Love Letters to Lexicon
Simply indispensable? Superintendents were asked which BASF product they couldn’t live without, and the results revealed that quite a few have an emotional attachment to Lexicon® Intrinsic® brand fungicide. We talked to some smitten supers to find out why.
By Pat Jones
What’s the difference between liking a product and loving a product?
I recently partnered with BASF to conduct a new Flagstick Index survey about a range of industry topics from work/life balance to non-traditional labor solutions. About 220 supers replied with amazing insights.
One result that jumped out – yet should have surprised no one – was the response to this simple question: “If you could only keep one BASF product, which would it be?”
In short, which one product is indispensable?
Here’s how the responses to that question look as a word cloud, where biggest is best:
Yup, Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide is the clear “desert island” product of choice from the BASF lineup.
The verbatim responses were strong:
“Lexicon. Multi-functional tool that can be used during all seasons even during dormancy. That being said, this isn't a fair question as I would keep Lexicon along with Honor, Navicon, and Maxtima on my shelves at all times since they are the MVP's of our program of success."
“Tough choice, we love Lexicon and Navicon, but I'd say Lexicon for a wide of array of diseases covered, Intrinsic plant health benefits, ease of application, and long interval."
“Lexicon. Bulletproof control in the toughest of conditions here in northern Indiana on Poa greens."
“LEXICON, LEXICON and LEXICON. If there was a silver bullet of fungicides, Lexicon would be it."
“Lexicon Intrinsic: the broad spectrum, longer residual and plant health improvement of it make it a mainstay of my fungicide program."
But there were plenty of opinions and strong feelings about which BASF product superintendents love most. Insignia® SC Intrinsic brand fungicide, Maxtima® fungicide, and Navicon® Intrinsic brand fungicide also received love in the study.
“Navicon is a key component of our pre-tournament fungicide program, providing broad-spectrum control of many diseases, but excellent control of Take-All Root Rot and pythium spp right as we enter our fall season - which happens to be when we host our Tour event and are stressing the greens the most.”
“Maxtima. No DMI issues in summer, broad spectrum control, cost is good. Insignia would be a close second for its broad-spectrum control, but for cost, Maxtima is my first choice."
“Insignia…it’s just the best.”
But it was Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide that evoked the most emphatic – even emotional – responses, so I reached out to ask a few supers who are Lexicon fans to find out why it’s indispensable for them.
Valuable investment
How strongly does Jason Struss, Superintendent at Ramsey G&CC in New Jersey, feel about Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide? “It’s the first thing I select in EOP. For my greens, I don’t mess around. None of this bargain-brand stuff. I go right to the top shelf. I throw fast balls. I’m not trying to throw curveballs. I need action. I can’t deal with things not doing what they’re supposed to do. I don’t have time for that.”
Struss then gets excited describing when he sprays his Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide tank mix: “They get this look…it’s like a satin color. There’s no real shine and they start rolling out. I love it.”
He does four applications on a schedule he’s customized for his course’s needs. In the spring, he aerifies and loads the Lexicon in right afterwards to start clean. Then he does another Lexicon application prior to fall aerification. “The recovery is phenomenal,” he says, “and it seals me up for the rest of the season.”
Struss also sees the value of the investment. “There’s too much going on to worry about products that don’t deliver,” he says. “The greens have been money.”
The bottom line: “It makes my greens look sexy and I sleep like a baby at night. The plant health benefits are great, and the members love it.”
He’s a “con” man
Mike Mueller oversees a busy public operation at Herndon, Virginia’s Centennial Golf Course. He’s both superintendent and GM of the enterprise-funded facility in the steamy DC area, so where does Lexicon fit in that agronomic and economic equation?
“I told my BASF rep, I’m a ‘con’ man. I love the Lexi and I love the Navi,” laughs Mueller.
“Seriously, I’ve just been so impressed with how the company has responded with some great products for us. They’re both really good products for us and the investment is smart.”
Like many highly effective supers, Mueller keeps close tabs on resistance issues and FRAC designations. “You have to make sure you’re rotating things accordingly and Lexicon and Navicon give us great flexibility on that.”
The transition zone is notoriously tough place to grow grass, so Mueller has to choose his tools wisely. “When you’re in the mid-Atlantic region trying to manage cool-season turfgrass in the transition zone, it’s never easy. But Lexicon gives you that sleep-at-night thing. It’s been a game-changer.”
“It’s important to know when you’re going into summer you’ve got some good tools in the toolbox. It’s a competitive market and we need to have a consistent course even with mowing heights going down a little every year. I can’t do that if I don’t have a good foundational product. Lexicon gives us that capability and the flexibility we’re looking for.”
Trip insurance
Ben Bouchard was a turf team volunteer for this year’s U.S. Open Championship and, when he got to Boston, he was asked how his course back home was doing. He replied, “It should be doing great because I just applied Lexicon.”
The superintendent at New Hampshire’s outstanding Sky Meadow CC considers Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide to be foundational for his program. “I do four applications a year and time them around big events when we need to make sure things are covered. It is definitely that product when you want that piece of mind. You know it’s going to hold up.”
Like many, Bouchard does a modified version of the BASF Holiday Spray Program. In his case, he works his schedule around big golf functions like a three-day member guest in mid-July. “I’ll also do a fairway spray of Navicon in addition to the Lexicon spray on greens for that week. It’s a tough, humid week.”
“I try to keep up on stuff and I mostly write my own program,” he says. The biggest thing is I also stay in close contact with the other turf guys in the area and we share information a lot during the day.”
So why does Lexicon matter to him? “It’s definitely insurance. I have a boat on the lake. I want to go away for a couple of days and use it, I know I can, and I won’t have to stress about disease. That’s why my Lexicon sprays are the foundation of my program.”
Rock solid
The fact that Paul Dotti’s members at Arcola Club expect the best drives his admiration for Lexicon. “It’s BASF so it’s rock-solid. When the pressure is at its highest, I want their products on my turf.”
He loves the reliability of Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide, but he also says it gives him so much flexibility in combination with Maxtima fungicide. “It’s my go-to spray…usually late June, then I follow it with mid-July Maxtima and then Lexicon again in early August.”
Dotti’s program evolved over the years from Honor Intrinsic brand fungicide and Insignia Intrinsic brand fungicide to today’s Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide and Maxtima fungicide. “We can’t afford any kind of break-throughs so it’s the perfect combination for us.”
What does Dotti think when he hears the word Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide? “Solid. Dependable. Sleep at night! In the dog days of summer, we’re going to go with the products we know we can rely on. That’s Lexicon for us.”
Trusted for nearly a decade
Why has Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide endured and created so many fans? Kyle Miller, BASF technical specialist, sums it up: “From its introduction back in 2013, supers have trusted Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide to be at the core of their disease spray program during the difficult summer months. They value the unmatched disease control and the protection they get at the toughest time of the year.”
Miller believes the BASF Holiday Spray Program cemented Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide’s reputation as a foundational product for spray programs. “Lexicon has never disappointed and, after nearly a decade, is still considered the ‘Cadillac’ spray. It’s the right choice when you only want the very best.”
