The Turf Zone Podcast

MTC Turf News – Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. and Adam Nichols, Virginia Tech

Herbicide-resistant weeds in turfgrass, ornamental, and nursery crop commodities have been an increasing issue over the past 10 years. It has been a while since we have seen a new herbicide mode of action so we are primarily relying on herbicides developed 20, 30, 40 or more years ago. Until new herbicide modes of action are developed, the issue of herbicide resistance will increase.

Definition of resistance

First, some definitions here. When I say “Herbicide Resistance,” I am referring to weed species that used to be controlled by a given herbicide, but now are no longer controlled. This is different from weed species that were always difficult to control — we refer to these as troublesome or tolerant weed species. Examples of troublesome weed species would include species like kyllinga, wild garlic, wild violets, Virginia buttonweed, bindweed, poison ivy, and mugwort (wild chrysanthemum). These troublesome weeds can be controlled, but it may require higher application rates or repeat applications. For herbicide-resistant weeds, increasing the application generally has no effect, as the biotype often can tolerate many times the highest use rate.

How resistance develops

It is thought that in a population of a given weed species, there may be a few individuals that, through a genetic mutation developed resistance to an herbicide. The mutation may have been present before that herbicide was ever used on the property. Current thinking is that herbicide application does not cause the genetic mutation that confers resistance, but that the mutations occur as a separate, random process. Often the herbicide provided a high level of control for the susceptible biotypes of that weed species. Repeated applications of that herbicide quickly control the susceptible biotypes, allowing the resistant biotype to spread through uninhibited seed production. If that herbicide is reapplied every year or so for say eight or nine years, the resistant population will increase until it is the dominant biotype. Over that eight or nine years, that herbicide will be less and less effective until it provides no control at all.

Examples of resistance in turf situations

There are certain weed species that appear to be prone to developing herbicide resistance, such as annual bluegrass (Poa annua). There are documented cases of annual bluegrass biotypes that have developed resistance to certain herbicides. In 2019, Ian Heap (International survey of herbicide resistant weeds, www.weedscience.org) reported that annual bluegrass ranks third among all herbicide-resistant weed species globally, with resistance to nine different herbicide sites of action. Triazine-resistant annual bluegrass has been detected in turfgrass, with simazine being the primary triazine used in turf (mainly used in bermudagrass), with specialized uses of atrazine in certain warm- season turf species. Adam Nichols and I documented triazine resistant annual bluegrass at a golf course in Virginia a number of years ago. We kept seed from that biotype and discovered that biotype was also resistant to Xonerate (amicarbazone). Simazine and amicarbazone both are photosynthetic inhibitors.

Annual bluegrass biotypes resistant to the dinitroaniline herbicides have been identified in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. The dinitroaniline herbicide class incudes prodiamine (Barricade, others), pendimethalin (Pendulum, others) , oryzalin (Surflan, others), and trifluralin (Treflan, others), key turfgrass and ornamental herbicides. Annual bluegrass resistant to glyphosate (Roundup, many others) has been identified in Tennessee and Missouri.

Biotypes of Poa annua resistant to the sulfonylurea herbicides have been documented in Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia. The sulfonylurea herbicide class includes fora...

North Carolina Turfgrass – Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mississippi State University

Golf course designers and maintainers are increasingly interested in low-maintenance rough and natural areas. Labor shortages and maintenance costs are partially responsible for this trend. The general public’s growing interest in the environmental benefits of golf courses also contributes to the trend. Numerous sources establish the benefits of native and natural roughs. Although not discussed in length, benefits include:

* Aesthetics

* Reduced inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, equipment hours, and labor costs

* Improved stormwater retention and runoff water quality

* Temperature modification

* Wildlife habitat inclusion

This article covers several important topics regarding native golf course roughs in the southeastern United States, including species selection, establishment, and maintenance.

Southeastern states share similar environmental and socioeconomic conditions that influence course design and play. These conditions, while not unique, distinguish southeastern golf course design and maintenance from that of other regions. For instance, many architects and aficionados desire the aesthetics of a links-style, fine fescue rough, but in the Southeast, this is rarely practical or sustainable.

The Southeast’s humid subtropical climate is characterized by warm and moist summer months. Annual rainfall can exceed 50 inches. Much of that rainfall occurs during the active growth period of warm-season plant species, which dominate the playing surfaces where golf is played year-round. Contrast this with the temperate oceanic climate of Scotland, for instance, where annual rainfall is roughly half that of the southeastern United States and the temperature range is ideal for cool-season species. For these reasons, species selection, culture of native areas, and expectations for golf courses in the southeastern United States should be soundly based.

It is important to differentiate native and naturalized species. Native plants originated locally and predate European settlement. Naturalized plants are not native but grow, reproduce, and maintain viable populations without human intervention. These definitions may seem academic, but an owner’s or architect’s specification of one or the other may have real and lasting consequences.

Natural areas in the southeast are not limited to grasses. They may be composed of trees, broadleaf forbs, sedges, and rushes. Each of these species plays an integral part in a healthy ecosystem.

Many American golfers and superintendents are familiar with the look of fine fescue roughs on links-style courses, such as Chambers Bay or Oakmont. Unfortunately, fescues often fail to persist in the mid to coastal Southeast and are rarely “low maintenance.” Despite the availability of many suitable native and naturalized grasses, superintendents are often unfamiliar with their characteristics.

 

Tall Fescue

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is common in golf course natural areas throughout the Southeast. It is a cool-season grass native to Europe and Asia but has been naturalized in many places outside of its native range. Many pastoral golf settings (Sweetens Cove, Old Waverly, and Jackson Country Club) have mixtures of tall fescue and the native warm-season grasses little bluestem and broomsedge. Tall fescue is only moderately drought tolerant compared to most warm-season alternatives; nevertheless, it persists well in much of the mid and deep South. As a cool-season perennial, it is best established in the fall. It tolerates relatively low mowing heights in the moderate climate of the Southeast’s transition zone but generally does not require mowing to propagate by seed, as seed heads ripen in midsummer.

New England Blade – Julie Holt, Content Director, TheTurfZone.com

Ronald Dobosz, Jr.—

Parks Department Foreman

Park & Recreation Department • Wilbraham, MA

UMass Graduate • Turfgrass Management

How did you get your start in the sports turf industry?

I started mowing greens at a 9-hole golf course in Ashfield, Massachusetts when I was 14-years- old.

Where did you go from there?

I was a Golf Course Superintendent for 21 years – from 1993-2014.

Who was your mentor when you were starting out in the industry?

My first mentor was Chuck Martineau, longtime Superintendent at the Whippoorwill Club in Armonk, New York. Also, Tom Columbo, Superintendent of Hyannisport Club and Jim Fitzroy, retired golf course Superintendent and former GCSAA president. All three of these men taught me the importance of a strong work ethic and about being a dedicated crew member who takes pride in his work – big or small.

What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

That small details make huge differences!

What’s the next “game changer” you see on the horizon?

More wear-resistant turf species, such as turf type tall fescues.

What’s your favorite/most useful:

Equipment? Ryan Jr. Sod Cutter     Product? Growth Regulators     Technology? Infield Conditioner Options

Can you share a bit about your family life and what you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Jen, my wife of almost 27 years, and I have 18-year-old twins. Sophia attends Bridgewater State University and is majoring in Physical Education and Teddy attends Boston University and is majoring in Biology/Pre-Med. We live in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. I enjoy playing golf and good cigars!

What advice would you share with people starting out in the sports turf industry?

To network as much as possible and to never be afraid to call and ask anyone for advice.

What have you enjoyed most about being a NESTMA member?

Meeting with peers, sharing ideas and networking.

Virginia Turfgrass Journal – Drew Miller, Program Director

In 2016, Brentsville Turfgrass Management was born with the simple idea of creating a curriculum focused on hands-on experience in the green industry. There was a significant shift from an Agriculture/Horticulture focus to Turfgrass, where jobs in the northern Virginia area were blossoming. In those early days, few resources were available to the program, and any new educational endeavor took time to establish. Now, three years into the program, enrollment has tripled as students gained a new passion for turfgrass and taking pride in their work.

Our program aims to have every student prepared to enter the industry the day they walk across that graduation stage. Our job is to train students in all aspects of the industry, ranging from safe machine operation to workplace readiness to the knowledge of grasses and pesticides to painting a field. We want to inspire our students to better themselves each and every day, no matter what their future goals are. Ours is a specialty program where students anywhere in the Prince William County School district can take these classes by transferring to Brentsville District High School.

Our classes focus on hands-on learning by placing our students in that workplace setting, whether it’s the paint crew for that week’s football game or landscaping the elementary school down the road. We want to teach them how to use proper techniques and maintain a safe workplace environment so that all of our students are a part of an effective learning environment that becomes their own space of creativity where they can thrive. We allow our students to take ownership of their education by empowering them to make their work decisions, whether it is a simple decision like a mowing pattern in the landscape or a large one like creating the stencil for our football field for the entire season. We want our students to take pride in their work and this program. It is incredible to watch a student grow from a point where they might not have seen this program as a real opportunity, commit to what we do, and then develop a passion and become a lifelong learner.

Our program aims to provide unique opportunities for our students to understand career opportunities better. Our classes take annual trips to Virginia Tech, Penn State, and the University of Maryland. When our students visit these universities, they can envision the opportunities these college programs can present to them in the industry. Students can make a connection for future opportunities and form relationships that can change their lives. Our program also was built on the idea of serving others while learning our craft. As we have grown, we have spent time working in the community, providing services, educating better, and improving green spaces. We have spent time renovating landscapes, painting other schools’ fields, renovating baseball mounds, and so much more. We aim to better our Prince William community while giving our students more opportunities to learn and better our craft. We have created different opportunities, including the Brentsville Turf Homecoming Tour, where we went to seven different high schools and painted their fields with a unique design to make their homecoming games memorable. That is why our extra-curricular group, the Brentsville Turf Grounds Crew, has become a common name in the Northern Virginia area. This past year our students were contracted to help with the conversion of Audi Field from an MLS soccer game to an XFL football game for national television. Our high school students have become young industry professionals through their work in the classroom.

Other professional opportunities that we want for our students include internships and jobs that will further their experiences. We have made great connections with different golf course superintendents,

North Carolina Turfgrass – Jennifer Howard

“If you’ve never killed natural grass, you’ve never tried to grow it,” said Jimmy Simpson, NC State alumnus and Facilities Coordinator with the Town of Cary, North Carolina. “I’ve killed plenty of grass. That’s how you learn – from your experiences.” Sports turf management is a growing field as municipalities expand outdoor offerings. Social distancing has pushed us outdoors to play more than ever, making public spaces in high demand. While many organized sports are modified this year, our need for green play space is more important than ever.

Jimmy Simpson oversees all of Cary’s 45 athletic fields, volleyball courts, and supporting facilities with a team of 23 full-time employees. An avid high school baseball player and fan, he saw sports turf management as a long-term connection to stay in the game he loves.

 

Building a Batting Average

While at NC State, Simpson interned with the Durham Bulls alongside classmate John Tournour. “All of us wanted to make it to the ‘big league’. At the time, I thought [the Bulls] were it,” he mused. He became the Bulls’ head groundskeeper during his junior year at NC State and served the movie-celebrated team and fans for almost three years. Around that time, USA Baseball, the governing body for all amateur baseball, started building their new National Training Center at the 221-acre Thomas Brooks Park in Cary. Simpson saw the hometown opportunity and set his career gaze there.

Simpson graduated from NC State in 2002 and joined fellow NC State alum Clark Cox in Columbia, South Carolina. The move was part of his strategy to gain experience with multi-use athletic fields and larger complexes. “That’s what’s great about the NC State family. You can reach out to anybody at any time and they’ll help you,” Simpson said. His resume-building paid off in April of 2006 when he signed with the Town of Cary. “It worked out surprisingly well,” he said.

 

Turf Management is a Team Sport

Simpson’s passion for athletic turf goes beyond the 9 to 5. He is an active member of the National Sports Turf Managers Association serving as their president for 2020. He is an ardent proponent of natural grass surfaces for player safety and long-term value. “[Natural grass] has a bad reputation of being high cost. But synthetic isn’t maintenance-free either. I do see certain applications where synthetic is a viable option. But I think natural grass can be a more cost-effective measure, particularly if managed by a professional turf manager.”

His Town of Cary team manages their athletic fields by striving to balance labor and equipment efficiencies with the changing needs of their end-user. “One of the best parts of my job is interacting with our team – working toward our goals, sharing information with collaborators, and improving our product for the end-user. This business requires you to be a well-rounded teammate.”

Most of Simpson’s team members join as an intern or entry-level groundskeeper. Individuals can progress to an Athletic Field Maintenance Technician, Athletic Field Crew Leader, and then to a Facility Expeditor. Sustained career growth requires its own type of fertilizer. “As professionals, we have to stay current, and that’s all about continuing education. There’s new information on management methods coming out all the time. We use NC State’s Turffiles all the time for that.”

He’s not shy in seeking out resources. “One unique thing about this industry is the collaboration. I can pick up the phone and call anybody in the industry – a major league sports turf manager or golf course superintendent I’ve never met and troubleshoot with them. We may be competitive on aesthetics, but we’re all in the game together to make sure the surfaces are safe for our athletes, no matter their age or ability.”

Tennessee Turfgrass – Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mississippi State University

Golf course designers and maintainers are increasingly interested in low-maintenance rough and natural areas. Labor shortages and maintenance costs are partially responsible for this trend. The general public’s growing interest in the environmental benefits of golf courses also contributes to the trend. Numerous sources establish the benefits of native and natural roughs. Although not discussed in length, benefits include:

• Aesthetics

• Reduced inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, equipment hours, and labor costs

• Improved stormwater retention and runoff water quality

• Temperature modification

• Wildlife habitat inclusion

This article covers several important topics regarding native golf course roughs in the southeastern United States, including species selection, establishment, and maintenance.

Southeastern states share similar environmental and socioeconomic conditions that influence course design and play. These conditions, while not unique, distinguish southeastern golf course design and maintenance from that of other regions. For instance, many architects and aficionados desire the aesthetics of a links-style, fine fescue rough, but in the Southeast, this is rarely practical or sustainable.

The Southeast’s humid subtropical climate is characterized by warm and moist summer months. Annual rainfall can exceed 50 inches. Much of that rainfall occurs during the active growth period of warm-season plant species, which dominate the playing surfaces where golf is played year-round. Contrast this with the temperate oceanic climate of Scotland, for instance, where annual rainfall is roughly half that of the southeastern United States and the temperature range is ideal for cool-season species. For these reasons, species selection, culture of native areas, and expectations for golf courses in the southeastern United States should be soundly based.

It is important to differentiate native and naturalized species. Native plants originated locally and predate European settlement. Naturalized plants are not native but grow, reproduce, and maintain viable populations without human intervention. These definitions may seem academic, but an owner’s or architect’s specification of one or the other may have real and lasting consequences.

Natural areas in the southeast are not limited to grasses. They may be composed of trees, broadleaf forbs, sedges, and rushes. Each of these species plays an integral part in a healthy ecosystem.

Many American golfers and superintendents are familiar with the look of fine fescue roughs on links-style courses, such as Chambers Bay or Oakmont. Unfortunately, fescues often fail to persist in the mid to coastal Southeast and are rarely “low maintenance.” Despite the availability of many suitable native and naturalized grasses, superintendents are often unfamiliar with their characteristics.

Tall Fescue

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is common in golf course natural areas throughout the Southeast. It is a cool-season grass native to Europe and Asia but has been naturalized in many places outside of its native range. Many pastoral golf settings (Sweetens Cove, Old Waverly, and Jackson Country Club) have mixtures of tall fescue and the native warm-season grasses little bluestem and broomsedge. Tall fescue is only moderately drought tolerant compared to most warm-season alternatives; nevertheless, it persists well in much of the mid and deep South. As a cool-season perennial, it is best established in the fall. It tolerates relatively low mowing heights in the moderate climate of the Southeast’s transition zone but generally does not require mowing to propagate by seed, as seed heads ripen in midsummer. The further south one goes,

Pennsylvania Turfgrass – Ben McGraw, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science

A global pandemic, work restrictions, severe drought… and massive swarms of insects? As if the challenges in 2020 were not apocalyptic enough, many turfgrass managers from Ohio to the Canadian Maritime provinces observed hordes of European crane fly (ECF) emerging from the ground during September and October. The sheer size of the swarms, number of reports and samples submitted to the Turfgrass Entomology Lab at Penn State, as well as the detection of species in new areas would suggest that populations are increasing in Pennsylvania. Accurate pest identification and vigilance in monitoring are essential for managing ECF, which until now have enjoyed minor pest status in the Commonwealth. This article is intended to serve as a guide to understanding ECF outbreaks and what to look for moving forward.

 

What is a crane fly?

Crane flies are moderate sized, slender insects that appear to many to resemble a “gigantic mosquito” or “daddy-long legs” (cellar spiders) (Fig. 1). There are approximately 15,000 species of crane flies (or dipterans from the family Tipulidae) on the planet, with ~ 350 species in Pennsylvania. Most are associated with moist environments, and adults can often be found flying around turf near bodies of water or in open fields with moist soils. Only two of the 15,000 species are horticultural pests. Unfortunately for turfgrass managers, both are established in North America and feed on turfgrasses. In areas where ECF are present, no turfgrass manager is immune to the potential for turf loss, as neither species has shown a preference for turfgrass species (Pesho et al. 1981) or mowing height. Rather ECF can damage home lawns, pastures, athletic fields, and golf courses. Their distribution within a site is most closely associated with soil moisture (Peterson et al. 2013).

Adults pose a nuisance to homeowners, athletes, and golfers, but cannot feed and live for only several days to weeks (Rogers 1933). Damage to turfgrass is caused by the larvae, commonly referred to as “leatherjackets.” Leatherjackets are legless, tan to dark gray maggots (Fig. 2). Their worm-like bodies are slightly cone-shaped from the head, becoming tapered toward the rear of the abdomen. Leatherjackets develop through four larval instars by feeding on both roots and foliage with hook-like mouthparts. Most of their time is spent in the top inch of the soil, coming to the surface to feed at night or on overcast days. Large rainfall events may cause leatherjackets to leave their burrow, where they may be washed off the turf onto impervious surfaces. Heathy turf is capable of withstanding moderately dense leatherjacket populations, though stands may exhibit thinning or collapse with additional stressors (e.g. drought, heat) (Fig. 3). Similar to white grub infestations, vertebrate predators (birds, skunks, racoons) may cause the most substantial damage to the turf when they forage for larvae in spring.

 

Invasive species

The two European pest species have been introduced in North America on multiple occasions. Tipula paludosa, or “the European crane fly” was possibly introduced as early as 1880 in Newfoundland, but was first detected in North America in 1955 on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, followed by introductions in British Columbia (1965) and the Great Lakes region (1996). Tipula oleracea, “the marsh crane fly” has also been introduced on at least three separate occasions, though much more recently (1998–2004) in the same geographical regions. What do these areas have in common? Each represents a port of entry into North America where hitchhiking insects can be released. Fortunately for these insects, they found themselves in an environment with similar climatic conditions as in their native regions (high annual precipi...

Arkansas Turfgrass – Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mississippi State University

Golf course designers and maintainers are increasingly interested in low-maintenance rough and natural areas. Labor shortages and maintenance costs are partially responsible for this trend. The general public’s growing interest in the environmental benefits of golf courses also contributes to the trend. Numerous sources establish the benefits of native and natural roughs. Although not discussed in length, benefits include:

• Aesthetics

• Reduced inputs, such as fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, equipment hours, and labor costs

• Improved stormwater retention and runoff water quality

• Temperature modification

• Wildlife habitat inclusion

This article covers several important topics regarding native golf course roughs in the southeastern United States, including species selection, establishment, and maintenance.

Southeastern states share similar environmental and socioeconomic conditions that influence course design and play. These conditions, while not unique, distinguish southeastern golf course design and maintenance from that of other regions. For instance, many architects and aficionados desire the aesthetics of a links-style, fine fescue rough, but in the Southeast, this is rarely practical or sustainable.

The Southeast’s humid subtropical climate is characterized by warm and moist summer months. Annual rainfall can exceed 50 inches. Much of that rainfall occurs during the active growth period of warm-season plant species, which dominate the playing surfaces where golf is played year-round. Contrast this with the temperate oceanic climate of Scotland, for instance, where annual rainfall is roughly half that of the southeastern United States and the temperature range is ideal for cool-season species. For these reasons, species selection, culture of native areas, and expectations for golf courses in the southeastern United States should be soundly based.

It is important to differentiate native and naturalized species. Native plants originated locally and predate European settlement. Naturalized plants are not native but grow, reproduce, and maintain viable populations without human intervention. These definitions may seem academic, but an owner’s or architect’s specification of one or the other may have real and lasting consequences.

Natural areas in the southeast are not limited to grasses. They may be composed of trees, broadleaf forbs, sedges, and rushes. Each of these species plays an integral part in a healthy ecosystem.

Many American golfers and superintendents are familiar with the look of fine fescue roughs on links-style courses, such as Chambers Bay or Oakmont. Unfortunately, fescues often fail to persist in the mid to coastal Southeast and are rarely “low maintenance.” Despite the availability of many suitable native and naturalized grasses, superintendents are often unfamiliar with their characteristics.

Tall Fescue

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is common in golf course natural areas throughout the Southeast. It is a cool-season grass native to Europe and Asia but has been naturalized in many places outside of its native range. Many pastoral golf settings (Sweetens Cove, Old Waverly, and Jackson Country Club) have mixtures of tall fescue and the native warm-season grasses little bluestem and broomsedge. Tall fescue is only moderately drought tolerant compared to most warm-season alternatives; nevertheless, it persists well in much of the mid and deep South. As a cool-season perennial, it is best established in the fall. It tolerates relatively low mowing heights in the moderate climate of the Southeast’s transition zone but generally does not require mowing to propagate by seed, as seed heads ripen in midsummer. The further south one goes,

ATA Turf Times – Jason Ferrell & Stephen Enloe – Professor & Associate Professor, UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic & Invasive Plants

There is significant clamor these days about glyphosate and whether it can or should be used as a part of an integrated pest management program. The concerns over this molecule are many and focus on both the science of health risk and public perception. Therefore, let’s briefly consider where we are with the science and see if we can find a path forward.

The concerns with glyphosate started in 2015 when the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified this molecule as “Probably Carcinogenic”. This change in classification sent shockwaves across the world since we have been told for decades that glyphosate was essentially benign to humans and the environment. This reclassification was a significant move and has since prompted many countries to re-review the data on glyphosate and determine if additional changes in categorization are required.

The independent re-reviews conducted by the US EPA, European Food Safety Administration, Health Canada, Australia, Germany, Brazil, and South Korea have all failed to agree with the IARC assessment. In short, none of these other agencies have concluded, from the available data, that glyphosate poses a significant health risk. So this begs the question, why does everyone seem to disagree with IARC?

This is a complicated and very technical question. If you are interested in diving into this issue, we would highly recommend reading Tarazona et al. 2017 for a full explanation. However, we will attempt to give you a very short and largely insufficient answer on why these agencies disagree with the IARC. 1. The IARC did not make this decision because they are activists that want to penalize pesticides. The IARC is a group of very talented researchers with a long track record. So, this was not a political move. 2. According to Tarazona et al. (2017), the assessment of all the data show that the IARC and EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) were in very close agreement. However, there were a couple of papers that the IARC included in their analysis that the EFSA didn’t feel should be included. These differences, and others, were enough for the IARC to elevate the classification of glyphosate. However, it is important to understand that though these agencies appear to be at odds, they still agree on most points. 3. What does Probably Carcinogenic mean? It means that there is limited evidence that it causes cancer in humans, but sufficient evidence in model species (mice and rats). If (and it is still an “if”) glyphosate is a probable carcinogen, it moves it into a classification that also contains consumption of red meat, consumption of beverages heated to >65C, and workplace exposure to haircare products. Known carcinogens like sunlight and tobacco are in a completely different classification than glyphosate. Please understand, the IARC is not saying that glyphosate causes cancer. They are suggesting that it may be possible for glyphosate to cause cancer, just like consuming very hot beverages. But again, it is important to remember that just because IARC has made this designation doesn’t make it so. Many other similar agencies currently disagree with this assessment and the IARC continues to stand alone.

Now let’s complicate things a bit more. The state of California moved to require warning labels on glyphosate indicating it was a carcinogen. This move was twice struck down in a California court saying there was insufficient evidence for labeling. Moreover, the US EPA then took a strong stance saying that no state could add warning labels to pesticides that had successfully completed their registration process. But then, three separate plaintiffs successfully sued and were awarded large settlements since the court felt that suffici...

Tennessee Turfgrass – Julie Holt, Content Director, TheTurfZone.com

The Turf Zone: Welcome to The Turf Zone. In this episode of Tennessee Turfgrass, we’re interviewing Frank Turner, General Manager of Tennessee Green Lawn and Landscape and recipient of the Tom Samples Turfgrass Professional of the Year. Frank, thanks so much for talking to me. 

Frank Turner: Thanks for having me, I appreciate the opportunity.

 

TTZ: Well, I’m going to just start at the beginning. Let’s go way back, and tell me a little bit about how you got into the turfgrass industry.

FT: Sure. I started when I was probably in high school, maybe after my senior year, I took a job at a golf course in Middle Tennessee, in Hendersonville. It was Bluegrass Country Club, and I’d played golf before, I enjoyed the game of golf, and it was just an opportunity for a summer job, so I took that after graduating high school. My freshman year in college I was planning to major in forestry, and noticed quite a few students in that program, this was the early 70s and I think everybody wanted to be in forestry, so it looked like the job market might not be that favorable after four years, so I decided to change my major and went and talked to the department head at UT and found out that they offered a program in turfgrass management and so I changed my major going into my sophomore year.

 

TTZ: And you had the privilege of having as your advisor Dr. Callahan, is that right?

FT: Yes, Dr. Lloyd Callahan was my advisor and I still remember speaking to him the very first time, asking him about job possibilities and what the program was like and he was my advisor throughout my four years at UT.

 

TTZ: So what happened after your studies at UT? How did you start actually working in the business?

FT: Again, Dr. Callahan was instrumental in pretty much all of the golf course jobs that I got after I graduated from UT, indirectly or directly. He had encouraged me to apply for a scholarship from the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association, which was the Charlie Danner Scholarship, and I was fortunate enough to receive that award. Charlie Danner was a golf course superintendent that was noted in the southeast. He was the superintendent at Richland Country Club in Nashville at one time. He was also superintendent at Capitol City Country Club in Atlanta, and he was noted at the time for converting bermudagrass greens to bentgrass greens, which is somewhat ironic in that now we’re converting bentgrass back to bermudagrass. I received that scholarship award and was asked to apply for the position of assistant superintendent at Capitol City Country Club in Atlanta and I took that job, was there for about two-and-a-half years before moving back to Tennessee and a superintendent’s position at Graymere Country Club in Columbia, Tennessee.

 

TTZ: And have you stayed in Tennessee since then?

FT: Yes, I was in Columbia for about six years. In October of 1986, I took the superintendent’s job at Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville and was there from 1986 to 1998. I’m thankful that I was given an opportunity with the Litton Cochran family here in Knoxville to form a landscape department and build that department, supervise that department and we maintained their properties. They were owner-operators of 31 McDonald’s restaurants in and around Knoxville, and we worked exclusively for them and within their company just maintaining their properties. And then in October of 2018, Mr. Cochran decided to retire, and he sold a number of his stores, but still kept nine of them. And so I had to make a decision what I was going to do next. Because nine stores was not going to keep myself, and four men that work with me, busy 40 hours a week. So Mr. Cochran and I talked it over and with his financial backing and his business and professional experience,