As 2021 comes to a close, now is a great time to look back on the key takeaways from the year, and plan to use what worked in the new year. Throughout the year, Syngenta partnered with Golf Course Industry, Golf Course Management and Golfdom magazines to showcase different research and experiences of various professionals in the turf industry. You can read some of their stories below.

Q&A with Lane Tredway, Ph.D., on Action brands

Golf Course Industry, April 2021

Action™ brand fungicides, including Secure^® Action, Daconil^® Action and Heritage^® Action, boost turf’s natural defenses to certain diseases and abiotic stresses like heat and drought. The “Action” indicates the addition of acibenzolar-S-methyl, which has a unique mode of action to trigger this increased protection and is the only active ingredient that belongs to FRAC Group P1.

They enhance the plant’s defense against disease through a process called Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR). This sends a signal throughout the plant to increase production of enzymes (PR proteins) that actively defend against invading pathogens. Through this process, Action products improve turf’s protection against several important diseases including anthracnose, dollar spot, Pythium blight and bacterial wilt.

Action products have many other physiological benefits that help to create a healthier, more vigorous turf. First, they enable the plant to better regulate their stomata, preventing uncontrolled water loss during periods of hot and dry weather. They also increase the production of proteins like dehydrins and heat shock proteins that protect plant cells from heat and drought stress. And finally, they increase production of enzymes involved in photosynthesis (RUBISCO and ATP synthase) to generate more energy for protection and recovery from the many stresses imposed on golf course turfgrasses including from aerification.

Read more about how the Action brands work to protect your turf.

Women in turf shine at 2021 U.S. Women’s Open

Golf Course Management, June 2021

It’s dark, drizzly and a tad soupy early on Wednesday, June 2. As the song goes, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, and while that reference isn’t to 5 in the morning, for Lora Beth West, anytime she can hop behind the wheel of a fairway mower at a historic venue like San Francisco’s The Olympic Club is a happy hour.

You see, these opportunities don’t come along that often, and West and other women in turf are making golf industry history this week at the 76th U.S. Women’s Open. Twenty-nine women make up roughly half of the volunteer grounds crew for Olympic Club director of golf maintenance Troy Flanagan, a 27-year GCSAA member who first hatched the idea to organize a women-in-turf volunteer force a couple of years ago.

Read more about how Troy Flanagan partnered with Syngenta to create this awesome opportunity for education and networking among women in the turf industry.

(Chinch) bugging out

Golfdom, March 2021

Chinch bug damage in the southern U.S. was long thought to be a severe problem in mostly St. Augustinegrass and zoysiagrass, but ask Jim Kilgore, golf course superintendent at The Dye Preserve in Jupiter, Fla., and he’ll tell you that these critters aren’t quite so picky.

“I have more damage in my Celebration Bermudagrass fairways and rough than in my St. Augustine (rough) right now,” Kilgore says. He says the end of July and August and the early fall are when chinch bug damage is at its worst.

Read more about how Jim Kilgore tackles difficult chinch bug infestations.

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© 2021 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties and/or may have state-specific use requirements. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration and proper use. Action™, Daconil^®, GreenCast^®, Heritage^® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Secure^® is a registered trademark of Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, LTD. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.