The new guy

GCI: Bret, share a little bit about your background and what agronomic expertise you bring to UPI and the golf turf industry?
Bret Corbett: A little bit about me and how I have gotten to this point. I am Bret Corbett. I was raised in the small rural town of Selma, North Carolina where my family has been farming for over 100 years. This is where I got my passion for farming and the outdoors. In high school and junior college I played baseball (shortstop and pitcher) before transferring to North Carolina State University where I received an undergrad degree in Crop Science with a concentration in Turfgrass Science. After undergrad, I began my Master’s Degree under Dr. Rick Brandenburg at North Carolina State University studying the biology of distribution of the Annual Bluegrass Weevil in western North Carolina. I think the advice and wisdom I received from Dr. Brandenburg and the experience from graduate school will add a lot of value to UPI and hopefully help Mark DelSantro and Beth Sears in growing the SPD brand. 

What do you see as some of the major agronomic challenges golf course superintendents will be facing this coming year?
This is a tough question. I worked on a few golf courses and had a couple internships at the Turf Research stations down in North Carolina, and I don’t know how these superintendents do it. They are maintaining beautiful golf courses in the most stressful conditions. I have the utmost respect for what these guys are able to accomplish year after year.  I could never be capable of doing what they do.  With the crazy winter and spring we’ve had, I wouldn’t be surprised if the weed and insect pressure is going to be late this year throwing off the timing for control.

I understand you spend some time studying the Annual Bluegrass Weevil (ABW). It’s been quite a thorn in superintendents sides and has been steadily migrating westward over recent years. What did you learn during your studies about ABW that turf managers may not know?
The infamous little weevil. Yes, I studied this pest for two years. My project was based in western, NC and I was based in Raleigh, NC.  There was a lot of traveling back and forth, driving almost 80,000 miles in 2 summers. It was a good experience and we discovered a lot about this weevil that we didn’t know. Before we started this project we only knew of a few courses where ABW were found in NC. At the end of the 2 years we had identified ABW on more than 30 courses. We also found this weevil on golf courses in other states where ABW have never been identified before.

I also understand you identified a new species of ABW? Please explain.
Not sure whether to say yes or no about identifying a new species. Since the first research on ABW there has been some misunderstanding in what species it really is. With the genus revision from Hyperodes to Listronotus in the 1980s and any taxonomic work stopping with Pat Vittum, it went to the back burner on what species this weevil really is. At NC State, we collected samples from courses in western, NC along with seven other states and one Canadian province and ran the first base pair genetic work for this insect. We found that all the samples collected were 100% identical; not a base pair out of place. From here, we collaborated with a taxonomist from the US Smithsonian. They confirmed that the weevil everyone has is indeed L. maculicollis the annual bluegrass weevil.

What may superintendents want to know about the UPI Solutions Program that could help them better manager their turf?
UPI is a manufacturer of Agri-Solutions used in basic Agriculture along with Turf and Ornamental markets.  We have steel in the ground and not a fly by night marketing company.  Over the past several years, we have become a global leader in the insecticide industry.  In our solutions program, not only will you be using a trusted product but we can combine the proper tools for the job without crossing boundaries as each will be from UPI as a single source. Lastly, if you use a UPI Solutions Program you will have someone that will stand behind these products.  That someone will be me, Bret Corbett.