Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -
We just survived our first real chilly week of fall (Sunshine Course: 3 of 7 nights below 32˚ F). Most of what I now hear is that final golf course projects are complete or are in the home stretch. No more pest issues are being reported as cool nighttime temperatures are in control. This time of year we've concluded and are summarizing all studies on dollar spot and brown patch - creeping bentgrass is highly susceptible to both. It would prove to be our second stellar year of fungicide research and, as it turns out, a combination of heat and humidity is ideal for numerous plant pathogenic fungi (aka summers 2010 and 2011).
Thankfully summer is a distant memory now and in November we'll continue a new North Central Region fertility trial and we'll finish a study with Dr. Bruce Branham and Bill Sharp that sought a new way to remove Poa annua without harming bentgrass in fairways. Meantime our superintendent Chris Painter shut down the irrigation system, other courses will follow. My scouting brought me close to animals this week? I saw an amazing amount of earthworms on fairways and more skunk damage on a rough in search of white grubs. Freezing temperatures and snow should be about a month away, but today a headline shared on Twitter said "Major October Snowstorm Targets Northeast". Uh Oh.
Click here to view the October 28, 2011 Scouting Report.
Have a great weekend and enjoy fall!
Derek Settle, PhD
Director of Turfgrass Program
630-685-2307
dsettle@cdga.org
Weather Blog
Timothy A. Sibicky, MS
Manager of Turfgrass Research
630-685-2310
tsibicky@cdga.org
Research Blog
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