Tools of our Trade

Another important tool that some superintendent's use is a compound microscope. A few posts back I mentioned a field microscope that will allow us to view certain diseases at 40X. A compound microscope fitted with the right lenses will allow us to view things from 40X all the way to 1,000X. Why is this important? Fungal organisms that attack turf have their own morphology, with some producing spores that can only be seen at 400X and microscopy is the only way to be 100% positive in identification. With the rising costs of fungicides and diseases being able to become resistant to fungicides we need to be right about the diseases that are attacking the turf. Below is a photo of our microscope, some of the essential tools that are required in viewing turfgrass pathogens and a couple of photos at of a disease called Anthracnose.

 

 

 

Acervuli of Anthracnose viewed at 100X

 

Conidia (Spores) produced by Acervuli viewed at 400X







Tools of our trade

As mentioned in an earlier post, Superintendent's use a lot of different tools while doing their jobs. The tool pictured here is a moisture meter. This tool allows us to check moisture levels at different areas of greens, tees and fairways. We use this mostly on greens. The way this tool works is it measures the volumetric water content of the given area. It is inserted into the ground and metal tines (not pictured) will transmit the moisture reading to the display screen.

Every course is going to assign different moisture levels, given the soil, grass types and expectations. At Metamora we try and keep a controlled average of 25% through our irrigation system, which gives you a firm and fast putting surface!

Tools of our trade

Golf Course Superintendents use a lot of different tools while doing their jobs. A tool that I like to use is a field microscope. This particular tool allows me to view grass plants at 40X. Certain plant diseases can only be properly identified with a microscope. The pictures below show what this tool looks like and what I can see while using it.




Anthracnose on an old Poa annua leaf

40X Field Microscope

The photo on the right shows black fruiting bodies called acervuli of the fungal disease anthracnose. Active acervuli produce fungal spores called Conidia that can only be viewed at 400X and a compound microscope is needed for that.