TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science
The Ohio State University
Programs
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TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM Programs
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1. Statement of Purpose | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The mission of the Turfgrass Management Team is to investigate, synthesize, and disseminate knowledge on turfgrass science to students, consumers, and professional clientele throughout Ohio and the nation. Through these efforts the aesthetic values, functional uses, and the environmental benefits of turfgrass will contribute to further enhancement of the quality of life for society. The Turfgrass Management Team will strive to become the premier program in the nation by excelling in research, teaching and technology transfer. The Turfgrass Management Team will achieve excellence by: Conducting applied research for the benefit of both consumer and professional clientele in making cultural and management decisions. Implementing research programs to advance the basic knowledge of turfgrass science. Implementing an academic program to provide the best possible education for both undergraduate and graduate students. Recruiting outstanding students at the state and national level for both undergraduate and graduate studies. Conducting outreach programs designed to disseminate research based knowledge to consumer and professional clientele. Designing educational programs to assist clientele in problem solving and addressing current issues. Providing and fostering interdisciplinary cooperation between allied departmental units.
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II. Goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The goal of the Turfgrass Management Team is to position the program in a manner that will make it a strong and viable program well into the next century. Under separate headings of teaching, research, and extension objectives for the program are outlined. To accomplish our objectives existing faculty and staff realignments will be required and additional support will be needed. The personnel and financial needs of the program are discussed following the stated goals of the turfgrass management team.
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III. Undergraduate Education | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Critical to the vision of the Turfgrass Management Team is a comprehensive undergraduate program that meets both the needs of traditional and nontraditional students. Leading turfgrass management programs around the nation have a strong undergraduate program as a major component of their reputation. In the fall of 1994, approximately 70 to 75 students were specializing in turfgrass science. We project student enrollment will surpass 100 within the next few years. To accomplish our goal of increased student enrollment, the following objectives are proposed. Implementation of an undergraduate major in turfgrass management entitled "Turfgrass Science". The creation of a turfgrass major will increase the visibility of the program and provide the in depth learning experience required of students entering the turfgrass profession. The Pennsylvania State University is the only four-year institution that has an official turfgrass management major. Student enrollment in the program increased from 28 students before the major to over 100 students. We have proposed a Turfgrass Science Major curriculum (Appendix A) and received tentative approval within the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science. We are proposing that the new major be implemented Fall of 1996. Realignment of faculty and staff teaching responsibilities. To provide the breadth and depth required for the new turfgrass science major, increased diversity of faculty teaching in the turfgrass area will be needed. We are proposing within the new major the following will occur: 1) the creation of a new course in turfgrass fertility taught by Dr. John Street ; 2) Dr. William Pound team teach Plant Pathology 613 with Dr. David Shetlar (Entomology) and Dr. Mike Boehm (Plant Pathology) and 3) Dr. Patty Sweeney who has adjunct assistant professor status teach a new course in turfgrass technology and a summer service course in introductory turfgrass management for nontraditional students (Agronomy 413).
Increase diversity of turfgrass faculty with adjunct appointments. To enhance the turfgrass expertise involved in the program, qualified individuals will be actively recruited. Currently, we have the commitment of Dr. Joseph DiPaola, formerly Professor of Turfgrass Science at North Carolina State University and now Senior Technical Representative for Specialty Products for CIBA, to teach Agronomy 598 "Turfgrass Seminar". He is proposing to restructure the course to have more student involvement in discussing issues facing turfgrass science and the industry. Develop hands-on experience through improved laboratory exercises. The new Turfgrass Field Research Building provides an excellent facility to promote laboratory exercises where students can get experience in turfgrass establishment, calibration, turfgrass identification, and equipment maintenance. Current facilities have not been suitable for laboratory exercises. Develop course(s) and alternative learning experiences for nontraditional and traditional students. A significant number of students are interested in learning about turfgrass science outside traditional course offerings. The new Turfgrass Field Research Building will provide a facility capable of handling educational programs currently not available. The Turfgrass Management Team proposes the additional offering of Agronomy 413 during the summer quarter to meet the needs of students through continuing education or as an elective for students across campus. The course will be taught at the new Turfgrass Field Research Building. Develop and promote industry taught programs directed to turfgrass students interested in learning beyond the formal classroom. Utilizing the new Turfgrass Field Research Building, short seminars or workshops taught by industry personnel in areas such as irrigation design, equipment maintenance, pesticide handling, and golf course setup will be made available to students.
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IV. Research | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Applied and basic turfgrass research efforts have been put forth at The Ohio State University. The overall goal of both the applied and basic research effort is to: Provide ways of maintaining quality turf with reduced energy inputs To address our goal the following research areas are identified as primary focus areas. Some of the research areas build upon existing research efforts that have been successful while others are new future areas of research. A) Turfgrass Seed Biology A critical factor in reducing energy inputs in turfgrass systems is the turfgrass plant itself. The quality and purity of seed available is critical for establishing the desired turfgrass stand. Given the plethora of new cultivars on the market, many being "me too" cultivars, important to the consumer and the seed industry is the development of technologies that insure quality control. Listed below are specific research objectives within the seed biology focus. Identify turfgrass cultivars using molecular techniques. Using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technologies the major cool season turfgrass cultivars will be fingerprinted. The cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stoloniferea ), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) will be identified using RAPDs within the next three to four years. Evaluate computer imaging technologies for identifying turfgrass species and cultivars in blends or mixes. Using computer technologies for scanning and evaluating electrophoretic gels, a new method for identifying turfgrass cultivars in blends and mixes will be developed. Utilization of this technology is primary in seed quality control. Completion of this objective is expected within the next two years. Develop specific molecular markers to detect the presence of crop and weed contaminants in turfgrass seed. A major crop weed in Kentucky bluegrass is rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.). A molecular probe will be developed that when used with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technologies, low levels of contamination will be easily detected. Evaluate seed testing procedures for seed vigor and quality. Studies will be conducted to determine the best means of testing for turfgrass seed vigor. These test include germination, cold test, seedling growth, conductivity, and accelerated aging. Evaluate seed priming for enhancing stand establishment. Seed priming is a method where seed is imbibed resulting in the activation of biochemical processes involved in germination, but germination does not take place. These seeds are advanced enough that once the seeds are planted, seed germination occurs more rapidly than non-primed seeds. Seed priming will be evaluated for turfgrass stand establishment over the next two to three years. Expand cultivar evaluation studies. Renewed emphasis on evaluating various turfgrass species and cultivars under specific stress conditions such as shade, low nutrient and moisture regimes is needed. In addition, the use of non-traditional turfgrasses such as buffalograss, bermudagrass, and zoysiagrass for the northern United States need to be evaluated. B) Turfgrass Ecology and Stress Physiology A turfgrass plant's responds to environmental or biotic stress to a large extent determines its survival rate. Management practices (mowing height, wear, moisture and nutrient level, etc.) applied to turf under stress, is believed to effect the dynamics between populations of turfgrass plants either among species or among individuals. The ramifications of stress on changing the turfgrass community need to be investigated. The following are objectives to address environmental and biotic stresses at the plant level. Evaluate the effect disease has on blended cultivars. Blending is a common practice to expand the genetic base of the turfgrass species. Little work has been done to determine what effect disease pressure has on composition of a disease resistant and disease susceptible cultivar blend. Using molecular techniques, the effect of blending will be determined at a population level. This study will provide information on plant population dynamics and also provide information relative to integrated pest management programs (IPM). Investigate the molecular base for thermal tolerance in plants. Heat shock proteins are believed to play an important role in thermal tolerance in plants. Studies will be initiated to determine if heat shock proteins provide thermal tolerance in turfgrasses and if differences occur between temperature sensitive and resistant cultivars. Develop management programs for reducing turfgrass stress. In high maintenance turfgrass situations, especially golf course greens, the turfgrass is subjected to extremely low mowing height. Cultural practices that minimize stress (environmental or wear) including rolling, topdressing, and golf green construction will be evaluated. C) Evaluation and development of naturally produced fertilizers and biological control agents. Critical to the reduction of energy inputs, primarily petroleum based products, is the development and use of organic fertilizers and biological controls for turfgrass pests. To assess the applicability for use in turf the following objectives need to be addressed. Identification and development of the best natural organic fertilizer product "recipe" possible for use in the residential/retail market. This product will be a combination of natural forms of organic nitrogen derived from plant and/or animal sources/by-products. No more than 15% (by weight) of the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or micronutrients in this product will be derived from synthetic sources. Evaluate biological controls for turfgrass pests. Tests that evaluate the effectiveness of available biological products for the control of insect and disease pests is needed. From the data gathered turfgrass management programs need to be developed and evaluated that include biological control agents. D) Development and evaluation of cultural programs for high maintenance turfgrasses. A significant portion of the turfgrass industry is involved in high intensity management of turf. Golf courses, athletic fields and sod production are examples of high maintenance turfgrass situations. High intensity turf is subjected to stresses including low mowing heights, wear, and environmental stresses. To address the high maintenance turfgrass situations, the following objectives are proposed. Evaluate new fertilizer technology for turfgrass quality and performance. New coating technologies has lead to the development of controlled release nitrogen sources that need to be evaluated to optimize their use. Develop and evaluate methods for controlling weeds. In high maintenance turfgrass, weeds such as annual bluegrass and rough bluegrass can be major pests. Chemical control of these weeds is difficult and cultural practices need to be employed to maximize control. Studies will focus on major cultural methods for controlling weeds in high maintenance turf. E) Develop a comprehensive sportsturf research program that serves as a national/international leader in research and education. The sportsturf area, defined primarily as athletic fields, is undergoing considerable growth. Research and technological advances in the athletic field area have been minimal to date. Present technology and recommendations on construction and maintenance are diverse, opinionated, and lack good scientific information. Increased interest in natural grass, sportsturf safety, and demand for high quality playing fields, opens up a multitude of new opportunities for well-educated college graduates in the agronomy/horticulture field. To address a few of the needs of this industry we propose the following: Evaluate the performance of various types of high-sand mixes and establishment procedures to determine the best combination for maximum wear/shear tolerance.
Evaluate Poa supina for sportsturf use. Poa supina is a new turfgrass species that has shown excellent performance in sportsturf situations in Europe. Evaluation of this turfgrass under Ohio conditions is needed.
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V. Extension | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Extension or out-reach is an integral part of the turfgrass program. Interactions with the people and industries in the state positively impacts research by helping to identify industry needs, and also by having visibility in the State encourages students to enroll in the turfgrass science program. In assessing the turfgrass program, the extension effort should be a strong portion of the program. Extension personnel have developed short courses (golf course and athletic/lawn care) that are well received in the State and nationally. The development of fact sheets, weekly articles to extension agents, extension programming, disease clinic, and involvement in state conferences such as the Ohio Turfgrass Conference and Show are integral parts of the extension effort. Extension clientele is a diverse group from homeowners to golf course superintendents to turfgrass related companies. In assessing the extension program the turfgrass personnel have interacted well with extension agents (Dr. Pound's weekly news article; speaking at extension meetings, etc.); producing turfgrass literature (facts sheets) for homeowners and extension agents; and short courses for professional turfgrass managers. The following are objectives for enhancing the extension program. Individual contact with the professional clientele. Although some may argue that site visits are not efficient with regard to time and people contract, individual visits with golf course superintendents and other managers solves problems immediately and provides grassroots support for the program. Strengthen the disease clinic. More professional level support is needed in the clinic. Development of resource materials. Quality bulletins and computer generated educational materials need to be developed for the professional, homeowner, and county agent. Development of Turfgrass Workshops. One day workshop's on pertinent aspects of turfgrass management need to be developed. Agent in-service training. Increasing contact with homeowners to meet their needs will be accomplished through continuous county agent training.
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