5 minute read
Upcoming Event
48th Annual Maryland Conference & Trade Show
December 12, 2023
Each year for the MTC Annual Conference, the MTC Board and Education Advisors put together a line-up of top researchers and educators in the turfgrass industry. This line-up covers topics for the broader industry, but also provides specific tracks for Lawn and Landscape Management, Golf Course Management, and Sports Turf Management. This educational opportunity is sure to improve not only your knowledge of the latest research findings, but also to help you grow personally and professionally.
Here are just some of the speakers and topics planned for the conference
DR. TYLER CARR is an Assistant Professor in Turfgrass Research and Extension at The Ohio State University. His current research includes screening turfgrass cultivars for reduced input requirements from fertilizer, water, and mowing.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
What Do We Know About Wetting Agents?
Soil Testing: What do these results mean?
Building a Cost-Effective Fertilizer Program
How Many Minutes? Fine-Tuning Irrigation Practices
MARK CARROLL is an Associate Professor within the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland. Dr. Carroll’s research program focuses on the development of low input sustainable turfgrass systems. He has authored and co-authored more than 80 scientific, technical and popular articles in turfgrass management. Mark also teaches sophomore and senior level courses in turfgrass management and serves as the undergraduate advisor to all Turf and Golf Course Management students at the University of Maryland.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
Organic and Conventional Management of Athletic Fields
DR. PETE LANDSCHOOT is a Professor of Turfgrass Science at the Dept. of Plant Sciences, Pennsylvania State University. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Agronomy from Penn State University and his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from University of Rhode Island. He has served as a Golf Course Superintendent at Country Club of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Also, he was a Post-Doctorate Research Associate at the Plant Pathology Dept. at Rutgers University. He is currently a Professor of Turfgrass Science at Penn State (1989 to present). His primary responsibility is to serve as the resident extension turfgrass management specialist. Dr. Landschoot also performs applied research and teaches three courses (two case studies courses and an international turf management course). His current Research interest is in turfgrass weed management, soil fertility; fertilizer use, and species and variety evaluation.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
Weed Management in Naturalized Grass Stands
Postemergence Control of Grass Weeds and Sedges in Sports Turf
Postemergence Control of Annual Grasses and Common Perennial Weeds in Lawns
DR. KEVIN MATHIAS retired from UMD IAA in 2017 after 38 years as a turfgrass professor and the driving force behind the success of the IAA and its students. Dr. Mathias led several Turf Bowl teams to victory and was a leader in fundraising for scholarships and turfgrass research. Since his retirement, Dr. Mathias has continued to educate turfgrass professionals through published work and speaking engagements.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
Pesticide Use Trends for the Maryland Turfgrass Industry in 2023
BRAD PARK is a Research & Outreach Agronomist, Rutgers University. He performs traffic stress research on cool-season turfgrass species commonly established for sports fields. During his 20 years at Rutgers, he has visited school and municipal athletic facilities in New Jersey to assist turf managers in solving problems. Brad earned a Master of Science in Agronomy from Penn State University and was recipient of the New Jersey Turfgrass Association Recognition Award in 2016.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for sports fields and the importance of cultural practices
Nozzle Selection and Sprayer Calibration – Make the Right Decisions
BRIAN GIETKA has been based in the Mid-Atlantic golf industry for over 20 years. He is a 2003 graduate of University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Natural Resource Sciences concentrating in turfgrass management. He was an assistant superintendent in the area before becoming the superintendent at Fountain Head Country Club in Hagerstown, Maryland in 2008. The Certified Golf Course Superintendent designation was earned in 2015. Brian joined the USGA Green Section in early 2023 and is the consulting agronomist covering Virginia throughout New England.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
Year in Review- an overview of the 2023 season throughout the northeast, including trends in technology, all aspects of turfgrass management as well as highlights of national championships.
DR. FERESHTEH SHAHOVEISI is an Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Pathology at the Dept. of Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Plant pathology and her Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from North Dakota State University. Also, she was a Post-Doctorate Research Associate at the Plant Pathology Dept. at North Dakota State University. Her research and extension program at the University of Maryland focuses on the integrated management of turfgrass diseases and assisting the turfgrass industry in effective management of diseases. The primary research interests of her program are fungicide efficacy, epidemiology and development of risk maps using machine learning algorithms, and genetics of host resistance. The overall goal of her program is to provide sustainable disease management strategies to different sectors of the industry including golf courses, athletic fields, sod farmers, landscape industry and also homeowners.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
Tackling an Old Foe: New Approaches to Dollar Spot Management in Golf Courses
Research-Informed Strategies for Managing Brown Patch and Gray Leaf Spot in Lawns
