Page 17 - GreenMaster Fall 2022

at the Guelph Institute
A TDR probe is used to detect water content of the rootzone of creeping bentgrass treated with different surfactants.
Environmental Sciences graduate student Ed McNab, which can be used by superintendents to test for fungicide resistance on site. This kit is currently under field testing and may be commercially available in the future.
More research projects underway at the GTI in 2022 include:
• The continuation of a long-term
study on effects of surfactant applications on greens-height turf on calcareous and non-calcareous rootzones.
• The application of beneficial bacteria isolated from corn on a creeping bentgrass fairway. Endophytic (endo=inside, phyte=plant) bacteria
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) lasers are mounted on the front of this modified riding mower to detect height changes in the turf stand.
can be found in nearly every plant on this planet, where they colonize the internal tissues of their host plant and form a beneficial relation- ship with their host. Previous research on corn and wheat have demonstrated increased yield and improved disease resistance. Now, Department of Plant Agriculture graduate student Ben McFayden is working with Dr. Manish Raizada on a project to boot nitrogen use efficiency and stimulate root growth for better water uptake.
• Evaluation of turf-type tall fescue drought resistance. A rain-out device will be constructed over an established field to test drought resistance of several cultivars. This
project is part of a larger initiative from the Turfgrass Water Conser- vation Alliance.
• The perennial ryegrass and tall fescue trials for the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP). The GTI has previously submitted data for the 2021 NTEP Tall Fescue report and will seed a new trial for perennial ryegrass in 2022. Depending on the turf establishment, perennial ryegrass performance data will be collected in 2023 or 2024.
For more information on the Guelph Turfgrass Institute, please visit GuelphTurfgrass.ca or @GuelphTurf on social media. GM
GreenMaster • CGSA • 17