Mike Coker and son Troy work on golf courses ... - Backed By Bayer

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SOLUTIONS Some tests have shown up to three months control of dollar spot can be attained with early-sea<strong>son</strong> fungicide applications. Midwest that occurs in the cold weather of October. For this rea<strong>son</strong>, it has been difficult to develop a prediction model for dollar spot because of different VCGs that occur under the various environmental conditions. The occurrence For many years, dollar spot was only a problem in the parts of the world where coolsea<strong>son</strong> grasses were grown. With the introduction of some of the new creeping bentgrass cultivars, like Crenshaw, <strong>and</strong> the new ultra-dwarf bermudagrasses, dollar spot has now become a problem in the areas of the world where warm-sea<strong>son</strong> grasses are grown. In spite of its proliferation, it is rarely considered a major disease. You might say it is the Rodney Dangerfield of turfgrass diseases: It doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Over the years, when golf course superintendents are surveyed about what they consider to be their most important turf disease, they invariably say Pythium blight. In recent years, their top choice has been crown-rotting anthracnose. But when the question is asked in another way — “Which disease do you spend the most money controlling?” — the answer is usually dollar spot. This makes it a very important disease from an economic point of view. Cultural management Dollar spot outbreaks occur under conditions of high humidity or when large amounts of guttation water (dew) are present on the turf. Whereas little can be done about the high humidity, a good cultural practice to reduce the severity of dollar spot is to remove the guttation water as soon as possible each morning. This can be done by wiping the guttation water off with a pole, dragging a hose over the turf, or turning the irrigation water on for a few minutes. Another good cultural control that is often overlooked is having adequate nitrogen fertility. Nitrogen can help manage the disease by encouraging growth, which in turn increases mowing off infected leaves. Studies at Michigan State University have shown rolling the greens three times a week following the morning mowing has also suppressed the amount of dollar spot. Further research needs to be conducted to determine the mechanism involved in this phenomena, however. In the meantime, for the practitioner, it is enough to know that he or she can reduce the incidence of dollar spot by rolling in the morning immediately after mowing. Chemical management The dollar spot organism starts out in the spring as a tiny stroma (a cluster of mycelium). It is much easier to control at this stage, when it is small <strong>and</strong> slow-growing, than later in the sea<strong>son</strong> when it gains mass <strong>and</strong> grows more rapidly. Several universities have been involved in early fungicide application to delay the development of dollar spot. Some tests have shown up to three months control of dollar spot can be attained with early-sea<strong>son</strong> fungicide applications. However, more research needs to be done to better determine the exact timing of the early fungicide applications. The current findings suggest the application should be made between 150- <strong>and</strong> 200-degree days using a base 50. Looking toward the future Dollar spot will continue to be an important disease. It appears that it is becoming widespread in more areas <strong>and</strong> on more turfgrass species. In addition, the resistance of certain strains of R. floccosum to some fungicide classes continues to be a problem. The future of controlling dollar spot, then, may rely on developing resistant species <strong>and</strong>/or cultivars. One thing is for sure: The Rodney Dangerfield of turfgrass diseases is not going away anytime soon. ✹ J.M. Vargas Jr. is a professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Plant Pathology. 36 Golf Advantage Winter 2006
ON THE ROAD BAYER NEWS Sales Rep Focus:Wearing of the Green Their dedication to the green industry <strong>and</strong> consistently outst<strong>and</strong>ing performance earned two Bayer Environmental Science golf sales representatives the “Green Jacket” Award at the company’s recent annual meeting. David Sylvester, who covers Long Isl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> parts of Connecticut, New York <strong>and</strong> Massachusetts, <strong>and</strong> Gordon Vosti, who h<strong>and</strong>les sales in central California, were recently honored with the prestigious award. They were recognized for excellence in achievement <strong>and</strong> creating a positive image for the industry in their local communities. “Gordon’s extensive knowledge of the golf, lawn care <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>scape industries has helped Bayer grow tremendously in California,”says Brian Tepper,western regional manager for the Bayer golf sales team. “He has been a sales rep for more than 30 years <strong>and</strong> is considered one of the most knowledgeable individuals <strong>work</strong>ing on the West Coast in this industry today.” According to Jim Davis, regional manager for the northern golf sales team, David Sylvester has been a terrific resource for New York-area golf course superintendents for the 20-plus years he has been <strong>work</strong>ing in that area. “Dave’s longevity is greater than most of the products he represents,”says Davis.“Products come <strong>and</strong> go, but Dave is a staple in the Metropolitan New York area <strong>and</strong> New Engl<strong>and</strong>. He consistently goes the extra mile in providing service to his customers <strong>and</strong> serving the associations in his area.” ABOVE: Gordon Vosti tries on his green jacket. LEFT: Dave Sylvester gets a little help from Jim Davis in putting on his green jacket. Bayer Employees on the Move John (J.T.) Turner recently returned to field sales as a lawn <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>scape sales representative for Bayer Environmental Science, covering Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin <strong>and</strong> Kentucky. Previously, he was formulator account manager for Bayer. From 1997 to 2002, Turner was a turf, pest control <strong>and</strong> formulator sales representative for Bayer Garden <strong>and</strong> Professional Care, covering the northern Midwest. He also covered the Midwest as a manufacturer’s sales representative from 1980 through 1997, <strong>work</strong>ing for TUCO, Nor-Am <strong>and</strong> AgrEvo. He began his sales career with TUCO, part of the Upjohn Company, in 1980. In addition, Ja<strong>son</strong> Kuhlemeier recently joined the marketing team for Bayer Environmental Science in Research Triangle Park, N.C., as a marketing specialist. He will coordinate regional <strong>and</strong> field sales communications, assist in programs management <strong>and</strong> <strong>work</strong> with the marketing team to facilitate strategic planning <strong>and</strong> execution. Most recently, Kuhlemeier was a golf field sales rep for Bayer, covering southern California, Arizona, New Mexico <strong>and</strong> Las Vegas. Before that, he <strong>work</strong>ed for Aventis as a crop sales representative in Iowa for three years. He also covered Iowa as a sales rep for Rhone Poulenc. www.bayergolfadvantage.com Golf Advantage 37
Page 1 and 2: Bayer WINTER 2006 YOUR TOTAL RESOUR
Page 3 and 4: Bayer Golf Advantage Golf Advantage
Page 5 and 6: FAR & WIDE INDUSTRY NEWS Irrigation
Page 7 and 8: mold. Most of the New Jersey, Penns
Page 9 and 10: TALK BACK QUESTION OF THE MONTH We
Page 11 and 12: Greens Racer This superintendent’
Page 13 and 14: Down the track The Greenskeeper gra
Page 15 and 16: well in advance of the tournament.
Page 17 and 18: He typically overseeds perennial ry
Page 19 and 20: The first hole at ArborLinks, which
Page 21 and 22: MANAGEMENT HUMAN RESOURCES Gather R
Page 23 and 24: one another out. “If it is a supe
Page 25 and 26: the division a substantial amount o
Page 27 and 28: Alec responded well to the school
Page 29 and 30: old home course. Last year
Page 31 and 32: his ryegrass/Poa annua fairways <st
Page 33: SOLUTIONS PEST MANAGEMENT Pests We

Mike Coker and son Troy work on golf courses ... - Backed By Bayer

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