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K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Category: covid19

70th Annual Kansas Turfgrass Conference Sponsor Spotlight: The Andersons Inc.

Posted on by Brooke Garcia

By Brooke Garcia

In conjunction with the 70th Annual Kansas Turfgrass Conference, the K-State Turf and Landscape Blog is highlighting our top-tier, Albatross sponsors this week. Our Albatross sponsors generously contributed $750 or more in support of our conference this year. This additional funding helps to support K-State Turfgrass research and education.

This sponsor spotlight is for “The Andersons!” The Andersons, Inc. is an American agribusiness established in 1947, headquartered in Maumee, Ohio. They have multiple areas of specialization, including:

  • Trade: The Trade Group specializes in the movement of physical commodities such as whole grains, feed ingredients and domestic fuel products.
  • Plant Nutrient: The Plant Nutrient Group formulates, stores, and distributes nutrient, specialty, and industrial inputs and corncob based products through our strategically located facilities and extensive network.
  • Ethanol: The Ethanol Group provides facility operations, risk management, ethanol and distiller dried grains marketing.
  • Rail: The Rail Group provides a variety of services to the rail industry including fleet management, leasing, repair and custom fabrication.

We are so thankful for their support in this year’s Annual Kansas Turfgrass Conference. Be sure to visit their website to learn more: https://andersonsinc.com

70th Annual Kansas Turfgrass Conference Sponsor Spotlight: Van Wall Equipment Co.

Posted on by Brooke Garcia

By Brooke Garcia

In conjunction with the 70th Annual Kansas Turfgrass Conference, the K-State Turf and Landscape Blog is highlighting our top-tier, Albatross sponsors this week. Our Albatross sponsors generously contributed $750 or more in support of our conference this year. This additional funding helps to support K-State Turfgrass research and education.

This sponsor spotlight goes out to Van Wall Equipment Co. Van Wall Equipment is a proud supplier of John Deere equipment. They have been a John Deere dealer since 1944. Van Wall Equipment has grown into one of the largest John Deere dealership groups in the country, with over 600 employees and 25 John Deere locations spanning four states in the Midwest including Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Van Wall is proud to sell and service a wide range of John Deere equipment including products specialized for agriculture, golf & turf, light construction, commercial, and lawn and garden applications. Additionally, their precision agriculture team and our solar energy team deliver a breadth of complementary products and services to improve the profitability and competitiveness of our growers.

Be sure to visit their website for more information: https://vanwall.com

Thank you, Van Wall, for contributing to this year’s Kansas Turfgrass Conference. We are so thankful to have your support.

70th Annual Kansas Turfgrass Conference Sponsor Spotlight: Vulpes Agricultural Corp.

Posted on by Brooke Garcia

By Brooke Garcia

In conjunction with the 70th Annual Kansas Turfgrass Conference, the K-State Turf and Landscape Blog will be highlighting our top-tier, Albatross sponsors over the next weeks. Our Albatross sponsors generously contributed $750 or more in support of our conference this year. This additional funding helps to support K-State Turfgrass research and education.

This sponsor spotlight is for Vulpes Agricultural Corp. Vulpes Corp. is a holding company based out of the greater St. Louis area, and they are the first to being functionalized nanocarbon to the mass agriculture market.

Vulpes Agricultural Corp. is driven by two business goals: 

1. Using decades of pharmaceutical experience to speed up new agrichemical development

2. Using new agrichemicals to massively improve water, nutrient, and fungicide use efficiency for a more sustainable future

Vulpes is currently working with 11 teams from 8 American universities and research institutions to carry out extended research, validation, and trial of its nanocarbon products. Currently, crops that are going through independent labs, chambers, greenhouses, and field trials include: Arabidopsis, Beets, Corn, Grape, Hop, Lettuce, Ornamentals, Pepper, Rapeseed, Sorghum, Strawberry, Sunflowers, Tomato, Turf Grass, and Wheat.

They are being tested and trialed for:

  • Yield increase,
  • Growth cycle changes
  • Fertilizer saving
  • Abiotic stress resistance

Carbon Black Acid, specifically, has the following modes of action in a plant:

  1. Effective carrier to absorb water and nutrients from the soil and then deliver them directly through seed coats and into plant cells

  2. Plant growth regulator to stimulate root & shoot growth

To learn more about the Nanocarbon project, visit: Nanocarbon Project – Vulpes Agricultural

Additional Questions?

Rick Shang, Chief Executive and Founder of Vulpes Corp.

Website: https://www.vulpesagricultural.com

Phone: (314) 833-8683 / Email: rick@vulpescorp.com

Turfgrass Field Day Series

Posted on by Brooke Garcia

By Dr. Dale Bremer and Wes Dyer

Turfgrass Field Day would have been on August 6th, 2020, had we been able to have an in-person event this summer. For that reason, we have been offering a few short video summaries of research projects being conducted by K-State faculty and researchers. Videos don’t exceed 5 minuets, and this video in the series is by Wes Dyer, current Ph.D. student in Turfgrass. Wes discusses Water Conservation Approaches in Turfgrass Systems Using an Irrigation Decision Tree. His research team includes: Wes Dyer, Dale Bremer, Andres Patrignani, Cathie Lavis, Jack Fry and Josh Friell

2020 Field Day Video Series – Video 7 by Wes Dyer (Link Here)

For more details on related research, click on the link below to see the 2020 K-State Turfgrass Research Report:  https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/vol6/iss7/2/

Turfgrass Field Day Series

Posted on by Brooke Garcia

By Dr. Jack Fry, featuring video by Mu Hong

Turfgrass Field Day would have been on August 6th, 2020, had we been able to have an in-person event this summer. This is certainly a first! For that reason, we’re offering a few short video summaries of research projects being conducted by K-State faculty and researchers. Videos don’t exceed 5 minuets, and the forth video in the series, by Mu Hong, current Ph.D. student in Horticulture, is featured below. Mu discusses minimum water requires that are required for Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue to survive long drought periods.

2020 Field Day Video Series Video 4 Part 1 – Mu Hong (Link Here)

2020 Field Day Video Series Video 4 Part 2 – Mu Hong (Link Here)

For more details on related research conducted on zoysiagrass by Mu and Dr. Dale Bremer, click on the link below to see an article in the 2020 K-State Turfgrass Research Report:  https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/vol6/iss7/2/

Turfgrass Field Day Series

Posted on by Brooke Garcia

By Dani McFadden

Turfgrass Field Day would have been on August 6th, 2020, had we been able to have an in-person event this summer. This is certainly a first! For that reason, we’re offering a few short video summaries of research projects being conducted by K-State faculty and researchers. Videos don’t exceed 5 minuets, and the third video in the series, by Dani McFadden, current M.S. student in Horticulture, is featured below. You will see more videos in the coming weeks.

2020 Field Day Series Video 3 (Link Here): Research Update by Dani McFadden

For more details on this research, click on the link below to see an article in the 2020 K-State Turfgrass Research Report:

https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/vol6/iss7/1/

2020 Turf and Landscape Field Day Canceled

Posted on by Brooke Garcia

By Megan Kennelly

The turf team looks forward to the field day each year. However, due to the continuing complications from COVID-19, KSU has extended the limit on face-to-face campus gatherings until at least July 31. KSU has a team working with health officials to monitor the ongoing situation and make science-based decisions on when and how to ramp up campus operations.

Field Day was scheduled for August 6, 2020. The field day takes significant time to plan and prepare. With the uncertainty of when campus operations will allow face-to-face gatherings, especially those of the size and scope of Field Day, we’ve made the decision to cancel the 2020 Kansas Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day this year. Thank you for understanding, and we continue to wish good health to you, your co-workers, and your families.

In addition, although turf research is continuing at Rocky Ford, the Olathe Horticulture Center, and the Pair Center, all centers are closed to the public and researchers must minimize their time at the facilities.

We do plan to post written and video research updates through the remainder of the year on the Turf and Landscape Blog, accessible through our website, ksu.edu/turf.  Next year’s Kansas Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day will be at the Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center in Manhattan on August 5, 2021.  We are looking forward to seeing you at the 70th Annual Kansas Turfgrass Conference, December 8, 9, and 10, 2020 in Topeka, KS. In the meantime, you can keep in touch with us here on the blog.

Covid19- no-touch golf, vehicle health/sanitation tips

Posted on by kennelly

Hello everyone here are some Covid19 updates that may be useful to your operations.

Please watch for additional information from state and local authorities. As you know, the situation changes daily in terms of case loads, etc.

 

No-touch golf

At present, golf courses in Kansas are open related to policies about “engaging in an outdoor activity.” However, all the rules described in this document must be followed. Click the following link to open the document: 20-16-1 Guidance v2 – Essential Activities Functions

 

Best practices for sharing vehicles

The following document was developed by Colorado State related to farm vehicles but many of the health and safety practices make sense to the “green industry.” Please be sure to watch for any additional guidance or policies from state or local authorities in your area. This is just a general set of practices to consider. You can click for a larger view.