ISSN 2312-6558

International Turfgrass
The Newsletter of the International Turfgrass Society
September 2016

Conference and Hotel Registration for the 13th International
Turfgrass Research Opens 15 October 2016
by Dr. Bruce Clarke, ITS President
Director, Center for Turfgrass Science,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ USA
The 13th International Turfgrass Research Conference (ITRC) will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotelin New Brunswick, NJ USA from 16-21 July, 2017. The Hyatt is a state-of-the-art hotel and conference center
that is a perfect location for the ITRC in 2017. The hotel is in close proximity to three international airports
and a short train ride to the heart of New York City. This is one conference that you will not want to miss. The
ITRC will be packed with educational and social activities, so be sure to check out the ITRC Website (http://
www.turfsociety.com/itrc2017/?p=home) for updates and additional details about the conference.
Online Conference and Hotel Registration Opens 15 October 2016
Conference and Hotel Registration (http://www.turfsociety.com/itrc2017/?p=reg) opens 15 October
2016. So, register next month to join the more than 500 participants from 26 countries who are anticipated toattend the 13th ITRC in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA in 2017.
ITRC 2017 Highlights
There will be a special Pre-Conference Turfgrass Industry Session in the afternoon on Sunday, 16
July just prior to the evening welcome reception. This event will feature a brief mixer followed by a 1-hour
Continued on next page
Please note the quickly approaching deadline forIn this Edition• Conference and Hotel Registration Opens
short communications. It is my understanding
submitted manuscripts are being processed and• 13th International Turfgrass Researchsome have already been submitted in the “first
Conference Sponsors
look” format. Save some money and join ITS. If• Zoysiagrass Symposium during ITRC in 2017
you don’t know if you are a member, then go to• 2017 Graduate Student Competition
http://turfsociety.com/test/ismember.php and type inyour email address that you used when first registering• Submission of Keynote, Symposium and Shortfor ITS, and you will receive an instant response if you
Communication Papers
are in good standing.
• Japanese Society of Turfgrass Science Annual
Also, if you have any newsworthy stories or
meeting
information for readers of International Turfgrass, I• STERF Call for Proposals
hope you will consider submitting an article for the next
• 5th European Turfgrass Society Conference
newsletter in January 2017.
• Book review
I hope you enjoy the very good articles in this edition.
• ITS Membership Application• Order form for past proceedings and journals
Sincerely,
Nathan R. Walker• ITS Board Members

Click here to join ITS
International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Page 1

session highlighting recent advancements in the
turfgrass industry. The Conference itself will kick off
with a grand reception on Sunday night with a Mardi
Gras theme. The reception is something that theentire family will enjoy and will feature a Dixielandband, jugglers, card tricks, and plenty of Mardi Gras
beads. This is an opportunity to socialize and justsit back and enjoy a night of music, drinks and horsd’oeuvres. This will be followed by a week packed
with educational and social opportunities (http://
www.turfsociety.com/itrc2017/pdf/PreliminaryMeeting-Schedule.pdf) that will allow you toreengage with old friends and network with newacquaintances from all over the world.
Some major highlights of the 13th ITRC
will include keynote addresses from internationallyrenowned scientists focusing on the conference
theme “Meeting the Challenges of a Changing
Environment” a graduate student oral and poster
competition (see article on page 5) that will showcase
some of the future stars in our discipline, and an
evening reception on Monday, 17 July to recognize
Dr. Jim Watson - one of the pioneers in the turfgrass
industry. Posters will be displayed on Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday (17, 18 and 20 July) and, forthe first time at an ITRC, one-minute oral synopses
of posters will be featured. This, as well as a lateafternoon social hour in the poster viewing area, will
entice meeting attendees to meet poster authors anddiscuss their latest findings over light refreshments
and hors d’oeuvres.
A full day of technical tours is planned for
Wednesday, 19 July highlighting the extraordinary
range of turf venues in the New Jersey/New York
City region. Depending on the tour you choose,attendees will visit Yankee Stadium or Citi Field(home of the world famous New York Yankees and
New York Mets Major League Baseball Teams,
respectively); the United States Golf Association
Museum and Testing Facility; Bayonne Golf Course,
called “the most audacious golf course in the world”
by Sports Illustrated Magazine; Baltusrol Golf Club(the host location for the 2016 PGA Championship);Tuckahoe Sod Farm (one of the largest and mostsuccessful sod farms in the USA); Monmouth Park
Racetrack (the site of the 2007 Breeders Cup, one ofthe premier horse racing events in the world); Met
Life Stadium Practice Facility (Home to the New
York Giants and Jets American Football Teams);
Central Park (the iconic green space on Manhattan
International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

The Great Lawn at Central Park
Island), the Bronx Botanical Garden, and the Red
Bull Arena (home of the New York Red Bulls Major
League Soccer Team). Be sure to “register early”
for the conference since many of these tours will fillup quickly and space will be limited. The day willconclude with a cocktail reception, an Americanstyle BBQ, and an opportunity to view research plotsat the Rutgers Turf Research Facility at Hort Farm 2.
Wednesday night’s BBQ will have a ‘Beach Party’
theme, so dress casually and be ready to have a greattime under the stars.
Immediately following the ITS Quadrennial
Business Meeting and the Graduate Student Awards
Presentations on Thursday, 20 July, attendees willboard buses for a night on the town featuring a
Twilight Dinner Cruise of the NY/NJ Harbor andStatue of Liberty with awesome views of the New
York City Skyline, great food and dancing. This is aonce in a life time event that your entire family will

Twilight Dinner Cruise Dining Roomwant to attend.
The last day of the conference will include oralpresentations and a Zoysiagrass Symposium Friday
morning (see article on page 5) showcasing invited
speakers who will give a world-wide perspective on
Continued on next page
Page 2this important and underutilized turfgrass species.
The Conference will conclude with an optional
afternoon tour of the world-famous Rutgers Breeding
Program’s Adelphia Research Farm.
Student Travel Awards
There will be multiple awards available tosupport student travel to the 2017 ITRC. Award
recipients will receive partial to full travel support
for airfare, lodging, registration, and meal expenses.
To apply for a student travel award, applicants should
visit the ITRC Website (http://www.turfsociety.com/
itrc2017/?p=home) after 15 October 2016 to download
the 2017 ITRC Student Travel Award Application.
Applications should submit a copy of the abstract(s)to be presented at the 2017 ITRC, a 1-page personalstatement explaining how attendance at the meeting
will help the student achieve their career goals, anda signed statement from a major advisor verifyingthat the student is studying turfgrass science and is ingood academic standing at their institution.
Applicants must be a current student studying
turfgrass science at the time of the 2017 ITRC andbe scheduled to give an oral or poster presentation
at the conference. Students entered in the Graduate
Student Competition will receive priority for a travel
award. Applicants will be judged on their personalstatement, the quality of their abstract(s), and theirinvolvement and leadership at their respective
universities. Applications will be accepted from 15
October to December 31, 2016, and award recipients
will be notified by 1 February 2017.

and see all that the New York City/New Jersey area
has to offer.
Pre- and Post-Conference Tours Associated withthe 13th ITRC
A Pre-Conference Tour will take in the sitesof Washington, DC and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
during a 5-day trip that will provide a mix of history,
fun and, of course, turfgrass. Hotel accommodations
will be in close proximity to the Nation’s Capital,
the Lincoln Memorial, and a myriad of museums
including the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. There
will be plenty of time for sightseeing and visits to turfrelated venues that will include the newly renovated
National Mall, the Grass Roots exhibit at the National
Arboretum, the National Botanical Gardens, andNational Park (home of the Washington Nationals
Major League Baseball Team). In Philadelphia,
participants will visit Lincoln Financial Field (homeof the Philadelphia Eagles American Football Team),
PPL Park (home of the Philadelphia Union SoccerTeam), as well the iconic Liberty Bell, Independence
Hall, local museums, and Longwood Gardens (theformer summer home of Pierre DuPont and one of themost spectacular private gardens and conservatories
in the world).

Bring the Family
Accompanying persons with have a full range
of enjoyable activities to choose from during theweek of the conference (http://www.turfsociety.com/
itrc2017/pdf/Accompanying-Persons-Tours.pdf)
including Broadway matinees, New York City bus
tours, trips to museums and planetariums, local zoos
and aquaria, and even a day trip to beautiful whitesand beaches in the state.
So, join us for one of the largest and mostcomprehensive gatherings of turfgrass professionals
anywhere in the world. Learn about the latest
discoveries in turfgrass science and get inspired by
the scientific sessions, field tours, and stimulating
discussions. Share your research with colleagues
from throughout the world, meet friends, network,
International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Reconstructing the National Mall, Washington DC
A Post-Conference Tour had previously beenplanned for Miami, Florida; however, due to therecent Zika outbreak in southern Florida, this 3-day
tour will be redirected to the beautiful mountains ofAshville, North Carolina. Participants will visit theworld famous Biltmore Estate (America’s largest
house), as well as top-tier golf courses and plenty oftime for sightseeing. What a relaxing way to unwind
after the 13th ITRC. Additional details and the costof both tours will be provided on the ITRC Website(http://www.turfsociety.com/itrc2017/?p=home)when conference registration opens on 15 October
2016.
Continued on next page
Page 3

Excellent Sponsorship Opportunities are Still
Available
More than a dozen organizations including
Syngenta, Bayer, Aquatrols, the USGA, BASF,
TORO, and the New Jersey Turfgrass Association/
Foundation have already become major supportersof the 2017 ITRC (http://www.turfsociety.com/

itrc2017/?p=reg%20-%20sponsors#sponsors) andplenty of excellent sponsorship opportunities are stillavailable (http://www.turfsociety.com/itrc2017/pdf/
ITRC-Sponsorship.pdf). So show your organization’s
support of turfgrass research and become a 2017
ITRC Sponsor today!

13th International Turfgrass Research Conference Sponsors

To become an ITRC Sponsor see (http://www.turfsociety.com/itrc2017/pdf/ITRC-Sponsorship.pdf )International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Page 4

Zoysiagrass Symposium Scheduled for Friday of International Turf
Research Conference in 2017
by Jack Fry, Ph.D.,
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS, USA
There is worldwide interest in zoysiagrass Titles and presenters:(Zoysia spp.). In 2015, an International Zoysiagrass Implications of Zoysia Species, Distribution andSymposium was held in Okinawa, Japan with Adaptation for Management and Use of Zoysiagrasses
speakers from Japan, Korea, China, and Australia. Don Loch, The University of Queensland, Brisbane,
Interest arising from this gathering led to an informal Queensland Australia
meeting of those involved with zoysiagrass research
and management at the Golf Industry Show in San Evaluation and Breeding Zoysiagrass using Japan’s
Diego in 2016 at which individuals from eleven Natural Genetic Resources
Masumi Ebina, Forage Crop Genome Unit, Institutecountries attended.
of Livestock and Grassland Science, Tochigi, Japan
We will continue building on this interest byholding a half-day zoysiagrass symposium on the Zoysiagrass Use and Culture in Europe
morning of Friday, 21, July 2017 at the International Simone Magni, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Turf Research Conference (ITRC) in New Brunswick,
NJ USA. Invited speakers will provide a worldwide Occurrence, Distribution and Introduction of Zoysia
view of zoysiagrass research, use, and culture. In spp. and their Management and Current Use inaddition, a panel including industry professionals will Australia
offer their perspective on zoysiagrass management. Peter McMaugh, Turfgrass Scientific Services,
Before and after the symposium, and during a one- Carlingford, New South Wales Australia
hour break, attendees will have an opportunity toview posters and interact with others conducting Zoysiagrass History, Utilization, and Improvement inresearch on Zoysia spp. Those presenting research the United States
on zoysiagrass at the ITRC in an oral session earlier Aaron Patton, Purdue University, West Lafayette,in the week have the additional option to create a Indiana USA
poster for viewing during the symposium, and thosepresenting a poster earlier in the week can show Molecular Advances in Zoysiagrass Development
their poster again during the symposium (there is no Ambika Chandra, Texas A&M AgriLife Research,need for these authors to submit an additional title Dallas Texas USA
summary).
Panel Discussion – several industry professionals

Re-announcing the Graduate Student Competition at the 2017
ITRC
Paul Koch1 (chair), Erik Ervin2, and Kelly Kopp3
ITRC Graduate Student Competition Committee
1
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
2
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
3
Utah State University, Logan, UTThe ITRC will host a graduate student robustness of their scientific methods, and the delivery
competition for both oral and poster presentations. of their oral presentation or appearance of theirStudents can submit manuscripts for consideration poster. Modest cash prizes and a complimentary ITS
as an oral or poster presentation under any of the membership will be made available to the top threefollowing categories: 1) Pest management strategies, contestants in each category. Only one submission2) Turfgrass physiology and soil health, 3) Genetics per student is allowed, and contestants must be
and breeding, and 4) Environmental aspects of enrolled as an active graduate student at the time ofturfgrass management. Contestants will be judged the meeting to be eligible for the competition.
on the innovativeness of their research goals, theInternational Turfgrass Society - September 2016
Page 5

Submission of Keynote, Symposium and Short Communication Papers

13th International Turfgrass Research Conference
By Jim Murphy,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ USA
The deadline (October 1st is rapidly approaching for submitting keynote, symposium and shortcommunication papers to be presented at the 13th International Turfgrass Research Conference (ITRC) in
New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, 16-21 July 2017.
Keynote and Symposium Papers
Since the deadline for submitting full papers has already passed and the option has been removed from theManuscript Central site (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/crop), please submit keynote and symposium
manuscripts as ‘Original Research’ on the Crop Science Manuscript Central site, then send Brett Holte an
e-mail (bholte@sciencesocieties.org) and he’ll will make sure your paper is routed to ITSRJ for review.
Short Communications
Short communications represent a category of papers that describe unique experimental techniques andapparatus, recent observations of unique phenomena, or other trial information. It also provides authors
the opportunity to submit papers addressing unique work that is in progress, exploratory, or hypothesistesting. These articles typically will be shorter than research papers; for example, not more than four
printed pages. Click here for details on ITSRJ journal standards. Additionally, Crop Science publishes shortcommunications and Agronomy Journal publishes notes. Please review the respective journal standards formore information.
Thus, you are reminded that a title-summary for a short communication paper at the 2017 ITRC can besubmitted at the Confex web site. Click here to access the Confex system and submit a title-summary.
Please note that the manuscripts for short communications must be submitted no later than October
1st through the Manuscript Central web site (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/crop). Reminders on thisdeadline will be sent out and posted on the 2017 ITRC web site.
Publishing Timeline
Paper Type
Timeline

Short Communications and Notes

2016
1 Oct. Final due date for Short Communication
manuscript submission
1 Dec. Short communication reviews due back toauthors
2017
1 Feb. Final manuscript versions due
1 July ITRC registration confirmed before 			papers published
16 July Published on USB drive and handed out to 		delegates at the conference
All papers published in the ITSRJ, Crop Science and Agronomy Journal will also be included on anelectronic (flash drive) proceedings provided to delegates at the conference. The electronic proceedings will
also be available through members-only section of the ITS website.
tInternational Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Page 6

2016 Japanese Society of Turfgrass Science Annual meeting
27-29 May, 2016 at Chiba University
by Shin Nakamura and Hideaki Tonogi
International relations committee
Japanese Society of Turfgrass Science
The 2016 Japanese Society of Turfgrass
Science Annual meeting was held from 27 to 29
May, 2016 at Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. On the27th we had a half day bus tour starting from Chiba
University research facility where we looked at aplant therapy project, then Kashiwa Soccer complex
and Izumi Country Club. At the Chiba University
research facility plant therapy project, Dr. Miyazaki
gave a lecture on how plant greenery does an excellent
job for us by motivating between sympathetic
and parasympathetic based on his research data.
We also had experienced a demonstration of this
there. Another group on the 27th played 18 holes at
Takanodai Country Club and they discussed how tomaintain 18 holes including putting greens and otherturf areas.

On 28th, we had a group meeting which included
discussion on golf course management, school yards,
parks and ground cover plants. Specially, during
the golf course management portion we discussed
intensively the applying of microbe-based products
for golf courses and many superintendents introduced
their own efforts with these products.

Kashiwa Soccer Stadium

Chiba University Research Facility

Chiba University therapy project

After the group meeting, we had a Symposium
titled “Meeting together on Turfgrass”. We invited
three speakers and their titles are as follows:
Dr. Miyazaki, Chiba University, “Wonderingof comfortable brought by the greenery plants”
and “Relationship between sympathetic andparasympathetic based on greenery plants”
Mr. Mizuki Harada, Novelist, “Charming issue by
turfed pitch from the side for citizen”
Mr. Akira Teramachi, Izumi Country Club, “Meeting
together on Turfgrass, both positions from the side ofclub manager and also from side of superintendent”
We discussed why many people meet together on
turfgrasses based on the three speaker’s approach
above.
We had oral and poster presentations on 29th
and had 300 attendees at the conference. Thirty oralpresentations were classified into plant physiology,
morphology, pathology, breeding, turf maintenance,and chemicals. Regarding new pesticides, the featuresof three novel herbicides were presented by Riken
Continued on next page

International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Page 7

Association for Advancement of Phyto-Regulator,
Riken green and University of Ryukyu. Two topics
related to snow-mold diseases were discussed by
Riken Green and Bayer. In 7 poster sessions, thenational institute of Korea presented two posters
regarding physiological studies of turf. The cuttingedge technology of turf quality evaluation using
drones by Shizuoka Prefecture Turfgrass ResearchInstitute interested attendees. Asides from mentioned
topics, in all sessions most participants deeply andintensively discussed the new findings in each oral
and poster session on the shiny Sunday morning at
Chiba University.

Oral presentations on 29th

Our 2016 fall meeting will be held at Obihiro,
green, SDS biotech and Maruwa biochemical. The Hokkaido from 23 to 25 of September, 2016 which is
physiological and ecological characteristics or the in the cool season turfgrass adaptation area.
control of problematic weeds; Poa annua, Paspalum Please contact :jsts@jcom.home.ne.jp
nortumm, Lespedeza striata and Bidense pilosa wereintroduced by Utsunomiya University, the JapanSTERF Call for proposals
Project period 2017-2019
by Maria Strandberg
STERF, Sweden

STERF (Scandinavian Turfgrass andEnvironment Research Foundation) is an independent
research foundation that supports existing and future
R&D efforts and delivers ‘ready-to-use’ research
results that benefit the golf and turfgrass sector.
STERF was set up in 2006 by the golf federations in
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and theNordic Greenkeepers’ Associations. STERF’s visionand strategic objectives can be found in ‘Guide forapplicants’ at www.sterf.org.
Challenges and programs
Over the next decade, the golf and turfgrass
industry faces a number of major challenges,
including providing a high quality arena for golf
and other sports, and at the same time responding toincreased environmental regulation, rising pressure
on natural resources (notably water, energy and land),and rising operating costs of key inputs including
labour, energy, water and fertilizers. The challenges
International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

also include the emerging role of turf managementin supporting ecosystem services and enhancing
biodiversity, the continued need to promote integrated
pest management, and the challenges posed by asuboptimal and changing climate,
The challenges need concerted and collective
solutions, underpinned by robust, applied science. To
meet the challenges the sector has to face STERF hascreated four international and trans-disciplinary R&D
sub-programs, including:••••Integrated pest management;
Sustainable water management;
Turfgrass winter stress management, and;Multifunctional use of golf facilities andecosystem services
Continued on next page
Page 8

Deadline
In the present call for proposals, STERF has decided
to prioritize research and development within the four Deadline for application is December 12th 2016.
Agreement for approved project will be written
R&D sub programmes.
for one to three years, however continuation of the
STERF R&D programmes can be found on www. project will be determined annually based on status
reports delivered to STERF. Decisions on funding
sterf.org
can be expected approximately by March 15th, 2017.
Guide for applicants
The proposals should be sent as a PDF-file to:
STERF has reserved about 2 million SEK
per year for, 2017, 2018 and 2019 for new ordinary Scandinavian Turfgrass and Environment Researchresearch projects, and about 100.000 SEK for new Foundation
Att: Maria Strandberg
large scale trials / demonstrations on golf courses.
maria.strandberg@golf.se
Instructions for those wishing to apply forfunding for research projects from STERF can be If more information or clarification is required, pleasefound in the “Guide for applicants” at www.sterf. contact:org The “Guide for applicants” also describes how Maria Strandberg
applications for project funding are assessed by STERF
Telephone:+46 (0)8 622 15 27 alt.
STERF.
+46 70 620 17 87
E-mail: maria.strandberg@golf.se

5th European Turfgrass Society Conference
Turfgrass – Towards Sustainability and Perfection for Aesthetic,
Recreational and Sports
by Carlos Guerrero, The Convener
University of Algarve, Portugal
The 5th European Turfgrass Society
Conference, a biannual meeting, was held at theSalgados Palace Hotel (Salgados, Albufeira, Portugal)
between June 5th - 8th 2016, under the responsibility
and organization of the University of Algarve.
The meeting aimed the share of knowledge,
experiences, research results, data, ideas, services,
products advertising, among researchers, turfgrass
specialists, stakeholders, towards sustainability andperfection for aesthetic, recreational and sports lawns.
Scientifically this meeting was divided in seven main
topics:• Turfgrass genetics and breeding• Turfgrass and Landscape• Turfgrass pests (diseases, insects, weeds)• Technology advances and turfgrass maintenance• Water Management• Turfgrass nutrition and physiology• Turfgrass for sports
International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Regarding the participation, although theeconomic problems that most of us are facing
nowadays, 115 participants were involve in thisscientific programme. These participants came from
21 countries, from Europe, America (North to South),Asia, Oceania and Africa.
The first two days were dedicated to plenary
sessions where more than 80 oral communications andposters were presented and discussed in those seventhematic sessions. The third day was a technical tour
where sustainability was the main focus, respectively
1) at a golf course which is totally irrigated withtreated wastewater (The Herdade dos Salgados golfcourse), 2) at a golf course project approved after along environmental study has been done (Quinta da
Ombria, Loulé), and 3) at a Bermuda sod farm.
During the first two days, 5 keynote speakers delivered
respectively 5 interesting talks:Continued on next page
Page 9

•
•

•

•

•

José António Monteiro, from the University of
Algarve, spoke about turf, mankind and landscape;
Jason Kruse, from the University of Florida, had
his talk focusing the maximization of turfgrass
performance, looking for micronutrients and turf
nutrition;
Richard Snyder, from the University of California
Davis, gave his talk focusing water management
through low-cost urban ET measurements andestimates;
Filippo Lulli, from Turf Europe, showed how
precision farming practices in sports turf
management, can help and solve new and old
problems in football pitches, such as the French
stadiums that are being used in the football
European championship 2016;
Tom Hsiang, from the University of Guelph,
who gave his presentation on disease resistanceactivators and their benefits.

ETS Board Members: Alessandro de Luca, Carlos
Guerrero, Claudia de Bertoldi, Stewart Brown,
Anne Mette Dahl Jenson, Fritz Lord and Wolfgang
Praemassing
To the former ETS Board, a special word: Thank you
for your commitment to the association.

Participants at the 5th European Turfgrass Society
Conference
On the second day, the ETS had its General
Assembly where a new Board was elected. For
the next four years, the actual ETS Board has thefollowing members:• Stewart Brown, Myerscough College (UK),
President• Anne Mette Dahl Jensen, University of
Copenhagen (DEN)• Alessandro de Luca, Italian Golf Federation (ITA)• Claudia de Bertoldi, Turf Europe (ITA)• Tatsiana Espevig, Norwegian Institute of BioEconomy Research (NIBIO) (NOR)• Carlos Guerrero, University of Algarve (POR)• Bernd Leinauer, New Mexico State University(GER/USA)• Fritz Lord, COMPO EXPERT (GER)• Wolfgang Praemassing, DEULA RheinlandGmbH (GER)
International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

The third day was a technical tour

A special acknowledgment to Messinagro, Syngenta,
Itelmatis, Novarelva, Bayer, Sapec, the Portuguese
Foundation for Science and Technology, the LusoAmerican Development Foundation, and the Algarve
Tourism Office for the financial support given.

Page 10

Applied Soil Physical Properties, Drainage, and Irrigation
Strategies
Book review by Clint Waltz
University of Georgia, Griffin, GA
Applied Soil Physical Properties, Drainage,and Irrigation Strategies. L.B. McCarty, L.R. Hubbard
Jr., and V. Quisenberry. 2016. Springer International
Publishing. 314 p. $159. ISBN 978-3-319-24224-8.
This is a soil physics book! It was written for
turfgrass systems and meets the needs of an applied
turfgrass soil physics course. Because it is appliedand uses real-world examples, it is an excellent
reference book but its real application is as a text
for the classroom. While a practitioner might use
the tables and figures within the book for specifics
to compare and contrast various sports field drainage
designs, there are topics and details that are beyond
everyday use. For example, a turfgrass student
zeolite) to sand-based systems.
should be exposed the intricacies of Darcy’s law tounderstand hydraulic conductivity in a saturated soil.
The second chapter, Soil Drainage, may be
These types of concepts are well covered within athe most comprehensive turfgrass specific drainage
narrative, equations, and turfgrass specific example
discussion available. Like drainage systems, built
calculations.
from the bottom up, this chapter begins with thebasics of drainage (surface, subsurface, and lateral
The book is well constructed covering four
soil water movement) as a foundation. From there,
topics (soil physical and moisture properties, soil
the chapter delves into the specifics associated withdrainage, rootzone selection, and water management
golf course putting greens and fairways, and sports
and conservation), each a chapter. Each chapter isfields. Topics include gravel size and shape, drainage
broken into subsections that build upon each other,systems, design, and importance of interceptor drains.
showing the experience the authors have teaching
A practitioner, architect, or engineer will find thethe applied concepts of soil physics. Each chapter
section on sports fields useful as the book presents
concludes with a “Questions” section that includes
multiple rootzone profiles and drainage options forapplied problems and answers. Where formulas
all types of playing surfaces (e.g. football, soccer,
are needed to answer the questions, the formula
baseball, and softball).
is presented then the student is taken step-by-stepthrough rearranging the formula and solving for the
Chapter three, Rootzone Selection, helps
proper variable. This approach allows the student tothe student understand the how to select a rootzone
understand not only how to ask the right question to a
mixture, typically sand-based, for a golf course
problem, but also a step-wise solution to answer their
putting green, bunker, or to sand cap a sports field.
specific problem.
Topics within this chapter include the interaction ofgravel layers associated with drainage, how rootzone
The first chapter, Soil Physical and Moisturemixtures change over time and how these changes
Properties, ranges from basic soil physical properties
affect the soil physics, and the influence of sand depth(e.g. particle size, porosity, and bulk density) toon moisture retention. This chapter is just about
how water moves within a soil matrix. The authors
turfgrass systems and has little application to otherprovide in-depth discussion on the development
horticultural or agronomic systems.
and interpretation of soil moisture retention curves.
They use the basics of moisture retention curves toprovide information on evaluating commonly used
Continued on next page
amendments (e.g. sphagnum peat, calcined clay, andInternational Turfgrass Society - September 2016
Page 11

The last chapter, Water Management andConservation, may seem out of place for a soil
physics text but it is well integrated into the concepts
and principles of the discipline. Turfgrass managers,
and students, need to fully understand water use andcontinually strive to improve irrigation efficiency,
lending toward water conservation. This chapter offers
multiple methods of measuring soil moisture and how
to use that information to properly irrigate turf. The
chapter also covers the impact of poor water quality
on soil physics and drainage and offers remedies toremediate salt affected sites. Water conservation
is given a separate subsection and suggests best
management practices (BMPs) the turfgrass manager
can employ to improve water use efficiency. Also inthis chapter is a discussion on hydrophobic soils and
B. McCarty (left), V. Quisenberry (Middle), l.
their management.
Ray Hubbard, Jr., (right): The book is authoredThe real value of Applied Soil Physical by a trio of Clemson University employees with
Properties, Drainage, and Irrigation Strategies is its over 90 combined years in soil science teaching,application to turfgrass systems. Few other texts or research, and demonstration recently released thereference materials meld the science of soil physics book, Applied Soil Physical Properties, Drainage,with the application specific turfgrass related issues. and Irrigation Strategies - A Practical Guide. Bert
For example, few other agronomic systems use sand McCarty, PhD; L. Ray Hubbard, Jr., PhD, PE; and,capping like turf (i.e. golf and sports fields). The use Virgil Quisenberry, PhD.
of sand and how sand behaves is a reoccurring theme
throughout the book and is specifically addressed forgolf course putting greens and sports fields. This is
the most comprehensive turfgrass soil physics bookavailable. It is well written and offers the student an
excellent resource they will reference throughout acareer.

International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Page 12INTERNATIONAL TURFGRASS SOCIETY
MEMBERSHIP/PAYMENT OF DUES

Please Use Autofill:
Name: 						Address:

Affiliation:

City: 					State:
Postal Code:Country:
Phone: 				Fax:
E-Mail:
PLEASE CHECK MEMBERSHIP TYPE DESIRED:
Regular Membership Fee (2014-2017)$325.00 USD

Sustaining Membership Fee (2014-2017)$1000.00 USD

Student Membership Fee (2014-2017)$150.00 USD*PLEASE INDICATE METHOD OF PAYMENT:
Check** 			PayPalBank Wire Transfer, please contact cisarturfdoc@gmail.com for instructions & account information* Student member must have confirmation letter from major faculty advisor.
** To avoid heavy collection fees, only checks from U.S. affiliated banks will be accepted.
Please make check payable to: International Turfgrass Society.
MAIL OR E-MAIL THIS COMPLETED FORM, ALONG WITH 1) YOUR CHECK OR 2) YOURPAYPAL INFORMATION OR 3) THE WIRE TRANSFER INFORMATION TO:
Dr. John Cisar
Treasurer, International Turfgrass Society
10400 NW 23rd St.
Plantation, FL 33323-2027
USA
Email: cisarturfdoc@gmail.com
Check here, if you do not want your information to be listed on the ITS Website or Newsletter.

International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Page 13

INVOICE AND ORDER FORM for INTERNATIONAL
TURFGRASS SOCIETY PROCEEDINGS AND
JOURNAL

Please Print Clearly:
Name: __________________________________ Affiliation: ____________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City: __________________________ State: ______________________________
Postal Code: __________________Country: _____________________________________
Phone: ____________________ Fax: ______________________
E-Mail: ______________________________
Volumes 1-8 are now free to Members; shipping costs of $30-60 must be paid, however.
Members
Non-members
1st Proceedings 1969 England$0.00$15.00nd
2 Proceedings 1973 Virginia, USA
Out of Printrd
3 Proceedings 1977 West Germany
Out of Print
4th Proceedings 1981 Guelph, Canada$0.00$30.00th
5 Proceedings 1985 France$0.00$45.00th
6 Proceedings 1989 Japan$0.00$55.00th
7 Journal 1993 Florida, USA$0.00$65.00th
8 Journal I 1997 Australia$0.00$120.00th
8 Journal II 1997 Australia$0.00$50.00th
Supplement to 8 Journal$0.00$12.00th
9 Journal 1 & 2 2001 Toronto,$100.00$195.00
Canada* (includes CD-ROM)
10th Journal, 1&2 2005 Wales*$200.00$200.00th
11 Journal, 1&2 2009 Chile*$300.00$300.00$15.00 per book
Mailing and handling (subject tochange)nd
2 and 3rd Proceedings are no longer available *9th, 10th, &11th
Total amount
Journals are 2 books - $30 mailing and handling fee applies
TO AVOID HEAVY COLLECTION FEES, ONLY CHECKS FROM U.S. BANKS OR U.S. AFFILIATED BANKSWILL BE ACCEPTED. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: INTERNATIONAL TURFGRASS SOCIETY.

American Express Credit Card (NO OTHER CARDS CAN BE ACCEPTED)
Name as shown on the card: _______________________________________________________________
Card Number: ___________________________________________ Expiration Date: _________________
Signature: _____________________________________________________________________________
Mail or Fax completed Order Form with check or credit card information to: Dr. Erik Ervin, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University 339 Smyth, CSES Department Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0404
USA Fax: (540) 231-3431
International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Revised Aug 2010

Page 14

Officers

ITS Board Members 2014 - 2017

President
Bruce Clarke
Rutgers University
Dept of Plant Biology andPathology
Foran Hall/Cook Campus
59 Dudley Road
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
USA
PH: +1 848 932 6295
clarke@aesop.rutgers.edu

Treasurer
John Cisar
11400 NW 23rd St.
Plantation, FL 33323-2027
USA
PH: +1 954 257 5500

HistorianRichard Gibbs
STRI
St Ives Estate
Bingley BD16 1AUUK
PH: +44 (0)1274 565131
MOB: +44 (0) 7880 738881
FAX: +44 (0) 1274 561891
richard.gibbs@stri.co.uk

Vice-President
Don Loch
University of Queensland
St. Lucia
Queensland 4072
Australia
PH: +61 7 3824 5440
MOB: +61 407 679 340
d.loch1@uq.edu.au

Secretary
Mike Fidanza
Pennsylvania State University
Berks Campus
111 Luerssen Building
Reading, PA 19610
USA
PH: +1 610 396 6330
fidanza@psu.edu

Past President
Liebao Han
Institute of Turfgrass Science
Beijing Forestry University
No.35 Qinghua East Road
Beijing, 100083
China
PH: +86 (10) 6233 7982
hanliebao@163.com

Austria: Ulrike Pitha
China: Shuxia Yin
Germany: Fritz Lord
Italy: Simone Magni
Norway: Trygve Aamlid
Sweden: Maria Strandberg
USA: Gwen Stahnke

Canada: Tom Hsiang
China: Zhaolong Wang
Germany: Wolfgang Praemassing
Japan: Hideaki Tonogi
Spain: Diego Gomez de Barreda Ferraz
United Kingdom: Ruth Manncisarturfdoc@gmail.com

President ElectMaria Strandberg
STERF (Scandinavian Turfgrass &Environment Research Foundation)
Box 84, SE-182 11 Danderyd
Sweden
PH: +46 (8) 622 15 27
MOB: + 46 70 620 17 87
maria.strandberg@golf.se

Directors
Australia: Don Loch		
Chile: Alejandra Acuna
Denmark: Mogens Toft Jensen
Greece: Nikolaos Ntoulas
New Zealand: Alan Stewart
Switzerland: Otto Weilenmann
USA: Jim Murphy

Newsletter Editor
Nathan R. Walker
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK 74078
Tel. +1 405 744 6830
E-mail: nathan.walker@okstate.edu
Visit the ITS Website here
Become a member here
International Turfgrass Society - September 2016

Please send comments, feedback, and turfgrassnews articles for future issues to the editor.
If you know any non-members, new faculty, staff,
and new personnel involved in turfgrass research
who might be interested in joining ITS pleaseforward their e-mail address to me and I will send acomplimentary copy of the next Triannual issue ofInternational Turfgrass.
The deadline for submissions for the next newsletter
is December 15, 2016
Page 15