Dr. Kurt Steinke is an Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Ecology in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Michigan State University. He joined the MSU Turfgrass Team from Texas A&M University, where he held a similar assistant professor faculty position since 2006. Dr. Steinke is a native of Illinois and received a B.S. in Soil Science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1999 while doing research in vegetable crop production. Attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he earned an M.S. in Horticulture (2002) studying turfgrass physiology and thereafter worked in the green industry before returning to the University of Wisconsin to obtain his Ph.D. in Horticulture and Soil Science in 2006. His dissertation research focused on environmental impacts of turfgrass ecosystems and stormwater management.

Dr. Steinke's research interests include evaluating the environmental impacts of turfgrass and urban ecosystems, managing phosphorus-enriched stormwater runoff, turfgrass environmental stress physiology and management, drought and water management including water quantity and quality issues, and evaluating new turfgrass species and varieties. He has completed a long-term ecological research study evaluating the effects of turfgrass and prairie buffer strips in reducing stormwater runoff and phosphorus loading. Other noteworthy projects include comparing water use between turfgrass and alternative types of urban vegetation and investigating the drought survival of warm-season turfgrass cultivars relative to induced municipal water restrictions. His work has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals.

MTF Proposed Turfgrass Research and Requests

Soil Moisture Depletion Patterns, Water Use, and Nutrient Fate on Creeping Bentgrasses for Sustainable Golf Course Putting Greens
Project Duration: 2009-2012
Will be seeking additional funding from Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program and Project GREEEN Collaborators: Frank, Nikolai, Crum

Careful water management of creeping bentgrass should be a top priority for turfgrass managers as water restrictions for amenity landscapes will soon even impact water-rich states such as Michigan. Traditional recommendations for irrigation have been to irrigate deeply and infrequently to promote deeper roots. Problems associated with frequent irrigation include increased disease occurrence, frequent algae formation, and thicker thatch layers. All of these can cause an increase in pesticide use and the need for additional cultural practices to reduce thatch and promote gas exchange.

The objectives of this study are to:

• quantify seasonal soil water depletion patterns between two cultivars of creeping bentgrass, and 
  
• assess the effects of irrigation scheduling strategies on nutrient leaching, water use, and performance of creeping
  bentgrass.

Eighteen irrigation zones will allow three irrigation treatments to be replicated three times across two cultivars.

Irrigation treatments will consist of:

• daily at 100% ET
• when soil moisture at a 2 inch soil depth is about 15%
• irrigation when soil moisture at a 6 inch soil depth is about 10%.

Irrigation amounts applied will recharge soil water volume to about 20% at the 6 inch depth. Wireless soil moisture sensors will be placed at soil depths of 2 and 6 inches within each irrigation treatment. Moisture sensors will be used to assess soil water depletion patterns and seasonal water use of creeping bentgrass. Creeping bentgrass performance will be assessed visually based on quality, density, disease incidence, and algae occurrence. Digital image analysis will also be used to assess density along with periodic destructive measurements of shoot density. Plot arrangement will also allow for a fertilizer variable to be implemented and quantified through leachate collection and analysis. The fertilizer variable will be able to be replicated within an irrigation treatment and between cultivars. The fertilizer variable will consist of either a low, medium, and high N input rate OR consist of a 100% slow, 100% quick , and 50/50 fast-slow N source.

Functional Qualities of Turfgrass within Urban Environments
Project Duration: 2009-2011
Funded in part by Scotts Company
Collaborators: Nikolai, Frank, Gasteyer (Sociology).

Dr. Nikolai has been the lead in organizing and securing funding from Scotts Co. for this project. We will attempt to quantify the environmental, social, and economic qualities of abandoned or
foreclosed turfgrass properties in Flint, MI. My specific role within the project will include contrasting runoff volumes and water qualities between different vegetational areas.

Research Reports

Exploring the Ecology Behind Springtime Turfgrass Transition

Oct 1, 2009
By: Cy Charles Fontanier, Kurt Steinke

Article in TurfGrass Trends Impact of annual and perennial ryegrass examined in process

In order to provide prime playing conditions throughout the winter, golf courses and sports fields in the southern United States frequently overseed warm-season turf with cool-season species such as annual and perennial ryegrass.  (continued)