GCSAA to Fund Seven New Research Projects in 2015


The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has selected seven new research projects to fund in 2015. The research funds are made available to GCSAA through a block grant from the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG), GCSAA's philanthropic organization. In all, GCSAA is funding more than $100,000 in new research in 2015.

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.

Two projects are funded through the Dr. Michael J. Hurdzan Endowment fund, which targets environmental research on golf courses.

The final project is funded through the EIFG's Aquatrols' Robert A. Moore Endowment Fund, which supports applied research for optimizing the growing environment for golf course turf, with specific goals for increasing the effectiveness of applied water, fertilizers and pesticides, and thereby reducing the total requirements.

"We are very fortunate through the general support the EIFG receives, to have multiple programs and endowments to fund research across many spectrums," GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. "GCSAA is committed to contributing to the future of the game of golf, and research is a vital component of protecting that future."

The research projects chosen for funding in 2015 are:

• Plant uptake of propiconazole applied as a snow mold fungicide and the impact of application timing on snow mold control.
Paul Koch, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, co-funded by the Wisconsin Golf Course Superintendents Association through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program

• Fungicide Alternative Management Practices for Microdochium Patch
Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D, Oregon State University, co-funded by the Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association and the Oregon Turfgrass Foundation through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program

• Reconnaissance Study of Nitrate and Phosphorus Concentrations at Iowa Golf Courses
Keith E. Schilling, Ph.D, Iowa Geological Survey, University of Iowa, and Ryan Adams, MS, Iowa State University Turfgrass Extension, co-funded by the Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association and Iowa Turfgrass Institute through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program

• Billbug Species Composition and Life Cycle on Missouri Zoysiagrass Fairways
Xi Xong. Ph.D, and Bruce A. Bartlett, Ph.D., University of Missouri, co-funded by the Mississippi Valley Golf Course Superintendents Association through the Chapter Cooperative Research Program

• Rover Ant (Brachymyrmex sp.) control at Hualalai Golf Course / Resort, Hawaii
Zhiqiang Cheng, Ph.D., University of Hawaii at Manoa, funded by the Dr. Michael J. Hurdzan Endowment. The Hawaii GCSA is also supporting this project and the university is providing matching funds.

• Potential for Managing Annual Bluegrass Weevil in Overwintering Habitats Using Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Fungi
Kyle G. Wickings, Cornell University, funded by the Dr. Michael J. Hurdzan Endowment

• Incorporating cultivation practices and products to reduce salinity parameters from poor quality irrigation water on golf course fairways
Joseph Young, Ph.D., and Theophilus Udeigwe, Ph.D., Texas Tech University, funded by the Aquatrols' Robert A. Moore Endowment. Texas Tech University is proving matching funds for the project through a grant from the USGA.

GCSAA is continuing to support projects that were selected for funding in 2014. Albrecht M. Koppenhöfer, Ph.D., and Olga Kostromytska, Ph.D., at Rutgers University, are studying insecticide resistance in annual bluegrass weevil. T. Karl Danneberger, Ph.D., and David S. Gardner, Ph.D., at Ohio State University, are examining the use of giberellin synthesis-inhibiting plant growth regulators for the prevention of Acidovorax avenae infection of creeping bentgrass. And Erik Ervin, Ph.D., and Stephen Schoenholtz, Ph.D., of Virginia Tech, are studying the effect of golf course turfgrass management on water quality of non-tidal streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Four additional studies funded in 2012 are in various stages of completion. The results of all GCSAA-funded research will be published in the research section of Golf Course Management magazine.

About GCSAA and the EIFG

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 18,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association's mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf.

For more information, visit www.gcsaa.org.