TURF INDUSTRY NEWS


Project Evergreen to Start Phase II of Detroit Park Project in June Te seeds, both literal and figurative, that were planted last November at Detroit’s Pingree Park will start to grow again on June 8-9 when Project EverGreen and its partners begin phase II of the park’s renovations. New walkways and a natural landscape amphitheater will be added to the 18-acre park on the Detroit’s east side that received an extensive makeover last fall. Te initial phase of the project included updated landscaping for beauty and safety, renovating sports fields with improved grass surfaces, reviving welcoming gathering spaces and pruning old trees for safety reasons and to allow for new growth to provide much-needed shade in the heat of the summer. In addition to the environmental benefits and better park access, the renovation project boosts the health and well-being of the neighborhood and its residents, raises home values, and serves as a spark for nearby community development and connection. Te project is a collaborative effort between the City of Detroit, local businesses, green industry suppliers and Project EverGreen, whose mission is to bring people together through greener, healthier, cooler parks that capture carbon and result in cleaner air. In Detroit, Magna International donated the initial seed money to get the project off the ground and has been joined by Lear Corporation, Quicken Loans and Meijer. Together, these companies have donated $176,000 to the Pingree Park project. Green industry suppliers, who have contributed financially and in- kind, to the project include: Advanced Turf Solutions, BASF, Billy Goat, Cool Planet, Emery Agro Green, Greenworks, Kujo Yard Wear, Lush Lawn, Nufarm, PBI-Gordon, Real Green Systems, Spring-Green, Superior Groundcover, Te Davey Tree Expert Co., Sipcam Agro, Sport Field Solutions, Troy Clogg Landscape Associates, Turf Systems, United Turf Alliance and Weed Man. “Pingree Park and the people living in the surrounding community are the real winners,” says Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “With generous financial and in-kind support, this park will get a much-needed facelift. Te improved park space will result in a greener, healthier, cooler park, functioning as the lungs of the neighborhood.”


Updated STMA PCI Now Available With the help of Dr. Brad Fresenburg, STMA has updated the Playing Conditions Index (PCI) to conduct a Field Performance Study to investigate if it is possible to determine when a field becomes unsafe for athletes. Te PCI is now available in a digital format for both natural grass fields and synthetic turf fields. It is a protected Excel spreadsheet and users can only enter information in the cells that allow entry. Te spreadsheet can be saved under different file names by the field manager to maintain records for each field. Not only does the spreadsheet automatically generate a PCI for the field being tested, but it also provides immediate feedback to sports turf managers about areas of the field that need attention if unsafe conditions are present. Te digital format allows the spreadsheet to be used as many times as needed to maintain records for all fields.


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Over the course of time, STMA hopes to develop a database that will help bring managers closer to making informed decisions about when fields become unsafe by identifying trends with field usage. STMA developed the Playing Conditions Index (PCI) to help members assess the playability of their fields. Te original tool was developed in 2008 with the motivation to gain more respect for sports turf managers efforts in managing their fields. Dr. Brad Fresenburg has updated the tool to further address the complexities involved in conditioning sports fields for safety, playability, and fan enjoyment.


New Jersey Judge Reopens Case Linking Lawn Fertilizer to Cancer A judge in New Jersey has reopened a case against fertilizer manufacturer Scotts claiming that a filler used in their popular Turf Builder product was contaminated with the cancer-causing compound asbestos. “Te New Jersey suit was brought on behalf of Lorenz Brandecker, a cabinet maker from Wayne, New Jersey. His July 2012 suit claimed that his twice-yearly use of Scotts Turf Builder fertilizer on his lawn from 1967 to 1980 contributed to his development of mesothelioma. Brandecker’s suit claimed Turf Builder was made with vermiculite ore that contained asbestos. From 1966 to 1980 Scotts made its fertilizer with vermiculite from a mine in Libby, Montana, that contained asbestos.”


Bees and pesticides – Two Perspectives Two radically different views have been published on the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on the overall health of pollinators. Te first is a report found at https://www.politico.eu/article/europes- lost-colonies-bees-neonicotinoids/ on the European Union’s claim that neonics are a risk to native and domesticated bees. “Te EU's food safety watchdog confirmed Wednesday that three neonicotinoid pesticides produced by two of the world's largest agrichemical companies pose a risk to both wild bees and honeybees,” POLITICO Europe's Simon Marks writes. “On the one side, you have the pesticide industry saying our products are completely safe and then you have the environmental lobby … who are completely open that they want to have all pesticides banned,” said Norman Carreck, a scientist working in the laboratory of apiculture and social insects at the University of Sussex. “Anyone who puts their head above the parapet and says the situation is a little more complicated than it is being portrayed finds it hard to be heard.” Te second story offers a rebuttal, claiming that politics is winning over science. It can be found at, https://cei.org/blog/ european-food-safety-assessment-proves-nothing-about-risks-bees It states, “As European Union (EU) risk assessments purportedly “confirm” that systemic pesticides threaten honeybees and lawmakers quickly clamor for pesticide bans, the stark reality is that so far in this process, political concerns have been trumping science. In fact, politics has prevented scientists from considering the bigger picture, and, as a result, both bees and the world’s food supply will suffer.” Source: NALP’s Te Advocate


TPI Turf News May/June 2018


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