Golfdom, February 2017

RESEARCH FOR REAL SUPERINTENDENTS Hosted by Clark Throssell Ph D clarkthrossell@ bresnan net Super Science KEEPING WATER CLEAN HOW A WETLAND CAN CLEAN EQUIPMENT WASHING WATER By Mickey Spokas Ph D Michelle DaCosta Ph D and Scott Ebdon Ph D D uring the summer of 2011 researchers at the University of Massachusetts Turfgrass Research Center constructed a small artificial wetland vegetated sand bed to treat water used to wash the facilitys mowers and spraying equipment following use The system consists of two parallel trains of wetland cells The first bed in each cell is coarse gravel with reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea The second bed is coarse sand with a mixture of plants harlequin blue flag Iris versicolor woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus and soft rush Juncus effusus The beds have vertical flow with the first bed having down flow and the second bed having up flow During normal operation nitrate from equipment washing and clipping degradation entered the system at 29 mg L NO 3 N which dropped to 04 mg L at the outlet to the system an 86 percent removal The system was spiked twice in the fall of 2015 with a 5 10 5 fertilizer 015 lb N 1000 sq ft Measured influent nitrogen concentrations were 728 and 205 mg L of ammonia N and nitrate N respectively Using the first beds with no addition of water these concentrations had dropped to less than 5 mg L within 96 hours of application A second larger spike of fertilizer 066 lb N 1000 sq ft was made later in the fall to allow the calculation of microbial rate constants for both ammonia and nitrate removal Fertilizer applications in September 2016 were to measure the levels of nitrate ammonium and phosphorous through the system following a simulated tank dump of fertilizer application rate 015 lb N 1000 sq ft in a 170 gallon sprayer to cover two acres Water was added each day to ensure that flow was leaving all four wetland units Addition of this much water shortened the detention time within the wetland and affected treatment performance The maximum nutrient level leaving the system never exceeded 8 mg L ammonia N 9 mg L nitrate N and 6 mg L total phosphorous respectively This research highlights the effectiveness of artificial wetlands to treat wash water to levels that allow its reuse as irrigation water and or groundwater return Mickey Spokas Ph D is a soil scientist Michelle DaCosta Ph D is a turfgrass scientist and Scott Ebdon Ph D is a turfgrass scientist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Acknowledgements Support for this study was provided by the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation and New England Waste Systems NEWS USA NEWS UPDATES STRI GROUP ESTABLISHES PARTNERSHIP WITH AUBURN UNIVERSITY TURF RESEARCH The STRI Group a sports turf consulting firm is partnering with Auburn Ala University to initiate research and development programs in the United States The agreement with the university will focus primarily on expanding the U S soccer industry as well as conducting surfaces research in other sports including golf The collaboration aims to further enhance Auburns existing turfgrass and sports turf research facility Auburn will showcase cutting edge techniques and technologies according to a press release Working with STRI is a great opportunity to not only grow our research program at Auburn but to also greatly enhance the educational content internship experiences and job opportunities for our students said Scott McElroy professor in the College of Agricultures Crop Soil and Environmental Sciences Department With its collaboration with Auburn STRI secures a permanent presence on four continents with facilities in Australia the United Kingdom and Qatar Lee Penrose STRI Group Director said STRI is thrilled to collaborate with such a forward thinking and well respected university Together our organizations will create the leading sports turf facility in the U S demonstrating the latest in international thinking February 2017 Golfdom 33 Golfdom com PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE DACOSTA Artificial wetland treatment system at the Joseph Troll Turfgrass Research Center Deerfield Mass THE CHALLENGE FACING SUPERINTENDENTS IN CALIFORNIA IS KEEPING ANNUAL BLUEGRASS FROM RE INFESTING NEW CREEPING BENTGRASS GREENS Jim Baird Ph D see story on page 34