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The future look of urban Texas landscapes

24Jun

By: Kerry Halladay

The Texas landscape is changing and becoming more urban. In her new role in Dallas — one of the fastest-growing cities in the country — Dr. Becky Bowling hopes to see that urban landscape become more water efficient and uniquely, beautifully Texan in the future.

“I would say conservation is my passion,” Bowling said. “And I’m really interested in it from an urban perspective.”

Becky Bowling

As the new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension specialist for urban water, Dr. Becky Bowling (formerly Becky Grubbs) hopes to help make Texas landscapes more water efficient.


Bowling is an assistant professor in the Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension specialist for urban water. But, very much like the interconnected nature of water, her new role at the Texas A&M AgriLife Center at Dallas connects many different elements under the AgriLife umbrella.

In March, Bowling moved to Dallas with a new joint appointment with AgriLife Extension and Texas A&M AgriLife Research at the Dallas Center. There she will work closely with the center’s Water University group, as well as doing work for the Texas Water Resources Institute.

“I saw a really neat opportunity in this new role to explore some ideas in urban landscape management that maybe have not been fully explored yet and to engage with parts of the population that we may not currently have a relationship with.”

New connections

Bowling sees Dallas as an opportunity to make new conservation connections in Texas’ growing urban landscape.

“Historically, there’s always been a lot of focus on large-scale producers farming conventional agriculture,” Bowling said of water conservation overall.

“But I think now we’re starting to recognize that the average homeowner, especially when you’ve got 8 million of them concentrated in one area, can have a really significant impact on the environment, particularly in the city where they’re living.”

More and more people are living in Dallas these days. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metroplex saw the largest increase in resident population of any metro area in the entire country, adding 1,206,599 new residents between 2010 and 2019.

“Dallas is a really great place to launch some exploration into understanding what grabs people’s decision making and how to adapt to different audiences to have the greatest impact,” Bowling said. She added that reaching out to previously under-engaged groups that can play a big role in urban water conservation is a big part of her goals for the future.

“Some of my research looking at this from a multi-faceted approach is not just looking at the end-user, the homeowner, but also looking at the role that some other entities play.”

Bowling explained that groups between the municipal water utilities and the homeowner can play a big role in how residents use water in the urban landscape, making them important players in urban water conservation.

For example, homebuilders can have a significant influence on a landscape’s initial design. Homeowners associations (HOAs) can control homeowners’ subsequent landscape decisions. Professional landscapers also are a source of advice and information to homeowners on maintenance decisions. All these groups can be important players in urban water conservation. However, these mid-level influencers have not been the focus of much water conservation outreach in the past.

Bowling wants to find out how to change that.

“How we can get everybody on board to consider conservation and prioritize conservation as resources become increasingly more limited in our state?” she asked. “I would like to build more and more resources to strengthen our relationship with anybody who’s involved in the landscape.”

Perspective shift

One of the things Bowling hopes to see in Dallas’ — and Texas’ — future is a perspective shift when it comes to how communities define a beautiful urban landscape.

lawn sprinklers

The average home owner can have a significant impact on the environment through how they choose to use water in their urban landscapes. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)


“There is this surprisingly uniform idea of what a landscape should look like — regardless of where you are or what socio-economic bracket you fall into — where the goal is monocultural turfgrass lawn, green and weedless, with a short list of landscape options,” she explained.

But what if the motivations informing urban landscape decisions were who can be the “greenest” or who can conserve the most water? Bowling thinks Dallas is a good place to find out.

“I would love to see Dallas be a leader in what that could look like. As a rapidly growing urban population, it could be an example of a different type of value and a different type of aesthetic.”

Beautiful and sustainable are not mutually exclusive, Bowling said. Her vision of an ideal Texas aesthetic would celebrate uniqueness and recognize the variety of Texas’ many ecosystems and work with them.

“I would love to see landscapes that are very unique to not just Texas, but where you are in Texas. Native and native adapted plants that really represent your geographical region and are beautiful without a lot of extra work and effort because they’re designed to be there,” she said. “I would also love to see a little pressure off of turfgrass areas to be perfect and a more flexible mindset that allows for periods where turfgrass can go dormant during drought periods.”

“Texas is in a unique position to set an example or model what conservation can look like for urban areas that are in different ecosystems. We have several major cities that are in very different environments, get very different precipitation, experience very different annual temperatures and very different soil characteristics,” she said, adding that she sees Texas as one of the few states with such an opportunity.

“There’s an opportunity to create sustainable urban models that can set examples for other parts of the country.”

Straw joins Department of Soil and Crop Sciences faculty at Texas A&M University

25Feb

Dr. Chase Straw has joined Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences turfgrass program. He will be assuming the duties of retired professor Richard White in a tenure track position which is 30% teaching and 70% research.

Straw comes to College Station from St. Paul, Minnesota, where he held a postdoctoral position in the University of Minnesota Department of Horticulture.

Chase Straw

Dr. Chase Straw has joined the Turfgrass Science faculty at Texas A&M University.

A native of Frankfort, Kentucky, Straw earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Plant and Soil Sciences (Turfgrass Science) from the University of Kentucky. He then went on to earn both his Master of Science and Ph.D. in Crop and Soil Science (Turfgrass Science) from the University of Georgia.

“My primary research interest focuses on precision turfgrass management,” said Straw. “This involves interdisciplinary approaches aimed at understanding the spatial and temporal variability of turfgrass systems in order to develop practical strategies for reducing management inputs and improving the overall user experience.”

He also conducts general turfgrass management and physiology research that addresses issues faced by the turfgrass management professionals and the turfgrass industry as a whole.

Straw’s teaching role will begin with the fall 2020 semester. He will teach undergraduate courses in turfgrass management systems (SCSC-429) and turfgrass maintenence (SCSC-430) and oversee undergraduate research (SCSC-491). He will also join Dr. Ben Wherley to co-teach Professional Development in Turfgrass Science (SCSC-312).

Until then, Straw will be focusing on his research and forming relationships with collaborators throughout Texas. He will also co-advise the Aggie Turf Club and turf students.

“I am extremely excited to be in this position at Texas A&M,” Straw said. “I look forward to meeting and getting to know everyone in the department.”

Straw is a member of the International Society of Precision Agriculture, Turfgrass Producers International (TPI), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

While a graduate student, he received the Chris Stiegler Turf Science Fellowship from CSSA. He received the Dr. James Watson Scholarship from the STMA as both a graduate and undergraduate.

New St. Augustinegrass hybrids highlighted at annual turfgrass field day

11Nov

Turfgrass needs to be drought tolerant, shade tolerant and disease resistant in order to thrive in Texas. A Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass breeder discussed genetically engineered St. Augustinegrass events and hybrids bred to meet these criteria during the recent Texas A&M AgriLife Turfgrass Field Day in College Station.

Ambika Chandra, Ph.D., a turfgrass breeder in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences based at the AgriLife research and extension center in Dallas, and Lucas Freshour, from Scotts Miracle-Gro, are working together to test Pro-Vista St. Augustinegrass for the Texas turfgrass industry.

group of people at field day

Lucas Freshour (far left) and Ambika Chandra (center) discuss Pro-Vista St. Augustine hybrids with participants at the Texas A&M AgriLife Turfgrass Field Day. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“ProVista is a new technology developed by the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company by introducing genes into Floratam and Raleigh, two very old and very successful cultivars of St. Augustine grass that have worked very well in our industry,” Chandra said. “The result is a St. Augustinegrass that is resistant to glyphosate-non-selective herbicide. It also has a dwarfing effect, which limits the vertical growth of the plants and reduces the frequency of mowing.”

“Scotts has been working on this for 22 years and ProVista St. Augustine is already commercially available in Florida,” Freshour said. “We expect to have 2,000 acres in commercial production by the end of the year, but we don’t want to push those too hard in Texas because we need more cold hardiness here. That is where Chandra’s hybrids come in.”

Chandra explained that she is crossing the base genetics developed by Scotts with elite germplasms developed by AgriLife Research to create a cultivar that will flourish in the Texas environment.

bermudagrass

Participants at the field day viewed research plots of the hybrids Chandra has developed using the Pro-Vista technology. This plot was sprayed with glyphosate ten days prior to the field day. The bermudagrass and slender aster are dying, with no damage to the St. Augustine. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)

“At the end of the day, we are looking not only for reduced mowing and glyphosate resistance, but also for drought tolerance, shade tolerance, disease resistance and other traits that are important to us here,” Chandra said.

One of the challenges of this breeding effort is that Floratam is sterile. The maternal plant does not produce enough nutrition for the embryo to develop into a mature seed. To overcome this, Chandra and her team use embryo rescue technology – removing the embryo 21 days after making pollinations and growing it in the lab in a sucrose-based tissue culture medium.

Advance lines and hybrids with the ProVista technology are being tested in College Station and Dallas, as well as at Milberger’s Landscape and Nursery, a turfgrass producer near San Antonio, TX, where they are evaluating the cycle of production and how well it can be harvested for sod.

During the field day, participants had the opportunity to look at the test plots, which had been sprayed with glyphosate 10 days prior, to see the effect on the new hybrids, the parent cultivars and St. Augustinegrasses without the ProVista technology. Research Assistant Syed Ahmed explained that the plots are all mowed to 3 inches and monitored for weed pressure.

“In the check plots we manually pull weeds, but we spray Roundup® on the others and watch to see if it gets dinged up or not,” Ahmed explained. “So far the ProVista is a success.”

Will Bowling

Master’s student Will Bowling discussed the use of soil amendments in sand capped turfgrass during the field day.

The field day also highlighted other research being done at the College Station facility, including evaluation of alternative landscapes, the use of spent coffee grounds as a soil amendment, the effects of wetting agents in sandcapped systems, options for controlling Poa annual bluegrass and more.

The annual field day alternates locations each year, with the next to be held at the new research and extension Center in Dallas.

Chrissie Segars, Asst. Professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Turfgrass Specialist – Dallas, demonstrated methods of testing firmness of sports fields.

Turfgrass professionals gathered in College Station for the Texas A&M Turfgrass Field Day.

Engelke receives 2019 turfgrass Breeder’s Cup

11Nov

Dr. Milt Engelke, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, will receive the Turfgrass Breeders Association’s Breeders Cup Award during the Agronomy Society of America meeting in San Antonio November 13.

Dr. Milt Engleke

Professor Emeritus Milt Engelke, Ph.D.

Engelke earned the honor for his work on Diamond zoysiagrass, released in 1996 under U.S. plant patent 10,636.

“We are very fortunate to have leaders and visionaries like Dr. Engelke in the turfgrass industry who have laid a strong foundation for a strong future,” said Dr. Ambika Chandra, Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass breeder and successor to Dr. Engleke. “The Breeder’s Cup award is deserving recognition to Dr. Engelke’s contributions and the impact of Diamond cultivar in the turfgrass industry”.

Bred under the experimental name DALZ8502, Diamond was the finest textured zoysiagrass at the time of its release with the potential to provide a viable alternative to golf courses struggling to keep creeping bentgrass alive during the heat of the summer or to golf courses with heavy shade issues where bermudagrasses were failing, his nomination states.

Engelke served as the turfgrass breeder at the Texas A&M AgriLife Center in Dallas from 1980 through 2007. During that time, he developed and released 16 cultivars of three turfgrass species, seven of which were zoysiagrass cultivars. According to nominators, some of those cultivars set industry standards, including Diamond.

“One of his major contributions to the turfgrass industry has been the zoysiagrass germplasm collection trip to the Pacific Rim he made with Mr. Jack Murray in 1982,” Chandra said. “They covered tremendous grounds in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and brought back over 750 unique accessions of zoysiagrass representing eight of the eleven zoysiagrass species.”

TBA awards the Breeder’s Cup to the turfgrass breeder and cultivar that best exemplify originality in development. Through this award they hope to encourage breeders to think and act outside the box to advance turfgrasses.

Texas A&M-bred zoysia turf varieties tested in High Plains climate

24Sep

By: Kay Ledbetter

A turfgrass project aimed at finding a water-smart alternative to Bermuda and fescue grasses for the High Plains has been installed in front of the 1938-vintage “white house” at Bushland. The original headquarters of the Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, this facility is now jointly operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research.

The project, titled Zoysia Turfgrasses for Residential and Commercial Landscapes in the Texas Panhandle, will be conducted by Dr. Brent Auvermann, AgriLife Research center director, Amarillo; Dr. Ambika Chandra, AgriLife Research turfgrass breeder, Dallas; and Dr. Gary Marek, USDA-ARS research agricultural engineer, Bushland.

Zoysia turfgrass is being studied by Texas A&M AgriLife and USDA-ARS to determine if it is water-efficient and cold hardy in Texas Panhandle landscapes. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

This demonstration will have a state-of-the-art irrigation system and two varieties, “Chisholm” and “Innovation,” recently released by Chandra and Dr. Jack Fry, Kansas State University turfgrass science professor, Manhattan, Kansas.

Zoysia, compared to other warm-season turfgrasses, generally produces higher quality turf requiring fewer inputs like mowing, nutrients and chemicals due to its natural tolerance to disease, insects, shade and salinity stress, Chandra said.

She has been breeding freeze-tolerant zoysia grass varieties as part of an ongoing project since 2003 with Kansas State.

“While zoysia’s low input requirements, strong shade tolerance and salinity tolerance make it an attractive option for use across the U.S., most species are still found in the southern U.S. due to low tolerance for freezing temperatures,” Chandra said.

The Dallas Center’s turf breeding program produced 640 zoysia hybrids in 2004 and sent them to Kansas to be evaluated for cold tolerance. The breeding lines that survived the cold were evaluated for aesthetic quality and a range of other characteristics, Chandra said.

Chisholm, licensed to Carolina Fresh Farm, is a medium-texture zoysia that is cold hardy into the northern region of the U.S. transition zone. It features rapid establishment and recovery rates as well as superior turf quality compared to Meyer zoysia. Chisholm underwent testing in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program’s 2002 Zoysiagrass Test as DALZ 0102.

Innovation, originally KSUZ 0802 and licensed to Sod Solutions, features finer leaf texture and superior density to Meyer. It is a good option for landscapers and end users in the transition zone and beyond who are looking for a cold hardy hybrid for golf courses, yards, parks and commercial establishments.

“I expect both of these varieties to not only survive the Texas Panhandle climate, but to produce good turfgrass quality with limited resource input,” Chandra said.

sprinkler on new sod

Zoysia grass bred by Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass breeder Dr. Ambika Chandra in Dallas. (Texas A&M Agriife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

Auvermann said half the sod in the Bushland side-by-side variety comparisons was laid on existing soil; the other side on existing soil amended with composted cattle manure to test what role fertility and organic matter have in its survivability.

“We think the zoysia grass will provide an alternative for landscape contractors for both residential and commercial markets,” he said. “Zoysia grasses act a little bit like Bermuda grass in that they creep and repair themselves. They also use less water than the fescues typically used for the landscaping projects in the Texas Panhandle.”

Traditionally, Marek said, there are three grass varieties available to homeowners for turfgrass – fescue, Bermuda and buffalo grass, with fescue using the most water. Fescue greens up earlier and stays green longer than other varieties, so aesthetically, it is generally more pleasing.

“However, fescue can use up to a half-inch of water per day on hot, windy days typical of the Panhandle summers,” he said.

“One of the benefits we hope to evaluate in this trial is to see if these zoysia varieties can compare to fescue grass in aesthetics while using less water,” Marek said.

In addition to the water use, the other aspect of the project is to determine how well the zoysia grass overwinters in the colder climate of the Panhandle, Marek said.

“If these two varieties prove adapted to our climate, as we expect, they ought to use significantly less water than our typical tall fescues, heal themselves, withstand the winters and maintain a luxurious, fine-bladed turf,” Auvermann said.

This project is funded in part by the federal Ogallala Aquifer Project.

Texas A&M-designed irrigation runoff mitigation system patented, available for licensing

9May

By: Kay Ledbetter
Contact: Dr. Ben Wherley – b-wherley@tamu.edu

Just as temperatures begin to heat up and lawns begin to seemingly beg for water, Texas A&M AgriLife faculty were recognized at a patent award banquet for their irrigation runoff mitigation system.

water running down road

Texas A&M faculty received a patent on a system to control irrigation in response to detected runoff. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Dr. Ben Wherley)

With water waste a growing problem nationwide, an interdisciplinary team of engineers, irrigation researchers and turfgrass experts have spent the past two years designing a solution to conserve strained water supplies in municipal landscapes.

Leading the invention were Dr. Ben Wherley, Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass ecologist, and Dr. Jorge Alvarado, Texas A&M University department of engineering technology and industrial distribution professor, both in College Station.

Other team members on the project were Dr. Richard White and Jim Thomas, both retired from Texas A&M’s soil and crop sciences department; Dr. Casey Reynolds, formerly with AgriLife Research; Dr. Fouad Jaber, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service engineering specialist, Dallas; and Dean Tate and Junfeng Men, both former engineering students.

The team’s objective was to design a reliable, durable and low-cost Landscape Irrigation Runoff Mitigation System, or LIRMS, that could minimize irrigation runoff losses from residential or commercial landscapes.

Feedback control systems for automated irrigation systems have been limited to soil moisture sensors, weather-based evapotranspiration controllers and rain sensors, Wherley said. A need existed for a system to control scheduled irrigated delivery based on detected irrigation-water runoff.

“In a series of tests comparing LIRMS-controlled irrigation versus industry standard irrigation practices at our runoff measurement facility, the LIRMS was able to reduce landscape runoff by up to 50% during a typical 1-inch irrigation event,” he said.

LIRMS quickly detects and responds to the early stages of runoff, pausing irrigation and generating an automated cycle soaking through the duration of the allotted run period, thus mitigating significant runoff fluxes, Wherley said.

curb with drain and sensors

A curbside runoff sensor prototype is tested during an irrigation event. The wires show where the device is buried. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Dr. Ben Wherley)

With LIRMS control during an irrigation event, 30 minutes of irrigation may require a few hours to apply, depending on the potential for runoff in a given landscape, he said.

“However, the result is more water ending up in the soil, and less in the storm sewers,” Alvarado said.

The LIRMS system detects flow of water through a boundary, which may be a curb or the junction of two adjoining properties, he said. A controller is operatively coupled to the irrigation system and the sensor. Responsive to the sensor detecting flow of water through the boundary above a predefined threshold, the controller signals the irrigation system to pause irrigation.

“We know urban and/or municipal water use will continue to represent a significant portion of overall water demand in Texas, especially given the rapid pace of urban growth in the state,” Wherley said. “And while most municipalities prohibit irrigation runoff, enforcing it is a challenge.”

group looking at irrigation manifold

The Texas A&M team monitors the irrigation control manifold at the testing facility with engineering students. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)

Both Alvarado and Wherley said there is still room for improvement in the system.

“Our future efforts will seek to improve efficiency of the system in terms of recognizing appropriate lengths of pause periods based on ambient soil moisture, soil texture, slope and other factors by using artificial intelligence to simply recognize when soil saturation has been achieved based on the runoff dynamics,” Alvarado said.

“As population growth places greater strains on potable water, we believe LIRMS has enormous potential to help water conservation efforts for communities throughout the country.” Wherley said.

LIRMS is composed of a sensor as well as a controller and these would be installed by a professional irrigation contractor when a new system is installed, or as an add on to an existing irrigation system, he said.

“Since no company has licensed the technology yet, the devices we have now are simply prototypes,” Wherley said. “A professional company might improve the device and make it look completely different than it does now. But our patent covers any type of system that controls irrigation in response to detected runoff.”

The product is available for licensing through Texas A&M’s Technology Commercialization website https://tinyurl.com/y2d3wxhe.

TAMU Turfgrass team displays research to USGA

9May

By: Beth Ann Luedeker
Contact: Dr. Ben Wherley, b-wherley@tamu.edu

group listening to presentation

Ben Wherley (l) and Kevin McInnes (far right) discuss ongoing research with the USGA Green Section’s research committee before touring the research plots.

The Texas A&M Turfgrass Science team recently hosted members of the United States Golf Association Green Section’s research committee at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Center for Lawn and Garden Research.

During the visit, faculty and grad students from the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences provided updates on several multi-year research projects that are currently being funded by the USGA Green Section. Drs. Ben Wherley and Kevin McInnes, respectively Associate Professor and Professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, are conducting this research with the assistance of their graduate students.

group looking at turf plot

Reagan Hejl explains the tools being used to determine best management practices for irrigation of sand-capped fairways to members of the USGA Green section. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)


“Data-driven irrigation scheduling for managing sand-capped fairways”

This project, being conducted by Wherley, McInnes and Ph.D. student Reagan Hejl, is a follow-up to a previous USGA-funded study which determined there was no significant quality or performance differences between fairways irrigated 1 day per week vs. 2 days per week. The current study will use data-driven techniques, including wireless sensors and evapotranspiration rates, to help determine the best irrigation practices for sand-capped fairways.

three people by pile of spent coffee grounds

Master’s student Garrett Flores visits with members of the USGA Green Section research committee about the spent coffee grounds being used in his research. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)


“Evaluation of spent coffee grounds as a turf fertilizer and root zone amendment”

This study, being conducted by Wherley, McInnes and Master’s student Garrett Flores, is evaluating the use of spent coffee grounds as a more sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to sphagnum peat moss as a soil amendment for golf courses.

Master’s student Will Bowling demonstrates the difference wetting agents can make in the mitigation of sodicity caused by poor quality irrigation water on sand-capped fairways. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Beth Ann Luedeker)


“Long-term dynamics and management requirements of sand-capped fairways”

A third project follows a previous USGA study which suggested an optimal sand capping depth of 8 inches. This study, being conducted by Wherley, McInnes and graduate student Will Bowling, will evaluate the long-term changes in performance, soil properties and management requirements created by the sand-capping.

USGA is also funding several warm-season turf breeding projects being conducted by Dr. Ambika Chandra and others at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas.

The USGA research committee includes USGA agronomists from both the south-central and western U.S. regions as well as current and retired university faculty.

Since 1920, the USGA has funded more than $40 million on research projects conducted at universities across the country. Their research program facilitates collaboration with allied associations and government agencies to promote golf course contributions to the environment. The scientific results advance the long-term viability of the game through sustainable resource management and environmental protection.

New Turfgrass specialist joins faculty in Dallas

18Mar

Writer: Gabe Saldana
Contact: Dr. Chrissie Segars, (979) 952-9212 or chrissie.segars@ag.tamu.edu

The newest state turfgrass specialist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service aims to inspire sustainable management of safe sports fields and other turfgrass applications.
Dr. Chrissie Segars’ office is at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.

Her focus is coaching field managers on a system of approaches where primary goals are user safety and healthy turfgrass. Segars’ extension outreach efforts cover aeration, fertilization, irrigation, variety selection, pests, weeds and a wide array of other practices.

Chrissie Segars

Dr. Chrissie Segars joins the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences as the new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service turfgrass specialist in Dallas. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Gabe Saldana)

“It’s so important to educate about how all these disciplines work together to cultivate safe playing surfaces and healthy fields,” she said.

Focus on safety

Segars cited several field characteristics that determine safety, which are affected by proper management. They include surface hardness and foot traction among others.

The South Carolina native, in addition to her outreach initiatives, aims to find solutions that support better sports fields across the socioeconomic spectrum. As such, Segars will conduct research at the nexus of best management practices for turfgrass health and field safety.

“My research in Dallas will give me a great opportunity to take the science right to the public and to industry,” she said. “I’m excited to see how this work can improve the field.”

Segars holds a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and masters’ degrees in kinesiology and horticulture from Louisiana State and Oklahoma State universities, respectively. She earned her doctorate in crop science from Oklahoma State.

Segars joins Dr. Becky Grubbs as AgriLife Extension’s second turfgrass specialist for Texas.

“I’m excited to begin working with all the people involved in the turfgrass industry across the state,” Segars said. “I want to make a strong impact in Texas, keeping turfgrass sustainable, starting with Dallas-Fort Worth.”

National team to use $5.7 million USDA award to address annual bluegrass epidemic in turfgrass

7Nov

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Photos: Beth Ann Luedeker, baluedeker@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – The most widely grown irrigated crop in the U.S. – turfgrass – is being threatened, and Texas A&M AgriLife is leading a project to find solutions.

Annual bluegrass, known as Poa annua, is the most troublesome weed of turf systems, according to a recent Weed Science Society of America survey, and this weed has grown to epidemic proportions, causing severe economic losses.

Texas A&M AgriLife is joining scientists across the nation to address the threat with a project, Research and Extension to Address Herbicide-Resistance Epidemic in Annual Bluegrass in Managed Turf Systems.

A team of 16 scientists across 15 universities will be involved in the four-year, $5.7 million project to limit the impact of annual bluegrass, the most troublesome weed of athletic, golf, lawn and sod turf, said Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, lead investigator/weed scientist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in the Soil and Crop Sciences Department, College Station.

twelve people

Members of the research team include: (l to r) Shawn Askew, Scott McElroy, Muthu Bagavathiannan, Daniel Hathcoat, Clint Mattock, James Brosnan, Becky Grubbs, Matthew Elmore, David Ervin, George Frisvold, Jay McCurdy and Bryan Unruh. Not pictured: Travis Gannon, John Kaminski, Alec Kowalewski, Bert McCarty, Patrick McCullough and Aaron Patton.

Funding is from a Specialty Crops Research Initiative Coordinated Agricultural Project grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

“The national-scale herbicide-resistance epidemic in annual bluegrass in managed turfgrass systems is in need of critical research and extension attention,” Bagavathiannan said.

The team’s multifaceted approach will be to characterize the distribution of herbicide-resistant populations, seek weaknesses in the weed’s seed biology and growth characteristics, and develop alternatives to herbicides to supplement current control measures, with a robust extension and education program, he said.

Known popularly as the “Green Industry” or the “Environmental Horticulture Industry,” turfgrass is about a $100 billion specialty crop industry in the U.S., with about 50 million acres of managed turf operations nationwide, according to co-investigator Dr. Becky Grubbs, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service turfgrass specialist, College Station.

With high genetic diversity and rapid adaptation to climates and management, this species is found in all U.S. hardiness zones, said Dr. Alec Kowalewski, associate professor at Oregon State University. Even small infestations can quickly spread throughout a turf field.

Annual bluegrass, marked by its distinct light green color with white flower heads, is not tolerated in managed turf systems because of a severe negative impact on turf quality, said Dr. Bert McCarty, Clemson University professor.

Poor tolerance of annual bluegrass to moisture and heat stress as well as stand density loss due to disease and nematode infections severely affect the recreational quality of the turf, said Dr. James Brosnan, University of Tennessee associate professor.

man on one knee inspecting turfgrass

Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, Texas A&M AgriLife Research weed scientist, looks for annual bluegrass seedlings at the Scotts-Miracle Gro Center for Lawn and Garden Research at Texas A&M University in College Station.

The rapid rise and movement of herbicide-resistant Poa annua from one location to another might be linked to contaminated turfgrass seed being planted or Poa-infested sod installed unbeknownst to turf managers, said Dr. Aaron Patton, Purdue University professor.

Understanding resistance mechanisms may provide insight for developing suitable management practices, said Dr. Scott McElroy, Auburn University professor. If the genetic relationships can be determined between resistant populations, suitable management practices could be identified and implemented to prevent their spread.

A common South Korean golf course practice is to clean golf shoes with compressed air after finishing a golf round. This simple practice could reduce the spread of herbicide-resistant populations across golf courses, and in turn reduce the amount of herbicide applied there and to other turfgrass areas, said Dr. Patrick McCullough, University of Georgia professor.

Dr. Travis Gannon, North Carolina State University associate professor, said the potential of non-target-site resistance (NTSR) mechanisms is a growing concern because such mechanisms may confer resistance to unrelated herbicide groups. “We are excited about the opportunity to investigate NTSR among Poa populations across the national scale.”

Virginia Tech professor Dr. Shawn Askew said because the biology and ecology of Poa has not been adequately studied, the project will investigate seed persistence in the soil seedbank, seedling-emergence patterns and phenological development to identify best management strategies.

“Stakeholders have told us a major limitation with resistance management is the lack of effective non-chemical tactics,” said Dr. Matt Elmore, Rutgers University assistant professor.

Research needs to evaluate cultural tactics such as grass species and variety selection, mowing regimes – height and frequency, grass-clipping removal at mowing, as well as irrigation and nutrient management, said Dr. Bryan Unruh, University of Florida professor. Fraze mowing, which removes the top inch of soil along with weed seeds, is another approach to be evaluated, Brosnan added.

“Socioeconomic factors, such as technology expectations and prices, play a major role in the adoption of best management practices,” said Dr. David Ervin, Portland State University professor. The project will conduct focus groups and a national survey to understand the behavior of turf managers and the factors influencing decision-making by them.

Twelve people seated around a table talking

Members of the research team met in College Station to initiate the annual bluegrass research effort.

Weed-resistance management may be expensive in the short-run, but it can pay off in the long-run, said Dr. George Frisvold, University of Arizona professor. Understanding the long-term economic implications of management practices and being proactive are imperative.

All findings from the project will be disseminated through an extensive outreach program, including field days, small-group trainings, webinars and bulletins in all the states for stakeholder interaction, said Dr. Jay McCurdy, Mississippi State University assistant professor.

The project also includes disseminating the research findings through classroom education and student training to reach the next generation of turf managers, said John Kaminski, Pennsylvania State University professor.

According to the International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds, annual bluegrass ranks third among all herbicide-resistant weed species globally, with resistance to at least nine different herbicide modes of action.

One stakeholder, pointing out the seriousness of the problem, said, “We just completed our putting green renovation costing $3 million, driven largely by the fact Poa annua was the prominent grass, which created chronic ‘life support’ attention.” Another said, “Finding solutions to this problem could save homeowners, public entities, golf courses and sports complexes millions of dollars.”

With a strong clientele network in place, the team has been able to identify the needs of the industry and other stakeholders as we move forward with the research, Bagavathiannan said. And while the project will directly benefit sod farms, golf courses, athletic fields and residential turf systems, it also will improve social and environmental benefits to the general public.

For more information, please contact any member of the team:

  • Muthu Bagavathiannan, Texas A&M University, muthu@tamu.edu
  • Shawn Askew, Virginia Tech University, saskew@vt.edu
  • Jim Brosnan, University of Tennessee, jbrosnan@utk.edu
  • Matthew Elmore, Rutgers University, matthew.elmore@rutgers.edu
  • David Ervin, Portland State University, ervin@pdx.edu
  • George Frisvold, University of Arizona, frisvold@ag.arizona.edu
  • Travis Gannon, North Carolina State University, travis_gannon@ncsu.edu
  • Becky Grubbs, Texas A&M University, bgrubbs@tamu.edu
  • John Kaminski, Pennsylvania State University, kaminski@psu.edu
  • Alec Kowalewski, Oregon State University, alec.kowalewski@oregonstate.edu
  • Bert McCarty, Clemson University, bmccrty@clemson.edu
  • Patrick McCullough, University of Georgia, pmccull@uga.edu
  • Jay McCurdy, Mississippi State University, jdm269@msstate.edu
  • Scott McElroy, Auburn University, jsm0010@auburn.edu
  • Aaron Patton, Purdue University, ajpatton@purdue.edu
  • Brian Unruh, University of Florida, jbu@ufl.edu

Texas A&M leads $5.7 million research project to attack annual bluegrass

30Oct

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, 979-845-5375, muthu@tamu.edu

The most widely grown irrigated crop in the U.S. – turfgrass – is being threatened by annual bluegrass, and Texas A&M AgriLife is leading a project to find solutions.

Texas A&M AgriLife is joining scientists across the nation to address the threat through a project called Research and Extension to Address Herbicide-Resistance Epidemic in Annual Bluegrass in Managed Turf Systems.

Man on one knee inspecting turfgrass

Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, Texas A&M AgriLife Research weed scientist, looks for annual bluegrass seedlings at the Scotts-Miracle Gro Center for Lawn and Garden Research at Texas A&M University in College Station. (Texas A&M photo by Beth Luedeker)

A team of 16 university scientists will be involved in the four-year, $5.7 million project to limit the impact of annual bluegrass, the most troublesome weed of athletic, golf, lawn and sod turf, said Dr. Muthu Bagavathiannan, lead investigator and weed scientist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research in the Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department, College Station.

Funding is from a Specialty Crops Research Initiative Coordinated Agricultural Project grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Annual bluegrass, known as Poa, is the most troublesome turf weed, according to a recent Weed Science Society of America survey. This weed has grown to epidemic proportions, causing severe economic losses.

“The national-scale herbicide-resistance epidemic of annual bluegrass in managed turfgrass systems warrants critical attention by research and extension scientists,” Bagavathiannan said.

Known popularly as the “Green Industry” or the “Environmental Horticulture Industry,” turfgrass is about a $100 billion specialty crop industry in the U.S., with about 50 million acres of managed turf operations nationwide, said co-investigator Dr. Becky Grubbs, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service turfgrass specialist, College Station.

With high genetic diversity and rapid adaptation to climates and management, this species is found in all U.S. hardiness zones, Grubbs said. Even small infestations can quickly spread throughout a turf field.

annual bluegrass

Annual bluegrass is considered as a troublesome weed affecting golf courses, athletic fields, sod farms and residential lawns. (Texas A&M AgriLife)

Annual bluegrass has a distinctly light green color with white flower heads, she said. Its presence is not tolerated in managed turf systems because of a severe negative impact on turf quality. It has poor tolerance to moisture and heat stress and stand density loss commonly occurs due to disease and nematode infections, severely affecting the recreational quality of the turf.

The team’s multifaceted approach will focus on understanding the current distribution of resistance, resistance mechanisms, rapid diagnostic methods, seed persistence and seedling emergence, phenological development, non-chemical management options and socio-economic considerations to adoption of best management practices, Bagavathiannan said.

“A decision-support tool will be developed to guide the selection of suitable management programs based on herbicide mode of action diversity and integration of non-chemical options,” he said. “We anticipate this tool will create awareness among the clients about the importance of diversified management and help select best management practices that fit their operations.”

According to the International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds, annual bluegrass ranks third among all herbicide-resistant weed species globally, with resistance to at least nine different herbicide modes of action.

“Currently, very few effective herbicide options are available for the management of annual bluegrass in turf systems, and very few, if any, novel herbicide modes of action are in the development pipeline,” Bagavathiannan said.

“The inability to control annual bluegrass using existing economical and environmentally benign herbicides means that less favorable alternatives are having to be used to manage the problem,” he said.

Twelve people standing in front of building

Some of the team addressing herbicide-resistance in annual bluegrass gathered recently at the Scotts-Miracle Gro Center for Lawn and Garden Research at Texas A&M University. (Texas A&M photo by Beth Luedeker)

Stakeholders have identified the lack of effective non-chemical tactics as a problem. In response, the project will evaluate cultural practices such as grass species and variety selection, mowing regimes – height and frequency, grass-clipping removal at mowing, as well as irrigation and nutrient management. Fraze mowing – removing the top inch of soil along with the weed seeds – is a novel approach that will be evaluated.

Co-investigators on this project are:
– Dr. Shawn Askew, Virginia Tech.
– Dr. James Brosnan, University of Tennessee.
– Dr. Matt Elmore, Rutgers University.
– Dr. David Ervin, Portland State University.
– Dr. George Frisvold, University of Arizona.
– Dr. Travis Gannon, North Carolina State University.
– Dr. John Kaminski, Pennsylvania State University.
– Dr. Alec Kowalewski, Oregon State University.
– Dr. Bert McCarty, Clemson University.
– Dr. Patrick McCullough, University of Georgia.
– Dr. Jay McCurdy, University of Mississippi.
– Dr. Scott McElroy, Auburn University.
– Dr. Aaron Patton, Purdue University.
– Dr. Bryan Unruh, University of Florida.

The project will directly benefit sod production farms, golf courses, athletic fields and residential turf systems in cost saving and improved profitability, Bagavathiannan said. As important, though, is it will help improve social and environmental benefits to the general public.

The team already has a strong network with the clientele being served with this project, so that has helped the group identify the needs, he said, and “will keep us on track as we move forward with our research.”

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