Divot Mix

Any idea that the upkeep of a course is a simple matter has probably by now been dissipated. -- Tom Simpson and H.N. Wethered

Nevada success story highlighted on Green Links

This month’s Green Links feature – Highlights from EDGE details how Nevada’s golf course superintendents got proactive when faced with drought induced water budgets by participating in the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s incentive programs.  The superintendents have helped the SNWA conserve more than 6 billion gallons of water per year.

Brian C. Bagwell, GCSAA Class A member at Sun City Summerlin, and Patrick Watson, CGCS, conservation services administrator for the SNWA, and tell their stories about this program on Green Links hosted by David Phipps, GCSAA Class A member at Stone Creek Golf Club in Oregon.

The EDGE is The Environmental Institute for Golf's online resource designed to provide the most current and accurate information related to golf and the environment. It provides information in a variety of critical areas including:

• Water Management
• Integrated Plant Management
• Wildlife Management
• Golf Course Siting, Design and Construction
• Energy and Waste Management

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Invention may allow plants to call for irrigation

Plants may soon provide information about when they need water and how much should be delivered, thanks to a University of Colorado at Boulder invention optioned to AgriHouse Inc., a Berthoud, Colo., high-tech company.

The technology includes a tiny sensor that can be clipped to plant leaves charting their moisture content, a key measure of water deficiency and accompanying stress, said research associate Hans-Dieter Seelig of CU-Boulder’s BioServe Space Technology Center. Data from the leaves could be sent wirelessly over the Internet to computers linked to irrigation equipment, ensuring timely watering, cutting down on excessive water and energy use and potentially saving farmers in Colorado millions of dollars per year, he said.

“We think this is an exciting technology, and the implications for the agriculture industry are enormous,” said Seelig.

Richard Stoner, AgriHouse founder and president, said existing technology like soil moisture sensors used to assess a crop’s water needs do not always provide an accurate picture of existing plant and field conditions. “What we are developing is a non-intrusive device that gently rests on the plants and lets them interface with the digital world,” he said. “Basically, this is a device that will allow plants to talk to humans and communicate their needs, like when to water and apply fertilizer.”

Less than one-tenth the size of a postage stamp, the sensor consists of an integrated-circuit chip that clips to individual plant leaves and collects and stores information, which can be wirelessly transmitted to selected computers.

 The researchers have been experimenting with cowpea, a legume, but believe the new leaf-sensor technology would be transferable to a variety of crops, including corn, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets and pinto beans. In the future, it might also be applicable to monitoring large swaths of urban grass like city parks.

“This device is very precise, and will allow a plant to receive just the right amount of water,” said Seelig. “If a plant can tell a water valve when to open and when to close, farmers are going to save a lot of money.” For more on the invention, visit http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2007/244.html.

World Golf Hall of Fame to open Solheim Cup exhibit

The World Golf Hall of Fame, with the support of Ping, the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour, is opening an exhibit on Aug. 17 that tells the story of women’s professional golf’s most prestigious team competition, the Solheim Cup.  

Titled “Pride, Passion, Patriotism: A Celebration of The Solheim Cup” the exhibit precedes the 2007 Solheim Cup, set for Sept. 14-16 at Halmstad Golf Club in Halmstad, Sweden.

“The Solheim family and all the Ping team are thrilled with the exhibit honoring the Solheim Cup and the competitors that have made the event the success that it is,” said John A. Solheim, chairman and CEO of Ping Inc.  “To have the World Golf Hall of Fame recognize this great competition, that is really very young, is something very special.”

On display from the Solheim family will be one of three original Solheim Cup trophies. Photos, video and additional memorabilia will be included in the display through a variety of sources, including Hall of Fame members, the LPGA, Ladies European Tour and Ping.  

With the commitment and vision of Hall of Fame member Karsten Solheim and his company, Ping, a new tradition in women’s professional golf began in 1990 with the creation of The Solheim Cup. The exhibit will feature an overview of the event and its early development, as well as stories of memorable moments from those who have been a part of this spirited competition since the beginning.

It will be the next special exhibit on display at the Hall of Fame, which currently is featuring “Gary Player: A Global Journey.” Opening on Nov. 12 will be “Jack Nicklaus: Golf’s Golden Bear."

For more information about the World Golf Hall of Fame, visit www.wgv.com.  

Peanuts studied as source of biodiesel fuel

According to the Agricultural Research Service, peanuts may be elbowing their way into the biodiesel fuel market and they are searching for economically feasible peanut varieties for that very purpose.

Agronomist Wilson Faircloth at the ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory at Dawson, Ga., and Daniel Geller, a collaborative engineer at the University of Georgia, are testing a peanut called Georganic. It's not suited to current commercial edible standards for peanuts, but is high in oil and has low production input costs.

Georganic—or similar varieties—will likely be the future of peanut biodiesel because it can be planted and grown with just one herbicide application for weed control, compared to the three to four applications typically sprayed during a growing season for edible peanuts. Additionally, these fuel peanuts are grown without fungicides, which are the greatest input cost in traditional peanut production.

Many old and new peanut varieties are being tested for field performance, and their oils are being analyzed for diesel performance characteristics. It has been found that high-oleic-acid peanuts—a quality desired for extended shelf life of food products—also make the best biodiesel fuel.

Today, soybean oil is the primary oil used in the United States for biodiesel fuel production. Soybeans produce approximately 50 gallons of fuel per acre, while traditionally grown peanuts can produce approximately 120 to 130 gallons of biodiesel fuel per acre.