Each month two speakers presenting as part of SFMA’s 2021 Virtual Conference will be featured. Don’t miss the educational opportunities we are offering you and your staff!
Dr. Bryan Hopkins is a Professor at Brigham Young University, Dr. Neil Hansen is a Professor at Brigham Young University and Dr. Colin Campbell is a Senior Research Scientist at Meter Group. On Tuesday, January 6, they will be presenting “Irrigation: Grass Health, Surface Quality, and Sustainability.”
This presentation will provide an overview of irrigation principles and management with an in-depth discussion of sophisticated, cutting-edge technologies available to better manage turfgrass for improved health to provide functional surfaces while conserving water and other inputs.
Attendees will be provided:
– An overview of basic, proven soil and water management principles.
– A discussion of advanced topics of sophisticated technologies available for improved water management.
– A case study review to help attendees see clearly how these principles and technologies can make an immediate impact on their own fields.
Brad Park is a Research and Outreach Agronomist at Rutgers University. On Tuesday, January 12, he will be presenting “Establishing Cool-Season Turfgrasses From Seed: What Went Right and Wrong?”
Poor turfgrass cover following seeding is often a result of poor decisions made during the establishment process. Turfgrass selection, soil preparation procedures, and seeding timing, rate, and method, and post-seeding fertilization and weed control are factors that strongly affect establishment success. This presentation will describe case studies concerning the establishment of cool season turfgrass research trials and sports fields in non-research settings. Successful and non-successful case studies will be presented with attention paid to the underlying reasons for success or failure.
Objectives for this session:
– The attendee will be provided background on the speed in which Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass establish from seed and how factors such as soil preparation, seeding timing, seeding methods, and post-seeding fertilization and weed control affect turfgrass establishment.
– National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) trials are frequently established at University turfgrass research institutions. The attendee will be presented with case studies emphasizing successful establishment of cool-season turfgrass variety trials at Rutgers University.
– Examples of successful and unsuccessful sports field establishment will be presented to attendees; the underlying reasons for success or a lack of success will be highlighted.
