Upcoming Events

EASTERN PA
GOLF, LAWN, LANDSCAPE
& SPORTS TURF CONFERENCE

Thursday, February 8

Shady Maple Conference Center

East Earl, PA

EDUCATION IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT. Penn State Turfgrass educators have put together another fantastic lineup of speakers and topics sure to help professionals grow their knowledge and their business. Check out the details below and make sure to plan to attend!

GOLF TRACK

8:30 – 9:30 am

Year in Review

Brian Gietka, CGCS – Consulting Agronomist, USGA Green Section

This presentation will provide an overview of the 2023 season throughout the Northeast.

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9:30 – 10:30 am

Breeding Stress Tolerant Varieties of Bentgrass and Poa annua that Require Less Pesticides & Fewer Inputs

David R. Huff, Ph.D. – Professor, Penn State University

Genetic improvements in varieties of creeping bentgrass and Poa annua will be presented and discussed in relation to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, including dollar spot disease resistance in both species, drought tolerance in both species, and herbicide resistance in Poa annua

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10:30 – 11:30 am

Understanding Turfgrass Diseases and Management from a Microbial Population Perspective

Ming-Yi Chou, Ph.D. – Assistant Extension Specialist in Turfgrass Pathology, Rutgers University

This presentation will talk about pathogens and beneficial microbes in the larger microbial population context and case studies from the latest research. The information in the talk justifies the precision fungicide program and provides practical suggestions on how to reduce fungicide use while maintaining excellent turfgrass quality.

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11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Lunch and Visit with Exhibitors

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1:00 – 2:00 pm

Many Little Hammers for Annual Bluegrass Control

Matt Elmore, Ph.D. – Associate Extension Specialist, Rutgers University

There are no silver bullets for annual bluegrass control and a Many Little Hammers approach is often required. Attendees will learn about the different hammers available. This presentation will discuss herbicide programs for golf course roughs and fairways, and how everyday management practices affect annual bluegrass competitiveness.

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2:00 – 3:00 pm

Trends in Bunker Renovations

Brian Gietka, CGCS – Consulting Agronomist, USGA Green Section

This presentation will highlight current trends in bunker renovation projects.

SPORTS / LAWN / LANDSCAPE TRACK

8:30 – 9:30 am

Cool-Season Diseases and Control Strategies for Lawns, Landscape and Sports

Turf Ming-Yi Chou, Ph.D. –Assistant Extension Specialist in Turfgrass Pathology, Rutgers University

This presentation will cover some of the most common turfgrass diseases in lawns, landscape and sports fields in PA such as summer patch, gray leaf spot and dollar spot. Attendees will learn about good cultural practices, including proper fertility, irrigation, cultivation, soil pH, and mowing practices, which are critical for a successful disease management program.

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9:30 – 10:30 am

Developing a Topdressing Program to Improve Your Turfgrass

Adam Thoms, Ph.D. – Associate Professor and Turfgrass Specialist, Iowa State University

Topdressing is a cultural practice that can improve your turfgrass quality but is also one of the most misunderstood practices. There are two basic thoughts: light and frequent or with aerification, we will discuss both methods. Often layers are developed in the soil and that can cause issues with water flow from incorrect topdressing rates and frequencies. Wet soils result in a higher level of weed pressure, poor turfgrass wear, and excessive fertility applications. We will discuss what should be used for topdressing, how often you should topdress, as well as what to do if you have issues from layers in the soil profile. Additional information will be shared on how to control weeds that are present due to poor turfgrass quality. Finally, attendees will learn about what to do when you need to resod and what should be considered there.

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10:30 – 11:30 am

Managing Insects Using Integrated Pest Management Practices

Geoffrey Rinehart – Lecturer, University of Maryland

This presentation will cover the most common insect pests of lawns and sports fields in Pennsylvania, including the white grub complex, chinch bugs, billbugs, cutworms, and sod webworm. Insect identification and life cycles will be discussed, as well as the plant and “stand” symptoms one would expect to observe with the respective insects. This presentation will include a discussion of basic IPM concepts that are pertinent to turfgrass insect management with an emphasis on cultural controls and less-toxic/biorational approaches to insect management.

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11:30 am – 12:00 pm

Pests of Boxwoods

Tim Abbey – Extension Educator, Penn State Extension

This presentation will focus on identification and management of boxwood leafminer, psyllids, and spider mites. It will also include an update on box tree moth and boxwood blight.

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12:00 – 1:00 pm

Lunch and Visit with Exhibitors

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1:00 – 2:00 pm

Chuck Noll Field Renovation Project for Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp at St. Vincent College

Matt Wimer – President, Hummer Turfgrass Systems, Inc.

This presentation will encapsulate the entire process of our recent renovation of Chuck Noll Field in Latrobe, PA. Chuck Noll Field at St. Vincent’s College is the home for the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp.

All steps of the process will be covered. From the initial decision making to the final product. Starting with the decision-making process. Understanding the timeline and budget of a project narrows down or opens up the possible solutions. After marrying the customer’s wants and needs with our recommendations, a scope of work is developed and finalized. The execution of the operation is next. Getting our crew and equipment to the jobsite, getting through multiple phases of work, problems that emerged, and how the problems were overcome. Concluding with the final product.

Understanding the reasons behind the renovation, agronomic and drainage choices, and decisions that were made as well as the outcome of the renovation does not only apply to fields at the highest level. The process covered is the same process we use for little leagues, high schools, and colleges.

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2:00 – 3:00 pm

What Do We Know About Humic Acid Fertilizers?

Adam Thoms, Ph.D. – Associate Professor and Turfgrass Specialist, Iowa State University

There is a lot of information about humic acid fertilizers and their claims, but little is known about what they actually do. Research looking into the improvements of rooting will be presented and discussed. Additionally, research projects on how plants do under traffic with humic fertilizers will be shared as well as discussions on how humic acid fertilizers can change soil health parameters. Finally, we will end with sharing information on how humic acid fertilizers can be classified as enhanced efficiency fertilizers which can lower the rate of nitrogen needed for good quality turfgrass growth.

FROM THE GROUND UP TRACK

8:30 – 9:30 am

What’s New with Ornamental Plant Pests?

Tim Abbey – Extension Educator, Penn State Extension

This presentation will discuss the identification and management of ornamental plant pests that were an issue in 2023 and what might be a problem in 2024.

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9:30 – 10:30 am

Pesticide Mixing: How to Avoid Tank-Mixing Disasters

Kara Pittman – Extension Educator, Penn State Extension

Tank-mixing can help applicators make more timely and efficient pesticide applications. However, as products have become more complex, so has tank-mixing. This presentation discusses incompatibility, carriers, tank-mixing order, and jar tests. Proper tank-mixing is essential to prevent failed applications and damaged equipment.

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10:30 – 11:30 am

Gaining the Upper Hand on Summer Weeds

Matt Elmore, Ph.D. – Associate Specialist, Rutgers University

This presentation will discuss the latest evidence-based strategies to control newly problematic weeds such as false-green kyllinga, Japanese stiltgrass, crabgrass and yellow nutsedge. A focus will be understanding how to optimize herbicide programs with existing turfgrass management practices to control these weeds.

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11:30 am – 12:30 pm

How to be Prepared for a Pesticide Spill

Kara Pittman – Extension Educator, Penn State Extension

Pesticide spills often happen by accident and when an applicator least expects it. It is important to have an action plan in place to handle any kind of pesticide-related accident. During this talk, we will discuss what to include in a spill kit, emergency contact numbers that are important to have accessible when working with pesticides, the 4 Cs (control-contain-clean up-communicate) of pesticide spills, and what to do when a spill occurs.

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12:30 – 1:00 pm

Lunch and Visit with Exhibitors

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1:00 – 2:00 pm

Turfgrass Variety Selection as Part of an Integrated Pest Management Program

Geoffrey Rinehart – Lecturer, University of Maryland

The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) is one of the most widely-known turfgrass research programs in the world. Data collected by NTEP coordinators in over 40 states and 2 Canadian provinces are analyzed and interpreted to provide both professionals and the general public information about thousands of turfgrass varieties over 17 different turfgrass species.

A foundational component of an integrated pest management program is to utilize varieties that are more pest- and stress-resistant. NTEP tests have identified turfgrasses which demonstrate improved disease and insect resistance; improved tolerance of traffic, drought, heat, and cold; better performance with reduced fertilizer, water, and pesticide use; and faster establishment and recovery. By coordinating research efforts throughout the country, NTEP has played an integral role in evaluating thousands of turfgrass varieties and making research data available to professional turfgrass managers and the public. It is the acceptance by the end-user that has made NTEP the standard for turfgrass evaluation in the U.S.A. and many other countries worldwide.

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2:00 – 3:00 pm

Turf Insect Management: Preparing for Your Most Problematic Pests

David Hillger, Ph.D. – Field Scientist, Corteva Agriscience

This presentation will provide management suggestions built on an Integrated Pest Management approach for supporting the development of sustainable control programs.