Karin Juul Hesselsøe

Research Scientist

(+47) 413 96 851
karin.hesselsoe@nibio.no

Place
Landvik

Visiting address
Reddalsveien 215, 4886 Grimstad

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Abstract

This study quantifies golf course pesticide risk in five regions across the US (Florida, East Texas, Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast) and three countries in Europe (UK, Denmark, and Norway) with the objective of determining how pesticide risk on golf courses varied as a function of climate, regulatory environment, and facility-level economic factors. The hazard quotient model was used to estimate acute pesticide risk to mammals specifically. Data from 68 golf courses are included in the study, with a minimum of at least five golf courses in each region. Though the dataset is small, it is representative of the population at confidence level of 75 % with a 15 % margin of error. Pesticide risk appeared to be similar across US regions with varied climates, and significantly lower in the UK, and lowest in Norway and Denmark. In the Southern US (East Texas and Florida), greens contribute most to total pesticide risk while in nearly all other regions fairways make the greatest contribution to overall pesticide risk. The relationship between facility-level economic factors such as maintenance budget was limited in most regions of the study, except in the Northern US (Midwest, Northwest, and Northeast) where maintenance and pesticide budget correlated to pesticide risk and use intensity. However, there was a strong relationship between regulatory environment and pesticide risk across all regions. Pesticide risk was significantly lower in Norway, Denmark, and the UK, where twenty or fewer active ingredients were available to golf course superintendents, than it was in US where depending on the state between 200 and 250 pesticide active ingredients were registered for use on golf courses.

Abstract

In the Nordic countries, ice encasement of golf greens and agricultural grass fields under sunlight heat often leads to grass death due to oxygen depletion and accumulation of carbon dioxide and metabolites from anaerobic respiration under the ice layer. The phenomenon is termed ‘isbrann’ in Norwegian and it is a severe type of winter damage that may also affect germination and growth after reseeding. We have employed soil water metabolome analyses to differentiate and identify small, water-soluble metabolites produced in ice-encased grass for a better understanding of how ice and anoxic soils might affect grass plants.

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Abstract

The objective of SCANGREEN 2019-22 was to find species, varieties and seed blends/mixtures of Agrostis, Festuca, Poa and Lolium that are suited for pesticide-free management of putting greens in the two major climatic zones of the Nordic countries and in the northern USA. The four test sites in the Nordic countries were Reykjavik GC, Iceland and NIBIO Apelsvoll in the the northern zone, and NIBIO Landvik, Norway and Smørum GC, Denmark in the southern zone. The two US test sites were located at Troll Turfgrass Research Facility in Massachusetts and at University of Minnesota. The trials included 30 candidate varieties representing eight different species and subspecies from 13 different seed companies/representatives, and three seed mixtures of red fescue and colonial and creeping bentgrass, a seed mixture of creeping bentgrass and perennial ryegrass and a seed blend of red fescue. Monthly evaluations of overall impression, tiller density, winter hardiness, disease and weed coverage etc., were done from three weeks after sowing in June-September 2019 until October 2022. The trial at Smørum GC was established in May 2021. The trials were established according to a split-plot design with three blocks (replicates), species on main plots and varieties on subplots. The experimental greens were mown three times per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and deficit-irrigated to 80% of field capacity three to four times per week in periods without sufficient natural rainfall. Fertilizer (mean N–P–K ratio, 100–22–74) was given as completely balanced compound fertilizers every second week. Each experimental green was divided in different management levels: High and low fertilizer rate and high and low mowing. The two fertilizer rates were 10 and 17 g N m−2 yr−1 and the two mowing heights were 3 and 5 mm. Mixtures were managed at both regimes. There was no use of pesticides or plant growth regulators in any of the trials.

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Abstract

Chafer grubs and leatherjackets can cause severe damages to Scandinavian Golf Courses – mainly in the southern areas. Damages from chafer grubs are occasional, damages from leatherjackets tend to be increasing. Restrictions on insecticides have necessitated the use of alternative control methods. Many experiments with microbiological agents like entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) and strains of Bacillus thuringiensis have been conducted, but monitoring and warning, and methods for application, spraying equipment and technique, formulation of and effective species of microbiological agents must be improved. Good communication with the golfers is essential, as more damages from insect pests will occur now and in the future, and alternative methods are often more expensive and less effective than the synthetic insecticides. Course managers and greenkeepers have to become experts in the use of microbiological control.

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Abstract

Denne rapporten oppsummerer foreløpige resultater fra 2020 i IPM-Golf-prosjektet "Ingergrated Management of Important Turfgrass Diseases and Insect Pests on European Golf-Courses" Feltforsøk på Microdochium flekk ble utført i Landvik, Norge og Bingley, Storbritannia. På Landvik viste resultatene at rulling ved lav N og sitronsyre, tilført fra aug.-okt. kan redusere Microdochium flekk til en viss grad blant de ikke-kjemiske behandlingene. Høy N resulterte i mer Mikrodochium flekk, men mindre antraknose. På Bingley viste resultatene at behandlingene som inneholder jernsulfat spesielt høyt jern, lyktes med å kontrollere sykdommen, men effekten varte ikke gjennom vinteren. Feltforsøkene ved Kjøpenhavns Golf Club viste at rulling to ganger i uken forbedret kvaliteten på greens gjennom vekstsesongen og at reduksjon av Microdochium flekk ble oppnådd ved å rulle fra august til desember. Feltforsøkene med UV-C-stråling ved Osnabrück Golf Club viste at denne metoden kunne kontrollere, men ikke bekjempe fullstendig dollar spot. Litteraturgjennomgangen om myrstankelbein og hageoldenborre viste at problemene varierer sterkt mellom år og de ulike landene.

Abstract

Sustainable phosphorus use is essential in golf course management to prevent eutrophication and overconsumption. The study aimed to investigate if phosphorus fertilization can be reduced without negative effects on turf quality. We compared two P fertilization recommendations based on soil analyses, one based on the annual nitrogen rate, and a zero-P control. The recommendations were the “minimum level of sustainable nutrition” (MLSN), which aims to keep treatment soil levels above 18 mg P kg–1 dry soil (Mehlich-3); the “sufficiency level of available nutrition” (SLAN), in which the threshold for excluding P fertilization is >54 mg P kg–1 dry soil (Mehlich-3); and “Scandinavian precision fertilization” (SPF), which recommends applying P at 12% of the annual N rate. The treatments were compared via monthly assessments of turf quality and the coverage of sown species and annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) from 2017 to 2020 on five golf courses from Germany, Sweden, China, Norway, and the Netherlands. MLSN and SPF significantly reduced soil P at all sites compared with SLAN recommendations. Turf quality showed no significant differences. The results from the mixed creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.)–annual bluegrass green showed a 2 to 4% increase in annual bluegrass coverage with P fertilization over the zero-P treatments. The MLSN guideline is recommended for sustainable P fertilization on established greens with low P sorption capacity under diverse climatic and management conditions. The SPF may result in application of excess P to soils with high Mehlich-3 values, as soil analyses are not considered.

Abstract

Denne rapporten gir resultater fra andre år (2021) i prosjektet"ROBO-GOLF: Bedre gresskvalitet, redusert gjødselkostnad og mindre bruk av fossil energi ved bruk av robotklippere på fairway og semi-rough". Arbeidspakke (WP1) omfatter forsøk med sammenlikning av robotklipper og manuell klipper (sylinder-klipper på fairway, 15 mm klippehøyde; rotorklipper på semirough, 35 mm klippehøyde) til ulike grasarter. Resultatene viste forskjeller mellom robotklipping og manuell klipping, som for det meste ble sett på semi-rough når det gjelder sykdommer, ugress (hvitkløver) og jordpakking. En tendens til lavere sykdomsforekomst med robotklipping ble sett spesielt på semi-rough i alle arter på sensommeren/høsten, men også i Agrostis capillaris på fairway. Mer hvitkløver på de robotklippede ruter med Lolium perenne i semi-rough resulterte i et lavere helhetsinntrykk. I arbeidspakke 2 (WP2) ble nitrogen (N) gjødseleffekten av retur av klipp med robot- vs. manuell klipping studert på fairway etablert i en blanding bestående av Poa pratensis, Agrostis capillaris og Festuca rubra. Årlige N-rater på 0, 30, 60, 90 og 120 kg/ha/år, hver delt inn i 6 like tilførsler, ble brukt over sesongen. Innsamling av klipp én gang per måned viste at tilbakeføring av klipp både for manuell og robotklipping økte gressveksten sammenlignet med når klippet ble fjernet. Samtidig var N-konsentrasjonen i klippet høyere om våren og forsommeren, men ikke på sensommeren og høsten. Helhetsinntrykket av gresset viste samme høye vurdering for robot- og manuell klipp. I WP3 ble demonstrasjonsforsøk med robotklippere sammenlignet med sylinderklippere på fairway og rotorklippere på semi-rough videreført fra 2020 på fem golfbaner i Norden. Helhetsinntrykk, dekning av ugress og sykdommer og energibruk ble registrert månedlig fra mai til september. Helhetsinntrykk i robotklippede ruter var stort sett lik manuelt klippede ruter på fairway og semi-rough. På noen datoer resulterte robotklipping i signifikant høyere helhetsinntrykk enn manuell klipping.

Abstract

Since 2020, the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy (NIBIO) Turfgrass Research Group has been studying agronomic, environmental, and economic consequences of switching to light-weight robotic mowers on golf course fairways and semiroughs. Preliminary results from field trials in 2020 and 2021 at the NIBIO Turfgrass Research Center Landvik, Norway, and demonstration trials on one golf course in each of the five Nordic countries, showed that turfgrass quality with robotic mowing was similar to manual mowing. At Landvik, robotic mowing resulted in less disease in both fairway and semirough but more infestation of white clover than manual mowing in the semirough. A survey of players’ attitudes to robotic mowers conducted on the five golf courses showed that about 90% of the players were positive or neutral to the new technology. However, respondents asked for better adaptation of the local rules on the golf course and even the international rules of golf to robotic mowing.

Abstract

In 2018–2019, establishment problems were encountered, after reseeding creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) on a sand-based putting green after ice encasement at the NIBIO Turfgrass Research Center, Norway. Seeds germinated, but the seedlings attained a purple color and died in large patches. Replacement of the top 3 cm layer with new sand amended with Sphagnum peat or garden compost did not solve the problem. To explain this phenomenon, we (1) analyzed the original substrate for nematodes in patches with and without reestablishment failure; and (2) conducted a factorial pot trial with creeping bentgrass and Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra ssp. commutata) seeded on different substrates, some of them in layers, and with and without phosphorus (P) fertilization. The nematode counts showed six times more stubby-root nematodes and two times more spiral nematodes and needle nematodes in the patches with dead seedlings than in the patches with healthy seedings. In the pot trial, the fastest and slowest reestablishment was observed with new sand amended with garden compost and in the two treatments that included the original substrate, respectively. Replacement of the top 3 cm of the old substrate with new garden compost resulted in stagnation of bentgrass seedlings from four weeks after seeding, while fescue seedlings were unaffected. We conclude that the failure to reestablish creeping bentgrass was primarily due to nematodes, which are likely to be more critical for seedlings than for established turf. The green was later reestablished successfully with a 100 % red fescue seed blend.

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Abstract

Seed mixtures with a nurse grass that germinates quickly at low soil temperatures can be an option for faster establishment of Agrostis stolonifera (AS) putting greens after winter damage. From 2015 to 2018 Poa trivialis (PT) ‘Dark Horse’ and Lolium perenne (LP) ‘Chardin’ were evaluated as nurse grasses in comparison with pure AS ‘Independence’ at two experimental sites in each of the two major climatic zones of the Nordic countries. Poa annua (PA) ‘Two‐Putt’ was also included as a nurse grass in the northern zone. As an overall trend, establishment was faster with AS+LP than with AS+PT and AS+PA, which in turn had faster establishment than pure AS. In the northern zone, AS+PT produced better turf quality than pure AS in the seeding year and year after and tended to be superior even on average for the entire trial period (mean value 6.0 vs. 5.8 for pure AS, 5.3 for AS+LP, and 4.6 for AS+PA; scale 1–9 where 9 is the highest quality). In the same zone, AS+PT also suffered less overall winter damage than the other combinations and was less infected with microdochium patch than pure AS. In the southern zone, PT and especially LP were far more persistent than in the northern zone and compromised turfgrass quality compared with pure AS. In conclusion, we recommend PT as a nurse grass for faster establishment of AS putting in the northern zone, but not in the southern zone where AS should rather be seeded in a pure stand.

Abstract

Denne rapporten gir resultater fra første år i prosjektet ‘ROBO-GOLF: Bedre gresskvalitet, redusert gjødselkostnad og mindre bruk av fossil energi ved bruk av robotklipper på fairway og semi-rough’ I arbeidspakke (WP) 1 ble forsøk med sammenlikning av robotklipper og manuell klipper (sylinder-klipper på fairway, 15 mm klippehøyde; rotorklipper på semi-rough, 35 mm klippehøyde) til ulike grasarter anlagt på NIBIO Landvik i 2020. Foreløpige resultater fra perioden 11.august - 30.oktober 2020 (etter at grasdekket var etablert) viste bedre helhetsinntrykk med robotklipping enn med manuell klipping på fairway, spesielt i engkvein (Agrostis capillaris) som ble mindre angrepet av mikrodochiumflekk. På semi-rough var derimot skuddtettheten mindre og bladbredden større, og engrapp (Poa pratensis) ble mer invadert av tunrapp og mer angrepet av rust ved robotklipping enn ved manuell klipping.

Abstract

This research aimed to determine if creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) can be used as an alternative to colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris L.) in a mixture with red fescue [equal rates of Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra ssp. commutata Gaud.) and slender creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra ssp. littoralis [G. Mey.] Auquier)] on Nordic golf greens managed without pesticides. The two mixtures were compared in two experiments: Experiment 1 under the creeping bentgrass management regime (mowing height, 3 mm; fertilization, 15 g N m−2 yr−1) and Experiment 2 under the red fescue management regime (5 mm and 10 g N m−2 yr−1) at three sites during 2015–2018. A seed mixture of red fescue and velvet bentgrass (Agrostis canina L.) was included in Experiment 2 only. The results showed that red fescue plus creeping bentgrass produced greens of equal turfgrass quality and with less Microdochium patch than red fescue plus colonial bentgrass under both regimes. In Experiment 2, red fescue plus velvet bentgrass resulted in higher turfgrass quality than the other mixtures but was more susceptible to Microdochium patch than red fescue plus creeping bentgrass. Tiller counts in the mixed plots at Landvik showed that red fescue was not outcompeted by bentgrass in any of the mixtures and that it was easier to manipulate the balance between red fescue and bentgrass in the mixture with creeping bentgrass than that with colonial bentgrass. More research should be put into optimal management, especially irrigation and thatch control, of mixed red fescue–bentgrass greens.