Achieving Sustainable Turfgrass Management

Where Would the Sporting World be Without Turf?

Turfgrass is required to meet a challenging range of aesthetic, functional and environmental requirements, whilst also adapting to the threat of abiotic and biotic stresses which are being accentuated by climate change. The turfgrass industry is also facing increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact and advance more sustainable maintenance practices that utilise and/or optimise fewer agronomic-related resources. Achieving sustainable turfgrass management summarises the wealth of recent research that addresses these challenges, whilst also identifying potential mitigation strategies to reduce the sector’s contribution to climate change, such as reduced fertilizer use and water conservation. This collection also highlights developments in breeding for improved cultivars of turfgrass with enhanced abiotic and biotic stress responses, as well as climate resilience. In its extensive exploration of turfgrass physiology, breeding and cultivation, the book showcases how the turfgrass industry can adopt more sustainable management practices and reduce its environmental impact.

Key Features:

Reviews the impact of climate change on the increasing threat of biotic and abiotic stresses to the turfgrass industry, as well as the challenge of treating diseased turf in the face of fungicide resistance
Considers the development of alternative, more sustainable management practices that utilise and/or optimise fewer agricultural outputs, such as fertilisers, pesticides and fuel to power agricultural machinery
Provides a selection of case studies that detail the establishment of good turfgrass management and maintenance in a variety of environments (golf courses, athletic fields, sports pitches, arid environments)

Audience: University and other researchers in plant and soil science, growers and retailer of turfgrass, professional sport teams and bodies as well as government and other private sector agencies overseeing the adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices.

Part 1 Physiology, breeding and cultivation

1. Advances in understanding turfgrass physiology: David Jespersen, University of Georgia, USA; Benjamin Wherley, Texas A&M University, USA; and Michelle DaCosta, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA;
2. Advances in breeding for improved cultivars of turfgrass: Phillip L. Vines, University of Georgia, USA; Ambika Chandra, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA; and Trent M. Tate, GO Seed, Inc. , USA;
3. Advances in soil management for successful establishment and maintenance of turfgrass: Douglas J. Soldat and Paul L. Koch, University of Wisconsin, USA;
4. Advances in phosphite utilization for turfgrass: John Dempsey, Independent Turfgrass Research, Ireland;
5. Advances in irrigation and water management of turfgrass: Marco Schiavon, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, USA; and Matteo Serena, United States Golf Association, USA;
6. Advances in maintenance practices of turfgrass: Adam W. Thoms, Iowa State University, USA; and Alex J. Lindsey, University of Florida, USA;
7. Advances in turfgrass for athletic fields and sports pitches: Gerald M. Henry, University of Georgia, USA;
8. Advancements in turfgrass for ornamental lawns: Rebecca Grubbs Bowling, Texas A&M University, USA; and Joseph Young, Texas Tech University, USA;

Part 2 Biotic and abiotic stresses

9. Advances in turfgrass disease management: James Kerns, North Carolina State University, USA;
10. Advances in turfgrass insect pest management: Benjamin A. McGraw, Audrey Simard and Garrett Y. Price, Pennsylvania State University, USA;
11. Advances in turfgrass weed management: Matthew T. Elmore, Rutgers University, USA; Aaron J. Patton, Purdue University, USA; Travis W. Gannon, North Carolina State University, USA; and James T. Brosnan, University of Tennessee, USA;
12. Advances in plant growth regulation in turfgrass: David Gardner and Ed Nangle, The Ohio State University, USA;
13. Advances in abiotic stress management in turfgrass: Charles Fontanier, Oklahoma State University, USA; and Chrissie A. Segars, Texas A&M University, USA;
14. Advances in managing organic matter in turfgrass ecosystems: Alec Kowalewski, Charles Schmid, Ruying Wang and Emily Braithwaite, Oregon State University, USA;
15. Advances in biostimulants in turfgrass: Michael Fidanza, Pennsylvania State University, USA; Cale Bigelow, Purdue University, USA; Stanley Kostka, Pennsylvania State University, USA; Erik Ervin, University of Delaware, USA; Roch Gaussoin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA; Frank Rossi, Cornell University, USA; John Cisar, Cisar Turfgrass Research Service, USA; F. Dan Dinelli, North Shore Country Club, USA; John Pope, Pope Soils Consulting and Counseling Services, USA; and James Steffel, Lehigh Agricultural and Biological Services, USA;

Part 3 Case studies

16. Considerations with using unmanned aircraft systems in turfgrass: Dale J. Bremer, Kansas State University, USA; Dana G. Sullivan, TurfScout, LLC, USA; Phillip L. Vines, University of Georgia, USA; David McCall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA; Jing Zhang, University of Georgia, USA; and Mu Hong, Colorado State University, USA;
17. Considerations with selecting turfgrass varieties and cultivars: Kevin Morris, National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, USA; Yuanshuo Qu, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA; Len Kne, University of Minnesota, USA; and Steve Graham, University of Minnesota, USA;
18. Considerations with turfgrasses and pollinators: Michelle Wisdom and Michael Richardson, University of Arkansas, USA; and Paige Boyle, Utah State University, USA;
19. Considerations with water for turfgrass in arid environments: Brian Whitlark, United States Golf Association, USA; Kai Umeda, University of Arizona, USA; Bernhard R. Leinauer, New Mexico State University, USA; and Matteo Serena, University of California- Riverside, USA;
20. Considerations with soil testing in turfgrass: Cole Thompson, United States Golf Association, USA; Elizabeth Guertal, Auburn University, USA; Pauric McGroary, Waypoint Analytical, USA; Douglas Soldat, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; and Bryan G. Hopkins, Brigham Young University and Soil Science Society of America, USA;

Executive Summary

Football, cricket, golf and the National Football League (NFL) are some of the world’s most watched sports. As of the 2021/22 season, the combined market value of these sports amassed over $105 billion[1]. However without one crucial element, none of this would have been possible.

The crucial element we’re talking about is turfgrass - a surface that many of the world’s sporting heroes have once graced: Lionel Messi, Shane Warne, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, the list goes on.

Despite its worldwide use and lucrative nature, the turfgrass industry also has its challenges. For example, the industry is facing increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact and implement more sustainable maintenance practices that utilise and/or optimise fewer agronomic-related resources.

The book promises to be the ‘go-to’ reference for those across the globe wishing to adopt more sustainable turfgrass management strategies.

Achieving sustainable turfgrass management has been edited by one of the world’s leading experts on turfgrass ecology, diseases and plant protection, Professor Michael Fidanza.

“As global populations grow, annual climate vagaries increase, and biotic and abiotic plant stresses become more uncertain it is now more important than ever to understand how factors like species selection, edaphic conditions and cultural management decisions influence the ecology and persistence of managed turf systems,” says Dr Cale Bigelow, Professor of Turf Science and Ecology at Purdue University, USA.

Turfgrass is used on more than 700,000 athletic fields in the US alone, however, it isn’t just used for sporting purposes. In fact, the turfgrass industry consists of such a diverse group of consumers, including general homeowners, lawn care managers, architects, parks and grounds superintendents and landowners.

With such a massive consumer base and tens of thousands of people relying on the industry for their livelihoods, there is now an even greater need to improve the industry’s sustainability credentials and reduce its contribution to climate change.

This new book considers the range of alternative, sustainable management practices that utilise fewer agricultural outputs, such as fertilisers, pesticides and fuel to power agricultural machinery.

A significant benefit of the book is its final part which contains five case studies on the establishment of good turfgrass management written by a combination of industry practitioners and academic researchers.

“The book’s inclusion of case studies on unmanned aircraft, variety selection, wildflowers, pollinators and irrigation scheduling provides a unique and interesting overview of the ways in which the industry can adopt more sustainable practices,” says Dr Peter Landschoot, Professor of Turfgrass Science at The Pennsylvania State University, USA.

The book also explores the challenge of treating diseased turf in the face of fungicide resistance and highlights recent advances in turfgrass disease, insect pest and weed management.

“This book contains the latest research-based information on turfgrass science and management and has been written by some of the world’s leading authorities in turfgrass science and ecology,” says Professor Michael Fidanza

“It should be a welcome addition to the bookshelf of every scientific researcher in the field of turfgrass science and management, industry practitioners and students as well and should be top of the list for those in charge of sporting pitches and playing surfaces as an invaluable knowledge resource,” he concludes.

[1] Global football market valued at $3.2 billion in 2022. Global cricket industry valued at $346.6 million in 2022. Global golf industry valued at $84 billion in 2022. National Football League valued at $17.19 billion in 2021.

About the Editors

Bryan G. Hopkins is a Professor at Brigham Young University and a Certified Professional Soil Scientist. He is the Coordinator for the Soil Science Society of America--North American Proficiency Testing Program. He has degrees from Ricks College, Brigham Young University, and Kansas State University in Agronomy & Horticulture with specialties in soil biophysical chemistry and plant nutrition. He has published dozens of peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters and hundreds of research reports and given countless presentations.

Michelle Wisdom is an Instructor in the University of Arkansas Department of Horticulture. She holds a Master's Degree in Horticulture, focusing on pollinator-friendly turfgrass systems. Her research tests early-spring flowering bulbs for viability in warm-season turfgrasses, and utilizes assorted forbs to establish a season-long succession of floral resources for pollinators. Michelle is a member of the Arkansas Native Plant Society Education Committee, and works with Audubon Arkansas and the Audubon NATIVE Project.

Jim Kerns is a Professor and Extension Specialist at NC State University in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. Jim focuses on etiology, epidemiology and management of diseases of both warm- and cool-season grasses. His research program focuses on understanding the biology of ultradwarf bermudagrass diseases, large patch of zoysiagrass, plant parasitic nematodes in turf and diseases of creeping bentgrass. The mission of the program is to provide efficacious and cost effective management strategies to turfgrass managers in NC and beyond. His program also houses the Turfgrass Diagnostic Lab, which is managed by Lee Butler.

John has 40 years greenkeeping experience and was Superintendent of Ireland’s oldest golf course –The Royal Curragh from 1993 to 2019. Academic qualifications include City & Guilds greenkeeping, 1st class Honours Degree in Turfgrass Science and a PhD in Plant Pathology at the University of the West of England, Bristol. John has conducted independent research on turfgrass disease management for the past 15 years. Since 2019 John has headed Independent Turfgrass Research.

Dr Michael Fidanza is Professor of Plant and Soil Science at Penn State University, USA. He is former Editor-in-Chief of the International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. Professor Fidanza has received a number of awards for outstanding teaching and research and has played an active role in the Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America, as well as the American Society of Agronomy which has elected him as a Fellow. He is internationally-renowned for his research on turfgrass ecology, diseases and plant protection.

Key Features:

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

About the Editors

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