Greens Growth Regulator Use Cancel The title field is required!

1. Steven Aitken

   

   5 posts
   
   12/19/2014 11:12 AM

   Would like input on alternative methods to Plant Growth Regulator use. Plant Growth Regulators are highly effective on our 80% poa 20% bent greens, but I am considering other alternatives for the future. What other programs are available that offer similar results? Rolling and reduced fertility has been effective, although not as effective as the PGRs. Considering a program of brushing, and rolling in 2015. Thanks in advance for your responses.
   
   Steve Aitken CGCS
   Aspen Golf Club
   Aspen, Colorado

   
   
   
   
2. Ryan Sears

   

   1 posts
   
   12/19/2014 4:12 PM

   Hi Steve, I dont really have any helpful suggestions based on my experience but I am wondering if your current PGR program is working why change? I assume you are trying to reduce inputs/save $$$. Also curious what approach you took when you reduced your greens fertility and began rolling. I am considering some of these methods in the upcoming season as well.
   
   Thanks
   Ryan

   
   
   
   
3. Steven Aitken

   

   5 posts
   
   12/19/2014 8:12 PM

   Thanks Ryan,
   
   Your right, the current program works. Looking for innovative ways to reach the same results and reduce inputs.
   
   Let me know if you find any new ideas out there. A technique I'm looking into is brushing greens before mowing, Im looking foward to see if this would be a substitute for the every other week PGR application.
   
   Happy Holidays to you.
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
4. Ryan Sears

   

   1 posts
   
   12/20/2014 8:12 PM

   Steve,
   I have used brushing as a means to temporarily speed up greens before but have'nt used this method on a continual basis. I would be curious what you think if you try it regularly.
   I also am curious if you have considered the Redox line of foliar products. This is something I am going to begin to play with as a means to reduce inputs. From talking with a few courses in my area that have used Redox for at least 2 years now, they cant say enough about Redox line. From what I gather, they are reducing nitrogen, mining more nutrients from soil, while starving the poa and reducing the flush of growth on the bent. Im really excited to see what happens on our chipping green next season using Redox.
   
   
   
   R

   
   
   
   
5. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/22/2014 10:12 AM

   A lot of research has been started at Ohio State about brushing. I think they just finished up their first year or research, don't know if they used PGR's during the study, but they were finding the grass transforming (if that is the right word) under high brushing requiems.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
6. Steven Aitken

   

   5 posts
   
   12/23/2014 9:12 AM

   Mel,
   
   Thanks for your input, I did not know that Ohio Stae was doing research on brushing. What have they found out so far?
   
   Happy Holidays!
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
7. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/23/2014 2:12 PM

   Steve,
   
   The main point that they have discovered so far, well it is the point I picked up on, is that they can aggressively brush without causing turf damage with medium brushes. What they are seeing is that the grass actually changes physically under that constant brushing, (I think 5 times per week). The turf actually "tightened up" with the brushing. I saw the presentation a couple of times this year.
   
   This has been a one season study so far, so there is still a lot of trails and questions to find out. They had actually changed the study as I understood it, half way through because they were not seeing much effects from the first brushing study that had the brushes just under or even with the cutting height when it first started.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
8. Steven Aitken

   

   5 posts
   
   12/23/2014 8:12 PM

   Thanks Ryan and Mel,
   
   Check back , and I will report on how it went in 2015.
   
   All The Best,
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
9. Joe Wachter

   

   5 posts
   
   1/7/2015 2:01 PM

   Bentgrass 101. Solid rollers, less vertical mowing, increase topdressing, slight brushing and increase rolling. Improves ball roll tracking, reducing poa population reduces ball wobble. Rolling keeps speed up to offset slightly longer bent and begins to out compete poa if other factors are adhered which it sounds as if you are taking care of with fertility and water management.

   
   
   
   
10. Steven Aitken

    

    5 posts
    
    1/11/2015 10:01 AM

    Thanks Joe,
    
    Do you have greens with similar percentages 80% poa 20% Bent? I have heard that growth regulators actually encourage poa annua.

    
    
    
    
11. David Brandenburg

    

    3 posts
    
    1/11/2015 9:01 PM

    Steve,
    
    The Wisconsin Turfgrass Association recently had Dr. Cale Bigelow from Purdue speak on poa control, PGR's and the effect of N and P. I do not have my notes in front of me but at no time did he say PGR's increase poa but his research so far did show that primo did little to control poa annua populations but it did increase turfgrass quality.
    
    Both Flurprimidol (Cutless) and Paclobutrazol (TGR, Trimmit) did reduce poa annua populations when applied at the label rate.
    
    I have found and read that nitrogen is important to bent health especially in the fight against poa annua. The rate of N really depends on traffic and other stresses the bent plant will face.

    
    
    
    
12. Steven Aitken

    

    5 posts
    
    1/12/2015 7:01 PM

    David,
    
    Thanks for your detailed response.
    
    I have also been looking over some old notes which concurs with your point about Primo. The others as you stated reduce populations of poa.
    
    The single Primo / Proxy application in the Spring followed by 10 to 14 day treatments of Primo worked quite effectively in combination with rolling.
    
    Steve

    
    
    
    
13. Eric Leonard

    

    0 posts
    
    1/23/2015 3:01 PM

    My program for the last 6 years has transformed my greens from 80% poa and 20% bentgrass to 85% bentgrass and 15% poa.
    
    Primo/Proxy beginning of the year
    Primo/Trimmit program on a two-week basis throughout the rest of the year.
    
    At first I had to ease into the trimmit program started at 2oz per acre. Now I am at 6oz per acre.
    My poa is at most the size of a half-dollar and I have very little of it. I am glad I started this program and am staying with it. In conjunction of the pgr program I do brush, topdress, roll and I keep my course on the dryer side. The bentgrass can tolerate the dryness where the poa suffers.
    
    Good luck
    
    Eric Leonard
    Cherokee C.C.
    Madison Wi.

    
    
    
    
14. Joe Wachter

    

    5 posts
    
    1/27/2015 2:01 PM

    Steven Aitken, CGCS said: Thanks Joe,
    
    Do you have greens with similar percentages 80% poa 20% Bent? I have heard that growth regulators actually encourage poa annua.

    
    
    I use primo in the summer due to the potential stress issues on our poa during the heat. I know some say keep tickling them with something but I'm not going to do it. I'm back to using Trimmit in spring and fall to help with poa reduction. The biggest issue for me is no drainage in my greens which contributes to wetter greens thus more poa. Poa does love primo. My populations are mostly below 50% except for a couple but they continue to improve.
    Probably average 70-30 bent to poa.