Director’s Corner
Enjoy this research issue Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director
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ufgrass research evokes images of dimly lit rooms lined with shelves packed with bottles. Those bottles are filled with varying shades of viscous green fluids. Scientists wearing green-stained lab coats hover over Bunsen burners. Large beakers filled with the green contents from various bottles are being brought to full boil. To be honest, I have never seen such labs or persons in my years of working with the VTC. Instead, Virginia’s tufgrass industry is blessed to have a dedicated band of experts at Virginia Tech. These professionals tirelessly work with our industry. They design research studies, plant and maintain field trials, plan conferences, speak around the world, arrange one-on-one consultations, ask hardhitting questions, and even spend time in labs. By tradition, this issue of the Turfgrass Journal is dedicated to research. Articles contained on its pages are just a sampling of the reams of paper that would be needed to publish all the yearly output from the Virginia Tech Turf Team. We are truly privileged to have such a group of dedicated scientists working for our industry. The VTC works hard to ensure turfgrass researchers have resources they need. We meet with legislators, attend committee hearings, and carefully track bills and regulations that affect them. Please do enjoy this research issue and be sure to thank one of the Virginia Tech researchers the next time you see them – or even drop them a written thank you note. c
Virginia Turfgrass Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Office: (757) 464-1004 Fax: (757) 282-2693 vaturf@verizon.net Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Editor Mark Vaughn, CGCS VTC OFFICERS President Scott Woodward Woodward Turf Farms (540) 727-0020 Vice President Michael Skelton Culpeper County (540) 727-3412 Treasurer Jimmy Viars, CGM Gloucester County Public Schools (804) 815-2779 Secretary Phil Bailey, CGCS Cypress Creek Golfer’s Club (757) 357-7995 Past President Rick Owens, CGCS Laurel Hill Golf Club (703) 674-6934 VTC DIRECTORS Wes Bray Scott Caskie Tony Montgomery Jesse Pritchard, CSFM David Smith T.J. Skirsky Craig Zeigler VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. David McCall Ph.D. Executive Director/ Director of PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004 Virginia Turfgrass Foundation Betty Parker (757) 574-9061
8 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal January/February 2019 www.vaturf.org
