Turfgrass Culture, 1995 Hour Exam #2

Score ______________ / 100

Hour Exam #2

Student's name ________________________________________

ORH 3222C - Turfgrass Culture 30 October 1995

(return to Turf Home or Old Exams)

Multiple choice. (24 pts.)

Please read these carefully. Only one response correctly answers the question, or completes the statement. Circle the corresponding letter (a, b, c, d, or e).

1. Which of the following is not a plant nutrient?

a. nitrogen (N)

b. aluminum (Al)

c. iron (Fe)

d. boron (B)

e. copper (Cu)

2. Interveinal chlorosis (minutely yellowish-striped leaves) is a symptom of:

a. nitrogen deficiency

b. iron deficiency

c. sulfur deficiency

d. phosphorus deficiency

e. all of the above

3. When world energy (e.g., petroleum) increases in price, one of the first turf inputs which also increases in price is:

a. equipment

b. fertilizer

c. labor

d. service company fees

e. sod

4. What coefficient of uniformity would be considered adequate for an irrigation system?

a. 99%

b. 90%

c. 80%

d. 50%

e. 25%

5. A city is trying to bring a golf course back into making a profit. Unfortunately, many play days are lost due to standing rainwater on the fairways. As a consultant advising the city, you would recommend:

a. verticut more often

b. aerify more often

c. install drain tiles

d. play through; grass can take the traffic

e. recommend a different turfgrass species

6. A community college is planning to have students park on the grass to handle overflow cars. Which practice will do nothing to help alleviate the problems that you might expect, in fact, is most likely to make the problems worse?

a. irrigate early the morning

b. topdress with a fine, organic topsoil

c. prevent vehicles from making sharp turns

d. ignore the need for assigned parking

e. reconstruct the area with drainage tiles

7. In class, which was not considered as a reason for vehicular turf?

a. flexibility in future use

b. infiltration

c. natural air conditioning

d. ambience (i.e., an enjoyable mood)

e. less expensive than asphalt

8. Which source of nitrogen is both organic and synthetic?

a. milorganite

b. ammonium sulfate

c. urea

d. ammonium nitrate

e. vampire bat guano

9. In class we observed that coarse soil particles, i.e., sand, fall faster in water than fine particles, i.e., silt and clay. This demonstrates that:

a. light sandy soils tend to dry out more than heavy clay soils

b. coarse particles are heavier than fine particles

c. coarse soils do not shrink and swell

d. coarse soil particles are not different from fine soil particles

e. coarse particles have a lower surface area to volume ratio

10. What is the biggest economic sector of the turfgrass industry in Florida?

a. sod production

b. golf courses

c. home lawns

d. highways, parks, and other nonprofit public areas

e. apartments and condominiums

11. How many jobs does the turf industry contribute to the Florida economy?

a. between 5,000 and 10,000

b. between 10,000 and 50,000

c. between 50,000 and 100,000

d. between 100,000 and 200,000

e. between 200,000 and 300,000

12. The 1991-2 annual economic value of Florida's turf industry was about:

a. $1 billion

b. $3 billion

c. $5 billion

d. $7 billion

e. $9 billion

Short answer. (54 pts.)

13. To save money, a condominium association would like to have the grass cut once every 2 weeks, instead of every 10 days. Explain why that would be a bad idea, especially in the summer (give 2 reasons): (4 pts)

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14. Mention an advantage and a disadvantage for hydroseeding: (4 pts.)

Advantage _________________________________________________________

Disadvantage ______________________________________________________

15. Name three unsafe mowing practices: (6 pts.)

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16. Glyphosate (trademark, Roundup) is often sprayed onto turf areas being renovated. Why must an area sprayed be left undisturbed for 1 to 2 weeks after application?

(2 pts.)

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17. What turfgrass maintenance activity, when over-done, most severely amplifies the need for other maintenance expenses? (2 pts.)

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18. What is generally recognized to be the best type of soil for athletic playing fields and golf courses? (2 pts.)

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19. For your answer in the last question, why? (2 pts.)

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20. In the list of seven steps for turf establishment, there were two steps involving soil preparation. Why not one step? (2 pts.)

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21. Mention an advantage and a disadvantage for using ground cover as a substitute for turfgrass: (4 pts.)

Advantage _________________________________________________________

Disadvantage ______________________________________________________

22. Which feature of soil contributes directly to aeration (not sand, silt, or clay)?

(2 pts.)

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23. Give three advantages (at least one of which is environmental) for clustering trees and turf areas into ecological zones, or groupings (instead of a uniformly scattering trees among the turf): (6 pts.)

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24. In following the United States Golf Association (USGA) specification for greens construction, what is the desirable consequence of having an abrupt particle size transition (sandy root zone over pea gravel)? Why? (2 pts.)

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25. Why should the turf manager be cautious, maybe even avoid, summer fertilization of St. Augustinegrass lawns (2 reasons)? (4 pts.)

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26. List the effects of mowing on turfgrass. Make sure to include beneficial and detrimental effects. Make sure to mention immediate, short-term effects as well as long-term community effects. List at least six effects. (12 pts.)

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Conversion problems. (10 pts.)

Set up the problem, based on what's given and what's asked for, multiply by the necessary identities, and convert the units of measurement by cancelling. Do not do any arithmetic. You will not be graded on the answer, only on the setup and conversion.

27. One 50 pound bag of Milorganite (6-2-0) was applied to a 2000 square foot lawn. What would be the rate of application, in pounds phosphorus (P) per thousand square feet?

28. A turf manager wants to apply a 16-4-8 fertilizer at the rate of 1 pound of N per thousand square feet. How many pounds of fertilizer should be applied to a 5000 square foot lawn?

Discussion (12 pts.)

29. You want to advise the National Park Service on the best way of providing turfgrass on the nation's mall. It is a difficult problem, because foot traffic and events tend to destroy what little turf there is. Outline a renovation and management plan to improve the area and maintain it in a green condition. In listing different steps or practices, mention the reasons. Remember, you are trying to convince an agency that is running on limited funds.

I. Renovation plan (list of most important steps and their reasons):

II. Maintenance plan (list of most important practices, and their reasons):