Page 9 - GreenMaster Spring 2022

Ask Why?
Sir Robert Blyth Greig
Thomas A. Nikolai, PhD, Michigan State University
of Turfgrass Research
Sir Robert Blyth Greig (23 March
1874 – 29 November 1947) was a Scottish agriculturalist who served as Chairman of the Scottish Board of Agriculture from 1921 to 1928 and Secretary of the Department of Agriculture for Great Britain from 1928 to 1934. Sir Robert was also an ardent golfer, rightfully proud of its Scottish origin, and therefore under- standably agitated that the USGA was leading the world in turfgrass research.
In February of 1929, he wrote the article, Research Work Planned in Great Britain, for an issue of Golf Illustrated (London) in which he advocated the benefits of research, “Times have changed, and a good player wants
now to have a reasonable chance to hole a 10-foot putt, a feat which would have been pure fluke in earlier days.”
That quote sticks with me for various reasons. First of all, it is apparent that Sir Robert was a good politician because he clearly understood that if you are going to sell the benefits of research to golfers you should address their concerns (playability) over turfgrass agronomy. Additionally, considering the Old Course at St. Andrews was over 350- years old when Sir Robert wrote those words, it indicates the significant impact research has had on customer satisfaction.
Reputable turfgrass research takes a minimum of 2-years of
reproducible results that can be confidently used for recommendations with expected outcomes. However, studies can continue for decades to determine “why” some results are produced. Knowing why can be just as important, if not more so, than the result itself. I am certain that statement is somewhat confusing, so let me provide an example.
In 1995, I initiated putting green research with the explicit purpose of documenting the impact that frequent lightweight rolling had on turfgrasspestsandsoilcompaction. When I initiated my study, it was common knowledge that rolling increased compaction, bruised leaf tissue, spread turfgrass diseases, and
GreenMaster • CGSA • 9