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K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Author: Jack Fry

Zoysiagrass Cultivars to Consider in Kansas

Posted on by Jack Fry

Options for sod producers, golf courses, and lawns

K-State has been closely involved with Texas A&M University on release of zoysiagrass cultivars over many years.  Sod producers in Kansas can consider these cultivars for grow-in and release to the industry.

Vegetative Zoysiagrass

Meyer Zoysia

Meyer (Z. japonica) is the cultivar that has been widely used in Kansas and was released in 1951 from the USDA, Beltsville, MD, and the USGA, Far Hills, NJ. It has been widely used over many areas since it was released in the 1950s.  Breeding efforts have been continuing to develop cultivars that are well suited for the Midwest – more below.

Innovation Zoysia

K-State has worked closely with Texas A&M since 2004 in development and release of new zoysiagrass cultivars that have good cold tolerance.Innovation was released from Texas A&M and K-State in 2015, and is the first zoysiagrass for our region that has a fine texture, high quality, and cold tolerance equivalent to Meyer. It was a breeding release that involved a cross between Z. japonica and Z. matrella. Z. japonica has the cold tolerance and Z. matrella has fine leaf texture. This is a unique cultivar with a finer texture than Meyer but also has cold tolerance. It is presently provided by Sod Solutions to sod producers.

More details here

Innovation zoysiagrass in Olathe Kansas.

Chisholm Zoysia

Chisholm (Z. japonica) was released in 2012 from Texas A&M and K-State. It has a coarser leaf texture, but is deep-rooted, has good drought tolerance, and would perform well in southern Kansas. More details here

Chisholm zoysia at John C. Pair Horticultural Center near Wichita, KS.

DALZ 1701 Zoysia – Vegetative

In 2022, after 10 years of research evaluation across multiple states in the transition zone, a new zoysiagrass cultivar (experimental name DALZ 1701) was released by Texas A&M, K-State, and Purdue.  A standard cultivar name for this will soon be available; it will likely be provided by sod producers in the next couple of years.  Highlights of DALZ 1701: • Freezing tolerance of DALZ 1701 is similar to Meyer and Innovation • Exhibits superior heat tolerance than Meyer and has performed well in Dallas, TX • Drought tolerance is better than Meyer  • Has dark green genetic color and better fall color retention than Meyer • Exhibits superior tolerance to large patch, take-all patch, mites and hunting billbugs than Meyer. More details here

DALZ 1701 (larger area above) and Meyer (small plot area below) after 30 days with only 1 inch of rainfall and no irrigation in Olathe, KS.  Meyer is showing significant drought stress, but DALZ 1701 is not.

Seeded Zoysiagrass

Zenith Zoysia – Seeded

Zenith (Z. japonica) is a seeded cultivar that was released in 1993 and has performed well in Kansas and is available through purchase online. It has been well established on several golf courses in the state and has performed very well. More details here 

LEARN MORE ABOUT ZOYSIA IN THIS RECENTLY UPDATED EXTENSION DOCUMENT:  Zoysiagrass in Kansas

 

Spring Weed Control

Posted on by Jack Fry

This blog post was presented in past years, but we’re approaching that time of year again when crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds are approaching emergence.  Below, see the updated weed control document now available.

As a reminder, if you want more detailed information on weed control in general, consider getting this 2024 publication that was developed by several state universities, including K-State, and was led by Purdue: “Turfgrass Weed Control for Professionals 2024 Edition.”

Preemergence herbicide applications for crabgrass, goosegrass, foxtail, and other annual grasses are underway.  Here are bullet points to consider to increase the efficacy of the herbicide you use.

Maintain turf density and mow higher.  Good turf density resulting from proper cultural practices for the grass you’re managing reduces encroachment of all weeds, including annual grasses.  Mowing at the higher end of the recommended range has consistently shown significantly lower populations of crabgrass and other annual grasses than mowing at lower mowing heights.

Apply before emergence.  Not all annual grass species emerge at the same time.  For example, goosegrass emerges later than crabgrass.  However, even within a species, emergence of new seedlings occurs throughout spring and summer.  With most preemergence herbicides, when seedlings have emerged, they will not effectively control those plants.  However, the application will control emergence of grasses beyond that date.  Dithiopyr (Dimension) does provide control of crabgrass that has emerged but has not begun to produce tillers.

Use effective strategies to guide application.  Calendar dates, soil temperature, flowering of ornamentals, and other strategies are all used to help guide applications and maximize herbicide residual during the period annual grasses emerge.  Here are a few articles related to this subject:

How Preemergence Herbicides Work and Why They Fail (Univ. of Nebraska)

https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/methods-of-predicting-crabgrass-emergence/

https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/flowering-ornamentals-and-crabgrass-emergence/

Apply uniformly.  Uniform application is critical – just like distributing paint evenly over your house is aesthetically pleasing.  If you leave a section of the house unpainted, it’s clearly visible.  Good annual grass control requires uniform application; if an area is not treated, it’s likely you’ll seed weed emergence there. Uniform application is achieved by proper spreader or sprayer calibration, colorants that indicate areas that have been treated with liquid products, and applying the product in two directions (half rate in each).

Split applications.  Some, not all, preemergence herbicides generally provide better suppression of annual grasses when applications are split (1/2 rate each application), usually 6 to 8 weeks apart.  This allows a higher level of herbicide presence on the soil surface, which will minimize weed emergence.  Here’s an article from Purdue on this subject:

https://turf.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/15_AGRY_Patton_sequential20apps.pdf

Water in after application.  For preemergence herbicides to be activated and ensure uniform distribution on the soil surface, irrigation (or rainfall) after application is needed.

Find more information on weed control by clicking on the tags on the blog (left column), such as “weed control,” “crabgrass,” etc., or search by category on the right side of the page.

***Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for identification purposes and does not imply recommendation or endorsement, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned by Kansas State University.***

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Cold-Hardy Bermudagrass Varieties

Posted on by Jack Fry

 

 

Numerous vegetative and seeded bermudagrass cultivars are used through much of the U.S., but it is important to select those that have better cold hardiness for use in the transition zone.  In the transition zone, bermudagrass is commonly used on sports turf, golf courses, and home lawns.  It is a faster-spreading warm-season grass compared to zoysiagrass and buffalograss.

Faculty at Oklahoma State University (OSU) have done breeding of cold-hardy bermudagrass for numerous years.  Specifically, Dr. Charles Taliaferro started the bermudagrass breeding in the mid-1980s, and then retired in 2006.  Over the past 19 years, Dr. Yanqi Wu has been doing bermudagrass breeding at OSU.  Below is a list of cultivars that have been released from OSU:

  • Midlawn and Midfield in 1993 (K-State cooperatively worked with OSU in release of these)
  • Yukon in 2000 (seeded types)
  • Riviera in 2001 (seeded types)
  • Patriot in 2002
  • Northbridge and Latitude 36 in 2011
  • Tahoma 31 in 2017
  • Experimental genotypes OKC3920 and OKC1876, pending 2025-2026

Northbridge bermudagrass above in the photo was provided by Dr. Mingying Xiang, Assistant Professor at OSU who got a Ph.D. in Horticulture at K-State.  She has ongoing research related to bermudagrass cultivars.  In addition to those highlighted above, seeded cultivars, Monaco and Rio have been developed in Oklahoma by Johnston Seed Company and are also cold-hardy varieties.  Cultivars mentioned above that are highlighted in dark color are the ones that can currently be considered for planting in the transition zone; others are not widely available at this time.

Breeding and release of varieties from OSU has been impressive over 40+ years.  Those with interest in bermudagrass can learn more about each of these varieties.

Invited Speakers at the 2024 K-State Turf and Landscape Conference

Posted on by Jack Fry

We are fortunate to have three great out-of-state speakers join us at the Kansas Turf and Landscape Conference this year.

Register online before this Friday, November 22 for a discounted rate!

 

Dr. Becky Bowling (left) is the Extension Specialist in the Plant Science Department at the University of Tennessee.  Her research and extension efforts have focused on evaluating and communicating best management practices for turfgrass to promote environmental stewardship and resource-use efficiency in turfgrass systems and related  urban green spaces with an emphasis on water efficiency, water capture, and water quality protection.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Wendell Hutchens (left) is an assistant professor of turfgrass science in the Horticulture Department at the   University of Arkansas. His main areas of expertise are turfgrass pathology, precision management of turfgrass pests using emerging technologies, and winterkill mitigation strategies in warm-season turfgrasses. His  research program is centered around maintaining healthy turfgrass and combating turfgrass stressors with     traditional cultural and chemical practices, as well as with cutting-edge new technology.

 

Dr. Fred Whitford (left) is the Clinical Engagement Professor and Director, Pesticide Programs at Purdue University.  His focus is on extension outreach, pesticide safety education, pesticide registration and regulation, insurance, and environmental safety audits. 

 

 

 

 

Check out the KTF Turf Conference Document to see when these speakers will be presenting. A great opportunity to learn information about turf and landscape management and to earn pesticide credit.  More information can be found on our website at: https://www.k-state.edu/turf/events/index.html

First Green Event: Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA)

Posted on by Jack Fry

GCSAA’s First Green program brings students out of the classroom to a local golf course for a fun, hands-on field trip to explore the living laboratory that is the golf course! Since 2018, over 15,000 students nationwide have participated in First Green learning about the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) skills used every day by golf course superintendents and their  teams. Presenters will share their insight on First Green, including the numerous events that have taken place in Kansas, and the impact it is having on schools and students and how you can get involved in your community.

These events are very useful for young children and allows them to connect with things that occur at golf courses, including potential future career options.  The event highlighted here was conducted on October 23, 2024 at Sykes/Lady Overland Park Golf Course.  Doug Melchior, K-State graduate, is the manager of Golf and Grounds, City of Overland Park, KS.

There were five different stops that covered different things related to golf courses:

  • Grasses, seeding, and insects
  • Creating putting holes on the putting green
  • Putting on the green to earn rewards
  • Architectural lay out of golf course holes
  • Managing irrigation

Allowing children to explore and learn more about golf courses can potentially create their interest for career involvement.  In my opinion, similar activities could also be helpful for other organizations that are involved in turf and landscape, and other horticulture-related organizations.  Creating interest from young children could result their involvement in horticulture-related companies.

Above and below you will see several photos that were taken at Overland Park where 6th grade student from the Catholic school “Prince of Peace” visited First Green from about 10 a.m. to 1 p.m on October 23rd.

Leann Cooper (Director, First Green and Workforce Development, GCSAA) will be presenting more information about First Green at the Kansas Turf and Landscape Conference this year.  You will find it beneficial to hear more about First Green!  Find the post with more details on the upcoming conference here in this blog.

Impressive Awards for K-State Turfgrass Science Graduate Students

Posted on by Jack Fry

Three turfgrass science graduate students attended the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) meeting in San Antonio, TX from November 10 to 13, 2024.  Their focus of attendance was within the group CSSA (division C5, Turfgrass Science).   All of those graduate students received awards, which is quite impressive.  Details of the awards for each are shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olayemi Ojeokun (above), who will graduate with a Master’s degree in December, 2024 in Horticulture and Natural Resources (HNR), received a first place award for a “Turfgrass Ecology” poster competition. Her poster presentation title was “Comparison of Root Development of Zoysiagrass Cultivars and Genotypes for Drought Avoidance Traits.”  Olayemi also received a Bridge Scholar Award.  Dr. Jack Fry is Olayemi’s M.S. advisor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emmanuel Nwachukwu (above),  who is pursuing a M.S. degree in HNR, received a 2nd place award for the poster competition of “Turfgrass Water Conservation.”  The title of his poster was “Germination and Establishment Speed Differences of Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars.” Emmanuel was also awarded the Chris Stiegler Turfgrass Science Graduate Student Travel Award and the Encompass Fellow Program Award.  Dr. Ross Braun is Emmanuel’s advisor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parul Mandal (above), Ph.D. student in HNR, was one of the recipients of the Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award.  Photo above is with her advisor, Dr. Ross Braun.

Thinking Ahead to Factors that Can Impact Freeze Injury of Warm-Season Grasses

Posted on by Jack Fry

 

Winter injury in certain areas where warm-season grasses grow in the transition zone is not unusual.  Specifically, here are the things that can have a significant impact on winter injury of zoysiagrass and bermudagrass:

 

 

 

  • Selection of a less cold hardy warm-season grass: There is a relatively short list of bermudgrass and zoysiagrass cultivars that are best adopted to the transition zone, including Kansas. Here are a few of each of those species that are relatively good through winter, but that doesn’t mean they can’t suffer winter injury:

Zoysiagrass – Meyer, Innovation, Zenith (seeded), Chisholm

Bermudagrass – Tahoma 31, Latitude 36, Northbridge, Yukon (seeded), Monaco (seeded)

 

  • High Nitrogen levels: High levels of nitrogen fertilizer through the growing season, or nitrogen applied in the fall can have a more significant impact on winter injury.

 

  • Shade: Shade reduces photosynthesis and carbohydrate production by grasses, and can significantly reduce the potential for a species/cultivar to survive cold temperatures.  Trimming trees or removing them may be required to enhance cold hardiness.

 

  • Traffic: Significant traffic on the soil and turf prior to winter can have a significant impact on the turf and result in higher levels of winter injury.  Traffic control (not allowing excessive traffic) and effective aerification can help enhance its survival.

 

  • Excessively wet soil: It’s not unusual for warm-season turf that sits in a low area (often on golf course fairways) where water accumulates can have a greater impact of winter injury.  High levels of water in the soil will impact these grasses when severe cold arrives.  Improved drainage can help protect these areas.

 

  • Lack of snow cover: Snow is very beneficial to protect warm-season grasses prior to excessively low temperatures.  For example, several years ago we had snow cover in Olathe, KS when temperatures were at least -15 F and no winter injury occurred.

 

  • Grass not fully acclimated for cold temperatures: There is a greater chance of freezing injury if temperatures get quite low when the grass had not fully acclimated to cold. Example – excessively low temperatures in November or December can have a significant impact.  Likewise, the same may occur during late winter or early spring when warmth approaches and then that is followed by excessive cold.

 

  • Exposure to wind on high level areas: This can often cause desiccation in winter if exposed to strong wind when there is no snow cover.  If expected in the near future, it may be useful to apply water on these elevated areas before the excessive cold arrives.  Or…some type of cover to protect the surface.

Round-Up Herbicide(s) No Longer Just Contain Glyphosate

Posted on by Jack Fry

For many years, Round-Up herbicide was recognized as a non-selective herbicide that contained glyphosate and was used to take out all vegetation.  Round-Up is now sold as multiple different products containing many different combinations of herbicides.  The University of Tennessee team recently composed a document that provides details on Round-Up.  All should pay close attention to active ingredients contained within each Round-Up herbicide now sold.

Details from Tennessee here:

UPDATE ON ROUND-UP BRANDED HERBICIDES FOR CONSUMERS

2024 Resources for Turfgrass Disease and Weed Control

Posted on by Jack Fry

 

 

 

 

 

Two separate documents have been released that are quite helpful for those needing specific information related to turf disease control and weed control.  Chemical Control of Turfgrass Diseases 2024 was recently released by Univ. of Kentucky, Rutgers Univ., and the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison.  This is a cost-free document which you can access by clicking on the above link.

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, a new release for weed control was recently put out:  Turfgrass Weed Control for Professionals 2024 Edition.  Purdue University leads the changes in this weed information and over the years contributions have been made by those at universities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas (K-State), Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.  The link above will take you to access to this document which requires a low-cost purchase.  You can also find this available at the check-in table at the K-State Turf and Landscape Conference in December, 2024.

Conference Speaker Highlights: Dr. Chase Straw

Posted on by Jack Fry

We are fortunate to have three great out-of-state speakers join us at the Kansas Turf and Landscape Conference this year.  These individuals include Matt Cavanaugh, golf course superintendent in MN; Dr. Chase Straw, Assistant Professor at Texas A&M Univ.; and Dr. Aaron Patton, Professor at Purdue Univ.  Dr. Chase Straw is highlighted here.  Chase will have the following presentations: “Be Precise – Reducing Water in Fairways with Precision Irrigation”; “Spray Application Technology in Turf and Landscapes”; “Field Variability and Its Impacts on Athletic Field Surface Interactions”; “Dealing with Natural and Synthetic Turf – Panel Discussion.”

View the program and mail the completed the paper registration form with payment OR you can register online at: https://2023turfandlandscapeconference.eventbrite.com
You receive a discounted rate if you register before November 22.   Sponsorship Opportunities are also available.