April 2023 Greeting from MASFMA President
Hello MASFMA Members and Friends,
Spring is here! As we turn the corner into spring after a crazy “warm” winter, let’s hope there are no late frosts for those of us with bermudagrass fields. Keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to pull those grow covers if you have them. If not, don’t fret – the days are getting longer and the average temps are moving up, so while you may be set back by a late frost or freeze, your field should recover in a week or two. Spring pesticide applications will be happening this month (if not sooner), so check your soil temps. While soil temps have been up to 55 degrees, that cold snap back around March 19th may have pushed them down a little. Get your pre-emergent application out on those germinating weeds. Once those soil temps are consistent around 65 degrees later in April, look for a preventative Summer Patch application.
Exciting news from last month’s MASFMA Spring Education Event! We were fortunate to welcome the Maryland Secretary of Agriculture, Kevin Atticks, who shared his insight and answer our questions. He wants to set up a follow up lunch with MASFMA and the Maryland Turf Council to discuss the issues facing Sports Field Managers in the State of Maryland. More to come, stay tuned!
Our legislative partner, Richard Reinhard, has been keeping us updated on all the happenings in Maryland state politics, including the polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ban. This bill will be turned into a study since there are currently no test methods to detect PFAS levels. While lower PFAS would be a good thing, banning PFAS would be banning all pesticides simply because they are contained in plastic containers. At the Federal level, we have been working with Kevin Morris, the Executive Director of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP), to try and get more funding for “high input” athletic field turfgrass research. This would fund USDA grants given to universities to advance research on athletic field safety, and other athletic field research possibilities. Fingers crossed!
As we look forward, I hope to see all of you at the MASFMA Annual Field Day to be hosted at The Saint Paul's School on June 21st, 2023. Members and guests will have the opportunity to learn about the latest and greatest industry products and services, as well as participate in a friendly, competitive corn hole tournament. A light breakfast and lunch are included. As always, members are free! Click to register.
Have a great April!
Thank you,
Jason W. Bowers, CSFM
President, Mid-Atlantic SFMA
