Golfdom • June 2022 • Tech solutions to limit PGR overspray on collars

Overspray of PGRs into collars and surrounds has long been a problem for turf quality. Like mechanical damage, this problem can be especially bad where warm-season grasses surround cool-season putting greens. However, recent research has shed light on how problematic growth regulator applications can be for any collar-height turf surrounding a putting green.

University of Nebraska research showed the degree of seasonal variation in PGR metabolism and how growing degree day (GDD) accumulation is better for predicting when superintendents should make reapplications than calendar days. Turf metabolizes PGRs more quickly under warmer conditions and superintendents need to apply PGRs more frequently to maintain consistent regulation than they do under cooler conditions.

This research also indicates that turf at putting green height requires more frequent applications of PGRs than fairway or collar-height turf to maintain steady growth suppression. Additionally, relative regulation at the same application rate is much higher on collar-height turf compared to green-height turf. Even when superintendents follow GDD models for putting green applications, overspray into collars can still lead to severe overregulation. The growth rate of the grass is inadequate to recover from traffic, which leads to a decline.

Covering collars with carpets during spraying, immediately washing PGRs off the collars after application or leaving small untreated strips around the edges of putting greens to prevent overspray are all options to limit this problem. One of the simplest and most effective solutions is to use GPS sprayers.

GPS sprayer technology limits overspray into nontarget areas, and individual nozzle control offers very precise application. It is not a perfect solution, but this technology can substantially reduce PGR overspray on collars.

PBI-GORDON ANNOUNCES TWO NEW HIRES

PBI-Gordon hired Geoff Smith as the company’s national key account manager and Lyndsie Balstad as a product manager.

Smith will enhance customer relationships with key account decision-makers in the golf market. He will also help identify new opportunities for product placement and work to enhance PBI-Gordon’s existing product portfolio.

Prior to PBI-Gordon, Smith was a formulator sales territory manager for Gowan USA. He also worked at The Scotts Company as a manager of global active ingredient sourcing. Smith earned his master's from Ashland University.

Balstad’s focus is on the company's herbicide portfolio, supporting product life cycle management and driving innovation to bring new products to the market.

Prior to PBI-Gordon, Balstad was a sales effectiveness manager for the Pioneer Seed brand at Corteva.

Previously, she served as Corteva’s U.S. corn herbicides product manager, where she was responsible for the launch of Resicore herbicide and pricing programs during the merger of DuPont and Dow AgroSciences.

Balstad holds a bachelor's in applied economics from the University of Minnesota.

Darin Bevard is the senior director of championship agronomy for the USGA. This Super Science Introduction feature is just one section of his article on how to prevent putting green collar decline, see the reference section for the link to the complete article.