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Presented in partnership with Syngenta
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NTEP ratings revealed
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To enhance the quality of data provided by the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, NTEP Executive Director Kevin Morris held the organization’s fifth turfgrass evaluation workshop at Purdue University’s W.H. Daniels Research Center, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Crop Science Society of America in November. Approximately 60 students and researchers participated in the all-day workshop, collecting data on turf trials and developing or refreshing the skills needed to be NTEP evaluators.
NTEP ratings are by their nature subjective and inexact because they are visual ratings, but following NTEP guidelines helps to ensure consistency within a trial. The same person should take all the quality ratings, and photographing the plots will maintain a visual record of the treatment differences. Each time the evaluator collects data, she should look at the plots as a whole, flagging the best and worst plots to establish a range for ratings.
Quality of light is very important when visually rating turf. Evaluators are encouraged to take ratings on cloudy days to reduce the effects of glare and shadows, or, when there is sun, to rate turf from mid-morning to early afternoon with the sun at their backs. To avoid the glare from looking at paper and then at turf, it’s best to have an assistant write the data or to use a tape recorder. For genetic color ratings, plots should be unmowed or mowed in the same direction, although as a practical matter, this is often difficult.
In 1973, James Beard stated that the components of turf quality are uniformity, density, texture, growth habit (leaves should be upright), smoothness (including mowing quality, and the presence or absence of seedheads) and color. All these characteristics must be considered in evaluating quality. Quality is rated on a scale of 1 to 9, where 9 is the best and 1 is brown, dead turf. Evaluators are encouraged to use as much of the range of the 1-9 scale as possible. (However, it may not be possible to use a rating of 1, for example, where 1 is defined as brown, dead turf, if all the turf is living.)
Genetic color, the color determined by the plant’s genotype, is rated on a scale of 1 to 9, where 1 is yellow, 6 is light green and 9 is dark green. Evaluators use color charts (and sometimes electronic meters) as a reference to ensure consistent ratings.
Turfgrass density is a visual estimate of living plants per unit of area, where 1 is bare soil and 9 is 100% cover; dead turf, weeds and turf types not being evaluated are not considered. To account for seasonal variation, especially in cool-season grasses, density ratings should be taken in spring, summer and fall.
Percent living ground cover is the surface area covered by the species originally planted in the test plot. Unlike turfgrass density, percent living ground cover indicates weed encroachment or the level of damage caused by disease, insects or environmental stress.
Turfgrass texture, an estimate of leaf width, is rated on a scale of 1 to 9, where 1 is coarse, and 9 is fine. Leaf texture should be assessed visually when the turf is growing and not under stress.
Turfgrass cultivars also can be rated for spring green-up, winter color, treatment plot color, pest problems, environmental stress, drought stress, winter injury and traffic tolerance.
Georgia-Pacific Resins Inc. is now distributing Nitamin Steady-Delivery liquid fertilizers to a broader range of professional turf markets through Wilbur-Ellis’s network of customers in a region that includes markets in Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington. The agreement combines Wilbur-Ellis’s turf experience with the research and development capabilities of Georgia-Pacific, according to the companies. Wilbur-Ellis is also authorized to distribute the products non-exclusively in other states. The MAA Research Task Force says it disagrees with the EPA’s ruling that organic arsenical herbicides are ineligible for re-registration. The group says the EPA based its decision against re-registration on levels of naturally occurring inorganic arsenic in water and soil. The MAATF believes the turf uses of these products meets the Food Quality Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act standards. However, the Re-registration Eligibility Decision document is not final, which means superintendents can continue the use of organic arsenical herbicides on currently registered crops. All its Penn bentgrass varieties are currently available, says Tee-2-Green Corp. An increased seed yield and excellent crop quality led to the increased availability. Above-average yields should meet the demand for Penn A-4, Seaside II and PennLinks II, the company says. |
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