Upcoming Event: M-A-T-E 2020

January 21 – 23, 2020

Fredericksburg Expo Center • Fredericksburg, Virginia

PROGRAM

Tuesday, January 21

The day’s theme: Personal and Professional Development in the Green Industry

All persons in same room except for Mechanic’s Seminar and Certified Turfgrass Professional training that will be held in separate rooms concurrent with the MATE educational program

8:00 a.m.

Certified Turfgrass Professional Training (Day 1 of 3)

8:00 a.m.

Mechanic’s Seminar (Day 1 of 3)

Speaker: Cort Rash of Revels Turf & Tractor

• Reel set up and optimization to enhance quality of cut, paralleling reel to roller on bench plate

• Basic electrical and hydraulic troubleshooting

8:00 a.m.

Homogeneous Turf Management: A Call to Unify our Profession

Logan Freeman, Superintendent at Mountain Branch Golf Club, Joppa, MD

Logan made some positive waves across the green industry in 2019 with an article featured in Golf Course Management about his experience as a golf superintendent attending a sports turf manager’s meeting. Logan details the benefits of industry collaboration and offers steps to promote a unified industry front.

9:00 a.m.

Positive Coaching and Self Care for Green Industry Professionals

Josh McPherson, CSFM, Sports Field Supervisor, University of Missouri

Josh is a past president of VSTMA and has remained a leader in the sports turf industry over his career. Josh has shared this message with the national STMA audience multiple times and it’s a story and roadmap of importance to all turfgrass managers trying to find the right balance between work and home.

10:00 a.m.

Break and Visit Vendors

11:00 a.m.

Minority Recruiting in the Green Industry

Dr. Tiffany Drape, Virginia Tech

The turfgrass industry remains pretty much a white-male dominated industry, so while that is a challenge that remains to be addressed, it is also an opportunity for growth for all parties.

12:00 p.m.

Lunch (provided on site) and Visit Vendors

1:30 p.m.

Building and Inspiring a 21st Century Workforce

Tyler Bloom, Supt., Sparrows Point Golf Club & Dean Graves, CGCS, retired, Chevy Chase CC

There are plenty of jobs in the green industry and not nearly enough potential employees to fill the positions. What can be done to recruit and retain quality employees? Tyler and Dean have successfully implemented novel strategies in staffing that benefit their clubs but also promote advancement of their employees.

2:30 p.m.

Engaging Youth in the Turfgrass Industry

Dr. Dan Sandor, Collegiate Faculty, Virginia Tech; Drew Miller, Instructor, Brentsville District High School; Marc Moran, Instructor, Atlee High School.

Virginia Tech’s newest faculty member will lead a panel discussion (including some high school turf students) that details VT’s plans for growing its undergraduate turfgrass management teaching programs, and two of Virginia’s top high schools that have received national awards for their athletic fields will detail their programs and the challenges and opportunities they see for their students in turf and the green industry as a whole.

3:30 p.m.

Break and Visit Vendors

4:00 p.m.

How to Communicate About Glyphosate

Dr. Shawn Askew, Professor, Virginia Tech.

No chemistry is under more scrutiny in our industry at this time than glyphosate. What does the science say regarding its use, and better still, what is the message you and your employees should be able to deliver about one of the most common, most important herbicides used in the green industry?

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Cornhole tournament, social, and visiting with vendors

Wednesday, January 22

7:00 a.m.

Fellowship Breakfast

Speaker: Lee Howell of Corbin Turf and Ornamental Supply.

8:00 a.m.

General Session and Annual Meeting

8:00 a.m.

Certified Turfgrass Professional Training (Day 2 of 3)

8:00 a.m.

Mechanic’s Seminar (Day 2 of 3)

Speaker: John Herrera of Smith Turf & Irrigation

• Sprayer pumps, diaphragm and centrifugal repairs, and preventative maintenance

• Calibration (nozzle sizes, etc.) and Reel set up

9:30 a.m.

Break and Visit Vendors

10:00 a.m.

Innovative Research Graduate Student Oral Presentation Contest

Sponsored by WS Connelly and Sons/LSI

10:00 a.m – 4:30 p.m.

Pesticide Recertification Training

(Categories 3A, 3B, 6, 60 Only)

12:00 p.m.

Lunch (provided on site) and Visit Vendors

1:15 p.m.

Breakout Sessions begin

Golf

1:15 p.m. – 2:05 p.m.

Sensor and Mapping Technologies for Precision Irrigation on Golf Courses

Dr. Chase Straw, University of Minnesota

2:05 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

USGA Year in Review

Elliot Dowling, USGA

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Break and Visit Vendors

3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Strategies in Managing the Annual Bluegrass Weevil

Dr. Tom Kuhar, Virginia Tech

4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Turf Pathology Research Updates

Dr. David McCall and Jordan Booth, Virginia Tech

Sports Turf

1:15 p.m. – 2:05 p.m.

Embracing Technology in Sports Turf Management

Josh McPherson, CSFM, Univ. of Missouri

2:05 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

SDS and the Patches (Summer, Large, and Brown): What, When, and Why to Treat

Dr. David McCall and Jordan Booth, Virginia Tech

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Break and Visit Vendors

3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Sports Field Performance Testing: Trends and Future Applications

Dr. Chase Straw, University of Minnesota

4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

‘Uncovering’ the Possibilities with Turf Blankets

Dr. Mike Goatley, Virginia Tech

Lawn Care / Sod Production

1:15 p.m. – 2:05 p.m.

Weed Control Strategies in Newly Seeded Turf

Dr. Jeff Derr, Virginia Tech

2:05 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

TBA

Geoff Rinehart, University of Maryland

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Break and Visit Vendors

3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

New Fungicides and Adjustments in Disease Control Programming

Dr. David McCall and Jordan Booth, Virginia Tech

4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

An Update on Turf Renovation Strategies

Dr. Shawn Askew, Virginia Tech

Thursday. January 23

8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Pesticide Recertification Categories 3A, 3B, 5A, 6, 8, 10 and 60

(Categories 3A, 3B and 60 are finished by 2:15 p.m.)

8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Review for General Initial Pesticide Certification

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Fertilizer Certification and Recertification

(Recertification ends at 12:30 p.m.)

12:00 p.m.

Lunch (provided on site) and Visit Vendors

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Mechanic’s Seminar (Day 3 of 3)

Speaker: Greg Wiltshire of Central Diesel

• Injection pumps and injector dos and don’ts

• Tier 4 and Tier 5 engines

• Turbo chargers

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

VA Pesticide Certification Exams

(Must have letter from VDACS)

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Certified Turfgrass Professional (Day 3 of 3)