MPSTMA NEWS - SUMMER 2011

Network Events, Clash, Tour-on-WheelsHighlight MPSTMA Summer Schedule

VOL. 1, NO. 2 SUMMER 2011

After kicking off thenew year with a SpringWorkshop at theUniversity of St. Thomas ina snowstorm in March,then a couple of network-ing events at Woodbury’sCarver Lake Park in May,and at Town & CountryFence in June, MPSTMAmembers can now look for-ward to a number ofupcoming events.

Summer events includethe Minnesota/IowaChapter Clash, Tour-on-Wheels, and more networkpicnics.

The MPSTMA NetworkPicnics are low-key, stress-free events that offer freelunches and camraderie atno charge.

July 15-16 Chapter Clash

Iowa City, Iowa

The Annual Chapter Clash betweenIowa and Minnesota park and sports turfmanagers takes place in Iowa City on July15-16.

Golf, softball and bocce ball will be onthe agenda. Carpooling and lodging willbe available. If you’d like to participate,contact Chapter Clash player/coach MikeMcDonald, CSFM at [email protected].

July 27 Network Picnic

Bryant Lake Park, Eden Prairie

Bryant Lake Park in Eden Prairie willbe the site of a network picnic on July 27.Bryant Lake Park offers a leash-free dogarea and disc golf.

August 3MPSTMA Tour-on-Wheels

This year’s tour plans to stop at PalmField in St. Anthony Park (2010 Field of

the Year), HamlineUniversity, a ‘green roof’ atthe University of Minnesotaand a new development atAnoka-Hennepin TechnicalCollege. Lunch will besponsored by Reinders, Inc.

August 18-19MPSTMA 3rd Quarterly

Plan a family outingwith other MPSTMA mem-bers in mid-August. ThisThursday/Friday, 2-dayevent is family-oriented.The tentative site is theWild Mountain ski area.

September 28MPSTMA Fall Workshop

Coon Rapids

This year’s FallWorkshop will take place in

the City of Coon Rapids. Vendor’s willdisplay equipment and speakers will pro-vide education.

October 11Network Picnic

The Toro Company

A networking event is set for October11 at The Toro Co. We will tour the engi-neering department and test departmentand possibly a quick presentation ofToro’s CAD system.

MINNESOTA PARK AND SPORTS TURF

MPSTMA members converse at the May Network event at Carver Lake Park in Woodbury on May 18. Pictured from the left are Gary Ringus, Property Props Inc.,

Derek Lash, Solution Blue, Inc., and Mike Kelly, TerraMax.

www.mpstma.org

NEWSNEWS

OFFICERS

PRESIDENTSTEVE GILBERTSON

City of Lino Lakes612-599-8017

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENTDAVE NOZAL

Tree Trust651-644-5800

[email protected]

VICE PRESIDENTKEVIN FERNANDEZ

White Bear Lake Area Schools #624651-653-2736

[email protected]

TREASURERLOWELL LUEBECK

City of Plymouth763-509-5946

[email protected]

TREASURERROGER WEINBRENNER CSFM

University of St. Thomas651-962-6546

[email protected]

PAST PRESIDENTSTEVE BERG CSFM

St. Paul Academy & Summit School651-698-2451

[email protected]

PAST PRESIDENTPHIL GALLIGERCity of Woodbury

[email protected]

DIRECTORS

GENERAL MEMBERSHIPJEFF HINTZ

Northwestern College651-631-5103

[email protected]

GENERAL MEMBERSHIPAMY HOWARD

City of Woodbury651-714-3721

[email protected]

COMMERCIAL MEMBERSHIPSCOTT MELLING

Par Aide Products Company651-429-4513

[email protected]

COMMERCIAL MEMBERSHIPJOE CHURCHILL

Reinders Inc.612-790-7333

[email protected]

MTGF REPRESENTATIVEPAUL GRIFFIN

City of Woodbury651-714-3720

[email protected]

MTGF REPRESENTATIVEKEVIN MANLEY

JRK Seed & Turf Supply651-686-6756

[email protected]

MPSTMA OFFICEEXECUTIVE SECRETARY

JEFF TURTINEN952-473-3722

[email protected]

www.mpstma.org

“Second Term But Feels Like New”STEVE GILBERTSON

President

This is my second term serving as president of an association. I first served in 2009 forthe Minnesota Sports Turf Managers Associaton (MSTMA), and now, after the mergewith the Minnesota Park Supervisors Association (MPSA), I am serving as president ofthe Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers Association.

So far, I have found in my second term, the phrase, “nothing is ever the same the sec-ond time around” is becoming more evident everyday. Since the merger back inJanuary, the organization has taken on more members, plans to hold more events and isin the process of properly converting the two organizations into one. We need yourhelp. Taking on more members means the MPSTMA’s educational goals and ideas needto be expanded and topics for workshops need to cover more subjects.

In my first term, the old MSTMA focused on growing sports turf and was not tooworried about emerald ash bore. Likewise, the old MPSA was talking about rain gar-dens for drainage and not worried about synthetic surfaces. With the larger member-ship base that has been created, a wider variety of topics will be covered at this year’sworkshops.

Holding more events in 2011 will allow everyone to network with more people whoare involved in a similar industry. All these events would not be possible without thehardwork put in by their committee members and the support of our commercial mem-bers. Show your support and attend MPSTMA events when you can.

Lastly, the process of bringing the two organizations into one is strictly business. Yes,there is a business side to the organization and it is an important component of thisorganization. Please encourage others to become members. Make a point to make timefor the organization. Every little bit will help for the long-range goals of the MPSTMA.

Regards,

Steve GilbertsonSteve Gilbertson

President,�Minnesota�Park�and�Sports�Turf�Managers�Association

2 MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS www.mpstma.org

Athletic Field• Construction• Re-Construction• Maintenance

Golf Course • Tee Construction• Re-Construction

• Sodding • Seeding • Over Seeding• Laser Leveling • Grading

• Spraying• Aeration • Fertilizing • Detailing• Consulting

[email protected]

Here Today, Lawn Tomorrow!E-mail: [email protected] Park Dr., Rogers, MN 55374

Mike Brunelle(612) 817-5396

Town & CountryLandscaping

of Rogers, Inc.

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

www.mpstma.org MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS 3

Turfgrass Research Program UpdateBy ERIC WATKINS and BRIAN HORGAN, Ph.D.

University�of�MinnesotaDepartment�of�Horticultural�Science

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

The University of MinnesotaTurfgrass Science program has hadanother successful year. Our researchprogram has conducted research in threeprimary areas: (1) EnvironmentalProtection, (2) Production andManagement of Turfgrasses, and (3)Turfgrass Breeding and Genetics. At theend of this article, we have listed peer-reviewed scientific publications from thepast year and also listed the currentresearch projects that are being fundedat our research center. As you can see,our team of students and researchershave been very successful in conductingimportant research that will benefit turf-grass professionals, such as the membersof the MPSTMA, in both the short-term and the long-term.

When interacting with stakeholders, we often are askedhow the University of Minnesota financial situation affectsour research and education program.Unfortunately, the declining financialresources available within the University arebeginning to impact our program; in the past,the college was able to help support our fieldfacility manager position, which is no longerthe case. In the near future, we expect to seesevere reductions, or even elimination, offunds dedicated towards personnel that helpkeep the TROE Center operational.Fortunately, the turfgrass science program hasbeen well-supported by the turf and groundsindustry in Minnesota. When we talk to col-leagues throughout the country, we realizehow fortunate we are to have a great relation-ship with industry partners such as MTGFand MPSTMA. The funding we receive fromMTGF and MPSTMA has allowed us to suc-cessfully compete for a number of large grants(see list at the end of this article).

Typically, industry groups, such as the

MPSTMA and MTGF, can support research inone of two ways. The first model, which has beenused by MTGF in recent years, supports researchby funding the infrastructure necessary for longer-term, impactful research projects. The secondmodel supports specific research projects but doesnot provide funding for critical infrastructure and

personnel. One advantage to the project-specific funding modelis industry professionals can quickly use the research results. Forinstance, a trial that evaluates a series

(Continued on Page 4)

THE ANNUAL TURF AND GROUNDS FIELD DAY is a perfect time to see, first-hand, the research being

done at the TROE Center on the U of M St. Paul Campus. This year’s Field Day is set for Sept.15, 2011.


UM Research Update-(Continued�from�Page�3)

of plant growth regulators for use on Kentucky bluegrass wouldprovide research results within a short time frame and lead tochanges in turf management. For these types of research proj-ects, we initiated fundraising for a graduate student fellowship in2009 and are happy to report that we have commitments for$240,000 (goal is $400,000). We appreciate the MPSTMA's sup-

port of this fellowship.

The first approach (currently employed by MTGF) allows usto confidently present research proposals to outside fundingagencies because we know that the infrastructure and personnelcosts associated with maintaining our facility are in place. Mostfunding agencies want to fund graduate student research andrelated supplies and are not interested in funding infrastructureor long-term research personnel. This model provides industry asignificant return on investment since a graduate student costsour program approximately $40,000/yr (same amount grantedby MTGF to our program in 2011).

In summary, our program relies on general funding forinfrastructure and personnel (TROE Center and people to run it).This allows us to invest in long-term research projects that willhave implications for turf management throughout the regionand country for decades to come. At the same time, a fully-fund-ed research center allows us to perform readily-applied research.It is our hope that MTGF and the allied organizations, such asthe MPSTMA, will continue to support the funding of ourresearch facility and the personnel necessary for the continuationof a nationally-recognized, impactful turfgrass research program.

We are excited that the MPSTMA has begun publication of

a quarterly newsletter. In this space, we will give you updateson research projects that will impact the parks and sports turfmanagers of Minnesota. We hope that MPSTMA members willbe able to join us for the 2011 Turf and Grounds Field, which willbe held on Thursday, September 15 on the St. Paul campus.Details will be provided later this summer.

Peer-Reviewed Publications in 2010 and 2011:

Bierman, P.M., B.P. Horgan, C.J. Rosen, A.B. Hollman and P.H. Pagliari. 2010.Phosphorus runoff from turfgrass as affected by phosphorus fertilization and clippingmanagement. J. Environ. Qual. 39:282-292.

Clark, M.D., and E. Watkins. 2010. Seed production characteristics of prairie junegrassgermplasm accessions. Crop Science 50:1057-1065.

Clark, M.D., and E. Watkins. 2010. Turfgrass characteristics of prairie junegrassgermplasm accessions. Crop Science 50:2092-2102.

Hoffman, L., M. DaCosta, J.S. Ebdon, and E. Watkins. 2010. Physiological changes dur-ing cold acclimation of perennial ryegrass accessions differing in freeze tolerance. CropScience 50:1037-1047.

Kerns, J.P., P.L. Koch, D. Cook, B.P. Horgan and F.P. Wong. 2010. First report ofbrown patch caused by Waitea circinata var. circinata on Poa annua in Wisconsin andMinnesota. Plant Disease. Vol. 94, No. 9:1165.

Jiang, Y., E. Watkins, S. Liu, X. Yu, and N. Luo. 2010. Antioxidative responses and can-didate gene expression in prairie junegrass under drought stress. Journal of the AmericanSociety of Horticultural Science 135: 303-309.

Rice, P.J., B.P. Horgan, C.Hapeman and L. McConnell. 2010. In Press. Effectiveness ofmanagement practices to mitigate off-site movement and ecological risk of pesticidestransported with runoff from agriculture and turf systems. In Pesticides. In-Tech.Vienna, Austria. ISBN 978-953-7619-X-X.

Rice, P.J., B.P. Horgan and J.L. Rittenhouse. 2010. Pesticide transport with runofffrom creeping bentgrass turf: relationship of pesticide properties to mass transport.Envrion. Tox. and Chem. Vol. 29, No. 6:1209-1214.

Rice, P.J., B.P. Horgan and J.L. Rittenhouse. 2010. Evaluation of core cultivation prac-tices to reduce ecological risk of pesticides in runoff from Agrostis palustris. Environ.Tox. and Chem. Vol. 29, No. 6:1215-1223.

Watkins, E., A.B. Hollman and B.P. Horgan. 2010. Evaluation of alternative turfgrassspecies for low-input golf course fairways. Hort. Sci. 45(1):113-118.

Watkins, E, S. Fei, D. Gardner, J. Stier, S. Bughrara, D. Li, C. Bigelow, L. Schliecher, B.Horgan and K. Diesburg. 2011. Low-input turfgrass species for the north central UnitedStates. Online. Applied Turfgrass Science doi:10.1094/ATS-2011-0126-02-RS.

Funded Research Ongoing Projects (does not include projects completed before 2010)Developing alternative sod mixtures for salt and drought affected sites. 2010-2013.

Local Road Research Board (MnDOT). $176,516Alternative turfgrass species as a pest management strategy. USDA/CSREES Pest

Management Alternative Program. Watkins, E., C. Yue, B.P. Horgan, J. Kerns and M.Meyer. 2009-2012. $179,494.

Genetic improvement of prairie junegrass. 2006-2012. United States Golf Association.Eric Watkins and Nancy Ehlke. $50,000.

Mineralization rates of soils using the ISNT to predict nitrate leaching. 2010-2012.United States Golf Association. Brian Horgan and Dave Gardner. $38,150.

Reducing P runoff from turf; an education and outreach approach. 2011. MinnesotaPollution Control Agency. Brian Horgan and Carl Rosen. $30,000.

Watkins, E, and N. Ehlke. 2009-2011. Expanding the potential of native turfgrass seedproduction. Minnesota Turf Seed Council. $20,000.

Horgan, B.P. and E. Watkins. 2009-2011. Determination best mixture and blend ofcool-season grasses when exposed to acute drought. National Turfgrass EvaluationProgram. $15,000.

National Turfgrass Evaluation Program: Tall fescue. 2006-2011. NTEP. Eric Watkinsand Brian Horgan. $12,500.

National Turfgrass Evaluation Program: Bentgrass putting green. 2008-2013. EricWatkins and Brian Horgan. $12,000.

National Turfgrass Evaluation Program: Bentgrass fairway. 2008-2013. Eric Watkinsand Brian Horgan. $12,000.

National Turfgrass Evaluation Program: Fine fescue wear tolerance. 2008-2013. EricWatkins and Brian Horgan. $12,000.

Alternative species for low input greens. 2008-2011. Brian Horgan, Eric Watkins, andAndrew Hollman.

(Editor’s�Note:�Brian�Horgan�can�be�contacted�at�[email protected].�Eric�Watkins�can�becontacted�at�[email protected].)

Troy D. Carlson

Court Surfaces &

16215 Yalta St. NE

Ham Lake, MN 55304

+ Tennis Courts + Running Tracks

+ Basketball Courts + In-Line Skate Surfaces

+ Consulting + Snow Plowing

(763) 783-8086

Cell: (612) 386-9171

Fax: (763) 785-7929

www.mpstma.org MPSTMA PARK AND SPORTS TURF NEWS 5

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MEMBER

The 2011 MTGF/UM Turf and Grounds Field Day is setfor Thursday, September 15, 2011 at the University ofMinnesota Turfgrass Research, Outreach and EducationCenter (TROE Center).

MPSTMA members should attend: All segments of com-mercial and residential turfgrass management will benefitfrom the research conducted at the University of Minnesota.

Topics Covered:1) Multi-species drought evaluation using rain-out shelter;2) Roadside salt-tolerant turfgrass;3) Consumer attitudes about low-input turfgrasses;4) Advances in breeding for disease resistance in

cool-season turfgrasses;5) Winter-hardy perennial ryegrass;6) Fungicide trials;7) NTEP cultivar evaluations (bentgrass, fine fescue,

Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass), and8) Benefit of bees in the landscape.Why: Your membership in the Minnesota Turf and

Grounds Foundation and your participation in MPSTMA arewhat supports the research being conducted at the TROECenter.

Please join us and interact with your colleagues. We promise you will leave with something new.

-�Brian�Horgan,�Ph.D.University�of�Minnesota

TURFCO / MPSTMAFIELD OF THE YEAR

The TURFCO / MPSTMA Field of the Year entry form isavailable at www.mpstma.org. The entry form mustinclude at least five color photos of field, maintenance pro-cedures and a brief description of the field.

The field must be located in Minnesota. Other criteriathat will be graded includes: Resourcefulness of the staff,budget, maintenance practices and challenges in the man-agement of the athletic field; condition and aesthetics of theathletic field, and the number and type of games and/orevents. A complete list of requirements is available atwww.mpstma.org. Entry deadline is October 15.

Palm Field, located in the St. Anthony/New BrightonSchool district was the first winner of the Turfco Field ofthe Year award. “Turfco is very pleased to be able to partic-ipate in MPSTMA’s Field of The Year program. All the can-didates for the 2010 award presented facilities that were intheir own way fields of the year. In the end the winner pre-sented a facility that was above and beyond the ordinary.We at Turfco are proud to be the presenting sponsor of theMPSTMA Field of the Year Award and look forward tocontinuing to serve the group by sponsoring this award formany years to come,” said Greg Brodd, TurfcoManufacturing. Congratulations to turf managers MikeJohnson and Jonny Hummel and Athletic Director TroyUrdahl.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Although I am a newcomer to the industry, I have quicklyand easily grasped the issues faced by everyone involved inthe maintenance of grounds and facilities. Forgive me if I stepon any toes or my observations here are out of line. But, Ithink I'm "singing to the choir" when I mention the pressuresof increased requirements on service staff with limited, andoften, fewer resources. While the focus of our business is out-side the building, I imagine custodial services or arena man-agers see the same crunch as those of you who maintain thegrounds and playing fields. The problems faced aren't eased ifyou are able to hire seasonal help; previously "trained" kidsdon't often return while training and supervision are difficultto execute.

What can be done to maximize the output of the staff?Often, new fields and facilities are added which means morework from the same crew. A survey of your group wouldreveal how much this impacts a) tension, b) quality of work, c)complaints, and/or d) financial consequences. While I don'tpretend to have the answers, I firmly believe that planning isultimately a solution which can help; at the very least easingthe pressure on all of you who are responsible to get the jobdone.

Undoubtedly, you have had (or wanted to have) the discus-sions with management of your districts about priorities so

that when certain jobs are pending, it is easier to make deci-sions regarding directions to your crews. Do we spend timerepairing the fence or trimming the base of it this week? Is itcritical to edge the sidewalks or can we get more value fromtending to the shrubs - clean them out, trim them back? Youget the idea.

The return to taxpayers and to your efforts of maintenanceof your multi-million dollar facilities is difficult to measure.This ROI might be calculated by determining if the investmentof manpower and materials has preserved the quality of yourfacility just as we would evaluate the same of our own person-al property. How do things look at our baseball field com-pared to "opening day"? Does the entry boulevard to the cam-pus look like it did when the new trees and shrubs had beenplanted and grew out over that first season?

Another calculation of ROI might be determined by opti-mizing the resources available. An initiative to evaluate thecontribution of each of your team might be worthwhile. Is itpossible and worthwhile to you and your staff to record andmeasure the contribution of each? Would it be worth some-thing to an individual and to your district to be able to statethat "John mowed the football field 72 times and mowed thebaseball field 45 times, etc.?" Listing and measuring thedeployment and contribution of your resources might be valu-able information to the credit of individual staff as well as tothose ultimately responsible for their employment and super-vision.

A more traditional ROI would be the return on invest-ment in a product, material, or service purchased. This is nor-mally calculated to determine whether or not to purchase newequipment or choose an alternative product or service toreplace what is traditionally done. New equipment often savestime - faster, wider coverage, etc., but the labor isn't reallysaved is it? The result of the purchase allows staff to coverother tasks either ignored or often left undone.

(Editor’s�Note:�For�more�information,�contact�Gary�Ringus�at�[email protected]�or�visit�www.propertyprops.com.)


R.O.I. ~ Return on Investment or Resource Optimization Initiatives)By GARY RINGUS

President,�Property�Props,�Inc.

COMMERCIAL VENDOR INSIGHT

MPSTMA SPRING WORKSHOP HOST AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Keynote speaker and 2010 Division III football coach of the year GlennCaruso, (right) with Roger Weinbrenner, CSFM. The University of St.Thomas football coach gave an inspirational talk after lunch and gavekudos to Weinbrenner and Bob Reed for the excellent way they handlethe grounds at the University of St. Thomas. Seventy-three out of a regis-tered 97 made their way through a blizzard the morning of March 23.

217-D Minnetonka Ave. S.

Wayzata, MN 55391

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MPSTMA NEWS - SUMMER 2011

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