Recalling Reed Funk and Hurricane Sandy

We called Rutgers professor William Meyer, Ph.D., recently about the passing of his colleague and mentor, Dr. Reed Funk. Meyer returned the call a couple days after Hurricane Sandy hit, so he had a lot to say about that, as well as ample praise for Funk.

"Everything I learned about breeding I learned from him—and from doing it," Meyer said. "He worked on me for five years to get me to apply for a job at Rutgers. I cooperated with him from there."

Meyer sent us one of his favorite photos of Funk, this one of him collecting centipede grasses in a cemetery in Cherry Hill, N.J. in 1996. 

To honor Funk's life and legacy, Meyer said, Rutgers is holding a memorial symposium for Funk on Jan. 11. "It's an all-day affair," Meyer said, "and everything is oriented toward him." Funk's former students will present at the symposium, including Chris Carson, Al Turgeon, David Kopek and others.

But the conversation also turned to Hurricane Sandy, which had hit New Jersey two days before we spoke with Meyer, who lives just six miles from the ocean. He described the storm this way:

"It just blew and blew and blew. It was blowing at 90 miles an hour, and the sound of that is amazing. It’s like a train blowing through. I’m telling you, I was scared. It was blowing that hard. It was amazing. 

"No trees snapped off but there are a thousand tree limbs in our yard. It was amazing. I just can’t tell you how frightening it was. And then, of course, everybody in New Jersey along the coast, those poor people. They got so much damage. Their houses are gone. They lost everything. 

"I’m six miles up the hill from the ocean. Down the hill, all the boats ended up on the parking lot. Being up on the hill, that made the wind even worse. It was crazy. You know, the weirdest thing now is you can't t buy gas. The lines are 300 cars long. I got two-thirds of a tank of gas left in my car. I’m hoping things calm down soon."

--BG

The moral of this story: Don't ask a kid doctor adult questions

Aleve is my No. 1 choice when I've had too many of these!

As I nurse a level-2 hangover today, I'm reminded of a recent visit to the doctor's office for my 1-year-old.

Boyd's doctor always closes our appointments with, "Any questions?" Being me, I ask questions.

On this day I asked a question for myself. Hey, I'm there at the doctor's office, chatting with an expert, might as well see if I can learn something, right?

"Yeah, doctor, I'm curious for myself... after a night of hard drinking, is it OK to take Aleve? Or is that bad for my kidneys?"

She looked at me and said, "It's fine..." and then went on into some detail that I may or may not have understood.

But then she gave me a disapproving look and said, "But... how old are you? Maybe instead of taking Aleve you should just grow up."

Wow. Thanks, Doc!

Are you smarter than a robot?

By Curt Harler

Pretty soon a robot will replace your first assistant’s insights and your local chemical salesperson’s advice on weeds. Make that a fleet of robots!

Angela Ribeiro and Pablo Gonzalez-de-Santos, at the Center for Automation and Robotics (CSIC-UPM) spoke about the promising future for robot fleets used for weed control during the International Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). The meetings was held in Cincinnati on Oct. 21-24.

Frits K. Van Evert and a team from the Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands will talk about real-time detection and control of weeds. Closer to home, David Hearn of Towson University, near Baltimore, is working on the use of computational shape analysis and identification keys to identify plants from digital images.David Jacobs, University of Maryland, teamed with researchers from Columbia University and the Smithsonian Institution towards similar ends with a free app called Leafsnap. In its first iteration, it IDs trees but other plants – including pesky weeds — should follow quickly.

While some of the initial robot-based weed identification and control work is being done in field crops, the research should port nicely to turfgrass. The symposium will feature engineers and biologists who are working in the cutting edge field of sensor development and automation for real-time plant identification. The technology boom is revolutionizing management aspects of both crop and non-crop systems, including advanced target recognition and application systems.

Superintendents will soon have a plant identification monitor sitting next to their soil moisture and nutrient monitors in their utility vehicle. Both on golf courses and in natural areas, managers and conservationists will be able to identify invasive and other important plant species using identification technology that is also equipped with communication and environmental monitoring devices.

Now, if only we can get those robots to bring donuts for the rest of the grounds staff, we just might be good with that!

Remembering Dr. Reed Funk

Last month Dr. C. Reed Funk, professor emeritus at Rutgers University, passed away following a brief bout of pneumonia. He was 84.

Bruce Clark, Ph.D., described Funk in a statement as a “pioneer in the field of turfgrass breeding,” noting that he is credited with the development of hundreds of cool-season turfgrass cultivars with dramatic improvements in pest and stress tolerance. “Many of his germplasm releases, such as ‘Manhattan’ perennial ryegrass and ‘Rebel’ tall fescue, are considered landmark cultivars and have served as a foundation for many of the new turf-type cultivars used throughout the world today,” Clark stated.

Golfdom research editor Clark Throssell, Ph.D., described Funk as a “true icon of turfgrass science and the turfgrass industry.”

“Reed made incredible improvements in cool season grasses that are used on golf courses, home lawn, sport fields and other turf areas around the world,” Throssell said. “Reed was a fine person, humble, willing to help and generous with his time and talent.”

Later in life Funk took his expertise and set it towards a worthy goal: battling world hunger. He created a successful non-profit program called Improving Perennial Plants for Food and Bioenergy that worked to develop highly nutritious and sustainable tree crops that are able to be grown on marginal land.

“When I teach turfgrass management and the discussion turns to cool season grasses and cultivar improvements over the last 50 years you cannot avoid mentioning Dr. Reed Funk. His impact on turfgrass breeding is unmatched,” said Karl Danneberger, Ph.D., Golfdom‘s science editor and a professor at The Ohio State University. “But the thing I mention to students is that yes he was extremely bright and had a strong belief in work ethic, but it was who he was that impressed me the most. Dr. Funk proved that nice guys could finish first.”

Our vote is cast!

GO VOTE!!!

Junior Storie on Golfdom TV

Here's a video we did with Junior Storie while we were in Beverly Hills at the Intelligent Use of Water film competition. It was great having one of our readers at the IUOW film competition with us. Thanks to Rain Bird for partnering with us to make it possible! I think the Stories had a good time, too. I KNOW I had a good time!

Pt. 3 of 3 -- What zombies teach us about environmental stewardship

And now, the final part of our zombie/environmental golf series, courtesy of Kevin Fletcher, Ph.D., president and CEO of e-Par USA. For parts one and two, just scroll down! 

And happy Halloween!

7.     When in Doubt, Make Sure You Hit the Brain (Review & Make Corrections): In Zombieland, this was termed a “double-tap.” Not sure that was a clean head-shot? You’d hate to have a half-gone member of the undead pop up suddenly and bite your ankle as you’re walking by all full of pride. Shoot again to make sure you got ‘em.

Likewise, don’t assume you’ve done all you can and should to manage the environmental part of your game. To quote the great philosopher Ice Cube, “You gotta check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.” Include a periodic and ongoing self-audit and management review of your environmental management systems. Identify any weaknesses and correct them. That’s what continuous improvement is all about.

8.     Share What Works, There’s Strength in Numbers (Act Well and Tell Your Story): Inevitably, in zombie movies, the main group of survivors ends up running into another group of survivors. There’s that first awkward introduction when they all nearly shoot each other thinking the others are ghouls at first. However, the groups eventually start to bond and share their stories over a campfire inside the broken down warehouse (assuming they followed Rule #2). This is when we learn what works or doesn’t work when killing a zombie. Perhaps Chip (the ex-Navy Seal) discovered a new way to lure zombies into a trap and take three or four out at a time. By sharing their stories, the entire group is made stronger and learn more inventive (again, audience appeal) ways to dismantle the blood-thirsty.

Likewise, the golf industry is made stronger when superintendents find what works, do it well, measure it, and then report on it. Don’t be afraid to tell people your story. It’s good for the game, good for group morale, and makes for a nice break in between those tense moments of the job (or encounters with the zombie warehouse staff that was hiding in the basement).

BASF launches Pillar G fungicide

From the press release:

BASF today announced the launch of its Pillar G Intrinsic brand fungicide, the third fungicide brought to the professional turfgrass market since 2010 that is labeled for disease control and plant health. Pillar G Intrinsic brand fungicide is a granular product that combines triticonazole, the same active ingredient in Trinity fungicide, and pyraclostrobin, a key active ingredient in Honor Intrinsic brand fungicide.

Turfgrass diseases controlled by Pillar G Intrinsic brand fungicide include dollar spot, anthracnose, patch diseases (brown patch, large patch, take-all patch, and summer patch), gray and pink snow mold and leaf spot. In addition, BASF and independent research has shown Intrinsic brand fungicides enable turf to better withstand disease and environmental stresses including drought, moisture and temperature extremes.

“Turf professionals will always be challenged by disease, weather and additional stress events,” said Brian Lish, Business Manager, BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals. “Pillar G Intrinsic brand fungicide provides them with another tool for disease control and proven plant benefits. As the industry leader in this category, we invite customers to experience the difference and compare BASF products on performance, breadth and depth of research, and label language versus others making similar claims.”

Part 2 of 3: What zombie movies can teach supers about environmental stewardship

Here's part two of our Golfdom/Zombie Halloween special. Yes, only in Golfdom do we mix golf and zombies! Even when there's a major storm hitting much of the U.S.! This is by Kevin A. Fletcher, Ph.D., President & CEO, e-par USA, Inc. To read part one, scroll down or click here: http://www.golfdom.blogspot.com/2012/10/part-1-of-3-what-superintendents-can.html

Photo by Aeviin, http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeviin/

4.     Keep Track of Your Ammo (Monitor and Measure): The smart ones use bats, golf clubs and machetes as much as possible to make a zombie kill. Not only does slaughtering by hand increase the gore rating (and audience enjoyment), but it also conserves ammo. When guns are used, you have to know how much ammo you have left. Nothing worse than a clip running dry right when the walkers are on you.

OK, this is a little bit of a stretch, but measuring and monitoring environmental performance is just as important on a golf course. What’s our water use? Are we accurately tracking chemicals… how they’re stored, how much we have, are using, etc.? Are we reducing our risk over time? You manage what you measure and if your green committee is “on you,” having a good sense of your ammo can help you survive (but please, don’t use a golf club).

5.     Stay Together and Back to Back (Be Systematic): The post-apocalyptic zombie world is no walk in the park. You need to work as a team, leaving no one’s back exposed in order to avoid the inevitable zombie “sneak attack.” If it’s a Night of the Living Dead zombie shuffling towards you, there may be time to react, but the 28 Days variety move too quickly and erratically to avoid.

Part 1 of 3: What superintendents can learn from zombie movies

What can superintendents learn from The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes?

By Kevin A. Fletcher, Ph.D., President & CEO, e-par USA, Inc.

October is nearing its end. That means that the television program guide is filled with Halloween movies.  I’m not a huge horror movie fan, but I do enjoy most shows about zombies. I thought that Zombieland was terrific (with golf’s great ambassador Bill Murray as himself in a short, but Oscar-worthy, role) and Sunday date night with my wife (after the kids get to bed) consists of Tequila on the rocks and AMC’s The Walking Dead. 

I was thinking about this show the other day, and it dawned on me that there are some great parallels between surviving in a zombie-filled world and managing a golf facility in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way. Yes, avoiding and fighting the undead is not that much different from dealing with golfers, turfgrass and green committee members, while also reducing water use, managing chemicals safely, and acting responsibly. Before you snicker, let me provide some examples of what I mean:

1.     Keep Your Head on a Swivel or You Might Lose It (Self-Assessment First): One of the biggest mistakes made by the living in the zombie-filled world is moving around without really being sure where you’re going or what’s looming ahead. Sure, that alleyway is clear now… but what’s around the corner or behind you for that matter? Your eyes need to stay open and darting in all directions or they’ll become zombie hors d'oeuvres.

It’s the same with golf course environmental management. It always pays to conduct an initial environmental review or assessment. Ask yourself some hard questions about your environmental plans, operations, procedures, etc. It may help you create a clear vision (need eyes for that) and avoid getting bitten in the rear.

2.     Don’t Run Into a Dark Building at Night (Make a Plan): The first to go usually do so because they aren’t thinking. “Hey, let’s hide in that abandoned building.” Well it wasn’t abandoned, was it? Now you’re innards are serving as a zombie calamari appetizer.

Once you have a handle on the state of your environmental game through a self-assessment, make a plan. Don’t just run around looking for places to hide. You need to take your environmental threats and opportunities head-on. Make improvements where they need to be made by planning for them, not winging it. Is water your biggest issue? Then make a water conservation plan as a priority. Be smart.

3.     Don’t Be a Hero (Be Risk Averse): You have a choice of running through a crowded zombie-filled mall or heading outside and around the parking lot with maybe a few flesh-eaters to deal with? Easy. Make like a husband during the holidays and avoid the mall. Why put yourself unnecessarily in harm’s way?

This is critical for superintendents to do as well. Have you conducted a risk assessment, developed a risk profile for your facility-wide operations and developed written standard operating procedures for staff to follow to help avoid environmental incidents and accidents? If not, do so. Environmental stewardship isn’t just about nest boxes. Take the time to identify and manage your environmental risk. Survival is heroism during times like this.

Kevin A. Fletcher is President & CEO of e-par USA and is dead-icated to helping golf course management professionals fight with the ghosts and ghouls that make up a comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship and sustainability. Feel free to trick or treat us at www.eparusa.com.

Clark Talks Turf: Winter is Coming

The golf and growing seasons are winding down in much of the country, while in southern locations, the primary golfing season is just getting cranked up. Up north and in the northern part of the bermudagrass belt, putting green grasses are showing signs of dormancy including a slower growth rate and a gradual loss of green color.

Now is a great time to raise the mowing height on bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass greens that are entering dormancy. Green speed is always fastest in fall thanks to Mother Nature, so golfers will still enjoy fast greens while the grass gets a break from a higher height of cut. The extra leaf area will increase carbohydrate production which the turfgrass plant will use to develop a deeper, more extensive root system and storing more carbohydrates which will help the plant survive winter and kick start green-up in spring.

The higher height of cut will help the plants cope with traffic during the winter months when there is no growth. And for superintendents who are planning to paint dormant bermudagrass the extra leaf area will intercept more colorant, leading to a better looking putting surface. The extra leaf area in fall will help dormant bermudagrass greens from having excessively fast green speed in spring as the turf canopy gradually wears away over the winter due to traffic.

Here's a useful link

Want to check out an issue of Golfdom from 1975?

Or just want to see how many times we've done a story on fairy ring?

Maybe you just want to search for a random word -- like I just did, with the word "spider" -- and see what comes up? (Stories from 1929 and 1949!)

Then this is the link for you: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/golfd/

Please, check it out, have some fun... maybe even enter your own name and see what pops up! (If nothing pops up? Well, let's get to work on that!)

I have to admit, it's pretty humbling to look back at all this Golfdom history and think to yourself, "This is the magazine I'm in charge of now?!?"

I'm sure it's a lot like taking care of a golf course that's been around for a long time. You have to appreciate the history, while still looking forward!

When it comes to email, less is more

You may have noticed you’re seeing less clutter in your email inbox from your friends at Golfdom.

Well, that’s intentional. It’s not that we don’t want to write to you more, but… Well, let me explain:
For years we’ve been sending out multiple e-newsletters each month, under such names as “Inside Irrigation,” “Chip Shots,” “Puttin’ Down Roots,” “On the Green,” “Turfgrass Trends” and “Golfdom Insider.”

Moving forward, we’re going with the “less is more” approach. North Coast Media, parent company of Golfdom and our sister publications, Landscape Management and Athletic Turf News, hired an honest-to-goodness expert on digital media, a talented young woman by the name of Bethany Chambers. She brings with her real world experience as well as a masters degree from Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism. And with Bethany’s help, we’re going to streamline our e-news offerings for maximum impact.

So what does that mean?

Gator!

Let's fix those ball marks, people!

Just got done with a tour of the Eagle One facility in Anaheim. Love this sign!

Our grand prize winner: Junior Storie!

Last night we met up with the superintendent who won Rain Bird and Golfdom's grand prize; a trip for two to Beverly Hills to attend the intelligent use of water film Festival… Junior Storie!

Junior's a superintendent in Arkansas. we had a fun time hanging out with him last night and I'll be able to talk to him some more this evening... And good on Junior for bringing his wife out to the event, too!

More soon!

Traffic!

Slow going in traffic... Pat tells me this is where Boyz in the Hood took place... Crenshaw Blvd! Guess I need to add that one to my Netflix, huh?

Jack Hanna in the house!

Ok, so we ran into jack hanna while we were waiting to leave for dinner. Nice guy. But...

Everyone was waiting for the debate on TV! Isn't that the worst bar entertainment ever?

Here we come Los Angeles!

I missed Rain Bird's Intelligent Use of Water film festival last year because it was very near the due date of my son. This year, I'll be there in full force, as a judge and as a fan!

I'll keep you posted with pics and quotes as the event nears. Maybe even a celebrity sighting, if we're lucky!

Andy Wilson talks soil moisture meters, path to Bethpage

Hey everyone,

 It's been a crazy week as I've been in Cleveland most of the week, at North Coast Media headquarters, making plans for 2013. What kind of plans? BIG PLANS, my friends... BIG PLANS.

I'm back now, for two business days. I head out to the Rain Bird Intelligent Use of Water film festival next Tuesday. Look for me to be blogging and Tweeting from that event.

 Anyway, a Golfdom Insider went out this week while I was in CLE. This below was the video we included with it.

 Pay close attention to the part where Andy tells me that Golfdom is indeed his favorite magazine in the industry... it's at the 1:15 mark... just in case you missed that part.

You know me, I'm here to help!

 

In memoriam: Dr. Reed Funk, 84

Was just forwarded this email from Bruce Clarke, with the sad news of Dr. Reed Funk's passing:

Dear Friends:

It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of Dr. C. Reed Funk. Reed passed away the morning of Thursday, October 4 after a brief battle with pneumonia. He was 84 years old.

Reed joined the faculty at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station in 1961 and was a pioneer in the field of turfgrass breeding. Throughout his illustrious career that spanned over four decades, he is credited with the development of hundreds of cool-season turfgrass cultivars with dramatic improvements in pest and stress tolerance. Many of his germplasm releases, such as 'Manhattan' perennial ryegrass and 'Rebel' tall fescue, are considered landmark cultivars and have served as a foundation for many of the new turf-type cultivars used throughout the world today. His tremendous intellect and keen sense of observation lead to many significant discoveries including the development of the first successful method of breeding Kentucky bluegrass by means of intraspecific hybridization, and the discovery that endophytic fungi can impart increased tolerance to major insect pests and enhanced performance for turfgrasses growing under environmental stress. Reed's diverse germplasm collection and enhancement programs have revolutionized the turfgrass sod and seed industries throughout the world.

In 1996, Reed embarked on an ambitious perennial tree crops breeding project at Rutgers, setting his sights on using plant breeding to develop highly nutritious and sustainable tree crops able to be grown on marginal land. Later, he expanded this project to Utah and developed a non-profit foundation dedicated to breeding tree crops adapted to the Intermountain West region of the United States. Both of these projects are prospering today because of Reed’s vision, unmatched work ethic, and commitment to excellence. Reed was a mentor to dozens of students, faculty and staff and a friend to everyone in the Rutgers and Turfgrass Community. He will be sorely missed.

There will be a viewing Tuesday, October 9, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at Allen-Hall Mortuary (34 E. Center Street) in Logan, Utah and Wednesday morning, October 10 from 9:30-10:30 am at the LDS chapel (corner of 150 South and 100 East street) in Richmond, Utah prior to the funeral service. The funeral will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 am at the LDS chapel.

Sincerely,

Bruce Clarke

Fame!

I have a question for you:

Who is the most famous LIVING superintendent?

A few names come to mind right away... but I think it might depend on what part of the country you're from, on who you would say is the single most well-known superintendent alive.

But I want to know what you think!

Post your answer in the comments section below... or, if you prefer, shoot me an email -- sjones@northcoastmedia.net -- and tell me who you think is currently the most famous superintendent in the land. Then, depending on the number of answers I get, maybe I'll post a poll here on the Golfdom Daily to see who comes out ahead.

Yesterday's "Chip Shots" e-news

Did you get yesterday's "Chip Shots" in your email inbox? If not, here's what you missed, below!

To sign up for Golfdom's e-newsletters (you know you want to!) visit www.golfdom.com and click on the "Golfdom E-Newsletters" button on the left-hand column.

Talking 'Back

It was a win-win at John Deere Feedback, where supers told Deere what they thought of its products in development.

By Beth Geraci

On the Duke University Campus in Durham, N.C., the patio overlooking the school's golf course was jumping. Superintendents from across the country were talking shop over cocktails and appetizers, and socializing with the Deere distributors who invited them there.

The casual evening reception, held just as the sun was about to set, was the perfect launch to John Deere's Feedback event. The superintendents, and other course reps, had been invited there to sample Deere products in development and tell Deere what they liked about them and what they didn't. Hence the name "Feedback."

Now accepting Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year nominations!

Has someone you know made a positive impact at your golf course? Has their outside-the-box thinking resulted in increased revenue? Does this person perform at such a level of excellence that he or she has made the facility more successful?

If you know someone who has done this, nominate them for the 2013 Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year! We're now accepting nominations. 

Last year's winner, Paul Chojnacky, won an expenses-paid trip to the 2012 Golf Industry Show as well as the 2012 Golfdom Summit, and was profiled in our January cover story. Just ask Paul the next time you see him (pictured here on the cover of the aforementioned magazine) -- it's good to win the Herb Graffis Award!

To nominate someone -- it can be a superintendent, an assistant, a general manager, anyone, really -- shoot a message here describing why this person is deserving of the award.

Here we go USA!

No, I'm not at Medinah this weekend. I was in Florida at the RISE meeting most of the week, so I'm going to be watching the action from the comfort of my couch this weekend!

Having said that... GO USA!!!

Golfdom Summit coming soon!

November 27th-30th, we'll be at the Reunion Resort in Orlando!

I'm so excited! Only about 10,000 things to do before then...

Check out this video preview of what we've got cooking for the 2012 Summit.

Becker Underwood reports "business as usual" during acquisition

There was a lot of talk last week about BASF's announcement of its plans to acquire Becker Underwood for $1.02 billion (see previous post). But one thing I didn't see was any word from Becker Underwood on what was the plan for right now, for today. Are products going to be available to superintendents as normal during the transition?

I reached out to Charlie Hale, Becker Underwood's marketing strategy and support lead, and this is what he had to say:

"The number one goal of Becker Underwood and BASF is ensuring that our customers continue receiving the high quality solutions they have come to expect from Becker Underwood. For now, business will continue “as usual” with the same people, products and services that our customers know and trust. Our production facilities are producing products; these products are available for purchase by our customers. And except for a few already-planned lineup tweaks -- including a couple new and/or improved products, no changes in the overall Becker Underwood product lineup is currently anticipated. Product lineups always evolve over time with new, improved products typically replacing older and/or poorer performing products. I wouldn’t expect that to change going forward."

BASF to acquire Becker Underwood for $1.02 billion

More big news in our industry -- big to the tune of $1.02 BILLION! BASF to acquire Becker Underwood, this news just hit my inbox at 8:03 a.m. EST... the entire press release is below.

We'll get on the phone to learn more, but for now, here's the official word from BASF: 

BASF to strengthen global crop protection business with acquisition of Becker Underwood

* BASF to become a global leader in biological seed treatments
* Strategic growth field Functional Crop Care strengthened
* Broader portfolio of integrated, sustainable solutions for agriculture

Ludwigshafen, Germany – September 20, 2012 – BASF plans to acquire Becker Underwood for a price of $1.02 billion (€785 million). The company, headquartered in Ames, Iowa, is one of the leading global providers of technologies for biological seed treatment, seed treatment colors and polymers, as well as products in the areas of biological crop protection, turf and horticulture, animal nutrition and landscape colorants and coatings. Becker Underwood has 10 production sites worldwide and 479 employees. BASF came to an agreement with Norwest Equity Partners (NEP) to acquire Becker Underwood which has been a portfolio company of NEP since 2004. The purchase is subject to approval by the responsible authorities and legal closing of the transaction is expected by the end of 2012.

“We are impressed with Becker Underwood’s ability to translate growers’ needs into innovative, tailor-made solutions that can promote higher yields while conserving resources. Becker Underwood is to become part of BASF and we are excited that together with our new colleagues we can continue expanding our competencies. Particularly in the rapidly-growing seed treatment market, we will be able to develop innovative solutions for agriculture,” said Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, Research Executive Director and Member of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors responsible for the Agricultural Solutions segment.


Becker Underwood is expected to achieve sales of $240 million (€185 million) for fiscal year 2012, ending on September 30. As part of the acquisition, BASF’s Crop Protection division will create a strategic global business unit called Functional Crop Care. The unit will merge BASF’s existing research, development and marketing activities in the areas of seed treatment, biological crop protection, plant health, as well as water and resource management with those of Becker Underwood. Becker Underwood’s animal nutrition business will be integrated into BASF’s Nutrition & Health division.

Markus Heldt, president of BASF's Crop Protection division.

“Becker Underwood has a strong position in North America. We will continue to expand this core business as we expand globally. Together we can sustainably create value for our customers,” said Markus Heldt, President of BASF’s Crop Protection division. “We are thrilled at the prospect of working with the highly-qualified employees at Becker Underwood as we continue to develop our combined businesses.”

“Over the past years, Becker Underwood has established itself as an innovative provider of solutions for agriculture,” emphasized Dr. Peter Innes, Chief Executive Officer of Becker Underwood. “Strengthened by the power of BASF’s research capabilities as well as its existing portfolio of solutions, we will be able to develop and globally market new types of solutions for growers.”


Upon receiving the necessary legal approvals, the majority of Becker Underwood’s business will be integrated into BASF’s Crop Protection division. In 2011, the division recorded sales of around €4.2 billion and is expecting another top year in 2012 as well. With its products and services, BASF helps growers to improve their yields and the quality of their products.

Northwest Oregon? Yes, please.

I was looking for some information on my upcoming travels and was very excited to see this:

http://www.ogcsa.org/Pages/events-sign-up/environ-mtg.html

Yes, Northwest Oregon, I'm coming to see you, Tuesday, Nov. 13th! The "Seth on Tour" trip continues, this time at Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, Ore., at the 2012 Golf and Environmental meeting. For the low, low price of $75, they'll have speakers such as Andy Staples (ASGCA), Kevin Fletcher (ePar USA), Chava McKeel (GCSAA), Steve Kealy (First Green) and... me (gulp. I mean... Golfdom).

And yeah... they've got me batting clean-up. Is that good or bad? Well, it certainly is cool to have the "keynote" spot, but it's also nerve-wracking to think of the mass exodus that could occur as soon as Staples gets done. Heck, I might already be at the clubhouse bar by then, too!

Reader feedback -- professional courtesy

Got a nice email from a reader regarding Mark Woodward's most recent column (which you can read here.)

Here's the note:

Mark nailed it, RE: Professional Courtesy.

It only take a moment to make an impression. I remember visiting a younger superintendent on his job who I had tried to call earlier. When I arrived on site, I could see him in the distance. I rang his cell, watch him look, and shove it right back in his pocket. I lost respect for him. I learn he lost his job later that year!

It only takes a moment to say thanks (or no thanks). Just respond!

I'm always afraid I'll have this happen to me, or do it to someone. Sometimes I don't take a cell phone call because it's not an appropriate time to chat on the cell. And I also try not to call people when I can see them, because it would crush my ego to see my call getting ignored.

There's pretty much only one person who is in the 100%-always-answer category: my wife. It could be the final seconds of the Super Bowl, and if my wife rings my cell, I answer. Mainly because she rarely dials me up, but also because that's the one person (and with her, my kids) who are so important that I would drop everything to check in on. Everything else? Everything else probably can wait, when you think about it.

So what am I rambling about here? Well, I guess I'm making a defense for NOT answering your cell phone. Because there are times when taking that call can also be a breach of etiquette, right?

What do you think?

New video!

As you probably noticed, I haven't been doing many videos since Golfdom was acquired by North Coast Media.

That's just because we've had to change over a lot of our technical... stuff. Stuff I don't even pretend to understand!

But our IT team has been hard at work, and we're ramping back up again. Golfdom.com is back up, and we'll get it up to full speed soon. And now, for the first time in a few weeks... a new video!

This is the interview I did with Bethpage Black superintendent Kevin Carroll during the Barclays. Thanks to Kevin for taking the time to hang out with me with I was there on what was a busy week!

New Sports Illustrated cover

It was interesting to see last week's Sports Illustrated cover. It has former Bears QB and golf nut Jim McMahon on the cover.

I met McMahon about five years ago at a celebrity golf event, back when I was writing the "Reflections" page regularly in Golf Course Management. My dad was a huge Bears fan, so it was exciting to meet the former Super Bowl champ.

McMahon was funny and nice. He had a few empty Coors Light cans in his cart at the time, so he was feeling fine. I caught up with him as he was signing autographs after his round. He signed for anyone who approached him, not in any rush. He was the same way with me when I asked him for an interview.

After you do so many of these interviews, you can hear when a source gives you the sound bite you need. It's an instant relief -- you know you have something you can print, something you can show as a result of your trip. With McMahon, we kept talking, but I wasn't able to get that sound bite.

I wanted him to give me something about why he appreciated a beautiful golf course. But all his answers were mostly about his game. He seemed indifferent to the quality of the golf course.

Finally, after I asked him if he had one golf course that was his favorite, he smiled at me and said, "Not really. Every time I play golf I have a few of these (shaking his beer can) and I've been hit in the head so much that... I don't really remember most golf courses after I play them."

He was smiling when he said it. I figured he mostly was referring to the beer. But now that I read that he has early-onset dementia, it just bums me out. He really can't remember golf courses after he plays them.

I love the NFL and I watched a ton of football this weekend. I don't know what the answer is, but it sure is sad to see these players suffering after they retire from the game.

Boom goes the squirrel tunnel

In this new issue of Golfdom we have an in-depth story on squirrel control on golf courses, penned by Jim Knight, Ph.D. You can read it by clicking here. Jim is an extension wildlife specialist at Montana State University, and if there's one thing he knows, it's how to kill a squirrel.

My favorite part from that story: gumballs. "Gumballs have been reported to clog the intestinal tract of squirrels... Most of the claims are anecdotal, there is no evidence populations will consume enough to result in reliable control."

So don't bother throwing a bag of Big League Chew down the squirrel tunnel!

The story has caught a few eyes, including the folks over at Rodenator. They gave me a call to see if I'd be interested in learning more about their system, which includes an "underground shockwave."

Did they say "underground shockwave?" Then you know my answer was "yes!

They sent me a longer story, but I clipped it down to the part about their product, and how it works. Here's the last part of the story, written by Del Williams of Torrance, Calif.: 

Those working to eradicate burrowing rodents in golf course facilities without poisons or other harmful chemicals, are instead finding success with a poison-free, non-chemical, pest control method that delivers a precision underground shockwave to the targeted animals while also collapsing their tunnel systems to prevent re-infestation.

“With the Rodenator system, we eliminated the prairie dog problem and much of the ground squirrel problem within the first month,” says Walker. “We have the burrowing rodent problem under control. We’re saving about 30 hours a week in burrowing rodent-related labor and grounds-equipment repair. We avoid costly, labor-intensive poison baiting and trapping. Overall, we could save tens of thousands of dollars over the next several years in repair, maintenance, and labor costs. The grounds are shaping up, which makes for better, safer, faster play, and happier golfers.”

As delivered by the Rodenator Pest Elimination System, developed by Meyer Industries, a wand is inserted into a burrow hole, and a mixture of oxygen and propane gas is shot into the hole for typically sixty to ninety seconds, depending on the type of animal. Then another button on the wand is pressed, igniting a spark into the mixture, creating a precision underground shockwave. 

GCSAA prez reaches out

An email went out to all GCSAA members this afternoon, from President Sandy Queen, asking for help identifying superintendents who may be in need. Specifically, the email asks for help identifying members who have been impacted by Hurricane Isaac.

The entire contents of the email is below:

Dear GCSAA Members,

Sandy Queen, CGCS GCSAA President

On behalf of my fellow GCSAA board members, I share my deep concern for those members, their families and staffs who have been impacted by Hurricane Isaac. We know many of them suffered personal loss and that weighs heavily on all of our minds.

GCSAA has deployed field staff to make contact with chapter leaders to help identify members in need. As much as we try to be proactive, we need your assistance in communicating with us regarding your needs. Please feel free to email me or any of your GCSAA board of directors or contact GCSAA at 800-472-7878 to alert us of any situation impacting members.

As an association, our fundamental charge is to serve its members. In times of need, we must respond with assistance. I appreciate staff's responsiveness in alerting members to our emergency assistance fund (for personal losses not covered by insurance) and with information to help manage their professional situations. If you did not see the latest information on hurricane and flood recovery, please access the following link.

Turf Toughie: Take Our One-Question Exam!

Q: Why is it important to maintain your soil pH between 6.5 and 7?

            Sometimes it’s the simple questions – like “Why does my belly growl when I’m hungry?” that are quite perplexing but also most important. Same goes for turf.

             

“Why is it important to maintain your soil pH between 6.5 and 7?” is one of the questions Benjamin A. McGraw, Ph. D., associate professor of golf and plant sciences at the State University of New York (SUNY)- Delhi, N.Y., likes to pose to his students. 

“I don't know if it’s a head-scratcher but the answer is important and vital to a superintendent’s career,” McGraw says.

The answer, as McGraw explains, is that most nutrients (whether applied or in the soil) are readily available to the plant in this pH range. Outside of this range many nutrients (both macro- and micro-nutrients) are not readily available to the plant.

So… keep the pH up and don’t leave your plants with their bellies growling!