President’s Update
ONE SEASON DOWN,
SUMMER TO GO
W
hile not entirely unique to our corner of the earth, Turf Managers in the Commonwealth often quip that we don’t simply have four seasons. 2021 roared in with seasonal cold and extended snow despite Phil’s proclamation. Six more weeks of winter whittled down to three as late February evolved into an early jump on meteorological spring for many of us. For those not basking in the late winter sun, several dips in temperature coupled with wintry mixes reminded us to not get ahead of ourselves and be mindful of the calendar. Once the snow melted, we all hopefully experienced a wonderful transition into a balmy and welcoming spring as our facilities were thrust into another busy season. Much like every year, flexibility, experience, and innovation in our agronomic practices all proved to be the keystone of another successful season. While it may have been delivered through a computer screen and not in the flesh, the Board of the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council sincerely hopes our members saw value in the virtual conference held this past January. Spirited talks by familiar faces provided the feeling of normalcy and community that we all missed with the cancellation of our annual low-season educational summits. While we haven’t had the opportunity to meet in person throughout the past year, the seasonal checkpoints we all look forward to will return in the near future. The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council realizes that there is no better time than now to take a close look at the effectiveness and value of our operations and practices. We can assure you that the Council is actively working to ensure member participation and value is maximized in a post-Covid world with engaging educational seminars that provide us all with camaraderie and cutting edge Turf Industry research. Looking ahead, we know that increased usage of our facilities will contribute an unpredictable variable to our maintenance practices. Driving range tees will be perforated, cart traffic will be bountiful, and parks will be full. Summer will be dry for some, wet for others, and a head scratcher at times for all. Hopefully, as a member of the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council, your knowledge base and strong network of peers will be an invaluable tool to guide you through another busy season.
Tom Fisher
2021 PTC President
The Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council (PTC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Pennsylvania Turfgrass, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or PTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Copyright © 2021 by the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council. Pennsylvania Turfgrass is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to PTC members. Presorted standard postage is paid at Jefferson City, MO. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Pennsylvania Turfgrass allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to the PTC. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Suite 200, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.
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Pennsylvania Turfgrass • Summer 2021
Penn State Turf Team
Jeffrey A. Borger Senior Instructor in Turfgrass Weed Management 814-865-3005 • jborger@psu.edu
Michael A. Fidanza, Ph.D. Professor of Plant & Soil Science 610-396-6330 • maf100@psu.edu
David R. Huff, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Genetics 814-863-9805 • drh15@psu.edu
Brad Jakubowski Instructor of Plant Science 814-865-7118 • brj8@psu.edu
John E. Kaminski, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Science 814-865-3007 • jek156@psu.edu
Peter J. Landschoot, Ph.D. Professor of Turfgrass Science 814-863-1017 • pjl1@psu.edu
Ben McGraw, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Turfgrass Entomology 814-865-1138 • bam53@psu.edu
Andrew S. McNitt, Ph.D. Professor of Soil Science 814-863-1368 • asm4@psu.edu
Max Schlossberg, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Turfgrass Nutrition / Soil Fertility 814-863-1015 • mjs38@psu.edu
Al J. Turgeon, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Turfgrass Management aturgeon@psu.edu
Wakar Uddin, Ph.D. Professor of Plant Pathology 814-863-4498 • wxu2@psu.edu
