Preview of Coming Attractions:

2021 ATA Road Shows Go Virtual

The ATA Board reluctantly made the decision to host the Road Shows virtually in 2021. There were considerable issues in confirming venues that would accommodate our numbers with social distancing, and also in our university lecturers being able to travel in accordance with university policies. We will most likely offer two different weeks of offering the entire Road Show program in two hour segments each day. Pesticide points will be available. More information will be provided when the virtual schedule is decided.

We are all anxious to meet again in person and we are hoping by March we can accomplish this with the Lawn and Landscape Workshop. Until then, we will gather through Zoom!

AU Turfgrass Research Update

Auburn University Turf Team

The 2020 AU Turfgrass Research Field Day was canceled, but you haven't missed any of the results if you attend this presentation. You will be given a condensed review of the research conducted by the researchers from each team. Every turf professional will benefit from this update!

Setting Up Turf Tech Training For Your Organization

John Nabors, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

What training does your staff need, especially your new employees? What does your training program look like? What topics need to be covered and how often? What are some resources to help you? This presentation will cover the types of topics you would want your turfgrass maintenance workforce to know, understand and recognize — Turfgrass Management to Operations to your Safety Program! Learn some takeaways to implement today!

How To Control Common Nuisance Pests

Fudd Graham, PhD, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

This session will provide an overview of some of the more common pests we all encounter while maintaining turfgrass and landscapes, especially when their numbers explode. Pests discussed include: Mosquitoes; Ticks, Yellow Jackets and Carpenter Bees.

Update on Poa Annua Resistance

Scott McElroy, PhD, Auburn University

Sometimes Annual bluegrass is not an annual and what's worse, sometimes it's resistant to herbicides! We've all heard, and some of us have dealt with, resistant Poa annua. What do we do? Dr. McElroy has been collecting samples of resistant Poa for several years and this talk will discuss what he and his team have learned from samples collected across Alabama and the Southeast as part of a multi-state USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative Grant focused on annual bluegrass resistance and management.

Lunch Sponsored By PBI Gordon With Peter Lange and the Following Updates

1. New chemistries provide an added bonus to applications and provide greater results with quicker speed.

2. New formulation changes allow products to still be effective while being safer for the environment and applicators.

3. Tough to control weeds and diseases and tips to combat this issue.

4. The proper use of timing to allow for optimal use of fungicides and to limit over application of chemicals.

5. New Active Ingredients, which provide a new MOA and safer product for the environment.

Turfgrass Looking Bad? When to Renovate or Replace

Dave Han, PhD, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Have you ever had to make the decision to either renovate or replace turfgrass? Whether for your institutional grounds, sports complex, customers or sports field, that's a BIG decision and one you shouldn't make too quickly. This presentation will review the factors you should consider. Should you delay or move project forward based on the future schedule? What will the budget allow? Can you handle this project in-house or should you write an RFP? If you decide to handle internally, what are the key components your staff should know? Emphasis will be placed on sodding, but sprigging and seeding will be mentioned.

Scouting Could Save Your Turfgrass Budget Major Dollars

Amanda Scherer, PhD, Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Ever wish you had a warning that a problem was about to occur? Your employees are your best eyes when you can't visit all the turfgrass and landscapes you maintain. Many areas of agriculture train scouts to recognize the initial conditions that could lead to big problems. With the proper training and work experience, your staff can learn to anticipate the early signs that will help you solve problems much quicker, saving time and money. Topics covered include: certain turfgrass and plants are specifically susceptible to particular problems; changing environmental conditions; early indications of insects and diseases; acceptable threshold populations; soil conditions; drainage issues; recent human activities that caused plant damage or compaction; websites that map the geographic movement of certain pests; etc.