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Best Management Practices for the Sports Field Manager: A Professional Guide for Sports Field Management serves as a comprehensive compilation of environmental best practices for SFMA members and non-members, equipping them with the tools and resources to document solid environmental practices for legislators, regulators, employers and community constituents. Not only do the BMPs show environmental responsibility, but they can also be utilized for a variety of other purposes:

• Is your supervisor having difficulty understanding why you need to purchase seed, fertilizer, pest control products, or equipment to maintain a safe sports field for athletes? For example, the Nutrient Management chapter provides much more than just recommended timing and rates for fertilizer applications. The chapter delves into primary and secondary macronutrients, as well as the micronutrients and their importance for plant health. It goes on with instruction on how to predict/identify nutrient deficiencies and the different fertilizer types that may be most appropriate for your situation. Nutrient application programs and strategies provides important information for how to optimize nutrient delivery. The chapter concludes with application equipment calibration to eliminate waste.
• Are parent groups concerned with the application of pesticides? The Pesticide Management chapter outlines Federal Regulatory Considerations to give users an idea of how pesticides are approved for use.  The chapter also covers various safety measures including limiting exposure, equipment and calibration, storage, product mixing and washing, container management and spill response. Additional responsible pest management can be found in the Integrated Pest Management chapter. The IPM approach considers all strategies to reduce pest damage to manageable and acceptable levels in the most economical way, while simultaneously considering potential impacts on humans, property, and the environment. On sports fields, these programs involve a variety of agronomic practices as well as chemical applications in situations where other means have been exhausted or deemed ineffective. Use this chapter to show how you are identifying and monitoring pests and determining threshold levels and control methods.
• Are you looking for a study resource to prepare for the CSFM exam? Mike Andresen, CSFM says “The document is one of the best turfgrass maintenance documents I’ve ever read!  I wish this was available as a study guide years ago when I was preparing to take the CSFM exam.  It is comprehensive, insightful and exceedingly thought provoking.  Perfect resource manual for progressive Sports Field Managers and administrators, new and seasoned!” The CSFM exam consists of 4 sections – Agronomics, Pest Management, Administration, and Sports Specific.  The BMP Guide contains extensive information on Agronomics including field design and construction, soil and water management, turfgrass selection and cultural practices. The BMPs cover IPM practices and controlling weeds, insects and diseases, which apply to the Pest Management section.  The BMPs can also be applied towards the sports specific competency regarding field playability, appearance, repairs, softball/baseball skin management and maintenance, and synthetic turf.

Access Best Management Practices for the Sports Field Manager: A Professional Guide for Sports Field Management here.