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How To Send A Turfgrass Sample To The
University Of Maryland Plant Diagnostic Lab
The procedures outlined below are for submission of turfgrass disease samples from golf courses, athletic fields or other commercial turfgrass sites. All samples are to be submitted to Dr. Karen Rane in the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory. Dr. Rane (rane@umd.edu) will coordinate diagnostics and recommendations with Dr. Peter Dernoeden (pd@umd.edu).
1. Always call (301-405-1611) PRIOR TO SENDING samples. The diagnostic lab relies on the expertise of a limited number of trained individuals. In the event that these individuals will be out of the office for an extended period of time, samples will not be processed. A phone message will be regularly updated indicating when the diagnostician will be available to receive samples.
2. Samples should be collected using a cup cutter (4 diameter). Plugs should be taken from the active edge of a diseased area and should contain approximately 40% healthy and 60% symptomatic turf. The sample should contain no more than a 2 depth of soil.
3. The diagnostic form should be completed in full to ensure that we have all of the available information necessary to make an accurate and rapid diagnosis. The specimen submission form can be obtained from plantclinic.umd.edu.
4. Cup cutter plugs should be WRAPPED in a moist paper towel and then in aluminum foil to ensure that the soil does not mix with the foliage. Properly wrapped samples should be packed tightly in a sturdy box and sealed tight to prevent tumbling of the sample and the mixing of soil with foliage.
5. Send by NEXT DAY DELIVERY or HAND DELIVER for arrival MONDAY through THURSDAY. Samples taking more than one day to arrive will likely be beyond the point of an accurate diagnosis. Arrival by Thursday allows needed time for sample incubation in the lab. Samples arriving in poor condition will not be processed and the submitter will be asked to send a fresh sample. Walk-ins are welcome, but always call first.
6. Additional information on how to properly collect turfgrass samples for disease diagnosis and parasitic nematode assay can be found at mdturfcouncil.org. After you logged on, click on Maryland Extension Publications and then click on TT-3 Collecting and Shipping Turfgrass Samples for Disease Diagnosis.
Address for Mailing Samples:
Plant Diagnostic Laboratory
Dept. of Entomology
3171 Plant Science Building
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
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| Established 'Penncross' Creeping Bentgrass
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Travis W. Gannon and Fred H. Yelverton
North Carolina State University
With the forthcoming registration of Roundup- ready creeping bentgrass (RRCB), optimum means of establishment must be determined. Research trials were initiated to determine if an existing bentgrass fairway could be transitioned to RRCB utilizing sublethal rates of Roundup and various seedbed preparation techniques. The idea to be tested was that sublethal rates of Roundup could be utilized along with seedbed preparation to allow RRCB to establish while maintaining an acceptable playing surface allowing a course to remain open for play during the transition. Sublethal Roundup rates were also staggered at various timings around seeding to determine if the initial application timing was crucial. Additionally, seedbed preparation techniques included vertical mowing in two directions, vertical mowing in two directions in combination with core aerification, and no seedbed preparation. The results included the following:
" Establishment of RRCB by interseeding into existing creeping bentgrass did not allow for a timely transition to RRCB.
" Researchers were unable to maintain an acceptable playing surface during the transition to RRCB utilizing sublethal Roundup rates and various seedbed preparation techniques.
" Interseeding new and improved bentgrass cultivars into existing bentgrass is most likely not a successful practice, regardless of seedbed preparation.
" RRCB establishes similarly to non-transgenic bentgrass cultivars when seeded into conventionally prepared seedbed.
The complete report of this research and many other reports can be found at USGAs Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (http://usgatero.msu.edu). The specific URL for this report is http://usgatero.msu.edu/v05/n04.pdf.
This article is provided by the USGA and was recently published on USGA's Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (http://usgatero.msu.edu).
For more information, please contact Dr. Jeff Nus at (785) 832-2300 or mailto:JNus@USGA.org.
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| Is Boon to Data-savvy Superintendents, Turf Industry
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Many industries have them-journals of technical data. Theres the New England Journal of Medicine, Art & Architecture Journal and even Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. Today unpublished technical data generated by golf course superintendents, turf managers and researchers, interns and others now have a home in Super Journal, an online turf research journal published by the PACE Turfgrass Research Institute and accessible free-of-charge at www.paceturf.org.
Turf managers conduct virtually thousands of replicated experiments each year to evaluate products and practices. Until the creation of Super Journal, the technical data generated by superintendents and managers have been untapped by the turf community. PACE Co-research Director Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D. said, This is a tragedy as far as were concerned. How many mistakes could be avoided if turf managers could share their experiences with problematic turf management strategies? Research conducted outside of university protocols may be less stringent, but it is no less important because the research seeks to solve the actual problems the managers are experiencing.
Super Journal'ssubmission requirements are not be as rigorous as an academic journals, but Dr. Gelernter said PACE does require that the basic principles of experimental design, data recording and data summary be followed. For turf managers who are new to research protocols and writing data reports, a research guide has been provided at the www.paceturf.org website.
To introduce Super Journal, Dr. Gelernter said PACE has primed the pump with reports by researchers, including a just-posted article by Mary W. Olsen, Ph.D. and Michele J. Kohout, Ph.D., both University of Arizona plant pathologists. Drs. Olsen and Kohout discovered that bermudagrass is a reservoir for the inoculum of the cool-season turfgrass disease, rapid blight. Visitors to Super Journal will find this article, as well as others ranging from insect management to reclaimed water management to how to conduct your own research project to how to photograph turf diseases. Over time, superintendent and turf management reports will be added as they are submitted.
Super Journal, Dr. Gelernter summarized, seeks to provide a venue for:
Superintendents to publish the results of their turf research projects and to share their conclusions with fellow turf managers
Turf researchers to rapidly publish and disseminate their experimental results
Superintendents who want assistance in designing, carrying out, interpreting and/or summarizing turf research experiments
The PACE Turfgrass Research Institute (PACE) is a membership organization that provides research, education and information services to the turf management community. Founded in 1993 by its research directors Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D. and Larry Stowell, Ph.D., the PACE mission is to generate and share independent and objective agronomic information among turf professionals so they may develop management programs that are effective, practical and scientifically sound. www.paceturf.org |
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To read any of these updates, please visit:
http://www.umassturf.org/mangement_updates/management_updates.html and click on "Archives" |
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