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Ontario
Symposium
the product’s longevity. All of these
characteristics help to reduce loss of
the product during the application
process and increase the AI’s
effectiveness against the target
pest/pathogen.
Improve Application Efficiency
A common practice aimed at
enhancing efficiency and efficacy in
pesticide application is tank mixing,
whereby two or more products are
combined to increase efficacy. The
benefits of this practice include
increased efficiency, reduced crop
damage and improved resistance
management, while the potential
downsides may be physical or
chemical incompatibility as well as
application challenges such as
clogged hardware or lack of
application uniformity and
distribution. To avoid some common
pitfalls encountered with tank mixing,
it is important to do thorough
compatibility testing and to always
adhere to manufacturer guidelines.
Some final tips for improved
application efficacy and efficiency
include boom configuration to ensure
that the nozzles and boom are
matched up and to apply at the ideal
spacing, height, spray angle and
pressure. As well, you can make use
of various resources that are available
to help with planning your application,
including weather forecasts, disease
forecasting programs, and other apps
such as the GreenCast Turf App that
Ontario Turfgrass Symposium: Dr. Eric Watkins presenting
help with record keeping, calculating your applications, product information
and more. Proper pesticide application will help to minimize loss of your
product, better protect your turf, and ensure that you apply your pesticides in
the most effective and safe manner possible.
IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE AND MANAGEMENT OF WINTER STRESSES
ON GOLF GREENS IN COLD CLIMATES by DR. Eric Watkins
Winter injury to turfgrasses on greens has been a longstanding challenge for
golf course Superintendents in cold climates. The variability of winter
conditions at a single site and over the years makes understanding this stress
particularly difficult. As a result, turfgrass managers often struggle to find
effective, research-based solutions to prevent and mitigate winter damage.
This issue not only causes significant financial strain for golf courses, but also
adds considerable personal stress to Superintendents responsible for
maintaining the turf’s health and playability.
Challenges of Data Collection
There is limited research on winter stresses on golf course greens due to
several challenges. The variability of winters makes it difficult to maintain
GreenMaster • CGSA •
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