THE RESEARCH PLAYBOOK
Eric DeBoer
buffering the roots from cold temperatures . DeBoer cautioned there is a high degree of variability from year to year and site to site .
“ It ’ s not cut and dry , say , to irrigate your soil to 25 percent volumetric water content before a freeze , and you ’ ll be fine ,” DeBoer said . “ The idea is to avoid having droughty soil before a freezing event .”
According to Hutchens , volumetric water content is a measurement of how much water a given volume of soil contains . The amount of water that a field can hold depends on the type of soil , Hutchens noted .
“ Adequate soil moisture is certainly one of the most crucial management practices to reduce winterkill ,” he said .
REAPING REWARDS FROM COLLABORATION Hutchens noted that the multi-state collaboration was a key part of the success of this study .
“ You get a lot of different ideas and perspectives ,” he said . “ This project demonstrates that these collaborative efforts across multiple universities can be really successful . It takes a lot of legwork to organize it all , and the initial work is challenging , but the rewards that you reap from it are totally worth it .”
Hutchens said the team began the work in 2019 while he was a graduate student at Virginia Tech , working under McCall as his adviser . Booth was working as a research associate at Virginia Tech at the time before joining USGA . Doherty was a graduate student at the University of Maryland working under Roberts , who later took a job at Clemson University . DeBoer and Battaglia got involved when Hutchens moved to Arkansas in 2022 .
“ This project exemplifies the benefits of collaboration , as the primary study was performed at three geographically unique locations in the Mid-Atlantic ,” said McCall . “ By bringing in additional resources from northwest Arkansas , we were truly able to use broad strokes for practical recommendations to turfgrass professionals throughout the transition zone with confidence that our results apply across the board .”
In addition to the value of the research team ’ s collective experience , Roberts also noted the added value of testing recommendations across multiple geographical areas .
“ Collaborative efforts not only helped push this research forward , but performing field research across multiple field sites in different states enhanced the recommendations offered to growers across the transition zone ,” said Roberts .
This study was supported in part by grants from the Old Dominion Golf Course Superintendents Association , the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association , the Eastern Shore Association of Golf Course Superintendents , the Mid-Atlantic Sports Turf Managers Association , the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation , the Mid- Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents , and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America ’ s Environmental Institute for Golf .
The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station , Virginia Tech , Clemson University and the LSU AgCenter are part of a system of agricultural research centers at land-grant universities in the southern United States where scientists collaborate to conduct research and outreach focused on conserving the region ’ s natural resources and sustainably feeding a growing global population . SFM
Nick Kordsmeier is director of communications at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station , U of A System Division of Agriculture . The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture . To learn more , visit https :// aaes . uada . edu / or https :// uada . edu /.
Marya Barlow is a writer with the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Communication and Marketing Department .
Tobie Blanchard is director , communications and public relations at the LSU AgCenter .
The Crop , Forage & Turfgrass Management journal is a production of The American Society of Agronomy , Crop Science Society of America , and Soil Science Society of America . To view Improving winter survival of interspecific hybrid bermudagrass in the Mid-Atlantic region through cultural practices visit https :// acsess . onlinelibrary . wiley . com / doi / 10.1002 / cft2.20303 .
24 SportsField Management | December 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com