Schedule:
7:30 AM Registration Opens 
8:45 AM Opening Comments
9:00 AM Morning research tours begin
12:00 PM Catered lunch by Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe
1:00 PM Afternoon workshops/field tours begin
3:00 PM Afternoon workshops/field tours conclude
5 MDARD pesticide recertification credits available.
3 credits available for 3A, 6, or Comm. Core for the morning tour. 2 credits available for 3A, 6, or Comm. Core for the afternoon diagnostic tours.
Morning Research Tours
There are separate tours for Golf and Lawn Care/Grounds/Athletic Fields. Each tour will have 6 stops of 30 minutes in length.
Golf Research Tour (3 MDARD pest. recert credits)
Topics/Stops include:
Managing diseases on golf courses
Turfgrass abiotic stress
Cultural & mechanical methods for controlling organic matter
Putting green renovation practices
Insect control recommendations
Phosphorus deficiency research
Lawn Care/Grounds/Athletic Field Tour (3 MDARD pest. recert credits)
Topics/Stops include:
Disease management
Spring post emergence broadleaf weed control
Grub control recommendations
Crabgrass control recommendations
Soil testing, P limits, and potentail P deficiencies
Species and cultivar evaluations
Afternoon Workshops/Tours
1. Weed Walk (2 MDARD pest. recert credits)
As the weed walk enters it’s 17th year, the summer of 2017
has produced another bumper crop of weeds infesting turf. Aaron Hathaway 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)
The turf pathology research team will lead this diagnostic
tour for pathogens. 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. Insect Walk (2 MDARD pest. recert credits)
Proper insect management demands proper identification of damage and the insect. Join MSU entomologist Dr. David Smitley for an insect diagnostics walking tour of the MSU campus. During the tour various ornamental and turfgrass insect damage symptoms will be observed and cultural and insecticide management options will be discussed.
4. Athletic Field Tour (2 MDARD pest. recert credits)
Torrential rains this spring flooded the MSU soccer, baseball, and softball complexes resulting in turf loss. The fields were established beginning in May and by field day should be ready for play. Discussion will include different establishment techniques used, herbicide recommendations for establishment during summer, and fertilizer programs to hasten establishment.