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ARTICLE 68 WORK GROUP
MEETING HELD TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2010
AT 10:30 AM, CONFERENCE ROOM, 2 FAIRGROUNDS ROAD
Final Meeting Minutes
Members Present: Cormac Collier, Caroline Ellis, Bam LaFarge, Mark Lucas, Wendy McCrae,
Mike Misurelli, Richard Ray, Seth Rutherford, Lee Saperstein, Ernest Steinauer, and Lucinda
Young
Members Absent: Peter Boyce, David Fronzuto
Guests: Natalie Marcus, Sarah Oktay, Chris Ryder, Dylan Wallace, John Wisentaner
Featured Guests: Associate Professor Scott Ebdon and Extension Specialist Mary Owen of the
University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Plant and Soil Science, and the University
of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension Service, respectively.
1. Call to Order
Chair Young called the meeting to order at 10:32 am.
2. Review and Approval of Preliminary Agenda
The meeting agenda had been distributed prior to the meeting via e-mail and was introduced at
the meeting for discussion. Ms. Young solicited comments regarding the agenda. There were no
comments and/or edits raised and the agenda was accepted as moved by Bam LaFarge.
3. Review and Approval of Minutes of July 27th Meeting
The draft meeting minutes from July 27, 2010, had been distributed prior to today’s meeting via
e-mail. Ms. Young asked for any comments or corrections regarding these draft meeting
minutes. There was none.
MOTION: There was a motion made by Wendy McCrae, seconded by Mark Lucas, that the
meeting minutes for July 27, 2010, be approved as distributed. Motion passed unanimously.
4. Chair’s Report and Announcements
Chair Young called on Mark Lucas to give an update of the progress of the small working group
charged with up-dating the Nantucket Best Management Practices Plan for turf grass. He
reported that they had met on July 29th and August 9th at the Land Council offices and were in
the process of assessing their discussions. They want to hear today’s presentations before
attempting to redraft the plan.
5. Presentations by Dr. Scott Ebdon and Ms Mary Owen
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Chair Young introduced our guests and explained that they had come to the Island the night
before and had had an opportunity to look around including a visit to the Nantucket Golf Club.
Each of our featured guests made a short presentation to the group on turf, its management, its
fertilization, and the fate of nitrogen during these processes. This was followed by an extensive
period of questions and answers that are captured below.
Dr. Scott Ebdon
Dr. Ebdon introduced himself and his background. After a period of time working for suppliers
of products to the turf grass industry, Dr. Ebdon worked on a Ph.D at Cornell University with Dr.
Marty Petrovic, the author of one of the papers on our list of common documents. He went to
work at the University of Massachusetts after he graduated. He has a lot of experience with
nitrogen management in turf grass. An abbreviated review of his comments follows.
Volatilization of nitrogen compounds, i.e. the transformation of nitrates into gases, does not
impact water quality. The leaching of these compounds into water-soluble substances has,
however, a huge variation in rates. There is a complex picture of the fate of nitrogen in turf
systems. Consequently, it is difficult to get a “single” number for losses of nitrogen compounds
from the soil into the groundwater. The use of a number such as ten (10) percent is often
criticized. Data show a tremendous range in this solubilization (leaching) rate. An opportunity
exists, however, to manage this variation and create an opportunity to reduce the amount lost to
groundwater. Therefore, we need to allow the turf manager as many options as possible to
reduce nitrate loss.
The selection of turf-grass species is important in this management. Drought-efficient plants are
also nitrate efficient. A species such as tall fescue is deep rooted and, thus, efficient in the
uptake of water and nutrients. Perennial rye grasses are deep rooted also. Unfortunately, tall
fescue is susceptible to disease, which means that a diverse mixture of species and varieties
(cultivars) is necessary to protect system vitality. Shoot and root vigor are related and disease
reduces the efficiency of uptake. Species should be selected with an eye to the proposed use of
the turf and this use may affect nitrogen demand. High-use areas such as sports grounds and golf
courses may need more nitrogen than normal lawns. The manager should keep the nitrogen level
near to the threshold needed to maintain shoot-density health but should not let it fall below this
threshold. Moderate growth of the turf is preferred to a dormancy due to an insufficiency of
nutrient or water. Turf selection has a tremendous impact on nitrogen leaching.
Dr. Ebdon said that fertilizer management, the types used and the timings of application, were
important. At this point, he handed the presentation over to Ms Owen to continue the subject.
Mary Owen
Ms Owen said the Extension Service was a bridge from research to practice. Rather than make a
formal presentation, she said that she would prefer to answer questions as they arose. Chair
Young asked about the two turf management schools provided by the UMass Extension Service.
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The Green School is presented every other year in November and December and is held
in Milford, MA. Students meet once or twice a week for a total of 12 to 13 days of instruction.
The cost of tuition is approximately $700 per student. There are three tracks: turf, landscape,
and arboriculture. Brochures for the 2010 session will be sent to Lucinda Young for the Work
Group.
The Winter School for Turf Managers is an intensive education in turf management and
is held on campus in Amherst daily over seven weeks in January and February with a tuition of
around $1700. Both schools lead to a recorded certificate. Information on both is available at
www.umassturf.org.
Wendy McCrae asked about home-owner education.
M.O.: Educational material should be provided at the point of sale, i.e. the retailers of fertilizer.
We could work with the owners and managers of retail stores to produce signs and hand-outs.
Wendy McCrae asked Scott Ebdon about the special case of sandy soils.
S.E.: There is a great variability in sandy soils. Sandy loams are different in different locations.
Long Island, which has a longer geological history, has higher leach rates than Nantucket.
Irrigation practices make a big difference in leach rates and should be matched to the turf needs
for water. Evapo-transpiration (ET) rates control the water needs. Individual weather stations
can be used to predict ET. Shorter multiple cycles of irrigation may be preferable to one longer
period of soaking. Seth Rutherford suggested that his company uses an inexpensive soil
moisture probe. S.E. suggested that if there is a central location on Nantucket, such as the
weather station at the airport, then the data can be gathered and broadcast on a local radio or
cable t.v. station. M.O. suggested that digging to the root-zone depth to determine soil moisture
and irrigation needs is simpler for the average home owner.
Mike Misurelli asked about the cost to produce the new Massachusetts Best Practices Manual for
Turf.
M.O.: The project funder provided $15,000 and it took four or five months to produce. New
Jersey has just released an excellent BMP document (Note: we will ask them to provide us with
a link or a copy).
Natalie Marcus asked about cation exchange capacity (C.E.C.) and whether or not it relates to
nitrate leaching.
S.E.: There is little relevance of C.E.C. to nitrates, which are negatively charged (anions) and
not impacted by cation values. Phosphates are also negatively charged and tend to be fixed and
immobile. When best management practices are directed toward nitrates, then phosphates are
also controlled.
Natalie Marcus also asked about the impact of compost on nitrogen leaching.
S.E.: If compost is worked into the root zone of the soil, then there is no problem from compost.
If it is top-dressed onto beds, then it may act like a low-value fertilizer and add to the phosphate
problem. Compost has a low N value so a lot has to be placed for it to serve as a source of
nitrogen and this can add to the phosphate problem. Soil type – sandy versus loamy – can
impact nitrogen leaching. Sandy root zones are more prone to leaching than loamy root zones.
When placing compost, avoid the creation of a concentrated layer of it. Do remember that all of
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this is rate dependent. Incorporation of compost during aeration is preferred to simple top
dressing.
Mark Lucas asked about nitrogen rates coming from corn gluten.
M.O.: Corn gluten is a source of nitrogen and at the upper limit of manufacturers’ suggested
application rates will supply excessively large amounts of nitrogen. M.O. and S.E.: We need to
evaluate the total application of nitrogen from all treatment sources: fertilizer, compost, clippings
(up to 3.5 percent nitrogen), corn gluten, etc. The corn gluten itself can provide anywhere from
one to 13 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft.
Ernie Steinauer wondered about the long-term fate of nitrogen in the lawn. Where during the
growth/decay cycle of plants does it eventually go? Does it leach into the groundwater or does it
end up in the atmosphere? If both processes occur, do we know the partition of amount between
each? How much resides long-term in the soil?
S.E.: In older, established, and undisturbed turf systems, more than 10 years old, much of the
nitrogen may reside in the soil. The equilibrium position of organic matter in mature soils is
around six percent. Chris Ryder of Sankaty Head G.C. volunteered that he uses very little
nitrogen on his mature fairways yet, by soil test, the N values remain good. S.E. suggested that
thatch and soil compaction inhibit deep rooting and should be alleviated if they exist on turf.
Older and more mature soils, containing six percent or more of organic matter, require lower
amounts of added nitrogen.
Lucinda Young asked if we should analyze compost for fertilizer values.
M.O.: Any amendment, which does not already carry a certified value, should be tested
including compost.
Mark Lucas asked, when treating immature soils, can we substitute aeration for deep inclusion of
compost. S.E. and M.O.: In general, yes but subject to a test for need. One would aerate and
then top dress the compost.
Caroline Ellis asked for more information about education of home-based consumers. What
should be done at the point of sale and how best to deliver the message? Are there samples of
handouts?
M.O.: Simple brochures are preferred: easy to read and with a limited number of steps. She has
used a small, plastic cutting guide that shows home gardeners what is a 2 ½-inch cut and that has
some nutrient guidance printed on the side. This guidance included five simple steps: . She
pointed out that Scott’s four-step program was successful because it was easy to follow.
Sarah Oktay, who is a faculty member of the University of Massachusetts, agreed that education
of consumers is a great and necessary thing. As a preface to her question, she pointed out that
Miacomet and other of the Island’s great ponds have phosphorus levels of 2 mg/l, when 0.2 mg/l
would be acceptable. She asked if we can identify the source.
S.E. and M.O.: The establishment of grasses is a vulnerable time for run-off and so it is good
practice to minimize this time by promoting rapid establishment. Mulch is a valuable tool for
reducing run-off. Sarah Oktay responded that most of our ponds have large vegetative buffers
such that infiltration into the groundwater is a bigger problem than run-off. She is hoping to
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discriminate among the sources: septic, fertilizer, farming, etc. Can she use N/P ratios to do this?
M.O.: Other sources can include water fowl, soil mineralogy, and vegetation make-up.
Regrettably, she is unaware of any water test that can make the discrimination among sources.
Lucinda Young observed that the seasonal times of application should match soil temperatures
and seed germination rates but that most of the fertilizer-application codes use an arbitrary date
for the beginning and ending of the fertilizer season.
S.E. responded by saying that some things can be done in advance of the season, for example the
incorporation of compost and fertilizer to the rooting depth by tillage. Phosphate is immobilized
and slow-release nitrogen fertilizer stays out of the groundwater. The implication was that work
done prior to the development of the ideal soil temperature can help in the rapid establishment of
seedlings when it is appropriate.
Mark Lucas asked if deep tillage made N unavailable to young plants. The answer was a
qualified “no” provided that the nutrient was placed in the potential root zone.
Cormac Collier wanted to know how best to adapt the fertility material in the UMass BMP for
use in the Nantucket BMP. He stated that there are three big values that they need to explain:
application rate in lbs/ft2, percent slow-release, and NPK ratios. How can this information be
adapted to Nantucket’s sandy soils?
M.O.: These values need to be tailored to local conditions: maturity of the turf, species found in
the turf system, turf vigor, etc. Home-owner seminars on fertilization should be available during
the growing season. The content of these seminars could be available in public-service
announcements on local radio and television.
Mark Lucas wanted further explanation on the benefits of slow-release nitrogen. Is 70 percent
slow release a good number?
M.O.: In the early part of the growing season, it may be okay but later in the season when
lowered soil temperatures inhibit the break down of the slow-release products, it may not be a
good idea. Organic fertilizers need microbial activity to break them down and this may be
diminished late in the season. Coatings create a slow-release fertilizer but they are not water
insoluble. Water-insoluble (WIN.) fertilizers are in many forms, each of which becomes
available by different mechanisms. If the release mechanism is temperature dependent, then we
must match application rates against temperature. Chris Ryder, a member of the audience and
also the golf course manager at Sankaty Head Golf Club, was recognized by the Chair and he
commented that he was concerned by the 70 percent slow-release threshold. He uses only one-
half pound of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. per year on his fairways and, in fall applications, he uses a
50 percent slow-release product. He feels that mandating a 70-percent product for all
applications prevents him from selecting the most appropriate fertilizer for his site.
S.E. has problems with arbitrary numbers on the percentage of slow-release products. There
may be periods when rapid uptake is happening and slow-release products are not needed. In
late summer and fall, higher values may be needed. He gave numbers for slow-release products
in the overall mix of 25 to 50 percent of total nitrogen derived as slow-release nitrogen, SRN e.g.
WIN, spring and fall during periods of favorable growth and nitrogen-uptake utilization and 75
percent as SRN for summer and late fall during periods of less-favorable growth.
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Ernie Steinauer asked if variation of grass varieties in the lawn made a difference to application
rates.
S.E.’s response was yes and that diversity was a good thing for disease control and other
important qualities. Diversity may occur through the use of multiple cultivars within a single
species and that in most lawns the use of multiple species is desirable.
6. Closing Comments
At nearly 12:10 pm, Chair Young suggested that we had gone beyond our scheduled time and
that she was very appreciative of the presentation made by Scott Ebdon and Mary Owen and she
initiated a round of applause for them. She asked them, as a favor to our work group, if they
would review our revised Nantucket Best Management Practices for Landscaping plan when it
was ready. They graciously said yes. Inasmuch as it was time to adjourn, unless there were any
comments from members of the Work Group, she would entertain such a motion.
Wendy McCrae indicated that she wanted to thank Mary and Scott personally because they had
helped to alleviate the anxiety she had from serving on this work group while representing the
interests of the shellfishing industry.
7. Adjourn
The group agreed with the chair and passed the motion to adjourn by acclamation. The meeting
was adjourned at 12:10 pm.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, August 24th - 10:30 am in the conference room at 2 Fairgrounds Road
Respectfully submitted,
Lee W. Saperstein, Secretary