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 Vendor Day on June 5th at the Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex

This is a FREE event to all of our regular and commercial vendors.  Sign in starts at 9am and Dr. Lee Miller from the University of Missouri will be giving a presentation starting at 930 am.  Vendors will all be given 5 minutes to give a small presentation on any of their products that they would like to talk about.  Lunch will follow the presentations.   A lunch the group is encouraged to check out the vendors products, try out equipment, etc.  We provide the space and an audience, Commercial Members will provide their products for demo’s. 

Tables, Chairs, Tents etc. are NOT provided so we encourage you to bring your own for the day. 

Thank you

 

Schedule

9am-              Registration

930am -        Dr. Lee Miller

1030am -      Vendor presentations

Lunch

Product demonstrations

 

Vendor Information

Reel mowers  .75”

Rotary mowers 4”

Heads will be marked for aerification products

We will have sand on site for topdressing units

We have areas available to paint

Booth space/equipment set up areas are on a first come basis

Equipment demonstration set up will be on the West end of our complex, fields A3/4

Sponsored by:

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English Premier League Soccer Coming to Busch Stadium

World-class soccer, once a regular feature of the St. Louis’ sporting landscape but increasingly an afterthought because of a lack of a place to play, will be coming back in May, and in a new venue that could lead to more games.

The Cardinals will announce today that Manchester City and Chelsea, two of the top teams in the English Premier League, will play an exhibition match at Busch Stadium on May 23, just four days after the close of the EPL season. Depending how you look at it, it’s been at least 15 years since teams even approaching this caliber have played in St. Louis, and the Cardinals hope the gap isn’t that long in the future.

For the full article go to: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/english-premier-league-soccer-coming-to-busch/article_994ba434-9ed8-5852-a8b0-83c3300f2ea5.html

Here stands baseball’s perfect warrior. Here stands baseball’s perfect knight

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"Major League Baseball has lost one of its true legends in Stan Musial, a Hall of Famer in every sense and a man who led a great American life," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "He was the heart and soul of the historic St. Louis Cardinals franchise for generations, and he served his country during World War II. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, Stan's life embodies baseball's unparalleled history and why this game is the national pastime."

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A New Tool for Mapping Water Use and Drought

By Dennis O'Brien

Farmers and water managers may soon have an online tool to help them assess drought and irrigation impacts on water use and crop development, thanks to the work of two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists Martha Anderson and Bill Kustas have developed an evapotranspiration (ET) and drought modeling system at the ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. The modeling system also will help forecasters monitor ET and drought conditions across the United States and overseas.

Follow the link to read the rest of this article: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2012/120207.htm

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Congratulations to Rich Moffitt

STMA’s highest honor, the Harry C. Gill Award, was presented to  Richard Moffitt, Moffitt & Associates, LLC.  Visionary. Empowering. Strategic. These are three words that describe Rich Moffitt. Rich can be credited with driving the development of the association's first strategic plan. This plan created a roadmap for STMA that envisioned an association that is financially sound, strong, stable and member service oriented. That is the STMA we know and are so proud of today. Under Rich's leadership, members came together and moved the association forward. Rich believes that we determine our own destiny and that our destiny isn't related to status or reputation. Friendships, trust, faith, hard work, fun and challenges are the things that make this individual and STMA tick. He clearly left his stamp on STMA and many individual members. The Gill Award was established to honor an individual for their hard work in the sports turf industry and to acknowledge their dedication to STMA. 

Rich is pictured (right) with 2011 winner, Mike Andresen, CSFM.  Congratulations on the award, it is well deserved.

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Get your Gateway STMA Apparel
Instant Imprints in Chesterfield is now the official supplier of Gateway STMA apparel.  MEMBERS can now bring in your own shirts, jackets, hats, etc for embroidery & screen printing of our logo or purchase apparel from one of their catalogs.
636-728-0066
 
 


Winter Appearing Weeds

image1 Most of the weeds that we encounter in turfgrass are either summer annuals (which germinate in spring, grow and set seed in summer, then die in the fall), or, perennials (which persist for multiple seasons). There are, however, a few winter annual weeds in turfgrass, such as annual bluegrass, common chickweed, and henbit. Less common winter annual weeds in turf include shepard's purse, veronica, and purple deadnettle.                                     In some years, these weeds may warrant control and some understanding of the ecology and life cycle of these weeds can be of assistance in determining control strategies. Winter annuals germinate in the fall and bloom and set seed in the spring. Like summer annual weeds, they spread by seed, not vegetatively like ground ivy or other perennial weeds.  Proper identification of a weedy species is the first step to determining the best control strategy. Use the information in the figure captions to identify common chickweed and henbit, which are the two most common winter annual weeds in turf in Ohio (Top two pictures). There are also a few perennial weeds that are more visible in late winter or early spring, such as wild onion, wild garlic (bottom picture), and Star-of-Bethlehem.
image1 Henbit and Common Chickweed

Both are highly competitive in thin or dormant turf or in newly seeded areas. However, a vigorous lawn will tend to out-compete them. So, the best defense against henbit and common chickweed is to properly maintain your turfgrass. This includes selecting the right species for the location and usage and proper cultural practices (proper mowing, fertility, irrigation, and aeration).

If, however, a herbicide is required, the timing of application is very important for optimal control. The chief concern is that a dense mat of winter annual weeds, after they die in the spring, will open a bare spot in the turf that may be filled in by crabgrass and other summer annual weeds. Since winter annuals thrive in cool, moist conditions, germination depends on a combination of lower soil temperature and increased precipitation. In years in which there are very warm temperatures and little precipitation in early fall, germination is delayed. Therefore, timing of pre- and especially postemergence herbicides would need to be delayed.

Both species can be controlled preemergence with a fall application. However, this application will likely degrade and not be effective against annuals next spring so a specific preemergence application targeting these weeds would only be justified in the most severe cases of infestation. Best control of winter annuals with postemergence herbicides is achieved if applications are made in the fall to actively growing plants. Remember to read and follow manufacturer directions and recommendations on the label. Ideally, henbit and chickweed can be controlled with the same fall application that targets dandelions and other perennial broadleaf weeds. However, if the application is made too early in the fall, these species will continue to germinate from seed, which will require reapplication for effective control. If necessary, postemergence herbicides can be used on winter annuals in the spring. You must use extra caution with spring applied herbicides, since newly emerging leaves of ornamentals are extra sensitive to broadleaf herbicides. Avoid applications when temperatures are above 80°F or when it is windy. Also, you must target the application no later than when the weed is flowering. Since they are annuals, control after it has set seed is not warranted.

Annual Bluegrass

Poa annua may be annual or perennial. The annual biotypes are opportunistic, that is they germinate at just about any time of the year. However, annual bluegrass is technically a winter annual with a primary flush of germination in October. Development of 100% effective annual bluegrass controls has been elusive, but there are some recommendations. Velocity® is an example of a postemergence herbicide for annual bluegrass control. Consult the label for specifics. Some superintendents report good success with sequential applications of Prograss® postemergence. In addition, some of our preemergence herbicides are also labeled for annual bluegrass control and most research shows that you can achieve an 80-90% reduction in germination. It is very important to consult the label and begin preemergence applications in early September, before annual bluegrass begins to germinate. The problem with using preemergence controls may be one of economics and also safety to creeping bentgrass (if attempting to control annual bluegrass on a putting green).

image1 Wild Garlic and Wild Onion (Allium sp.), and Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum sp.)

These species become quite noticeable in turf in late winter or early spring, because they green up and grow a few week before the turf does. As a result, they tend to be visible as clumps of foliage up to 12 inches in height in otherwise still dormant turf. They are monocots, like our grasses, but they are not grasses. Just as sedges are a different than grasses, so to are the Allium and Ornithogalum species. In fact, these are more closely related to amaryllis and daffodils. And there in lies the problem.there are not scads of research dollars being devoted to develop herbicides that effectively control daffodils or related species. Thus, dedicated selective controls for these weeds do not exist. If you have a serious problem, you can attempt to treat them with the three way post-broadleaf herbicide of your choice, but with the caveat that the herbicides are not specifically designed to control these weeds and therefore your results may be variable. 2,4-D alone is also a good choice. Your best option may be to keep them cut short, either by mowing or with hand shears. As bulbs, they persist vegetatively for a period after flowering and then the foliage dies back for the season. If you mow or otherwise defoliate them early, you weaken the plant and diminish its ability to develop next year.

Winter annual and perennial weeds are usually not our most serious weeds in turf. However, they can, on occasion, become quite noticeable. The key is to recognize the uniqueness of the life cycle, and target your herbicide application for the right time of year.

Posted by David Gardner

Educational Resources Available
Check out new resources available to STMA members and potential members. On the main page of
www.STMA.org, go to the Resources Tab – Technical Information, and you’ll find comprehensive sections have been added to the Cool Season and Warm Season Turfgrasses pages.

Please visit our "VENDORS & CONTRACTORS" page. They are an important part of our organization; so let them know you got their information from our website. Thank you and enjoy.

Contact  us
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Gateway Chapter STMA 
P.O. Box 410492
St. Louis, MO 63141 
 
Or E-mail:

Gateway Chapter President