CFB Turf & Surface Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When aerifying with hollow tines on a natural grass field, what happens to the extracted soil cores?
- They are immediately watered back into the holes
- They are removed or broken up and dragged back in (Correct answer)
- They are left intact to decompose over the season
- They are collected and composted off-site only
Correct answer: They are removed or broken up and dragged back in
Cores are typically broken up with a drag mat and worked back into the surface or removed entirely, depending on thatch management goals.
Question 2: What is the main advantage of using a sand-based root zone over a native soil field?
- Lower construction cost
- Improved drainage and reduced compaction (Correct answer)
- Higher nutrient-holding capacity
- Easier overseeding in fall
Correct answer: Improved drainage and reduced compaction
Sand-based root zones drain rapidly and resist compaction, allowing fields to be used sooner after rainfall.
Question 3: Which irrigation scheduling method uses real-time weather data to replace only the water lost to evapotranspiration?
- Calendar-based scheduling
- ET-based scheduling (Correct answer)
- Soil tension scheduling
- Visual wilt-based scheduling
Correct answer: ET-based scheduling
ET-based scheduling uses evapotranspiration data from weather stations to apply only the water the turf consumed, improving efficiency.
Question 4: A field is showing circular brown patches with a dark border after rainy weather. What is the most likely cause?
- Drought stress
- Dollar spot disease
- Brown patch (Rhizoctonia) disease (Correct answer)
- Grub damage
Correct answer: Brown patch (Rhizoctonia) disease
Brown patch caused by Rhizoctonia solani produces circular, tan-to-brown patches with a dark smoke ring border under warm, humid conditions.
Question 5: What is the purpose of overseeding a warm-season field with perennial ryegrass in the fall?
- To permanently replace the bermudagrass
- To provide winter color and playing surface while bermuda is dormant (Correct answer)
- To reduce the need for fertilization over winter
- To suppress weed growth in early spring
Correct answer: To provide winter color and playing surface while bermuda is dormant
Perennial ryegrass is overseeded into dormant bermuda to maintain a playable, green surface through winter months.
Question 6: What does a 'complete fertilizer' designation mean on a product label?
- It contains all 17 essential plant nutrients
- It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K) (Correct answer)
- It has slow-release nitrogen only
- It is pre-mixed with a pesticide
Correct answer: It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K)
A complete fertilizer contains all three primary macronutrients—nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—listed as the N-P-K ratio.
Question 7: Which renovation technique uses vertical blades to slice through thatch and loosen the soil surface without removing material?
- Core aerification
- Verticutting (vertical mowing) (Correct answer)
- Slit seeding
- Scarification with a flail mower
Correct answer: Verticutting (vertical mowing)
Verticutting uses vertically spinning blades to cut through thatch and mat, thinning it without extracting cores.
CFB Turf & Surface Management 3
When aerifying with hollow tines on a natural grass field, what happens to the extracted soil cores?