Turf Education Day

from The Landscape Contractor magazine NOV.22 DIGITAL EDITION

Women’s Networking Group Fall Event

by Meta Levin

August 23, 2022 was the 14th Turf Education Day (TED), an annual event put together by ILCA and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The crowd got all they expected and more, from an update on state and local political issues from ILCA Executive Director Scott Grams to a look ahead with Fertilizer of the Future by Craig Shepherd. Participants attended presentations by and had access to seven of the top experts in the turf grass field during a day of learning that ran from 8:15 am to 2:50 pm.

Opening Keynote Speaker Richard Buckley PhD, director of the plant diagnostic laboratory and nematode detection service at Rutgers University, discussed the tools turf managers need to solve turf grass problems. “It is,” he told the packed auditorium, “More difficult handling your clients than the grass.” Buckley introduced the audience to the “disease triangle,” consisting of the host, disease agent and the environment. During his presentation he covered basic plant pathology concepts, as well as how to diagnose turf problems using visual and environmental cues.

During a later breakout session, Buckley went deeper into the subject, covering the most common turf diseases. He discussed conditions that lead to (continued on page 16)

(continued from page 15) disease outbreaks, diagnostic tools and control programs.

Afternoon Keynote Speaker Doug Soldat PhD, Assistant Professor and Soil Extension Specialist at the University of Wisconsin Madison, dug into the fundamentals of turf grass fertility during his presentation, Doing More with Less. He walked attendees through the essential nutrients required for a healthy lawn and discussed ways to ascertain the amount and kind of fertilizer needed to keep a lawn healthy.

During a later breakout session, Soldat went into Grass Selection 101, talking about various turf grass species and cultivars. He looked at the characteristics of the more common species used in lawns and on landscapes, as well as resources for choosing those best suited to the needs of the particular job.

Other breakout sessions included Mike Reed’s Pick Your Poison, talking about understanding pesticide risk and how to minimize it. Reed, Director of Technical Sales and Education at SynaTek Solutions, Inc., also covered Building a Turf & Ornamental Care Program during another breakout session.

Zach Simons, Director of Grounds and Sports Turf at Northwestern University, led attendees through Sports Turf Management during his morning breakout session. He covered what he does to care for natural turf fields and synthetic sports turf.

Brad Beaver, Acting Bureau Chief of Environmental Programs at the Illinois Department of Agriculture, gave TED attendees an IDA Regulatory Update, talking about changes to licensing and certification systems, online options for training and testing and COVID restrictions. He also covered updates on pesticide misuse.

Debunking the Top Three Myths in Mosquito Control was covered by Arunas Damijonaitis PhD from Bayer Environmental Science and Craig Shepherd gave attendees a peek at Fertilizer of the Future. Shepherd, a sales representative with Advanced Turf Solutions, talked about improvements in fertilizers and what actually is in that bag you buy.

Russo Power Equipment served as TED’s premier sponsor, with TruGreen Lawn Care sponsoring lunch, and Weed Man Lawn Care providing breakfast. SiteOne Landscape Supply sponsored the Lawn Care Library.

Sessions were sponsored by ArborJet Ecologel, Conserv FS, Contour Landscaping, Inc., Corteva Agriscience, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Russo Power Equipment, SavATree, SiteOne Landscape Supply and Target Specialty Products. Advanced Turf Solutions, EC Grow, Harrell’s, Rainbow Ecoscience and KO Supply Company sponsored tabletops.

To continue the learning, all attendees received one year of complimentary access to the Lawn Care Library. They were provided with a QR code on the day’s schedule to access the content.