injury to the ber-mudagrass and to discourage the cool-season grasses. Maintain adequate soilmoisture to encourage the rooting of thebermudagrass.

When cool weather delays bermudagrassgreenup and the field needs to be perfectfor a late spring event, some sports turfmanagers apply pronamide (Kerb) to selec-

The overseeded area is lightly dragged with a piece of carpet to smooth the surface.

tively kill ryegrass in bermudagrass turf. The ature to encourage bermudagrass greenupidea is to eliminate the competition of the are covering the field to create a greenhouseryegrass. Other grasses that will be effect and dying the turf so it will absorbdamaged by pronamide are annual blue- more heat from sunlight. These techniquesgrass, bentqrass, Kentucky bluegrass, red should be tried on a limited area first tofescue, tall fescue and St. Augustinegrass. gauge safety and effectiveness.Bermudagrass, bahiagrass, buffalograss,centipedegrass and zoysiagrass are toler-ant of the herbicide.

Other methods of increasing soil temper-

EDITOR'S NOTE: The authors are on thefaculty of North Carolina State University,Raleigh.

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Circle 120 on Reader Service Card

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Circle 121 on Reader Service Card September 1986 27

Instant BeautyIN 6 TURF SOD VARIETIES

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Circle 118 on Reader Service Card

llnfUPWITH THE PRORugged Jiffy Line Stripers are proven

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Circle 119 on Reader Service Card

28 sports TURF

AUSTRALIAN INVENTIVENESS CHANGES THE AERIFIER

Livingstone demonstrates th.e stability of his PTO-powered aerifier on the edge of a sandtrap.

Seven years ago David Livingstone'screativity was limited to numbers onfinancial statements for an interna-

tional bank in Sydney, Australia. The sonof an inventor, Livingstone's mind wouldwander to some strange subjects for abanker. For example, why did the opera-tor of the turf aerifier at his local "bowlingclub" have to walk backward? If he coulddesign an aerifier that worked twice as fast,could his neighbor's contract aerficiation bus-iness be more profitable?

It wasn't long before Livingstone'sdaydreams turned into reality. While doinghis neighbor's taxes he learned the busi-ness was for sale. It was his chance to testhis ideas first hand. The deal was signedand Livingstone started to put his idea's fora better aerifier down on paper. But, in themeantime, he used the American machinesto do his jobs.

"My only interest at the time was to geta marketing edge for my aerification serv-ice," said Livingstone. Manufacturing hadnot crossed his mind. "An associate tookmy sketches, which changed almost weekly,and started putting together this machine."

Livingstone had a list of things he want-ed his aerifier to do. He wanted to eliminatethe power source from the unit and use alight-weight tractor instead. The operatorwas to face forward. Moving parts were tobe reduced to a minimum and all high-wearing parts were to be easily reached forservice. He wanted a wider swath and a wayto change the pattern of the tines.

In 1982, Livingstone's prototype wasready. He quickly discovered that conven-tional tines did not work well at the speedhis machine ran. New tines were designed.He was working days aerifying anyone of120 bowling clubs and golf courses in theSydney area and repairing his old aerfiersand inventing at night. He became extremelysensitive to occupational irritations like heavyvibration, leaking hydraulic lines and hard-to-reach lubrication fittings. Every un-necesary moving part was axed in hisdesign.

He tried all types of aerifiers by callingon his golf course friends. When he finallyreturned to these golf courses with his pro-totype, he padlocked the lid so no one couldsee how it worked inside. When the lockwas finally removed and the lid opened, thecommon remark was "It looks so simple."

There have been more changes sinceLivingstone started manufacturing his aerifierunder the name CoreMaster. Today, Green-Care International in Fountain Valley, CA,handles manufacturing, distribution and mar-keting in the U.S. and Canada. "Now, thesuperintendent controls the machine, notthe other way around," boasts Livingstone.He can vary the tine pattern and depth.Repairs are fewer. No longer does he haveto go over a green two or three times to getthe core pattern he wants. "We are givingthe superintendent a fair go," he states.

There are a few lessons to be learned fromLivingstone's experience. When you haven'tgrown accustomed to a certain performance

from a machine, you are more likely to wantto change it. Secondly, it helps those whodesign machinery to operate and maintaintheir prototypes to see practical shortcom-ings they overlooked.

Because Livingstone's exposure to aer-ifiers was brief before he started redesigningthem, his standards were different. Thingshe saw superintendents accept, he reject-ed. As a contractor, his need for a fast, relia-ble machine was closely felt. The fact thatthis was his chance to prove himself as aprivate businessman made success veryimportant to him. His lack of engineeringbackground may have caused a few rede-signs, but it brought new thought to a stan-dard way of doing things.

But, when it came to marketing his in-vention, Livingstone wanted someone ex-perienced in the existing international dis-tribution structure of turf products. He metan American in Sydney who travelled ex-tensively selling artificial turf to sports com-plexes in Australia, Korea, Malaysia, Indone-sia and Europe. Livingstone created an in-ternational marketing company calledGreenCare International and made theAmerican, Dale Hansen, executive vicepresident.

Australian inventors are the source ofmuch new thinking on aerifier design today.Banks Multicore is another Australian com-pany marketing new concepts in aerifica-tion in North America today. The Toro Com-

The Banks Multicore aerifier also originated in Australia.

pany purchased the marketing rights of Roh,a New Zealand manufacturer of aerifiers.

The opportunity provided in Australia toserve hundreds of bowling clubs, golfcourses and sports stadiums has broughtnew energy and technology to the aerifier

business. The growing use of aerifiers inthe United States has made this market at-tractive to Australian companies. These com-panies are bound to influence the competi-tive business of aerifier. manufacturing inthe coming years. eJ?:;,.

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• Offers a wide range of turfgrass, flower,native, legume and reclamation grassseeds.

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Circle 122 on Reader Service Card

• Sprayers • Soil Samplers• Fertilizers • Herbicides• Winches • Soil Test Kits• Nursery & Landscaping Tools• Tree & Seed Planting Equipment• Tree Markers, Paint &

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Circle 123 on Reader Service Card

Headquarters1·800·241·6401In Georgia1·800·241·3136In Atlanta(404) 455·0907

Western Division1·800·547·8813Including AK & HIIn Oregon1·800·452·9010In Eugene(503) 344·5468

September 1986 29

Taking the GuessworkOut of Water ConservationThousands of years have passed since

the Romans constructed their vastnetwork of aqueducts to deliver water

from remote rivers to fields and cities whereit was needed.

Although the feat of constructing suchaqueducts was impressive, the concept ofgetting water from its source to where it'sneeded was very simple. Since then, wehave greatly refined water delivery methods.We have harnessed rivers with dams andpiped water thousands of miles for use incities and farms. From there, water is fur-ther propelled by pumps and computers toprecise locations where it is needed. Fromrivers to tiny drip tubing, we control the deliv-ery of water.

We have concentrated nearly all our ener-gy and resources on getting water from oneplace to another with tremendous success.Now, some of these resources are beingredirected to a more complicated yet equallyimportant concept-turning the water off

when a plant's needs have been met.This has been Bill Pogue's mission for

more than five years. Pogue. president ofthe Irrometer Company, knows it's only amatter of time before moisture sensingdevices become an integral part of all largelandscape irrigation systems.

"With rising labor, energy and water costs,irrigation system management has to im-prove," stresses Pogue. "No longer can wedelegate operation and maintenance of valu-able irrigation systems to seasonal or un-skilled workers. Irrigation has become con-siderably more complex in the past tenyears. As a result, training is an absolutenecessity. Once a person is trained, he ismore valuable to his employer and shouldbe paid accordingly."

Landscape contractors and golf coursesuperintendents have reacted slowly to risingwater costs and water shortages in gener-al. On many golf courses, maintaining lush,verdant turf has taken precedence over the

Typical moisture sensing "location." One "short" and one "longer" probe to monitor boththe shallow and deep portions of the root system.

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cost of water. Recently, superintendentshave begun to restrict irrigation in responseto research proving that overwatering en-courages diseases and weeds. Communi-ties, after experiencing droughts, have en-couraged golf courses to be more respon-sible about water conservation,

Municipalities and parks, however, havebecome extremely concerned about use.Their irrigation systems tend to be vast andlocated in many separate areas. The laboralone to keep huge systems functioningproperly is expensive. Municipalities withlimited tax bases will let some areas gowithout irrigation rather than pay rising waterand labor costs. However, they have alsobeen willing in many cases to invest fundsin advanced irrigation controls to reducelabor costs in the long run.

For the most part, irrigation system oper-ators have been guessing how long and howfrequent irrigation cycles should be. Even thelatest computerized irrigation systems areoriginally programmed according to gues-timates. The first time an irrigation managerturns on his computer he faces a convenient,organized format of blanks. But, before thesystem will apply the first drop of water, hemust fill in these blanks with estimates anddata from his previous controller. Later, hecan adjust the program based upon fieldobservations. With 50 or more heads thatrefinement can be very time consuming.

Once all cycles are adjusted to averageweather conditions, various sensors can beadded to alert the computer to increase ordecrease irrigation based upon weather con-ditions. For example, a rain-activated switchcan signal the central controller to turn offirrigation in progress. Evaporation indica-tors can tell a central controller to irrigatemore or less frequently. Data from a localor on-site weather station can be fed intosome advanced computers to adjust irriga-tion cycles.

As water becomes more scarce and morecostly, there is a definite trend today towardusing sensing devices to turn water on oroff. By the nature of their task, however,these devices are more complicated andrequire more knowledge to operate.

Only in the last 15 years have universi-ties started research into the water needsof turf and ornamentals. Armed with the newinformation gleaned from this research, soiland plant scientists have developed formulasbased on weather conditions, solar radia-