a better appearance on the thick ber-mudagrass. After two weeks of zo-hour workdays, Kuykendahl had the field ready forits debut. "It was tough at first, especiallywhen I realized how much Joe Robbie hadput into the success of the stadium," saysKuykendahl. "I kept in constant touch withDr. Daniel, Laurel Meade, Harry Gill, SteveWightman, Turner Gibson and Bill Wilson.They helped me through the initial problemsso I could concentrate on the PAT system."

The primary aspect of the PAT systemKuykendahl had to learn was the portionthat senses and controls the amount ofmoisture in the root zone. Ten pairs ofmoisture sensing probes are imbedded inthe sand field. Each pair of probes is locatedapproximately 20 feet away from the secondsprinkler of each irrigation zone. The twoprobes are placed 20 inches apart from eachother. Probes are placed in the top twoinches of the root zone and four inches be-low the surface. Using feedback from theprobes Kuykendahl knows the surface andsubsurface moisture levels in various loca-tions around the field.

If the probes indicate the desired levelof moisture has been reached it will halt fur-ther irrigation. A time clock also restrictssurface irrigation to early morning. WhenKuykendahl fertilizes he has to override themoisture control system to water thenutrients into the soil. "It sounds complicated,but it works great once you understand it,"

After calcined clay was mixed into the top three inches of sand, the field was irriga-ted to bring moisture levels up to specifications.

he says.Daniel provided Kuykendahl with a year-

round schedule for the PAT system. Dur-ing the winter (November through April) allgravity drains are open and moisture is ap-plied as needed by the surface irrigationsystem. During the summer, however, thegravity drains are closed and both surface

and subsurface irrigation are used. Thedrains are opened only in case of exces-sive rainfall.

In the case of heavy rain, the gravity drainsare closed and the valves to the two pumpsare opened. To override the moisture con-trol system the control is set higher than

continued on page 38

(rear view)

MODEL SU·900 SPIKER-Aerates Soil. Punches holes in turf to provide entranceof water and air to grass root system.-Angle Front Rollers. Front rollers are adjustable fore andaft to allow for deslred crabbing for turf disturbance.-Creates a Seed Bed With Loose Soil.-Insures Good Seed Germination.-Overseedlnq or Reseeding Without Damage To Turf.

-Any Seed or Seed/Fertilizer, Box Combination Can BeMounted. Brush On Spiker Is Optional.MODEL SU·660 SEEDERSingle Section Large Capacity Seed Box. Seed controlledby precision metered gears. Easy mounting and dismount-ing agitator to insure constant flow of seed.

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Circle 117 on Postage Free Card October, 1987 21

NFL PLA YERS WRITE TURFINTO CONTRACT

In the future, all open-dome stadiums willbe natural turf if the National Football LeaguePlayers Association (NFLPA) reaches agree-ment with the NFL owners during negotia-tions for a new three-year contract. NFLPAhas asked for conversion of all outdoor stadi-ums with artificial turf to natural turf and aban on artificial turf at future open-air stadi-ums. The group made a similar request forits previous contract but dropped the issueduring a last minute compromise.

John Macik, sports medicine coordina-tor for the NFLPA, has conducted surveyson field-related injuries at NFL stadiums inpreparation for the negotiations. His resultsindicate that artificial surfaces were respon-sible for twice as many career-threateninginjuries as natural turf. Macik has also report-ed players greatly prefer natural turf.

NFLPA has also asked for a joint-sponsored safety study of many differentareas of professional football. The studywould evaluate safety of fields, equipmentand programs during mini-camps and train-ing camps. "The players are seriously con-cerned about anything that can permanentlyharm them and shorten their careers," statesMacik. "We have the data to prove to theowners that natural is safer. In many cases,the owners (of the teams) do not own theirhome stadium. NFLPA believes the own-

ers, as important stadium tenants, have suffi-cient influence to have fields converted tonatural turf."

At presstime, the negotiators have failedto reach agreement. The players went onstrike September 21. The owners cancelledall scheduled games for one week and havesaid they will field teams the following weekconsisting of players willing to cross the pick-et lines and those who were cut before theseason started. "The only thing we havereached agreement on so far is the lengthof the contract," said Dee Rauch, NFLPA'spublic affairs officer.

GROUND BROKEN FORSPORTS TURF CENTER

The first two acres of turf research plotshave been installed by University of Mis-souri staff at Powell Gardens in Lone Jack,MO, to begin development of a NationalSports Turf Research Center. The Univer-sity is working in cooperation with the $80million Powell Foundation and DuraTurf En-terprises Inc. of Leawood, KS, to developa facility on a 240 acre site east of KansasCity to serve as a center for U.S. sports turfresearch.

Dr. David Minner from the university'sdepartment of horticulture in Columbia,planned and supervised construction of thefirst plots in August. A two-acre site was

graded and irrigation was installed beforea variety of sports turf root zones were seed-ed. Minner plans to place the various rootzones and types of turfgrass under an as-sortment of maintenance and wear tests.Minner and his staff operate out of two con-struction trailers, one containing a small soilslaboratory.

Construction of the first permanent build-ing should begin this spring, according toDavid Doherty, president of DuraTurf. Hiscompany will pay for the 14,000 square footbuilding to contain a state-of-the-art soil test-ing laboratory, classrooms, offices, a smalldormitory, and equipment storage. The com-pany will make the facilities available to theuniversity for research and teaching. A com-puter data bank of sports turf specificationsand research results will also be availableboth nationally and internationally.

Doherty hopes to provide a 48-hour tur-naround soil testing service as soon as thelab is completed. "Who can wait two to threeweeks for results of a soil test?" asks Do-herty. "Sports turf managers should test theirsoil frequently and that means they needresults quickly."

Minner has completed the first grantproposal for the Center asking for $460,000over a three-year period from the state'sResearch Assistance Act. The funds wouldbe used to conduct research at the LoneJack facility. He plans to apply for a feder-al grant as well.

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22 sportsTURF

"The idea is to select the best perform-ing combinations of root zone and turfgrassfrom the research plots and use them toconstruct between two and five foot-ball/soccer fields as soon as possible," ex-plains Doherty. "We want our young ath-letes to play all out on these state-of-the-art fields to show us which is the safest andmost durable. Comprehensive data will bekept on each field and made available tothe public. Then, for once, we won't haveto keep repeating the same mistakes at theexpense of our kids' knees, ankles andshoulders."

CHICAGO TO INSTALLNATURAL TURF ATSOLDIER FIELD

The Chicago Park District has agreed toreplace the eight-year-old Astroturf in SoldierField with natural turf after repeated requestsby the Chicago Bears. Natural turf was con-sidered when the current field was installedin 1979 but lost a price struggle to the ar-tificial surface. Two years ago the Bearsasked again for natural turf when it becameapparent the resiliency of the pad under thefield was failing. General Manager MichaelMcCaskey has consistently stated that hewants the Bears, "To play on real greengrass under the blue sky."

Astroturf Industries has been testing theresiliency of the field every summer. KenMrock, supervisor of maintenance for thestadium and six golf courses for the ChicagoPark District, explains that gas bubbles origi-nally contained in the pad have rupturedmaking the field harder. Mrock keeps thefield covered most of the time to preventmoisture from getting into the pad and freez-ing during cold weather. He also blows heat-ed air from Kerosene heaters under the tarpto soften the pad for winter games.

Bears management, especially coachMike Ditka, have not concealed their inten-tion to build another stadium in the Chica-go area. Difficulty finding the right location

. has delayed the move and the team's leaseat Soldier Field extends into the 1990s. Oncea site and financing are obtained, it wouldtake three or more years to build. Joe Rob-bie's success in Miami building a privately-financed stadium has encouraged Bearsmanagement.

"The stadium has been renovated andis in good shape except for the field," ex-plains Mrock. It currently seats 66,000 fansand has 65 skyboxes. "There's not a badseat in the house. It's tough to find a loca-tion as good as Soldier Field." The stadi-um is situated on Lake Michigan near theLoop and McCormick Place.

"I'd like to see natural turf," says Mrock."It's not my decision to make, but that's myopinion. You can tell the players and

coaches like it better. That should be worthsomething when you compare the cost ofone against the other."

BOARDWALK ANDBASEBALL PREPARESFOR THE ROYALS

Kansas City Royals General Manager JohnSchuerholz (left) and Boardwalk & BaseballPresident Dick Howard examine a model ofthe 6,500·seat stadium to host the Royals forspring training in 1988. The facility is 25 ml-nutes from Orlando, Florida.

awn Maintenance

;e the heavy duty wheeled blowW to move large quantities of leaves~ard the tnx«

The TRTruckLoader System

The intake hose vacuums leaves piled up around the truck and sends themthrough the four-bladed steel impeller in the truck loade[ By crushing leavesand debris into small particles, the impeller greatly reduces bulk. This allows

the truck to hold more debris and prevents operators from having to unloadthe truck as often.

Circle 118 on Postage Free Card October, 1987 23

Sports Turf NutritionA Special Diet For High

Ground·driven rotary spreader.

Statisticians keep records on somestrange yet important facts. For ex-ample, people spend more than a

third of their life sleeping, more than a fourthof it working or commuting to work, and near-ly a tenth of it eating. With all that time in-vested we should concentrate on makingthe most of it.

If these same statisticians evaluated thedaily routine of sports turf managers, theywould no doubt find a large portion of theirday is spent on the basics of mowing, fer-tilization and irrigation. There are other, moreexciting aspects of the job that draw theirattention away from the basics, but the bestsports turf managers remain vigilant to theirskill in the basics.

To the novice, fertilization seems simple,yet it is the most complicated of the basicmanagement practices for sports turf. Fer-tilization provides the diet of the turfgrassplant. A poor diet results in weak turf in-capable of recovery from the wear inflict-ed upon it by sports. A rich diet results inlush turf that is vulnerable to diseases andinsects, requires more mowing than neces-sary, and favors foliage growth at the ex-pense of important root growth.

PTO·powered pendulum spreader.

24 sportsTURF

The sports turf manager must determinethe amounts of important nutrients need-ed by high-use turf and the rates at whichthey need to be replenished. These amountswill typically be different than amounts con-sidered adequate for utility or lawn turf. Turfunder stress utilizes nutrients differently thanturf in a standard lawn situation. Withouta special diet, sports turf is unable torecuperate and will deteriorate with repeatedfield use.

The amount of nutrients required by sportsturf is greatly influenced by the conditionof the soil. As mentioned in the article inthe September issue by Eliot Roberts andFred Grau titled The Living Soil, clay andhumus particles in the soil serve as storageand exchange sites for nutrients. Theamount of clay and humus in the soil willaffect the amount of fertilizer that needs tobe applied during the growing season.Greens, tees and some athletic fields areconstructed largely of sand to improvedrainage and prevent compaction. Theseareas typically require more frequent ap-plications of nutrients than clay/loam soils.

The acidity or alkalinity of the soil can alsoimpact fertilizer rates. The measurementused to describe soil acidity/alkalinity is pH.Even though sufficient levels of nutrientsmay be present in the soil, they may notbe fully available to the turfgrass roots whenthe pH is below 5.5 or above 7. Sports turfsoils should be amended to be within thisrange so the full benefit of fertilizer is ob-tained. It should also be noted that acidityor alkalinity can hamper the decompositionof thatch and organic matter in the soil.

To lower the pH in alkaline soils or sitesirrigated with alkaline water, apply sulfurin the fall or spring after aeration. Fertiliz-ers containing sulfur can also be used ina maintenance program to slowly reducethe pH of alkaline soils. Some of these areammonium sulfate, sulfur-coated urea,potassium sulfate, sulfate of potash and fer-rous sulfate.

The pH of acid soils can be raised by ap-plying lime or dolomitic limestone to the turfin the spring or fall after aeration. Fertiliz-ers containing sulfur should be avoided onturf with acid soil conditions. Correcting soilpH problems may take a series of applica-tions of soil conditioners.

Soil testing is the first step to achieving

a balanced turf diet. Every sports turfmanager should have a soil probe in his ve-hicle to pull plugs for soil testing. Pull threeor four plugs from each critical turf site andmix them together in an envelope. The soilslab can provide envelopes for this purpose.A two week wait from the time you send thesamples to the lab until you receive theresults is typical so send in the samples afew weeks before you intend to fertilize.

A $40 investment in soil testing can savehundreds of dollars in fertilizer or pesticidesduring the year. The test results should pro-vide soil pH, soil type, organic matter con-tent, and levels of all major and minornutrients. An additional test that providesthe sports turf manager with valuable in-formation is a percolation test. This test ratesthe soil on how well water drains throughit. Most soils labs provide recommendationsfor correcting soil and nutrient deficiencies.By repeating these tests periodically andrecording all fertilizer applications as theyare made, you will have a good handle onturf nutrition.

These tests help you select the rightamounts and combinations of nitrogen (N),phosphorus (P) and potassium (I<) and othernutrients for your fertilizer program.However, it is up to the sports turf managerto select from a wide variety of sources foreach of these nutrients. He can purchaseeach of the primary nutrients separately orbuy "complete" fertilizers that have beenpremixed or formulated to contain nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium. Dry, premixedfertilizers are less expensive than formu-lated products. The dry components arecarefully mixed together by the manufac-turer, but the individual components maynot remain perfectly mixed when appliedwith rotary spreaders. The heavier particlesin these fertilizers can be thrown farther thanthe lighter particles by the spreadingmechanism.

Manufacturers also formulate fertilizersto combine all the nutrients onto particlesof a "carrier," such as ground corn cobs,clay or perlite. This eliminates inconsisten-cies when the products are applied and pro-vides the same proportion of nutrients evenlyto the turf. Both mixed and formulated dryfertilizers should be watered into the soilsoon after application.

Gravity feed drop spreader.

Traffic Areas

Ground·driven boom sprayer.

continued on page 28

October, 1987 25

Hinspergers Poly Industries Ltd.'s

EVERGREEN is designed with the superintendents and turf managers convenience in mind.The covers are lightweight and strong, for easy handling. The one-piece construction andsimple anchoring peg system allow installation or removal in loss than half an hour per cover,These simple steps are all that's needed to provide trouble-free protection and enhancedgermination throughout the year.

PROVIDES FROST AND COLDWEATHER PROTECTION to therecreation and horticulturalmarkets throughout NorthAmerica and Europe. Preventsdesiccation from strong windsand keeps soil temperaturesseveral degrees warmer than thesurrounding areas. EVERGREENis 85% transparent allowing grassto receive the proper amount ofsunlight to survive winter and geta head start on growth in earlyspring.

~

Healthy root development isalready underway very earlyin spring.

ENHANCED GERMINATION.EVERGREEN covers create

~

a greenhouse effectstimulating more rapidgrowth than uncoveredgrasses.

Acting as a soil blanket,EVERGREEN covers retainnecessary heat for plant growthwhile the patented weaveconstruction allows the cover to"breathe", minimizing the riskassociated with excessively hightemperatures.Minimizes water requirements byretaining soil moisture near newlyplanted sprigs and seed at thesoil surface.

I

multi-purposeprotective turf

cover and self-containedgrowing enhancement system

is fast becoming the most popular and talkedabout covering system available in the marketpiace today!• Application proven and supported by leading

superintendents and turf managers throughoutNorth America and Europe.

• This multi-purpose turf covering system is nowbeing used year-round throughout NorthAmerica and Europe.

• Our industry's first and only one-piece coveringsystem shipped complete with fasteninghardware and storage bag.

FEATURES:• Permits air and water circulation.• Cover will not absorb water.• Resists rot and mildew.• Debris will not adhere to the cover.• One-piece construction eliminates

overlap marks and discoloration.• Six (6) standard sizes: 12' x 50', 24' X 50',

48' X 60',60' X 90',72' X 90' and 84' x 110'.• Custom sizes available upon request.

Unique one-piece construction is easy to install.

1) EVERGREEN is 2) The cover is unrolledremoved from its handy onto the green or tee.storage bag.

3) The cover is unfolded 4) EVERGREEN isonto green or tee. secured with anchoring

pegs supplied witheach cover.

v ~U""E:nll~ I E:I~UE:I~ I ~

AND TURF MANAGERS THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE

After aerating, reseeding and topdressing various areas on the golf coursethis past fall, we installed our Evergreen covers. The results were excellent!Good growth continued even during cold, dormant growing conditions.These areas went from 60% coverage to nearly 100% in early spring.Healthy root development was well underway. The Evergreen coveringsystem extended our growing season at least one month in the fall andspring while providing winter protection.

)

"Over the past few years we have tested a variety of materials designed Iprotect our greens throughout the winter. In late fall we installed 18Evergreen one-piece covers. Installation and removal was easy and tookless than one day. Our covers can now be re-used for years to come. Thi.unique Evergreen covering system is exactly what I was looking for and Irecommend them as a positive management technique. "

"Evergreen one-piece covering systems not only protected our greens from desiccation throughout thepast two harsh winters, they also created a greenhouse effect stimulating more rapid growth andenhanced healthy root development in early spring compared to uncovered grasses."

SEEING IS BELIEVING! PROVEN RESULTS FROM THE LARGESTMANUFACTURERS OF PROTECTIVE COVERS IN NORTH AMERICA

Introducing our unique, lightweight GOLF CART COVERS.. Manufactured from the highest quality U.v. treated

woven polyethylene.FEATURES: Lightweight, approximately 2 Ibs. each• Can be shipped via U.P.S .• Approximate shippingsize: 11" x 11" x 3". Strong enough to last severalyears under normal use, regardless of climaticconditions • Attractive silver color designedspecifically to reflect the sun's rays, eliminatingcondensation • Installed by one (1) in minutes• Complete with non-rusting loops and non-abrasivetightening system.

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Circle 119 on Postage Free Card

Sports Turf Nutritioncontinued from page 25

Application uniformity is also high whenfertilizers are applied as liquids. Nutrientsthat are in liquid form, soluble in water orthat can be suspended in water are avail-able. As long as these materials are com-patible with others in the same tank, theyprovide very even distribution to the turf area.

In all cases, spreaders and sprayersshould be checked and recalibrated beforeapplying fertilizers to make sure distribu-tion of the granules or sprays is equal acrossthe width of the swath. One method of avoid-ing potential problems with gaps or over-laps is to apply a half rate of the materialin two directions. A colorant can be addedto liquid fertilizers for visible proof of skipsand overlapping. Use the same spreaderor sprayer to apply fertilizers to an impor-tant turf area to avoid inconsistencies causedby differences in the equipment.

Fertilizers, whether they are mixed or for-mulated, complete or incomplete, liquid ordry may contain a wide variety of nutrientsources. The sports turf manager needs toknow how these different nutrient sourceswill affect his turf.

The most important component is nitro-gen. Each nitrogen source has its own burnpotential and rate at which it releases nitro-gen. Commercially produced organic fer-tilizers, such as CompGro and Milorganite,contain a low percentage of nitrogen andrelease it slowly as they break down. Theirburn potential is extremely low. However,it takes larger amounts of these productsto provide the same amount of nitrogen asother sources.

Urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium ni-trate and potassium nitrate are synthetic(man-made) sources of nitrogen. They arealso the most economical sources of nitro-gen for turf. However, these synthetics con-tain much greater percentages of nitrogenthan organic sources, release it much fasterand have higher burn potentials. The sportsturf manager should check his applicationequipment and rates carefully when usingthese products.

These quick-release fertilizers can becompared to sugar. Sugar breaks downquickly in water and provides the personwho consumes it with a short burst of energy.Quick-release fertilizers give turf a fast burstof growth and color and last just a few days.They provide no long term benefit to theplant.

Chemists developed two basic ways toslow down the release rate of synthetic nitro-gen fertilizers. The first was to chemicallybond nitrogen to other elements througha reaction process. Ureaformaldehyde (Nitro-form) and isobutylidene diurea (ISOU, Par-Ex) are synthetic fertilizers that release nitro-gen over many weeks. Even though theycontain a relatively high percentage of nitro-gen, their slow release rate gives them avery low burn potential.

Ureaform is really a group of compoundscreated simultaneously by reacting urea withformaldehyde under controlled conditions.These products release nitrogen as mi-crobes in the soil break them down. Changesin microorganism activity will alter the rateof release. Low soil temperature reducesmicrobial activity and slows the release ofnitrogen.

50 6.5 70INEUTRAL

95 pH 100

The availability of fertilizer nutrients In the soil can be changed by soli pH. Chart courtesy: AmericanSociety of Agronomy.

28 sportsTURF

By changing the conditions under whichurea and formaldehyde are reacted, slightlydifferent fertilizers are produced. A num-ber of these are categorized as methylolureas or methylene ureas. These slow-release fertilizers also contain a certain por-tion or their nitrogen in the form of urea.

ISOU is created by reacting urea withisobutyraldehyde. Water in the soil slowlydecomposes the IBOU releasing the ureacontained in it. The two things that influencethe rate of breakdown of ISOU are the sizeof the particle and the amount of moisturein the soil. Small particles break down faster.Nitrogen release will be slowed by dry soils.

Sloto-release fertilizercan be applied less

frequently while stillproviding the turf

with sufficientnutrients.

The second method of slowing down thenitrogen release rate of synthetic fertilizersis by coating them. The most economicalmethod of coating to date involves sulfur.Through a process that coats urea dropletswith widely varying thicknesses of sulfur,fertilizer manufacturers are able to controlthe amount of nitrogen escaping throughcracks and imperfections in the coating. Ittakes weeks for all the nitrogen to escapefrom sulfur coated urea. Lesco Inc., Scotts,and CIL have SCU plants.

A more expensive coating process uti-lizes plastic. The advantage of a plastic coat-ing is a more predictable rate of releasethrough precise pores in the plastic. Thecoating can also be much thinner and con-tain a number of different quick-release fer-tilizers, including urea, ammonium nitrateand ammonium phosphate. The rate of nitro-gen release from plastic coated fertilizersincreases with temperature. Manufacturersare continuing their research on plastic-coated fertilizers in orderto produce a lowcost version in the near future. Sierra Chem-ical's Osmocote is a plastic coated fertiliz-er. Estech and Scotts also have productsunder development in this category.

Slow release nitrogen sources have threeprimary advantages. The most obvious isthe extended amount of time they releasenitrogen into the soil. Sy utilizing slow-release fertilizers, the turf manager can applyfertilizers less frequently while still provid-ing the necessary nutritional benefits to theturf. Finally, the slow rate of release great-ly reduces the chance of fertilizer burn.

While fertilizers containing slow-releasenitrogen cost more for the amount of nitro-gen delivered, they reduce the risk of fer-tilizer burn and provide a nutrient base for

the turf. Many sports turf managers applyfertilizers that contain half or more of thenitrogen in slow-release form. Supplementalapplications of quick-release nitrogen canbe made to help turf recover from the wearand tear of sports as well as damage frominsects and diseases.

While potassium may be listed third infertilizer analysis ratios, it is second onlyto nitrogen in importance for establishedturf. All parts of the turfgrass plant containpotassium. It is vital for nearly all biologi-cal reactions taking place within the plant.Without adequate levels of potassium, thehealth and recuperative potential of sportsturf is severely reduced.

Potassium is linked to improving the winterhardiness, drought tolerance and diseaseresistance of turf. You could call it the vitaminC of the turfgrass plant. It is essential forproper storage of carbohydrates in turtqrassroots and the overall health of the root sys-tem. Without a healthy root system sportsturf will not provide a reliable, long-lastingsurface.

Due to the utilization of this nutrient bythe turf and its movement through heavilyirrigated, high sand content soils frequentlyfound in sports turf, potassium levels in thesoil need to be replenished regularly. In fact,this may be the element you should watchmost closely in soil testing. Potassium defi-ciency is recognizable as stunted growth,discoloration and rolling of leaf tips and yel-

Every sports turf manager should have a core sampler in their vehicle.

lowing of older leaves. It is not uncommon burn potential about the same as urea.to apply a half pound of potassium for each Monopotassium phosphate has a very lowpound of nitrogen. burn potential but is priced higher than all

The two primary sources of potassium in other potassium sources.fertilizer are potassium chloride and potas- Phosphorus is important to young turf andsium sulfate. Some caution is advised when overseeded turf areas. It contributes tomaking separate applications of potassium proper root development in seedlings as wellchloride since it has approximately the same as the overall growth of the turfgrass plant.burn potential as urea. Potassium sulfate It is important to turf like the calcium in milkhas a lower burn potential and also provides is important in the diet of newborns and chil-a slight acidifying effect on alkaline soils. dren. Seedlings in a phosphorus deficientIts use on problem acid soils is not advised. soil will have a red cast instead of bright

Potassium nitrate is more expensive than green.the previous two products and also has a continued on page 30

Lely has manufacturedthe most accepted TurfBroadcaster for manyyears. LeIy now offers themost ideal FairwayThatching Implement onthe market.

LELY THATCHER

Model 450 & 600

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Features• Thatching grass• Stands Grass up for better mowing• Knocks down mounds of dirt• Improves Fertilizer Penetration• Ideal over seed after thatching• 7' Transport on 20' Model (hydraulic)• Removes Weeds• Working speed up to 12 mph• 5 position tine adjustment• 3 pt. hitch

LELY PACIFIC, INC.P.o. BOX 961

ALBANY, OREGON 97321(503) 926-7753

Circle 120 on Postaqe Free Card October, 1987 29

Sports Turf Nutritioncontinued from page 29

Phosphorus does not move through soilsas rapidly as nitrogen or potassium.However, much of it is tied up chemicallyin the soil, especially in soils outside a pHrange of 5.5 to 7.5. By correcting soil acidityor alkalinity, existing phosphorus in the soilwill become available. Minerals and organicmatter in the soil also provide a naturalsourse of phosphorus but at a very slow rate.For these reasons, soil tests are designedto measure orthophoshpate, the form ofphosphorus. most readily available to theplant.

Most phosphorus sou rces have a rela-tively low burn potential and can be appliedseparately with relative safety. Super-phosphates are the most commonly appliedsource of phosphorus for dry applications.The amount of available phosphorus rangesfrom 20 percent to 50 percent for triple su-perphosphate. Monoammoinium phosphateand diammonium phosphate are frequentlyused for liquid fertilization. Monoammoni-urn phosphosphate is recommended for useon alkaline soils. Excessive applications ofphosphorus, especially on alkaline soils,should be avoided when possible since theycan tie up iron and make this importantmicronutrient unavailable to the turfgrassplant.

Iron is the micronutri.ent of chief concernto sports turf managers. Sandy soils, alka-

Iron deficiencies cansometimes be solvedby correcting alkalinesoil conditions or byimproving drainage.line soils and waterlogged soils frequentlylack sufficient levels of iron. Turf has a sicklyyellow appearance termed chlorosis whenlevels of iron are inadequate. Turf specialistsrecommend application of chelated iron tocorrect deficiencies. This iron source is lesslikely to cause injury to turf than salt formssuch as iron sulfate and ferrous ammoni-um sulfate and remains available to turf fora longer period of time. They are, however,more expensive.

Iron deficiencies can sometimes be solvedby applying sulfur to correct akaline soil con-ditions or by improving drainage. Excessiveapplications of iron can turn turf almostblack. However, light applications are be-ing used by some sports turf managers toachieve a darker green shade for turf withoutusing additional nitrogen. In severe cases,applications of iron may be needed everyfew weeks until the problem is corrected.

Sulfur is also deficient in many soils. Itis a vital component of many plant reactionsas well as an acidifying agent. In additionto elemental sulfur, many fertilizers containcertain amounts of sulfur, including ammo-nium sulfate, potassium sulfate, super-phosphate and sulfur-coated urea.

Ocassionally calcium, copper, magnesi-um, manganese, and molybdenum are lack-ing in sandy soils in certain parts of the coun-try. Calcium and magnesium deficienciescan be corrected with dolomitic limestone.Many complete fertilizers contain smallquantities of these micronutrients. Foliar-applied sources are also available for rapidcorrection of micronutrient deficiencies.

Due to the extensive use of sports turf,it has a higher nutrition requirement thanutility or lawn turf. Bentgrass and ber-mudagrass used for sports require the mostnitrogen during the growing season. Bent-grass fairways need almost a pound of ac-tual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet permonth during the growing season whilegreens often receive more. Bermudagrassgreens also receive a pound or more of nitro-gen per month. Hybrid bermudagrass fair-ways or sports fields need between 1/2 and3/4 pound of nitrogen per month. Commonbermudagrass on fairways and fields re-quires half as much as nitrogen as hybridbermudagrass. Nitrogen rates may need tobe adjusted upward for sand-based root

continued on page 32

30 sportsTURF Circle 129 on Postage Free Card