Turfgrass
The annual North Central Florida Turfgrass Field Day is a two day event held in Gainesville and at the Plant Science Research & Education Unit's G.C. Horn Research Plots in Citra. Presenters provide research-based recommendations on topic areas ranging from nutrient management, pest control, and sports field management.
Please visit some of the topic areas listed below:
Videos
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Athletic Fields
Athletic fields play an important part in Florida's recreational and competitive outdoor sports. From high school, college and professional team sports, a quality playing surface is appreciated by all participants and produces a pleasing appearance to spectators. This presentation covers some of the many aspects of turfgrass varieties and management for sports turfgrass fields.
Presenters
Jason Kruse is an assistant professor with the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department. Dr. Kruse teaches Turfgrass Culture, Golf and Sports Turf Management, and team teaches Landscape and Turfgrass Management. He also serves as facilities director of the Turfgrass Environtron and his research includes irrigation scheduling, remote sensing and the relationship between athletic surfaces and player safety.
Publications
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Chinch & Bill Bugs
The southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis Barber, is currently the most difficult-to-control and damaging insect pest of St. Augustinegrass in Florida. Nymphs and adults feed on plant fluids within leaf sheaths, down in the thatch, and this feeding kills the grass plants and contributes to weed invasion.
Presenters
Eileen Buss is an Associate Professor Emeritus from the University of Florida Entomology and Nematology Department. Dr. Buss’s research area encompassed insect pest management and insect behavioral ecology on turfgrass, woody ornamentals, and shade trees in the urban landscape. Research interests included studying the biology of important pests (e.g., mole crickets, chinch bugs, white grubs, tree borers, and scale insects) and determining the most environmentally responsible means for their management.
Publications
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Fertilization Nutrient Leaching
The use of fertilizers on Florida's lawns is of important interest throughout the state. Research on the movement of fertilizer through newly planted turfgrass, conducted at three different areas around the state, is highlighted in this presentation.
Presenters
Laurie Trenholm is a retired Professor of the University of Florida Environmental Horticulture Department. She worked with the commercial lawn care industry on problems related to lawn grass cultural management, stress physiology, and best management practices, and oversaw the BMP educational program statewide.
Publications
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Grass Biotechnology
In recent years, Florida Agricultural Experiment Station breeders have joined forces with Florida Agricultural Experiment Station molecular geneticists. Molecular genetics can make breeding programs more efficient, accelerate progress in breeding, and enable the introduction of novel traits.
This presentation showcases transgenic work being done on Argentine Bahiagrass.
Presenters
Fredy Altpeter is a Professor in the University of Florida Agronomy Department. Dr. Altpeter's research program integrates advanced genetic transformation technology and functional genomics to identify, isolate and engineer limiting factors for molecular improvement of cereals, turf and biomass/bioenergy grasses.
Publications
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Nematodes
Nematodes are unsegmented roundworms. Some are beneficial, but there is also a group of nematodes that feed on plants, called plant-parasitic nematodes.
These two talks present research that addresses nematode problems. The first presentation (above) was made at the Envirotron in Gainesville, and the second (below) during the Citra field day.
Presenters
William "Billy" T. Crow is a Professor in the University of Florida Entomology & Nematology Department. Dr. Crow’s position centers on the diagnosis and management of plant-parasitic nematodes affecting turfgrasses, ornamental plants, and residential landscapes. As an extension educator, his major role is the preparation of training materials and presentation of training programs for use by county extension faculty and volunteers, and commodity group clientele. Dr. Crow is affiliated with the Florida Nematode Assay Lab and assists with the diagnosis of nematode problems from thousands of turf and ornamental samples submitted to the lab annually.
Publications
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Rapid Turfgrass Service
This service was designed and implemented for managers of high-quality turfgrass in Florida. The biggest distinction between this and the standard services provided by the Plant Disease Clinic is the turn-around time for sample results, the direct involvement of the UF Extension Turfgrass Pathologist, and the price charged for the service.
Presenters
Dr. Philip Harmon’s research program centers on needs identified by interactions with county faculty and commodity-specific clientele groups through extension activities. His research focuses on turfgrass, ornamental plant, and small fruit diseases - diagnosis, management, and epidemiology of fungal diseases.
Resources
Publications
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Silicon and Turfgrass
Researchers such as Datnoff have successfully demonstrated that silicon helps plants to overcome various types of stresses and even plays a role in protecting plants from certain pests and diseases. Silicon’s beneficial effects on growth, development, yield, and disease resistance have been observed in turfgrass.
Presenters
Lawrence Datnoff Ph.D., Former Professor of the UF/IFAS Plant Pathology department, has dedicated thirty years to highly productive international service and research, beginning before graduate school and continuing throughout his illustrious career.
Publications
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Smart Water Application Technology
Irrigation has become commonplace for residential homeowners desiring high quality landscapes in Florida. Turfgrass is a key landscape component and normally the most commonly used single type of plant in the residential landscape.
The Smart Water Application Technology Research Area is highlighted in this presentation discussing soil-moisture sensors, evatranspiration controllers and rain shut-off devices.
Presenters
Michael Dukes, is a Professor, Ph.D. Agricultural and Biological Engineering specializes in irrigation and drainage engineering, water quantity and quality issues, crop consumptive use/evapotranspiration, and Best Management Practices to reduce nonpoint source pollution. He is also the Director for the UF/IFAS Center for Land Use Efficiency
Publications
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Turfgrass Cultivars
There are a number of turfgrass cultivars being researched by the University of Florida/IFAS for Florida lawns, golf courses and athletic fields. The primary cultivars being researched in the breeding program is zoyzia grass and bermuda grasses.
This presentation provides an overview of the breeding and management programs at the Plant Science Research and Education Center's Turfgrass Facility.
Presenters
Kevin Kenworthy is an Professor, Ph.D., in the University of Florida Agronomy Department. Dr. Kenworthy’s research focus is on the development of turfgrasses with improved stress tolerance for use on golf courses, athletic fields, parks, home lawns, and highway right-of-ways.
Publications