2021 Turfgrass Field Day
Wednesday, August 11th

Schedule:

7:30 AM Registration Opens 

8:45 AM Opening Comments

9:00 AM Morning research tours begin

11:00 AM Catered lunch by Gravity Smokehouse and BBQ 

12:00 PM Afternoon workshops/field tours begin

2:00 PM Afternoon workshops/field tours conclude

4 MDARD pesticide recertification credits available.

2 credits for 3A, 6, or Comm. Core for the morning tour and

2 credits for 3A, 6, or Comm. Core for the afternoon tours. 

Morning Research Tours 

Note:  There are separate tours for Golf and Lawn Care/Grounds/Athletic Fields. 

Golf Research Tour

(2 MDARD pest. re-certification credits; .20 GCSAA Education pts)

Topics/Stops include:

•  Disease management strategies for golf turf – Dr. Joe Vargas, Jr. and his research team will discuss fungicide and cultural practice recommendations for controlling dollar spot, crown rot anthracnose, foliar anthracnose, brown patch, and summer stress syndrome.
• Effects of different soil testing interpretation philosophies on turfgrass performance – Jackie Guevara and Dr. Kevin Frank will discuss how different soil testing philosophies affect nutrient rate recommendations, turfgrass performance, and soil nutrient concentrations.
• Cold acclimation, winterkill, and ice encasement – Dr. Emily Merewitz and her research team will discuss the most recent research efforts to understand the factors that cause winterkill from ice encasement and how plant growth regulators and fungicides might mitigate winterkill.
• Golf ball reaction and soil strength study – Dr. Trey Rogers’ research team will discuss research to determine golf ball reaction from simulated inbound golf shots on various rootzone mixtures, turfgrass species and mowing heights.
• Herbicide and plant growth regulators research – Dr. Thom Nikolai will present research on burn down herbicides, PGRs for annual bluegrass control on greens and fairways, and PGRs impact on green speed.  
• Changes in Japanese beetle damage on golf courses in Michigan – Dr. David Smitley will discuss Japanese beetle damage, cultural and insecticide recommendations for golf courses.

Lawn Care/Grounds/Athletic Field Tour (2 MDARD pest. recert credits)

Topics/Stops include:

• Changes in distribution of Japanese beetle and European chafer damage to lawns in Michigan – Dr. David Smitley will discuss insecticide and cultural control options for European chafer and Japanese beetle throughout Michigan.
• Weed control strategies for lawns and athletic fields – Dr. Thom Nikolai will pre and postemergence crabgrass control, postemergence broadleaf weed control, burn down herbicide options, and non-pesticide control of crabgrass.
• Fertilizer programming, nutrient fate, and Kentucky bluegrass cultivar evaluations – Dr. Kevin Frank will lead discussion on turfgrass fertilization programs, potential water quality risks from applications, and the NTEP Kentucky bluegrass test, and A-LIST Kentucky bluegrass test.
• Identification and management of lawn grass diseases - Dr. Joe Vargas, Jr. and his research team will discuss common lawn diseases such as red thread, dollar spot, rust, and brown patch. Fungicide recommendations and the effect of cultural practices such as irrigation and cultivation will be discussed.

Afternoon Workshops/Tours

1. Weed Walk (2 MDARD pest. recert credits; .20 GCSAA Education pts) limited to 60 registrants

As the weed walk enters its 22nd year, the summer of 2021 has produced another bumper crop of weeds infesting turf. Dr. Thom Nikolai will lead the tour of the turf center and teach identification characteristics of the common turf weeds and the best control practices. Tour will include discussion of best management practices both with and without herbicides to ensure high turfgrass quality and most importantly customer satisfaction. 

 

2. Disease Walk (primarily golf turf diseases) (2 MDARD pest. recert credits; .20 GCSAA Education pts) Note: Limited to 60 registrants

Dr. Vargas and and the turf pathology research team will lead this diagnostic tour for pathogens at the turf center.   If you have difficulty distinguishing between Laetisaria fuciformis and Limnomyces roseipellis on your golf course you definitely need to attend this workshop.  Participants will learn:

• 1)    How to identify the common turfgrass diseases using both in-field techniques and microscopes
• 2)    Management options for common diseases including: dollar spot, brown patch, crown-rotting anthracnose, red thread, and pythium blight and root-rot.
• 3)    How to recognize the symptoms of summer decline of both bentgrass and Poa annua

3. Dean and Marilyn Look MSU Golf Training Grounds  (2 MDARD pest. recert credits) limited to 50 registrants 

The Dean and Marilyn Look Training Grounds was recently constructed and established adjacent to the Forest Akers West golf course. Designed by Golf Architects  Paul Albanese & Chris Lutzke , it will serve as the practice area for the MSU Men and Women’s golf teams. Come take a tour of the new facility to learn about turfgrass selection and establishment protocols and the architectural design with Ron Lewis, Dr. Trey Rogers, and Paul Albanese.