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Tag: drought

Raising the roof on our drought shelters. Or, “plastic is heavier than you think”

Posted on by kennelly

Last week we built the bones of our second stationary drought structure at Rocky Ford. This morning we raised the plastic on the top of both. Both are now ready-to-roll for summer 2017 drought research.

 

A giant roll of plastic is heavier than you think

 

We connect the ropes to the plastic by tying them up like this. “It’s like making ghosts out of Kleenex balls” according to Jack Fry.

 

 

Next step – chucking the ropes up and over, using water bottles as weights.

 

Heaving the plastic up-and-over the first shelter

 

The plastic is about halfway up

 

Fun panorama-camera effect from the inside as the team installs the wiggle wire to hold the plastic in place.

 

Some last touches on shelter #1

 

PhD candidate Ross Braun was our fearless leader today, guiding us through the process. We are sure going to miss this guy after he graduates this year!

Shelter 1:

 

On the second shelter, we chucked ropes up and over using wrenches. It’s not every day a person literally gets to throw wrenches for work. That was my favorite part.

 

Good teamwork!

 

 

Securing the plastic up high

Fastening the plastic down with wiggle wire

 

Keeping the plastic from sailing away to Nebraska was part of the job.

 

Ready for action!

UAS Video of Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center in Manhattan

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle; KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

Dr. Bremer has been working with unmanned aircraft to detect drought stress in turfgrass.  A recent article goes into more detail on how he is using that technology to help improve water management of turfgrass systems.  Check it out!

http://www.usga.org/course-care/turfgrass-and-environmental-research/research-updates/small-unmanned-aircraft-systems-detect-turfgrass-drought.html

But if you want to check out what the Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center in Manhattan looks like from above check out the video below.  Enjoy!

Whats new at #ksuturf farms in Manhattan and Olathe?

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle; KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

This summer has been a crazy one.  We have been getting ready for field day in Olathe on August 6th (Hope to see everyone out there! – Register here – http://www.eventbrite.com/e/kansas-turf-ornamentals-field-day-tickets-16109376579) but there are a lot of new projects that graduate students, faculty and staff are up to.  Here is just a list of what is going on and we will be talking more about it at field day and at Annual Turfgrass Conference in December!

We have a new GPS navigated robot mower being tested out at Rocky Ford in Manhattan.

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Pre- and Post-emergent herbicide trials at Olathe and and Manhattan. (Photo form Olathe).

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Influence of tall fescue mowing height on crabgrass populations demonstration at Olathe.

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I have been traveling everywhere. (Had to throw that in there)

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New zoysaigrass variety trials at Rocky Ford in Manhattan.

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Ross Braun (KSU Turfgrass PhD Graduate Student) has been evaluating multiple turfgrass species, mowing height and traffic in drought conditions.

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Evan Alderman (KSU Turfgrass MS Graduate Student) installed a new fairway (5/8″) of ‘Cody’ buffalograss at Rocky Ford.

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There is a new ornamental herbicide testing facility installed at the forest research center in Manhattan to evaluate potential turfgrass herbicides to ornamental plants.

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The use of adjuvants with Pylex  and triclopyr combination demonstration trial at Olathe. Brown patch control research trial was installed at Olathe this summer. New granular products for broadleaf weed control (Olathe – Photos not shown).

Dr. Bremer and Ross Braun (KSU Turfgrass PhD Graduate Student) has been studying greenhouse gas emissions under drought conditions at Rocky Ford.

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More traveling…

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Lastly, I would like to congratulate Dr. Zane Raudembush for completing his PhD this past spring.  Good luck in all your do Zane.

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This is not all of what have been going on but just wanted to share some of the pictures of some of the new things that are going on here in the KSU Turfgrass Program.

Don’t forget to come out to field day August 6th and see some of the research that we have been conducting.  Thanks and have a great rest of the week!

Jared