In the past two weeks I've been to Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. I visited the Redlands Research Station in Queensland where there are numerous experiments about turfgrass and where one can find an extensive collection of turfgrass demonstration plots.
Then I went to Adelaide for the Australian Turfgrass Conference. The AGCSA invited me to speak about plant nutrition, warm-season grass selection, and the management of turfgrass in difficult growing environments. In the plant nutrition presentations, I discussed the role of nitrogen in controlling the energy production of turfgrasses. The net CO2 uptake is controlled by light, temperature, water status of the plants, and the nitrogen levels in the leaves. Light and temperature are largely out of the control of turfgrass managers. Water and nitrogen, however, can be controlled precisely to modify the photosynthetic rate of the grass, and consequently the growth rate and performance of the turgfrass.
I also spoke about the types of grasses that perform well in Southeast Asia and suggested why certain grasses perform well and others do not. One thing I have noticed in my travels across Australia is the variety in turfgrass species that are used to produce fine sporting surfaces. I've seen golf courses or sports fields of kikuyugrass, bermudagrass (green couch), creeping bentgrass, colonial bentgrass, fine fescue, perennial ryegrass, mixed in with Axonopus compressus, Poa annua, and Digitaria didactyla (blue couch). Although the climate in Southeast Asia is a bit extreme with high temperatures year-round and relatively low sunshine, there is an advantage to that when it comes to grass selection for sports turf, as there are really only a few species than can be used to produce the desired playing conditions. In Australia, the climate throughout the year is much more variable, and consequently more grass species can be used.
I met old friends and made new ones at this conference. Brian Whitlark from the USGA Green Section was also here to speak at the conference. I'm happy to report that our team in the AGCSA/Toro Scramble made eight birdies and no bogeys on a windy and cold morning at Adelaide Shores during this fun networking event.
I had a great time speaking with conference delegates and have learned a lot as I have traveled around Australia to see how turfgrass surfaces are prepared for a variety of sports here. From the sports fields at the University of Queensland to the wickets at the Adelaide Oval to catching an AFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, from the Mornington Peninsula to Melbourne's sandbelt courses to the three courses I visited at Adelaide, I have had a chance to talk with turfgrass managers who are passionate about the same thing — producing the best possible surfaces.
