Communication, Education,
Professionalism by COLIN MUMFORD
SUNDAY was like any other, wet and miserable, with mercury coloured clouds hanging low amidst a grey sky that stretched right across the horizon. My plans to cut the hedge had been thwarted, although I didn’t mind too much. To pass time I switched on the computer to check my e-mails, surf for shopping that I didn’t really need, and to tackle that solitaire game that I hadn’t quite mastered. There I was, indoors, out of the rain, warm and contented, and then - ring-ring - the phone punctured the silence like a needle through a balloon, I know that ring - ring-ring - I can tell, it can only be one person - ring-ring - should I answer it? - ring-ring - it’s not going to stop is it? Before I could barely say hello, a lively voice at the other end greets me “hi Col, it’s Laurence”. Pitchcare’s ace reporter and editor
extraordinaire, known to many as Florence “writing” Gale for his selfless campaign to promote the professionalism of the turfcare industry, could only be calling me for one reason. “Colin, you’re a knowledgeable bloke.” “Yeah” I hesitantly replied. He then proceeded to give me chapter and verse on communication, education, professionalism, research, synergy, legislation, government initiatives and the wide ranging needs of the different sectors within turfcare, all the time massaging my ego by telling me where my expertise would be invaluable, how I could help unite the industries various bodies, and convey the sentiments of turfcare
practitioners nationwide and beyond. “So what is it you’re trying to say?” I knew I would regret asking. “What I would like is for you to pass on some of that knowledge.” “Yeah yeah yeah” I interrupted, “what do you really want?” Laurence paused slightly, but this wasn’t through hesitancy, it was merely to catch his breath. “An article for the magazine.” I knew it, he’d been softening me up for the blow, the calm before the storm had passed, and now it was payback time. If only it hadn’t been raining I’d be trimming back that hedge, but no, instead I’ve been painted into a corner by the master of coercion; how could I refuse?
How could I indeed. Laurence has built up quite a reputation over the last couple of years as someone who has a baffling grasp of the technical, an infectious personality, and more contacts than specsavers. How could I or anyone refuse? So, thanks to that conversation, I find myself writing an article when I could be watching the telly, or blasting aliens into outer space on my computer. If only I hadn’t answered that phone. However, I don’t mind, I get the satisfaction of knowing that if someone reads and learns something from my article; I am helping increase the knowledge base of the industry and, to some extent - albeit extremely small - assisting the development of the profession. Perhaps Florence “writing” Gale is right when he summarises his vision for the future of the turfcare industry; communication, education, professionalism.
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ET by COLIN MUMFORD
ET, the often quoted, but never quite explained. What is it? and should we be interested in it? Does it mean evergreen turf? electric trimmers?, elm trees? or extra-terrestrials? The answers to these and many more questions are deeply embedded in the soil-plant-water continuum, and this article aims to unravel a tiny bit of its mystery. Turfgrass water use is
related, amongst other things, to regulating the turfgrass’ temperature. This requires the grass plant to lose water by what is essentially sweating, and is termed ‘transpiration’. When this loss of water is combined with the loss of water from the soil - through evaporation - we arrive at the term ‘evapotranspiration’ or ET as most people refer to it. Amazingly ET can account for up to 80% of moisture loss from the soil, so by understanding and knowing your own particular turfgrass surfaces ET, you
can tailor your irrigation practices to best suit the grass plant, and potentially reduce your water budget to meet the demands of current and future environmental regulation. Many factors influence
the rate of ET on your playing surface; these include the grass species, the height of cut, and the weather which, due to its constantly changing nature, results in a continually changing ET rate. Consequently the rate of ET is likely to be different from one playing surface to the next. So how do you determine ET?
THE methods employed for determining ET range from direct measurement with lysimeters, reference measurements with atmometers such as an evaporation pan or a porous porcelain plate, and empirical models that estimate ET based on weather data. But before we look at the different methods, a few terms need
to be explained. Firstly, ‘reference crop evapotranspiration’ or ETo as it is referred to. This is a reference point that is used in determining the ET for all crops, and is a hypothetical crop that closely resembles an adequately watered grass sward with a uniform height of 0.12 m. The actual ET for the crop - turfgrass in this case - is referred to as ETc, and lastly, a ‘crop coefficient’ (Kc), which is the ratio between ETc and ETo i.e. the factor that ETo is multiplied by to determine ETc. Ironically, many turfgrass practitioners already employ the use of a Kc in their irrigation scheduling, without even knowing it; this could be described as - in the words of Donald Rumsfeld - an “unknown known”. What do I mean? With knowledge and experience of a given situation, many practitioners will adjust their irrigation practises, for
not the Extra Terrestrial
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