As the calendar flips through October, today those of us in the Northern Hemisphere find ourselves only 2 months from the shortest day of the year (properly known as the Winter Solstice). The lower sun angle, shorter days, and cooling temperatures are a reminder that “winter” is upon us. With increasing & / or continued high-use on many natural grass fields during this time of deteriorating Bermudagrass growth conditions, the topic of “extending Bermudagrass growth” multiple times this week. Ideas to prolong Bermuda growth include:

• Spraying green paint / green dye
• Topdressing with sand
• Spreading organic fertilizer or compost
• Utilizing grow covers

Environmental factors for plant growth are sunlight & heat. With both sunlight & heat decreasing in the fall, these “tricks” generate extra heat in the grass canopy in order to encourage / prolong growth. These things are especially impactful on improved Bermudagrass varieties like Latitude 36, Northbridge, & Tahoma 31. These varieties require less heat & less light for growth. The tricks also work on a bit older varieties such as Patriot & Bandera. So the discussions this week have not been focused on IF we can extend the Bermuda growing season… but instead the discussions have been about the consequences of extending Bermuda growth deeper into the fall. Could extended growth be detrimental to Bermudagrass health? Could it impact (slow) spring green up?

Answer? YES. Prolonging or promoting Bermudagrass growth through the fall / into the winter can be detrimental and / or hurt spring green up.

Why? With lower sun angle & decreased sun intensity combined with less hours of sunlight during the shorter days, photosynthesis (produces energy) can not keep pace with prolonged growth (burns energy).

Backing up a few years, we explored this Bermudagrass growth topic in a range of posts on this blog. “Let There Be Light” & “Let There Be Light Follow Up” discussed Bermudagrass light requirement and the impact of decreasing natural light from the sun in the fall season. By October, the sun does not produce enough light to sustain efficient Bermudagrass photosynthesis and the grass slows down. Temperature change then follows to fully induce dormancy. The spring after those initial posts, “Transition Zone Bermudagrass Out of Gas This Spring” looked into/ shared lessons we were learning during spring and early summer Bermudagrass struggles following a mild winter. Bermudagrass didn’t go into full dormancy with the mild temperatures. But instead of mild being a positive, lack of dormancy was a negative because the green and growing Bermuda didn’t have the needed light amounts for efficient photosynthesis. Carbohydrate / energy reserves in the Bermudagrass plants were burned up and the grass could not give a spring surge for growth and recovery.

Those discussions lead to the creation of an on-field trial that fall at Duke University on Latitude 36 Bermudagrass. “Supplemental Light & Bermudagrass” introduces that trial. The stimulation for that trial came from similar experiences & questions to what we are exploring now.

The results of that trial provide great information to help in our decision making now on if or how much to push fall Bermudagrass growth. These slides give a snap shot into the trial results:

To get the information needed for the discussion of extending Bermudagrass growth, the summary on the last slide (just click on the last circle to skip all the way to the end) provides insight.

1. The area that received supplemental light ONLY had the best roots & the best strength. Why? The amount of light added, in combination with the sun, exceeded 25 mols / day (the amount of light that photosynthesis can be fully efficient). And with little extra heat, the grass never grew aggressively to burn the energy that was being stored. It DID grow some – as it grew enough to where the paint grew out / was mowed off BEFORE the area w grow covers only.
2. The area that used grow covers ONLY had the worst roots & the worst strength. Why? Heat was stimulating growth that was burning energy. But with a) low light conditions of the winter + b) the grow covers blocking 50% of the already limited light… the plants burned up their energy reserves (roots).

SO WHAT? What does that have to do with this discussion?

The trial teaches us or reinforces 2 big things:

1. Bermudagrass goes dormant in the fall / winter / spring not just because of temperature, but also because of reduced light levels (its naturally protecting itself)

2. Generating heat will help stimulate Bermudagrass growth later into the fall / winter. The trial used grow covers. Green paint / dye will do similar (up to 7 degrees increase of canopy temperature on a sunny day).

So if / when manipulating temperatures to extend Bermudagrass growth in the fall / winter, keep in mind that the energy being burned with growth is not being replenished with natural light. The recommendation made to our clients is to utilize paint / dye. It stimulates a bit of extra growth for 2-4 weeks, depending on the temperatures & sunshine. Yes, it will block some light too – that is something we are doing more research on (assumption is it is less than 15%). If you need more significant growth, grow covers will do the trick! But with them stimulating significant growth while also blocking approx 50% of available light, don’t use them A) too much, or B) for too long because at some point by mid-December, the grass needs to be able to go “full natural” with its growth cycle. From I-70 from KC to DC & north, its even more important for the Bermuda to go fully dormant in preparation for the cold winter. Many use grow covers are used for winter protection – and they work. But we typically recommend waiting until the soil temperature drops into the middle 30’s before the covers to put them on to stay until late February / March.

Additional New Information: With multiple clients / facilities utilizing under soil heating & / or supplemental lighting, we have learned much additional about Bermudagrass growth since the trial

• Northbridge, Latitude 36, & Tahoma 31* Bermudagrass can / will to grow when soil temperatures rise above 55 F. This is why it is important to let soil temps drop into the 30’s before putting covers on during the winter for a long period of time. If the soil temperatures come above 55 F, the plant will be burning energy. Also why it is important to continue to feed the Bermuda in the fall until the soil temperatures fall. Ca & K & even low rates of N in the fall will help with energy storage in preparation for winter * Tahoma 31 is potentially as low as 50 F. (For reference: 419 is 65-70 F)
• These superior varieties of Bermudagrass, when combined with + 55 F soil temperatures, can / will grow when combined air temperatures rise to 110 degrees (example: 70 high, 40 low). That “low” temperature threshold, combined with soil temperatures still higher from summer, is why it is easy to manipulate & extend the growing season in the fall.

Ultimately you know your situation BEST. Utilize soil temperature & air temperature data, in combo with Growing Degree Days & your sunshine forecast to decide what is best for your particular situation. Hopefully some of this information is helpful in the decision making!

Live updates from SGL MasterClass 2016 in Amsterdam, Holland.
https://www.24liveblog.com/live/1323205

Statement from Jerad Minnick on President’s Award For Leadership

“Game Changer”. What a tremendous theme for the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) national conference last week. The STMA gathering in San Diego involved non-stop sharing and idea generation between Sports Turf Managers from around the world. Friday night’s Awards Banquet was the culmination. Founder’s Award were presented, Fields of the Year were all honored, and students were praised.  Each and every person or team honored, unique in their own way, overcome challenge to create great things with hard work and professionalism. An absolutely wonderful night all around. Bravo STMA!

Former President Allen Johnson’s presentation of the President’s Award for Leadership turned the banquet personal for me. In introducing the award, Mr. Johnson’s description of leadership was captivating. What a wonderful description. “It (leadership) is an act of someone who is unprovoked by others, but rather is driven from within themselves to set upon a course of action to accomplish something that they believe simply needs to be done. They demonstrate a passion for their vision and take measurable actions in achieving their goal. No matter how difficult the task or the odds stacked against them they forge on, knowing that their pursuit is a worthy endeavor.”

Working daily with Sports Field Managers and seeing first hand the effort they put into their natural grass fields is the best part of my role as an Advisor. Especially when perception and teaching still is that natural grass fields can not sustain an increased amount of use. Yet all around us Sports Field Managers make the impossible possible every single day. They display passion and perseverance. Many times they are required to sacrifice. But they forge on and get the job done because they love what they do.

With the description of “leadership” that President Johnson gave, I could think of so many people that deserve a leadership award. When “Jerad Minnick” came from his mouth, I nearly fell from my chair (that, or my colleague and friend Simon Gumbrill might have pushed me!). I appreciate the award greatly. THANK YOU. But this award really belongs to all of YOU. YOU vendors in our industry that are creating new solutions for old problems. YOU Sports Field Managers who are willing to buy into new ideas and set examples of how natural grass sustain an increased amount of use. Without your professionalism and hard work to produce shining examples of high quality, high use natural grass fields, I would just look like a raving lunatic living in a land of fantasy! THANK YOU to each and every one of YOU for what YOU do in proving that natural grass fields can take more!

And a heart felt THANK YOU to former President Johnson for the recognition. It’s special to receive a leadership award from a President that lead us all by example. Mr. Johnson, your professionalism and hard work makes the impossible possible… growing perfect grass for the Green Bay Packers. Thank you Mr. Johnson. You give us all an example to follow.

It is truly an honor to receive the President’s Award for Leadership. But ultimately, this award isn’t for or about Jerad Minnick… its about every one of YOU that prove wrong the perception natural grass can not take an increased amount of use. But we have no time for celebrate, our work is only STARTED. I hope YOU are excited as I am about the bright future for Sports Field Managers and the potential for natural grass fields. #GrassCanTakeMore!

“Success is no accident.  It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do”- Pele 

Transcript from Former President Allen Johnson’s introduction of the President’s Award for Leadership:

There are many different ideas of what constitutes the word Leadership. For the purposes of this award tonight, I’d like to define what leadership means to me. Its the act of someone who is unprovoked by others, but rather is driven from within themselves to set upon a course of action to accomplish something that they believe simples needs to be done. They demonstrate a passion for their vision and take measurable actions in achieving their goal. No matter how difficult the task or the odds staked against them they forge on, knowing that their pursuit is a worthy endeavor.

I do not personally know the individual that I have selected for tonight’s honor, but I know of them. I have shaken their hand only twice and said hello. However, I am aware of this person’s pursuit of their goal. At a time when it is so desperately needed in our industry, this person has been a staunch advocate for natural grass and its’ use as a playing surface for athletes across all sports and age groups. They have not only been a leading voice for the benefits that natural grass provides, but they have also benefited our industry by introducing ideas and concepts which push the professional sports field manager to better themselves, to push the envelope in their management techniques, and become even more valuable to their organizations.

Promoting the benefits of natural grass for athletic surfaces is not only highlighted as one of the main goals in the STMA’s strategic plan, it is sorely needed in our industry because it rarely has a voice to speak on its behalf. For these reasons I can think of no better person or no better time to honor this year’s Presidential Award for Leadership as Jerad Minnick.

SGL MasterClass 2015

70+ Sports Field Managers representing 12 countries around the world gathered in Manchester, UK for SGL Master Class 2015.  Manchester City Football Club hosted to the 2-day education event with attendees from places as distant as Ukraine and Singapore.  Etihad Stadium Head Grounds Manager Lee Jackson and City Football Academy Head Grounds Manager Lee Metcalfe both opened their state-of-the- art facilities at Manchester City FC to the Master Class.  SGL specific sessions included updates on SGL developments and to collect user feedback.  But uniquely, most of the Master Class focus was not just on SGL products and light technology.  The curriculum focused on evolving natural grass sports field management over all and explored new solutions for the always increasing demand of more events in stadiums world wide.  From grass genetics and plant feeding to renovation approaches and techniques world wide.  Special presentations came from Ray Cheng of the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Jerad Minnick of the Natural Grass Advisory Group (USA).  An informational panel discussion with SGL Founder Nico van Vuuren, SGL Territory Manager Simon Gumbrill, Lee Jackson, and Jerad Minnick summarized and closed out the event. Additionally as part of the Master Class at City was an all access tour through Etihad Stadium by Lee Jackson and the newly opened City Football Academy by Lee Metcalfe.  

A visit to City cross town rival Manchester United also took place during the Master Class.    United Head Grounds Manager Tony Sinclair opened his pitch at storied Old Trafford, home of Manchester United since 1910, to Master Class participants.  Like both Mr. Jackson and Mr. Metcalfe at City, Mr. Sinclair generously shared his experiences and knowledge with the group.  

Throughout Master Class 2015, sharing and collaboration amongst presenters and participants was endless, from morning coffee through evening social time.  As sharing and collaboration are the building blocks of growth and innovation, there is no doubt participants of the Master Class walked away with new ideas and excitement.  

Supplemental Light:  Just for shade? 

A theme that developed during Master Class was turfgrass and light requirement. Previously, supplemental lighting for turfgrass growth is commonly considered a tool just for natural grass surfaces with extensive shade inside large stadiums.  Yet in reality, shaded stadiums house only a small fraction  of the turfgrass in need of supplemental light.  A 2004 study release from Clemson University on TifEagle greens highlights the need for supplemental light without even calling for it. An August, 2004 GCSAA article by B. Todd Bunnell, Ph.D., and Bert McCarty, Ph.D. (1) provides an in-depth look at the study.  When tying the research and article content to the need for supplemental light, the article summary with the title says it all.  “Without a full day of sunshine, TifEagle bermudagrass greens do not thrive”.  Their study on TifEagle finds the bermudagrass needs a daily light integral of 32.6 mol m^-2 d^-1.  Using light data collection,  Atlanta, GA for example sustains 32.6 mol m^-2 d^-1a of light from April until October.  (See chart from Karl Danneberger, Ph.D, Ohio State).  TifEagle then is under light stress and can not grow efficiently nearly half the year.  Why the lack of light?  The limited light is simply due to shorter days and lower sun angle in the sky during the fall, winter, and spring season.  Dr. Karl Danneberger gives a detailed description of the impact of in-adequate light has on turfgrass growth in his Ohio State article “Pour Some Light On Me”(2) “Turfgrass plants in response to shade or low light levels become more upright in growth habit including a thinner, longer leaves, less tillering, shallower rooting, and less total root mass (3,4,5). Overall, the turf is subject to a decline in both density and quality. If the winter months are more cloudy and rainy than normal, the detrimental changes would be more dramatic.”  In the south, overseeding with ryegrass into bermudagrass helps off set the decline in bermuda quality due to lower light amounts.  But dormancy in the bermudagrass is promoted because of a decreased light.  And ryegrass overseeding blocks light to the bermudagrass, adding to the reduction of light.  Thus an overseeded stand of bermudagrass in Atlanta, GA faces stress due to inadequate light for nearly 6 months of the year.  That same light stress is equal for nearly all bermudagrass across the USA mainland, only increasing the more north the grass is growing.  Light requirement for cool season grasses is lower, but still their light requirements are equally not met in fall, winter and spring in north regions either.  

This type of research and data collection illustrates how grass in shaded stadiums is not the only grass suffering from light stress in need of supplemental light.  In fact, data supports nearly that all grass could benefit from supplemental light for extended periods during the year.  

Birth of SGL

Webster’s dictionary defines innovation as “making changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products”.  Innovation is exactly what Nico van Vuuren, a Dutch rose grower and Founder of Stadium Grow Lighting, provided with the introduction of SGL to the natural grass industry in 2001.  The first supplemental turfgrass grow light trial ever fittingly took place at the Stadium of Light, Home of Sunderland FC in Sunderland, UK.    The complex new introduction of light into stadiums was a simple advancement of the supplemental growth lighting in Mr. van Vuuren’s 22 acres of rose growing green houses.  As a core building block for rose growth, light is essential for healthy turfgrass growth too.  With shading from large stadium structures and the sun angle change by the season, consistency of light for grass in a stadium is erratic at best.  Supplemental light units immediately supplied the consistency of light needed to sustain healthy, consistent grass growth nearly year round.  Innovation! The “change in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products” is one of he most dramatic changes to take place in the history of natural grass field maintenance.  

The Future Of Supplemental Light

Since the introduction of supplemental light at Sunderland in 2001, SGL has grown to supply light to over 160 swards of natural grass around the world.  And still most all intense light research and innovation is coming from SGL’s lab in Holland.  

Originally the interest for supplemental light was with soccer stadiums in Europe.  Those stadiums are challenged with maintain natural grass surfaces through a soccer season that stretches from fall, through the entire winter season, and into the late spring.  Those stadiums face both shade and low sun angle.  Now with the “growing” understanding that nearly all natural grass surfaces need light, supplemental lighting has spread into the USA in the NFL, MLB, MLS and even college sports with the introduction at University of Tennesse’s Neyland Stadium.  With supplemental light for healthy, consistent turfgrass growth, these stadiums can increase their number of events while reducing maintenance and expensive sod repairs.  Especially in the fall, winter, and spring season.  With the growing demand for high quality natural grass fields nearly year round, there is no doubt the number of applications of supplemental light in sports and golf will continue to grow.  Innovation truly is making a “change”.  

1. http://www2.gcsaa.org/gcm/2004/aug04/pdf/augtechsunlight.pdf

(2) http://buckeyeturf.osu.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1126:pour-some-light-on-me&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=170

(3) Bell, G.E. and T.K. Danneberger. 1999. Temporal shade on creeping bentgrass turf. Crop Science 39:1142-1146

(4). Danneberger, T.K. 1994. Light, as a resource. in Turfgrass Ecology and Management. G.I.E., Inc. Publishers. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 25-35.

(5) Wherley, B.G., D.S. Gardner, and J.D. Metzger. 2005. Tall fescue photomorphogenesis as influenced by changes in the spectral composition. Crop Science 45:562-568. 

#GrassCanTakeMore Comes Alive!

#GrassCanTakeMore successfully came alive this week in the first ever #GrassCanTakeMore seminar from Growing Innovations and Turf Republic in Rockville, MD on Tuesday.

THANK YOU to the 81 participants that took part in the event. The exchange of ideas was fantastic! Your search for solutions and willingness to ask questions absolutely made the event a success! And THANK YOU to Mr. Dave Nehila and Mr. John Turnour for sharing with group and feeding the idea exchange. Wow, great!

Additionally, Thank You to Genesis Turfgrass, Finch Inc, and Oakwood Sod for supporting #GrassCanTakeMore as the event sponsors. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Look to @GrowingInnovations on twitter, www.growinginnovations.net and @TurfRepublic on Twitter, Facebook, and www.TurfRepublic.com for more information from the event.

Also look for announcements for the next upcoming #GrassCanTakeMore events. New, creative, budget responsible solutions are marking it possible to improve grass field quality and meet that demand to increase use. #GrassCanTakeMore Grass Field Workshops bring you these solutions in real-life, usable steps to take home to improve grass fields.

THANK YOU again to all of the participants. Grass Fields Can Take More!

This piece is written in reference to:  Turning Green Into Gold; How Maureen Hendricks Field at the Maryland SoccerPlex Became the First Women’s Soccer Venue to Win Professional Field of the Year

The perception that natural grass fields can’t sustain heavy use is starting to go away. There are a growing number of examples around the world of heavy use grass fields that are maintained in excellent shape. Even with smaller budgets.

But still the “how much can grass take” debate still is ongoing. How much CAN a grass field take!? Truly so many factors are involved. Ultimately the examples of amazing fields around the world simply go back to using new and better tools for maintenance and also focusing on the skills of professional, creative, hard working Sports Field Managers.

What an exciting time!

Maryland Soccer Foundation shared a wonderful example of how grass can take more this week in an article highlighting their Sports Field Maintenance crew on the STMA Professional Soccer Field of the Year, Hendricks Field. With that award, Hendricks recently became the first ever professional women’s field in any sport to win a Field of the Year award. But even more unique, the field hosted over 750 hours of non-professional sporting events in additional to the professional use. Hendricks won 2011 Parks Soccer Field of the Year as well during a year hiatus of women’s soccer when the field hosted nearly 1000 hours of events. The field again made news in the fall of 2012 when it was renovated, re-seeded with Kentucky bluegrass, and re-opened 35 days after seeding. Wow!

Certainly all of these amazing feats by 1 field seem like complete outliers because just a few years ago such high use at any level was thought to be impossible for grass. But now these things give as examples of the extremely bright and exciting future for natural grass fields and professional, creative, hard work Sports Field Managers. Using new and better tools for maintenance and by adopting new philosophies around the “3 Keys to High Traffic Maintenance” is changing what was once considered impossible and making it possible!

Walt Disney said it best, and field managers around the world are proving it: “It is Kind of Fun to Do the Impossible” ; ) Well done Sports Field Managers. Well done. #GrassCanTakeMore

Turning Green Into Gold; How Maureen Hendricks Field at the Maryland SoccerPlex Became the First Women’s Soccer Venue to Win Professional Field of the Year