Divot resistance in golf course turfgrass

Researchers hit the links to determine the divot resistance of several types of turfgrass

2011-08-12

(Press-News.org) MADISON, WI, AUGUST 10, 2011 -- Golf courses, known for their calm scenic views and precise grass patterns, take daily abuse. Divots created by golf strokes are a common occurrence, and can be a costly problem for golf course maintenance operations. Although previous research has identified differences in divot recovery across species of bermudagrass and zoysiagrass, little is known about divot resistance.

Scientists at Purdue University and the University of Arkansas evaluated 12 cultivars of bermudagrass and zoysiagrass in a field experiment conducted in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Two golfers each hit three golf balls on each plot. The divots created by their shots were rated visually for divot type and severity, and the volume of displaced soil was measured.

The primary objective of this experiment was to quantify the divot resistance for various turfgrass cultivars. Researchers also compared evaluation methods for quantifying divot resistance. This study was published in the July/August 2011 issue of Crop Science.

'Riviera' bermudagrass allowed the largest volume per divot, while the smallest divots were observed with 'Cavalier', 'Diamond', and 'Zorro' zoysiagrass. The four methods used to evaluate divot resistance provided similar findings among the different grass cultivars and species tested.

"Due to the ease and speed as well as lower measurement variability of evaluating divot resistance, a visual rating for divot severity or a Turfgrass Shear Tester are recommended for future work in divot resistance," explained Jon Trappe, a Purdue professor and the author of this study.

The results from this study demonstrate the differences and similarities in divot resistance that exist among various grass cultivars. Cultivars that are more resistant to divoting can help reduce maintenance inputs and costs. The research also demonstrates the need for evaluating the combination of resistance and recovery of divoting, as some grass cultivars have both improved resistance and recovery.

### This research was partially funded by the Arkansas Turfgrass Association and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Arkansas.

The full article is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary. View the abstract at https://www.crops.org/publications/cs/articles/51/4/1793.

Crop Science is the flagship journal of the Crop Science Society of America. Original research is peer-reviewed and published in this highly cited journal. It also contains invited review and interpretation articles and perspectives that offer insight and commentary on recent advances in crop science. For more information, visit www.crops.org/publications/cs

The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), founded in 1955, is an international scientific society comprised of 6,000+ members with its headquarters in Madison, WI. Members advance the discipline of crop science by acquiring and disseminating information about crop breeding and genetics; crop physiology; crop ecology, management, and quality; seed physiology, production, and technology; turfgrass science; forage and grazinglands; genomics, molecular genetics, and biotechnology; and biomedical and enhanced plants.

CSSA fosters the transfer of knowledge through an array of programs and services, including publications, meetings, career services, and science policy initiatives. For more information, visit www.crops.org

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Revolutionary material dramatically increases explosive force of weapons

2011-08-12

A revolutionary material that will replace steel in warhead casings will bring added lethality and increase the likelihood of a hit on an enemy target, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced August 10. By combining several metals with standard manufacturing techniques, High-Density Reactive Material (HDRM) has the potential to dramatically increase the explosive impact of most weapons with little or no compromise in strength or design. Unlike conventional munitions, the innovative materials approach integrates the casing with approved warhead explosives for increased ...

Blood tests for active TB not accurate or cost-effective

2011-08-12

Commercial blood serum antibody tests—widely used in India and other developing countries to diagnose active tuberculosis—are not accurate or cost-effective, according to an analysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Washington School of Public Health and McGill University. Use of serological tests in India resulted in more DALYs (years of healthy life lost to premature death and illness), more secondary infections, and more false-positive diagnoses of TB, compared to the use of microscopic sputum smear analysis or ...

Study finds new ADHD genes, links susceptibility with autism and other neuropsychiatric conditions

2011-08-12

TORONTO – New research led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Toronto has identified more genes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and shows that there is an overlap between some of these genes and those found in other neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study is published in the August 10 advance online edition of Science Translational Medicine. The research team was led by Dr. Russell Schachar, Senior Scientist and Psychiatrist at SickKids and Professor of Psychiatry at the University ...

Human-cell-derived model of ALS provides a new way to study the majority of cases

2011-08-12

For decades, scientists have studied a laboratory mouse model that develops signs of the paralyzing disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as they age. In a new study appearing in Nature Biotechnology, investigators at Nationwide Children's Hospital have developed a new model of ALS, one that mimics sporadic ALS, which represents about 90 percent of all cases. ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is characterized by the death of motor neurons, which are muscle-controlling nerve cells in the spinal cord. As these neurons die, the body's voluntary muscles ...

Low vitamin D linked to earlier first menstruation

2011-08-12

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---A study links low vitamin D in young girls with early menstruation, which is a risk factor for a host of health problems for teen girls as well as women later in life. Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health measured the blood vitamin D levels in 242 girls ages 5-12 from Bogota, Colombia, and followed them for 30 months. Girls low on vitamin D were twice as likely to start menstruation during the study than those with sufficient vitamin D, said epidemiologist Eduardo Villamor, associate professor in the U-M SPH. This ...

Scientists explore the role of aeroecology in bat conservation and ecosystem health

2011-08-12

Golf courses and coffee plantations are some of the unlikely bat habitats that could be considered in conservation plans, say scientists presenting research at the Ecological Society of America's (ESA) 96th Annual Meeting from August 7-12, 2011. Using Doppler weather radar and other technologies relatively new to the field of ecology, ecologists will discuss the role of atmospheric conditions in bat behavior and the effectiveness of acoustic deterrents in reducing bat fatalities at wind farms. ESA's August 2011 meeting will take place in Austin, Texas, home to North America's ...

Metabolomics as a basis for gender-specific drugs

2011-08-12

Analyses of the metabolic profile of blood serum have revealed significant differences in metabolites between men and women. In a study to be published on August 11 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have concluded that there is a need for gender-specific therapies. Gender-specific therapies may be required for some diseases as there are significant differences between male and female metabolism. Such differences were shown to exist for 101 of the 131 metabolites – above all in lipid and amino acid species – in the sera ...

Researchers fight cholera with computer forecasting

2011-08-12

AUSTIN, Texas – Just as the rainy season is driving a new surge of cholera cases in Haiti, a new computational model could forecast where outbreaks are likely to occur. Researchers at Ohio State University are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the project, in the hopes of targeting anti-cholera efforts where they are most needed in the earthquake-ravaged country. Just back from a 10-day trip to the Artibonite Valley in Haiti, Ohio State researcher Marisa Eisenberg described the model's early results at the Ecological Society of America ...

Polar climate change may lead to ecological change

2011-08-12

Ice and frozen ground at the North and South Poles are affected by climate change induced warming, but the consequences of thawing at each pole differ due to the geography and geology, according to a Penn State hydrologist. "The polar regions, particularly the Arctic, are warming faster than the rest of the world," Michael N. Gooseff, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, told attendees today (Aug. 11) at the 96th annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Austin, Texas. "As a consequence, polar ecosystems respond directly to changes ...

Like humans, chimps are born with immature forebrains

2011-08-12

In both chimpanzees and humans, portions of the brain that are critical for complex cognitive functions, including decision-making, self-awareness and creativity, are immature at birth. But there are important differences, too. Baby chimpanzees don't show the same dramatic increase in the volume of prefrontal white matter in the brain that human infants do. Those are the conclusions of a study reported in the August 11th Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, that is the first to track the development of the chimpanzee brain over time and to make the comparison to ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Large-scale TMIST breast cancer screening trial achieves enrollment goal, paving the way for data that provides a precision approach to screeninge

Study published in NEJM Catalyst finds patients cared for by MedStar Health’s Safe Babies Safe Moms program have better outcomes in pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum

New West Health-Gallup survey finds incoming Trump administration faces high public skepticism over plans to lower healthcare costs

THE LANCET DIABETES & ENDOCRINOLOGY: Global Commission proposes major overhaul of obesity diagnosis, going beyond BMI to define when obesity is a disease.