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March 13, 2015 CapitalPress.com 9 Turfgrass specialist makes lawns and sports fields greener By DENISE RUTTAN For the Capital Press On any given day Alec Kowalewski juggles quite a few plates. The mild-mannered turf- grass specialist for the Or- egon State University Ex- tension Service might teach undergraduate students about the principles of turf maintenance one day. An- other day, he might find him- self on an athletic field at a high school in Ontario train- ing groundskeepers how to better manage pests. On yet another day, he might work with master gardener train- ees on lawn care techniques. Kowalewski’s duties, however, have taken on a broader scope in addition to his extension work within the past year. “In the past, my extension work was focused on golf course turf management,” Kowalewski said. “But I felt I really needed to expand the program to get more students interested in under- graduate degrees in turfgrass management. I’ve expanded to include municipal, sports and residential turf.” This evolution brings Kowalewski full circle to his roots, so to speak. His Ph.D. thesis at Michigan State University focused on sports turf and extension. “I feel personally that turf management has three fac- ets to it,” Kowalewski said. “Turfgrass has to be pleasing to the eye. It has to function- al in things such as prevent- ing surface runoff. Thirdly, if we can’t figure out ways to develop turfgrass to make it playable for young people, then I feel we aren’t doing our job. There should be more game spaces for people to enjoy.” As part of that effort, he is working with OSU’s In- tegrated Plant Protection Center to reach out to public schools across the state on integrated pest management. From Ontario to Portland to Reedsport, in 11 training events a year, Kowalewski and the IPPC’s Tim Stock work with groundskeepers and school IPM coordina- tors. Stock teaches them about structural pests. Kow- alewski takes people out- side. Kowalewski first tells a group of about 20-30 of these adult students about practices like mowing, fertil- izing, and irrigating that will reduce the number of pesky bugs using fewer pesticides. Then the students take him out to their tracks and sports fields to tell him their par- ticular challenges with pests and turf management. “The biggest prob- lems I’ve seen are limited budgets, limited staff and grounds that have high use requirements,” Kowalewski said. Turn to TURF, Page 55 Courtesy of OSU Alec Kowalewski, Oregon State University’s turf specialist, reaches for a pot of creeping bentgrass at a greenhouse on the Corvallis campus. Bag needs? Bag solutions! SMITH PACKAGING YOUR MAIN SUPPLIER FOR: • Polyethylene Bags • Polypropylene Bags • Paper Bags • Bulk Bags • Stretch Films • Hay Sleeves • Mesh Produce Bags • Plastic Pallet Covers • Bag Closure Products • General Warehouse Supplies Competitive pricing! Great quality products! Service you expect and trust! Row Mulch Spreaders For All Growers Whatcom Manufacturing’s Mulch Spreaders are specifically engineered for fast, easy and precise mulch application. Whether it’s for moisture evaporation, weed control, amendments for enhancing soil tilth, the Whatcom Manufacturing Mulch Spreader saves time and money. Created with your needs in mind, they are available in multiple sizes with numerous options and features. They are built to accommodate all applications using mulch, sawdust shaving, manure, solids, gyspum, organic compost, wood chips, etc. NOW ALSO SERVING YOU IN EASTERN WASHINGTON! Call Ed Kropf: 509-936-2652 ed@smith-packaging.com Whatcom Manufacturing Inc. Lynden, WA 360-354-3094 www.whatcommfg.com whatcommfg@nas.com Halsey, Oregon 541-369-2850 www.smithpackagingservices.com S15--5/#24 S15-2/#5
