THE BROUWER-VAC ... largest capacity Vac on today's market. Thepowerful suction head and blower provide the latest technique forvacuuming turf and hard surface areas.It provides an economical method of picking up grass clippings, leaves,twigs, pine needles and thatch from verti-cutting on sod farms, golfcourses, parks and recreation areas and also trash and litter from hardsurfaces in airports, parking lots, stadiums and highway shoulders. Itvacuums acre after acre without wasteful frequent unloading stops. Fasteasy self-unloading is via hydraulically operated door and conveyor. Theoptional Vac extension hose is spring balanced for ease of handling andallows the operator access in hard to reach areas around trees, flowerbeds, fences and culverts.The Brouwer-Vac, designed to provide an economical, fast, efficient andreliable way to "clean-up", it enhances the beauty and cleanliness ofturf and hard surface areas.

FEATURES:

Large load capacity

Light weight construction

Dual flotation tires

Easy to operate finger tip controls

Unloads in seconds with hydraulic driven conveyor

80 in. floating suction head (Opt. extension to 120 in.)

P.T.O. Driven

Only requires standard tractor 35-45 hp

BROUWERTURF EQUIPMENT LIMITEDAn Outboard Marine Corporation Company

7320 Haggerty Rd.lCanton, MI. 48187 Telephone (313) 459·3700Woodbine Avenue/Keswick, Ontario, Canada L4P 3E9 Telex 065-24161 Telephone: (416) 476·4311

86-58

Circle 110 on Postage Free Card

THE FRONT OFFICE..OPINION PAGE

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

Imaginefor a moment that you're a brightstudent studying turfgrass science at a majorstate university. Your professor pulls you

aside after class and says, "How would you liketo go into turfgrass research? You won't get richand I can't promise you a permanent position,but the industry needs you and I think you canmake some very important contributions."

First you think of time. You could be earninga paycheck within a couple of years if you finishschool with a bachelor's or associate's degree.If you stay on to get a Ph.D., you're talkingabout another four years.

Now think about money. As a graduate teaching assistant you might earn$9,000 a year while you complete your studies and write at least two theses.Any research you do will depend on funding from outside sources, so you'llhave to be a salesman as well as a student and teacher. If you are married,your spouse will have to work to help support the family.

All goes according to plan and you land an assistant professor position ata university for $30,000. To earn this salary you'll have to teach in addition toresearch. Now your goal is to get tenure, a status which provides you andyour family some amount of job security. If you hang in there for another fiveto ten years, you might rake in $35,000 to $60,000.

Your buddies from undergraduate school have been climbing the ladderat a golf course, park district, or contracting firm for more than ten years. Whileyou were in school, they were earning more than you, buying houses andcars and taking vacations.

The thought of going into private industry is very tempting. Research fundsare harder to come by. State turf research grants seem to be drying up. Allthe grant money is going toward biotechnology so you have to fight for everydollar you need for turf research.

The "publish or perish" rule at most universities forces you to undertakeresearch projects that are different from your main interest. Much of theresearch you can get private funding for is not acceptable to professionaljournals. You're caught between a rock and a hard place. What do you do?

Now you know why two universities have unfilled full professorships in turfscience. Now you know why many of our Ph.D.s are joining private industry.And perhaps we will all understand why state and federal funding of turfgrassresearch is so important.

Major issues facing us now can only be solved through research. Stateassociations and private industry can't pick up the whole tab for research onsubjects such as pesticide fate, water conservation, and development ofbiological controls. We still have a huge amount of testing to do on root zonesfor golf and sports turf, cultural practices as they relate to wear, and whatmakes our turf durable and safe.

It's not only a matter of money. As Dr. Jim Beard at Texas A&M points out,it's a matter of attracting gifted scientists who are interested in turf to carry onthe work of those who are beginning to retire or leave our universities forprivate industry. These people aren't monks. They need support, encourage-ment, and job security.

Unless the turf industry and state and federal agencies (which benefit fromtaxes on our industry) start supporting turf research wholeheartedly, we mayenter the 21st century with a tremendous investment in recreational facilitiesand little to back it up.

12 sports TURF

EVENTS..CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER18 21 43rd Northwest Turfgrass

- Conference and Exhibition,Sheraton Tacoma Hotel & BicentennialPavilion, Tacoma, WA. Contact: BlairPatrick, Northwest Turfgrass Association,PO. Box 1367, Olympia, WA 98507, (206)754-0825.

19 21 Institute of Groundsman-- ship Sports & Leisure

World Trade Exhibition, WindsorRacecourse, Windsor, England. Contact:Institute of Groundsmanship, 19-23 ChurchStreet, The Agora, Wolverton, MiltonKeynes, England MK12 5LG.

New England SportsTurf Facilities

Management Seminar, College of the HolyCross, Worcester, MA. Contact: JamesLong, Holy Cross, College St., Worcester,MA 01610, (508) 793-3477.

26

OCTOBERGCSA of New JerseyAnnual Turfgrass

Equipment, Supplies and Irrigation FieldDay, Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway, NJ.Contact: Dr. Henry Indyk, Crop ScienceDept., P.O.Box 231, Cook College, NewBrunswick, NJ 08903, (201) 932-9453.

3

Southern CaliforniaTurfgrass Expo,

Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa,CA. Contact: Southern California TurfgrassCouncil, 26442 Vera Cruz, Mission Viejo,CA 92691, (714) 951-8547.

4-5

Golf Course Europe 1989,Rhein/Main Halls,

Wiesbaden, West Germany. Contact:Expoconsult, Toby M. Rijks, Straatweg 33,Box 200, 3600 AE, Maarssen, Holland,phone (03465) 7~77 or FAX (03465)73811.

4-6

8 11 Florida Turfgrass- Annual Conference and

Show, Curtis Hixon Convention Center,Tampa, FL. Contact: Florida TurfgrassAssociation, 302 S. Graham Ave., Orlando,FL 32803-6332, (407) 898-6721.

NOVEMBERNYSTATurf and GroundsExposition, Rochester

Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, NY.Contact: New York State Turfgrass Associa-tion, P.O.Box 612, Latham, NY 12110,(800) 873-TURF.

7-10

Guelph TurfgrassInstitute, College Inn,

Guelph, Ontario. Contact: Division of Con-tinuing Education, University of Guelph,Room 160, Johnston Hall, Guelph, Ontario,Canada N1G 2W1, (519) 824-4120.

7-8

10 12 Green Team Conference- and Trade Show,

Sheridan Hotel, St. Louis, MD. Contact:PGMS, 12 Galloway Ave., Suite 1E, Cock-eysville, MD 21030, (301) 667-1833.

13 15 Penn State Golf- Turf Conference,

Keller Conference Center, PennsylvaniaState University, University Park, PA. Con-tact: Dr. Joseph Duich, Dept. of Agronomy,405 Agric. Admin. Bldg., University Park,PA 16802, (814) 865-9853.

28 30 Turfgrass and Ornamental- Chemical Seminar,

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Con-tact Barb Meyer, Purdue University, Dept.of Agronomy, Lilly Hall, West Lafayette, IN47907-7899, (317) 494-4772.

DECEMBERNew Jersey TurfgrassExpo '89.

Resorts International Hotel, Atlantic City,NJ. Contact: Dr. Henry Indyk, Crop ScienceDept., P.O.Box 231, Cook College, NewBrunswick, NJ 08903, (201) 932-9453.

4-7

4-7 Ohio TurfgrassConference & Show,

The Ohio Center, Columbus, OH. Contact:Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, 2021 CoffeyRd., Columbus, OH 43201, (614) 292-2601.

10 13 41st Annual Canadian- Turfgrass Conference

and Show, Metro Toronto ConventionCentre, Toronto, Ontario. Contact: CanadianGolf Course Superintendents Association,2000 Weston Road, Suite 203, Weston,Ontario, Canada, M9N 1X3, (416) 249-7304.

1113 Georgia Turfgrass- Conference and Trade

Show, Hyatt Atlanta Airport, College Park,GA. Contact: East Georgia ExtensionCenter, (912) 681-5189.

JANUARY10 12 Eastern Pennsylvania

- Turf Conference & TradeShow, Valley Forge Convention Center, 1200First Ave., King of Prussia, PA. Contact: Dr.Thomas Watschke, Dept. of Agronomy, 405Agric. Admin. Bldg., University Park, PA16802, (814) 863-1613.

For further product or dealerinformation, call or write:

TR£NC!1MAST£R -------- .......Take the sweat out of trenching with Trenchmaster. Sturdy steelconstruction, but light enough for easy loading and operation byone man. Ease of cleanup, no compaction and no turf damagemeans fewer customer complaints. Trenchmasters trench up to7" or 12" deep and from 10 to 30 feet per minute. Your choice ofthree makes of industrial engines. New rotors are available fortrenching in hard clay and rocky soil.

BROWNMANUFACTU~ING CO~PORATION

Route 3 • Ozark, Alabama' 36360(205) 795-6603

Circle 114 on Postage Free Card September, 1989 13

Rails are movedfrequently tospread out wearon the turt,Photos courtesy:O.M. Scott & Sons.

TurfTrackMaintenanceThere's something a little hypnotic

about thoroughbred turf track racing.The trance begins slowly, subtly, with

colors that catch the eye; the emerald-green track dotted with the circus-like huesworn by jockeys atop perfect horses walk-ing, almost floating, to the gate.

One would expect the spell to break oncethe 2,OOO-lbsteeds explode from the gate,but if anything it intensifies. Both the occa-sional fan and the experienced handicap-per can be seen rocking, at first slowly, intheir seats as the horses approach the firstturn.

Like the horses and the jockeys, thespectators lean slightly into the corner, try-ing to gain an edge, while tufts of green flyfrom the horses' hooves. It would take aweek for the practice tee of a busyiA ",nnrl",Tt toe

Hoof marks arerepaired daily.

municipal golf course to produce the type ofdivots that a thoroughbred race can kick upin a little more than a minute.

The rhythmic motion of a full gallop cre-ates an illusion; the thoroughbreds' legs aremoving slowly through a tiny minefield,where chunks of turf are blown into the airwith each step. If colors and adrenalininduce the trance, it is the gallop, and thesmall explosion of green it causes, whichcement it. Turf racing is sheer delight.

It is unless you happen to be a tracksuperintendent at one of the few horse rac-ing facilities in the United States or Canadathat have turf. Of course, track superinten-dents love turf racing as much as the fans,but the fans don't have to keep a turf trackoperational for a season.

Not that maintaining a dirt track is effort-

less. Nobody fusses over dirt like the fieldcrew at a horse race track. The process ofmixing, screening, dragging, rolling, brush-ing, and wetting the dirt is endless. Beforeevery race, the track surface is loosenedwith a harrow and then dragged smooth.The rocks that invariably pop up have to becollected. But turf, unlike dirt, has to be keptalive.

High maintenance and the cost it incurshave kept turf tracks something of a rarity inthe United States and Canada, although inWestern Europe they are more commonthan dirt tracks. This is due in part to thepreference among European breeders totrain their horses on turf, and the brief dura-tion of the "meet" or racing season. Whilethe turf meet season in the U.S. andCanada can be as long as six months, the

Horses racing onthe Marshallcourse mustcross the dirt

track.

meet season of certain European facilitiescan be as short as two weeks, or even a fewdays. Shorter meet seasons translate intoless maintenance and lower costs.

While there are several turf tracks in theU.S., such as Suffolk Downs in Mas-sachusetts and Santa Anita in California,there are only two facilities that have turftracks in Canada. Both of these, Woodbineand Fort Erie, are in Ontario, and are ownedby the century-old Ontario Jockey Club. Theorganization owns and operates four horseracing facilities in Canada. Woodbine is thesite of one of the country's most prestigiousraces, the $750,000 Rothman International.As many as 10,000 fans visit the track dur-ing each day of racing season.

Woodbine has a total of four tracks, one

dirt and three turf. One of these turf tracksis used only for practice. Surrounded by thedirt track is a turf oval called the Main Track.On the outside of the dirt track is a J-shaped turf course called The Marshall,which begins beyond the exit chute of thedirt track's first corner, wraps around thebackstretch, actually crosses the dirt track,and finishes on the frontstretch turf of theMain Track.

The configuration of The Marshall isunique, to say the least. Before athoroughbred is allowed to race on the Mar-shall, it must qualify by running the trackalone. If it is unable to cross the dirt sectioncleanly, then it is not permitted to race onthe course. To help the horses prepare, adirt section was recently added to the train-ing track.

Both The Marshall and the Main, Ken-tucky bluegrass tracks, are 80 feet wide.The practice track is 120 feet wide.

The turf track racing season runs for sixmonths, from May 24 to the end of October,which is just slightly shorter than the dirttrack racing season. An average of 1112races are run on the turf each day duringracing season.

The practice track is not spared from thepounding. As many as 200 thoroughbredscan travel, often flat out, across it during thefour days it is open each week of theseason.

"Horsemen love to run their horses onturf," said Ron Aspden, superintendent ofthe race course. "The demand for the trackis high:'

Aspden, a 32-year-old Ontario native, hasworked at Woodbine for ten years, the lastfour as superintendent. He grew up on abreeding farm in the area, where his familyraised thoroughbred horses. While in col-lege studying mathematics, Aspden took ajob as a driver at Woodbine. After finishingschool, he began to work at the trackfull-time.

It took six years of hands-on learning forAspden to reach his position. He worksclosely with Bill Partridge, grounds supervi-sor, and a 35-man crew of drivers andlaborers. Partridge, 30, is also an Ontarionative. He began working at the track whenhe was 15 years old.

"My father-in-law was superintendent ofthe grandstands," said Partridge. "At thetime I started, I was really young and justwanted to get out into the work force andmake some money. I stayed - it's a reallynice environment to work in -learned as Iwent along, and took the short course in turfmanagement at Guelph University inOntario."

Partridge's day at the track begins at 7:30a.m. and usually ends by 5 p.m. He tries towork five or six days a week, but it is notuncommon for him to go straight throughthe week during the busiest periods in theracing season. "We sort of divide up thework," said Aspden.

There is plenty of work to divide, andalthough the pre-season preparationbegins in March, two months before the firsthoof hits the turf, it could be said that prepa-ration for the upcoming racing season

continued on page 16

September, 1989 15

Turf Track Maintenancecontinued from page 15

begins at the end of the old one. After thefinal turf race is run in October, the turf,which during the season is cut to a heightof six inches for the horses' footing, jockeysafety, and aesthetic considerations, istrimmed to three or four inches. The turf istopdressed, using a mixture of one bucketof sand to two or three buckets buckets oftopsoil. The topdressing is fed through ashredder, and then dragged into the groundusing a metal mat pulled behind a tractor.

The turf is then verticut with Olatheequipment, aerated to a depth of eightinches using either a core- or spoon-typeaerator, and any remaining damages arerepaired.

In March, the turf is aerated and verticutagain. Reseeding, with a mixture of Baronand Nugget Kentucky bluegrass andryegrass, is performed in the spring. Thecrew uses a Jacobsen drill seeder for thejob. "Since the track is used so much, wealso seed whenever we get the chance todo it," added Partridge.

Irrigation on all three tracks is controlledthrough 18-station, Rain Bird ControlBoards. Sprinkler heads have beeninstalled both on the outside and insideborders of the tracks and they are activatedin groups of six; three on the outside, andthree on the inside. All the watering is doneat night.

"All of our irrigation is on timers," saidAspden. "All 87 heads on the Marshall areRain Bird."

During the season, the practice track andthe Main Track are watered for four minutesnightly. The Marshall is watered for 12minutes. Aspden added that they alsoadjust the irrigation according to theweather. For example, he said, June andJuly had low rainfall, while August was fairlywet, and the system was adjustedaccordingly.

The difference in watering requirementslies underneath the turf. For The Marshall,and a portion of the training track, it is sandand gravel over clay. For the older MainTrack and most of the practice course, it istopsoil over clay. Partridge said that hedoesn't worry about disease outbreaks dueto night watering, because when the grassis healthy and growing it takes care of itself,and disease has little chance of getting ahold. However, they have used Scotts FFIIto control snow mold outbreaks.

Watering is done accurately and care-fully, to prevent the creation of soft spotswhich could throw a horse off its stride.Should a soft spot occur, the turf in the spotand all the wet topsoil or sand (dependingon the track) are dug out completely. Thehole is then filled with the required mediumand sodded from on-site plots. Adequatedrainage plays a substantial role in prevent-ing these soft spots, as well as turfdiseases.

"The Marshall has drainage lines at 35-foot intervals, running laterally around thetrack," said Aspden. "We do have to cancel

16 sports TURF

Bill Partridge (left) and Ron Aspden.

the turf race, if we get a lot of rain. Thehorses just damage the turf too much:'

About eight years ago, Dave Dick, tech-nical representative for O.M. Scott & SonsCompany, began working with Woodbinemaintenance officials to develop a fertiliza-tion and maintenance program. Dick, anOntario native and former golf cou rsesuperintendent of 12 years, had long beenaware of the track, and decided to givethem a call when he joined Scotts. He nowenjoys working closely with both Partridgeand Aspden.

"Over a period of time, we developed afertilization and maintenance programbased on soil tests," said Dick. He addedthat the tests done each year have shownthe soil to be slightly alkaline and high inphosphorus. Partridge explained the fertili-zation program for the 1989 turf racing sea-son, which with little exception was notdifferent from that of the previous year.

"We put down about six pounds of nitro-gen per 1,000 square feet on the oldertrack, which has a topsoil base, withmonthly applications of ProTurf Super Fair-way Fertilizer, April through September," hesaid. "On the Marshall, which has a sandbase, we also put down six pounds of nitro-gen per 1,000 square feet, using a combi-nation of ProTurf Super Fairway, SuperGreens and High K fertilizers:'

Partridge added that although the fertili-zation program is monthly, the crew will fer-tilize whenever it appears to be needed."When the turf needs it, we'll also give it alittle shot of urea," he said.

To keep the tracks' turf six inches high,they use a Woods 15-foot rotary mower. Thetracks are mowed every three days; by thetime one is finished, the next is ready to bemowed again. With each mowing, the pat-tern is alternated. If on one track theymowed from the outside to the inside, they'llstart its next mowing from the inside andwork to the outside. In this way, said Par-tridge, they avoid turf wear from tire marks.They also drag the turf with the mat whennecessary, to Iift matted-down areas.

To keep what Aspden called "a problemwith thatch" from running away from them,they use a Brouwer turf vacuum to pick upthe clippings every time they cut. As theseason cools and there is less stress on thegrass, the turf is mowed to a height of 4112or five inches.

As if all this weren't enough for Aspden,Partridge, and their crew to worry about, it'simportant to remember that the tracks theytopdress, aerate, verticut, irrigate, drain, fer-tilize, and cut are pounded and gougedalmost daily by thoroughbreds. It would belike a golf course superintendent makingsure that the greens are as smooth andeven as a billiard table, and then welcominga pack of motocross racers.

One of the solutions to the daily beatingtaken by the turf racing tracks at Woodbinehas been the installation of an adjustable,portable fiberglass rail system. Becausemost of the races are run in about a 15-footwide strip, and the tracks are 80 feet wide,moving the rails allows them to distributethe track wear evenly. Once the lane for therace has been determined, one of five thatthey use, it is laser-sighted for precisionplacement of the rail, which slides overgoosenecks that are placed in the turf.

"We measure out our lane and mark itwith a pin," said Partridge. "We place thelaser there, which shoots a beam of lightdown the track to a beam receiver mountedon a tractor. We're accurate to 1/8 of aninch:'

After every race, the cte« goes out on thetrack to replace or fold down divots andpack the turf where the horses ran. Thetrack is patched and then rolled. Turf tracksare rolled in the opposite direction of horsetraffic to smooth out ridges and push downdivots. If several races are run in a day, thecrew waits for the evening to begin repairwork.

"Once the turf starts to get worn down,we go out and spread seed [the same blendused in reseeding] mixed with soil," saidAspden.

Far from being content to simply lie backand watch the grass grow, Aspden and Par-tridge continue to pursue methods ofimproving turf track racing conditions atWoodbine. Aspden recently traveled toSanta Anita Race Track in Arcadia, CA,where he saw Netlon-plastic mixed withthe sand under the turf. Netlon reportedlyprovides greater turf strength and stabilityfor the horses. They are currently workingon test plots using this method on one ofthe practice tracks.

"Sand has worked great on golf courses[under turf], but horses have a hard timegetting stability on it," said Aspden. "If thetrack 'is wet, a lot of the horsemen willscratch their horses from the race. A lot ofthe handicappers won't bet if they came tosee a turf race and it was canceled. Theyget disappointed:'

In October the Woodbine turf track sea-son will end, and Partridge, Aspden, andtheir crew will put the turf to bed for a fewmonths. They'll concentrate solely on thedirt track until December, and in Marchthey'll begin to hit the turf again.

For turf racing thoroughbreds, the sea-son is short and the mesmerizing race isbrief. Partridge and Aspden have no suchluck, but their work seems to pass quickly ..Turf track racing is full of illusions. c&.

Absolutely no cracked fittings. No leaks. No lost time.Our new Unitized Swing Joints come fully factory assem-

bled. They're free of solvent welded joints. And the low costwill surprise you.

You get full three-way 3600 action, so the standard 12"one-piece molded swing arm easily adaptsto all installations.

And you get the reliable Lasco swing jointquality proven since 1982 in all kinds of

climates and conditions in over 250 golf courses worldwide.That kind of quality lets us back all our swing joints with aunique, unmatched Three-Year Performance Warranty.

Choose from 1:' 1114:' or 1112" diameters. Your choice of 3outlets and 4 inlets needed to fit your system - at no extra cost.

Write for details, or ask your distributor. You'll

IASCO get the facts on the new generation - alongwith data on our Factory-Assembled andAssembly Kit Swing Joint models, too.

the strongest link

Lasco, 3255 East Miraloma Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92806. Warehouses and sales offices nationwide.

Circle 117 on Postage Free Card

NEW BASEBALL LEAGUE OFFERS CITIES NEW HOPE

Since 1916, when the Federal Leaguefolded, Major League Baseball has had nocompetition. Despite pressure from theUnited States Congress and cities acrossthe country, the Major League has resistedexpansion from its 26 teams. According toBaseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti, onlytwo cities will have a chance for expansionfranchises in 1992 at the earliest.

That just isn't good enough in the mindsof potential franchise owners in Miami, FL,Denver, CO, Washington, DC, or Phoenix,AZ. So for the past two years they havequietly planned a second professional

baseball league with eight to 12 teams. Iftheir hopes become reality, the new leaguewill begin playing a five-month season thiscoming April.

The league doesn't even have a nameyet, and the founders won't identify them-selves publicly. Sportswriters digging intothe affair however, believe that two lawyerswith baseball connections, Richard Mossand David Lefevre, are the primaryorganizers. Former St. Louis Cardinalspitcher Bob Gibson is said to be the leadingcandidate for commissioner of the newleague. The reporters also have discovered

La esIhe GUI...

at the finestplaying fields

around the world.

On baseball, football, soccerfields and golf courses, Locke's cut-ting edge, a unique scissor action, pro-duces a clean and uniform cut unmatchedby the competition. While other mowers shatteror sheer the grass, Locke reel mowers actually cuteach blade of grass cleanly and consistently. Theresult is a uniform playing surface that maintains itshealthy, green appearance and helps improve thequality of play.

Constructed from forged steel frames, machinedcast-iron components and precision carbon steelblades, Locke mowers have been proven season afterseason. Powered by durable cast-iron engines, Lockemowers are built to last more than 20 years. So makeyour next cut with a Locke ... Choose from the LockeSingle, when maneuverability is crucial on smallergrounds; the Locke Triplex, setting the standard forcommercial mower performance, quality and durabilityfor over fifty years; or, a riding mower, the LockeProfessional, is ideal for the larger sports turfgrounds.

For the name of your nearest authorized dealer,contact Locke today.

,THE LOCKE CUT VS. A TYPICAL MOWER CUT

Each blade of grass is cut cleanly Other mowers shatter the blades ofand at a uniform height, which grass, leaving uneven ragged endsmeans healthier, greenerturt. which turn brown and expose the

turtto disease.

Locke Mowers, Inc.2133 Mountain Industrial Blvd.,Tucker, GA 30084

(404) 939-1505 FAX (404) 491-6815Ask for our Sports Turf Specialist

Professional Quality Reel MowersSince 1928 Dealer Inquiries Invited.

18 sports TURF Circle 140 on Postage Free Card

that NBC and ABC have discussed televi-sion rights with league officials.

RANSOMES EXPANDS WITHPURCHASE OF CUSHMAN

The list of companies under the Ran-somes America umbrella will take a signifi-cant jump this month with the addition ofCushman, Ryan, and Brouwer Turf Equip-ment Ltd. Helmut Adam, president of Ran-somes America, announced in August thathis company had reached an agreementwith Outboard Marine Corporation toacquire the Cushman group for $150 mil-lion. Ransomes America is a division ofRansomes pic, Ipswich, England.

The Cushman group, which includesCushman turf vehicles and mowers, Ryanaerators and sod cutters, and Brouwermowers, vacuums and sod harvestingequipment, will be run as an independententity under the Ransomes Americaumbrella.

"Cushman will operate as before," statedAdam. "It is a well-run company with a goodname. We are not going to change some-thing that runs as well as Cushman."Manufacturing and marketing of Cushmanproducts will continue to operate out of lin-coln, NE.

"I'm excited about working with Stu-art Rafos [Cushman president] and the restof the management team at Cushman,"added Adam. "Its product line complementsthe Ransomes line of commercial turfequipment extremely well:'

Ransomes America, which manufac-tures and markets commercial turf equip-ment in North and South America, alsoacquired a line of turf renovation equipmentfrom Salsco, Cheshire, CT, in August. Theline includes aerators, seeders, spreaders,loaders, blowers, and dethatchers.

In 1988, Ransomes America purchasedSteiner Turf Equipment of Orrville, OH.Steiner has since operated as an indepen-dent subsidiary manufacturing mowingtractors and attachments. The addition ofthe Cushman, Salsco, and Steiner productsgives Ransomes one of the broadest linesof commercial turf equipment in thecountry.

Ransomes pic, has three other divisions.Ransomes Commercial manufactures anddistributes professional mowing machineryoutside of North and South America. Ran-somes Consumer manufactures consumergarden machinery and recently purchasedWestwood, a major producer of gardentractors in the U.K. Ransomes Property isinvolved in property development andinvestments. Ransomes pic over the lastthree years has withdrawn from the produc-tion of agricultural equipment to concen-trate on turf machinery worldwide.

"""'~

Slow-release nitrogen granules.

Nitrates and phosphates are wordsyou hear more often today, not justfrom fertilizer salesmen, but from a

growing number of people concernedabout water quality in this country. Whileenvironmental concern over fertilizersapplied to turfgrass is almost completely .unjustified, there are other important rea-sons for sports turf managers and golfcourse superintendents to have a goodunderstanding of the fertilizers on the mar-ket today.

Yet, like an athlete, sports turf requires aspecial diet. Both must exert tremendousenergy to achieve goals set for them,recover from injury, and remain durable.Special attention to nutrition is essential totheir performance.

"A plant doesn't care where nutrientscome from," says Jim Mello, president ofNice-N-Green Plant Foods, Romeoville, 1L."The main consideration is whether thesenutrients are available when needed with-out harming the plant. The type of fertilizeryou buy needs to fit into your maintenanceprogram and budget, and that goes beyonda simple comparison of the price ofproducts:'

Today's turf manager has a muchbroader selection of fertilizer products tochoose from than he did just ten years ago.For decades, the choice was simple~ nat-ural organic fertilizers for slow-release and

UnderstandingSports Turf

Nutrition

synthetic products for quick-release. Nearlyall products were granular, applied withspreaders. If the color or vigor of turf beganto fade, the solution was to apply more.

Now there are quick- and slow-releasefertilizers in both dry and liquid formula-tions. In most cases they can be spread orsprayed onto the turf in combination withother chemicals. Different nutrient sourcescan be mixed to stimulate growth for aperiod ranging from two weeks to fourmonths. Slow-release fertilizers allow alarger amount of nitrogen to be applied atone time without "burning" or overfeedingthe turf. They also regulate the release ofnutrients to reduce loss caused by leach-ing, runoff, or evaporation.

Research over the past 25 years has in-creased our understanding of turfgrassnutrition. Not only do we have a clearer pic-ture of what the plant requires and when,we also have a greater insight into theeffects of soil texture, moisture and chemis-tryon availability. Now researchers are look-ing more closely at the fate of fertilizers inthe soil. All this information is of value toyou whether you are responsible for a golfcourse, athletic field, park, school, or resort.

Any discussion of fertilizers begins withnitrogen. But experience has shown thatequal consideration of all macro- andmicronutrients is needed to have adequatecontrol over our fertilization programs. By

A complete fertilizer with micronutrients.

knowing your choices, you can use a com-bination of fertilizer products to meet thehigh standards and use placed upon natu-ral sports surfaces today.

The most basic principle in fertilization isthat plants absorb nutrients after they havebroken down and been dissolved in water.

oontinued on page 20

September, 1989 19

Sports Turf Nutritioncontinued from page 19

Until this happens, fertilizers are of noimmediate benefit to the plant. Anythingdisrupting this process reduces their effec-tiveness. For example, root absorption ofnutrients is hampered by soils that areeither too wet or too dry. Soils that are com-pacted, too alkaline or too acid also harmfertilizer performance.

Some nutrients can also be absorbedthrough the leaves. Foliar absorption canoccur when the appropriate form of the fer-tilizer is applied to turf with water or when adry product comes in contact with moistureon the surface of the leaves. For this rea-son, soluble, quick-release fertilizers shouldbe applied at low, safe rates or to dry turf.

The most soluble and fastest acting nitro-gen sources currently on the marketinclude urea, ammonium nitrate andammonium sulfate. Urea is actually a man-made organic fertilizer, but it acts more likeinorganic products with its high solubilityand rapid breakdown to nitrate or ammonia,the forms plants can absorb. Ammoniumnitrate and ammonium sulfate are calledsynthetic inorganics. All three of these nitro-gen sources are subject to loss throughleaching and volatilization and must beused with caution to avoid burning the turf.

"You have to be careful with soluble fer-tilizers, especially during hot weather,"warns Dr. Paul Sartoretto, techical advisor

Soluble fertilizer packaged in dry form.

for Cleary Chemical in Somerset, NJ. "Butthe turf manager wants the quick responsethey provide. Most slow-release productscontain some portion of soluble nitrogen forthis reason:'

Manufacturers have taken two differenttacks to extend the nitrogen release periodof soluble fertilizers. The first is to coatproducts such as urea with sulfur or plastic.The urea escapes through holes or cracksin the coating and enters the soil solutionover a period of time, often two months orlonger. O. M. Scotts, lesco, and Cilpioneered sulfur-coated ureas. Sierra

Chemical makes plastic-coated products.The other tactic used to control release of

nitrogen is to react urea with other chemi-cals to make part of the urea insoluble.Instead of a coating, strong chemical bondstie up the urea until they are broken downover time by microorganisms or soilmoisture.

IBDU (Par-Ex) is made from one process.It is broken down slowly by water. Ureaform,manufactured in a slightly different way, isbroken down by microorganisms in the soil.These organisms require heat and moistureto do their job. During periods of drought orlow temperature, the release of nitrogenfrom ureaform slows. However, ureaformcan be combined with water without break-ing down. This has enabled fertilizermanufacturers to develop sprayable formu-lations of ureaform. A few examples areBlue Chip Nitroform (Nor-Am), Formolene(Georgia Pacific and Nice-N-Green), Fluf(Cleary), N-Sure (Triazone Corp.), andCoron (Coron Corporation).

Both coated products and reactionproducts enable the turf manager to applya high rate of nitrogen to turf at one timewith relative safety. Furthermore, the insolu-ble portion is not prone to leaching orvolatilization.

Slow release of nitrogen is also availablefrom natural organic fertilizers, such asMilorganite. The primary differencebetween the synthetic organic products and

Line Your FieldThree Times Faster ...

...Without PushingThe All-Pro self-propelled field marker is:

• Fast• Uses less paint

• Does not clog• Built to last

CALL FOR DETAILS 800-624-6706P.O. Box 440881

Aurora, CO 80044

20 sports TURF Circle 139 on Postaoe Free Card

Liquid Sod Corp.introduces a revolu-tionary new conceptin pregerminating awide variety ofgrass seeds, the pre-germination unit. Itmarkedly increasesseed yields while re-ducing turf estab-

lishment time. The units provide dura-bility and portability with minimumspace utilization. Liquid Sod pre-germinating units are a low cost, highprofit alternative to existing pre-germinating methods.

Special features include: Efficient aer-ating method that reduces fermentation(seed spoilage); Screened drain plug forreduced handling and seed loss; 150pounds plus capacity; Four models tochoose from; Full line of pregerminationsupplies.Pregermination is gaining popularity

because it provides advantages overconventional seeding methods such as:controlled germinating environment forfaster turf establishment, reduced vul-nerability to erosion, enhanced compet-itiveness against weeds, protectionagainst seed consuming predators, andincreased customer satisfaction.

Liquid Sod, 2095 Euler,Brighton, MI 48116(313) 227-5066

Circle 134 on Postage Free Card