UConn Turfgrass Field Day Program

1st University of Connecticut Turfgrass Field Day
Tuesday, July 22nd 2008, Plant Science Research Facility, Storrs, Connecticut

7:30am	Registration Opens
7:30am-8:30am	Visit with Exhibitors, Equipment Demonstrations, Silent Auction Opens
8:45am-9:00am	Welcoming Remarks
9:00am-12:00pm	Guided Tour of Research Plots*
	Variety Evaluations Fairway topdressing Low maintenance turfgrass Rolling and mowing of putting greens Disease and Weed Management Organic management for athletic fields Nitrogen use and monitoring for home lawns And Many More! Special Guest Speakers: PGRs and Biostimulants, Dr. Cale Bigelow, Purdue Nozzle technology, Dr. Mike Fidanza, Penn State
12:00pm-1:30pm	Lunch
1:00pm-3:00pm	Visit with Exhibitors, Equipment Demonstrations, Silent auction open
1:30pm-3:00pm	Afternoon guided tours and workshops*
	Disease Identification Walk Weed ID and Control Walk N and P Fertilization Strategies Evaluation of Field Performance Equipment Tour of UConn's Athletic Fields
3:00pm	Silent Auction Ends (See You In 2010!)

Program Details

Registration Opens (7:30am)
Upon arrival, please proceed to the registration booth across from the grass parking lot prior to proceeding to research plots and exhibitor areas. Preregistration is recommended to save both time and money.

The Chas C. Hart Seed Equipment Demonstration Area
(7:30am-8:30am)
Professional turfgrass equipment vendors will be demonstrating the use of their latest equipment in The Chas C. Hart Equipment Demonstration Area. Turfgrass managers will have the opportunity to see equipment evaluated on putting green, fairway, and athletic field turf. Equipment sponsors will provide equipment demonstrations in the morning and afternoon.

Featuring equipment demonstration by:

Opening Remarks (8:45am-9:00am)
Please join us as the College of Agriculture and Department of Plant Science Administration welcome you to the 1st UConn Turfgrass Field Day. Welcoming remarks will highlight the history of the program and the importance of the Turfgrass Industry to current programs at the University of Connecticut.

Scheduled Research Tours (9:00am-12:00pm)*
Groups will be divided into separate tours to view the latest research in the areas of of pest control, golf and sports turf management, lawn care and others will be presented. Each group will have the opportunity to see all of the talks. Specific research area include:

Evaluation of tall fescue for home lawns, creeping bentgrass for golf course fairways and Kentucky bluegrass for athletic fields.
Fairway topdressing programs
Low maintenance turfgrass species
Impact of rolling and mowing heights on putting green quality
Management of golf course diseases
Organic management practices for athletic fields
Nitrogen use and monitoring for home lawns
Selective removal of bentgrass from desirable turfgrass species
Biological control of white grubs in turf
Dollar spot management for golf courses
Take-all patch management

Special Guest Speakers:

Dr. Cale A. Bigelow, Assistant Professor, Purdue University
Interaction among biostimulants and plant growth regulators on golf course putting greens

Dr. Bigelow will discuss a collaborative research project with the University of Connecticut investigating the interaction of various biostimulants and plant growth regulators. Results on the overall turfgrass quality as well as clipping yields and heights will be discussed.

Dr. Michael A. Fidanza, Associate Professor, The Pennsylvania State University
Selecting proper nozzles to improve disease control

Dr. Fidanza will discuss the results of a three year collaborative research project with the University of Connecticut. Hand's on demonstration of nozzle spray patterns and the influence on disease control will be discussed. Specific discussions will include the impact of nozzle on such diseases as dollar spot, brown patch and anthracnose basal rot.

Lunch (12:00pm-1:30pm)
While we know that everyone comes to see the research, it doesn't hurt to be treated to a nice lunch while you are here. Join us for a catered barbeque with a full complimentation of side dishes and desserts. We promise you won't go home hungry!

After Lunch Activities
Following lunch, take the opportunity to visit with the exhibitors and thank them for their participation in helping to make this event a success. Equipment demonstrations will continue to provide managers one more look at the latest equipment available from the various professional turf equipment manufactures. Use this time to spend additional time evaluating signed research plots not included on the walking tour.

Silent Auction
This year's silent auction is a great opportunity to show your support for Turfgrass Research at the University of Connecticut. Proceeds from the Silent Auction will ensure continued research results that will immediately improve your ability to manage turf. Stop by the tent to bid on a variety of items including: rounds of golf at regional courses; turfgrass management products; turfgrass seed; UConn sports memorabilia; and more. To donate items for the auction or to find out what we will have up for bid click here.

Afternoon Workshops (1:30pm-3:00pm)

Disease Identification Walking Tour, John Kaminski, Ph.D.
The first step in managing turfgrass diseases is proper identification. While not all turfgrass diseases can be positively identified in the field, potential disease agents can often be narrowed down to a select few by looking for the proper symptoms and signs. This walking tour will show field examples of common turfgrass diseases found under varying management regimes and also provide insight in to proper cultural and chemical management strategies of each.

Weed Identification Walking Tour, Steven Rackliffe, CGCS.
The first step in managing turfgrass weeds is proper identification. This walking tour will focus on identifying various weeds that may invade turfgrass stands and the conditions that favor their growth. Cultural and chemical management strategies will also be discussed.

Nitrogen and Phosphorous Fertilization Management For Turf, Karl Guillard, ph.D.
Current fertilization of turf is typically based on a set rate applied 2 to 4 times or more across the growing season. This approach ignores available nutrients already present to the turf, and increases the probability of over-application that can result in runoff or leaching losses. This workshop will discuss the use of objective testing to guide N and P fertilization. Fertilization management guided by objective tests have less potential to cause pollution than non-objective management methods.

Developing Playing Quality Standards for Athletic Field Performance, William (Bill) Dest Ph.D.
Setting standards for playing surfaces can improve player performance and result in a safe playing surface. Test equipment to measure the attributes of athletic field playing surfaces will be shown and hot it is used in developing playing standards for sports surfaces. Also a means to visually assess sports surfaces will be demonstrated as a guide to managing good quality playing fields.

Tour of UConn's Athletic Fields, Jason Henderson, Ph.D. (Limited Space Available ).
The University of Connecticut currently has approximately 650 student-athletes participating in 24 sports. Many of these sports require high quality athletic fields for intercollegiate and intramural competition. Get a first hand look at the UConn athletic fields located on the Storrs campus. Take this opportunity to interact with Casey Erven, Head of Athletic Grounds, to see how these fields are prepared for Division I level competition day in and day out.

*New York, New England, and GCSAA certification and pesticide credits pending.