The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has selected seven new research projects to fund in 2016. The research funds are made available to GCSAA through a block grant from the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG), GCSAA’s philanthropic organization. Funding was increased by $10,000 over 2015, with GCSAA funding $110,000 in research this year.
Four of the projects are part of GCSAA’s Chapter Cooperative Research Program. Under this program, each participating GCSAA chapter identifies one or more research projects that address “a significant local issue” for superintendents. After a chapter has pledged financial support for a project, the researchers are eligible to apply for a grant from GCSAA’s Chapter Cooperative Research Program. The new studies were funded based on recommendations by the GCSAA Research Committee and approved by the association’s board of directors.
The three additional grants are through other specific EIFG programs, including the Dr. Michael Hurdzan Endowment (focused on environmental research with the goal of reducing requirements for water, fertilizer, pesticides or fossil fuels in golf course maintenance); the Aquatrol’s Robert A. Moore Endowment (focused on applied research for optimizing the growing environment for golf course turf, while minimizing inputs of water, fertilizer and pesticides); and the Mark Kizziar Research Grant (focused on optimizing water use on golf courses).
“Research continues to be a cornerstone of GCSAA’s efforts, and through the generous support of the EIFG we were able to expand our funding by $10,000 this year,” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. “This research is vital to the future of golf, and GCSAA is committed to supporting applied, problem-solving projects that not only help golf course superintendents, but also help to provide more enjoyable conditions while protecting the environment.”
The research projects chosen for funding in 2016 are:
- Performance and Recovery of Four Turfgrass Species Subjected to Golf Cart Traffic during Prolonged Drought
Dale Bremer, Ph.D., Kansas State University, funded by the EIFG’s Aquatrol’s Robert A. Moore Endowment
- Late-Fall Wetting Agent Application to Enhance the Winter Survival of Ultradwarf Bermudagrass Putting Greens
Douglas Karcher, Ph.D., University of Arkansas, funded by the EIFG’S Dr. Michael Hurdzan Endowment
- Developing Optimal Management Programs for Annual Bluegrass Weevil Populations with Different Insecticide Resistance Levels
Albrecht Koppenhofer, Rutgers University, co-funded by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Turfgrass Association, Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association, Long Island Golf Course Superintendents Association and Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program
- Efficacy of Turfgrass Chemical Priming to Improve Creeping Bentgrass Responses to Drought Stress
Emily Merewitz, Ph.D., Michigan State University, co-funded by the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation and Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program
- Using Bentgrass Tolerance, Disease Predictive Models and Fungicide Timing to Control Dollar Spot on Fairway Turf
James Murphy, Ph.D., Rutgers University, co-funded by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New Jersey and Tri-State Research Foundation Inc. through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program
- An Enzymatic Approach to Remediate Water Repellency of Turfgrass Soils
Paul Raymer, Ph.D., University of Georgia, co-funded by the Georgia Golf Environmental Foundation through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program
- Establishing a Research-Based Guidance for Selection and Use of Wetting Agents for Improving Infiltration and Re-Wettability on Water-Repellent Sand Greens
Xi Xiong, Ph.D., University of Missouri, funded by the EIFG’s Mark Kizziar Research Grant
GCSAA is continuing to support 10 projects that were selected for funding in 2012, 2014 and 2015. The results of all GCSAA-funded research will be published in the research section of Golf Course Management magazine.
GCSAA www.gcsaa.org
EIFG www.eifg.org