UMass Extension’s In-Season Lawn and Landscape Turf Training

In residential, commercial and general landscape lawn care, up-to-date information is necessary for sound decision making. Sound decisions lead to next level results for customers and a thriving business.  Join the faculty and staff of the UMass Turf Program at our upcoming In-Season Lawn and Landscape Turf Training.  This special program has been designed for in-depth coverage of advanced topics and will include “in the field” learning.  Morning discussions in Hadley, MA will be follow by afternoon real-time instruction at the UMass Joseph Troll Turf Research Center in South Deerfield, MA.  Don’t miss this unique opportunity to broaden your own skill set while obtaining cutting edge training for your staff.

Agenda

- Morning program: Hadley Farms Meeting House, 41 Russell St. (Rt. 9), Hadley, MA -

7:00–7:45 - Arrival and check-in

7:45-11:45:

• Morning Welcome - Jason Lanier, Extension Turf Specialist
• Understanding Life Cycles of Turf Damaging Insects - Dr. Olga Kostromytska, Turf Entomologist
  Dr. Kostromytska will discuss common lawn pests such as white grubs and chinch bugs, as well as how weather and environmental conditions can influence the development and management of these pests.
• How Do You Know if it’s Really a Disease Problem? - Dr. Angie Madeiras, Turf Pathologist
  How to recognize disease signs and symptoms, and clues that help to differentiate whether an issue is caused by a pathogen or some other agent, such as environmental stress.
• Break – coffee, fruit, pastries, bagels, muffins, yogurt
• Selection of Grasses - Dr. Scott Ebdon, Turf Agronomist
  Dr. Ebdon will focus on matching turfgrass species and cultivars to site conditions and use parameters, as well as selecting for key attributes such as pest tolerance and resistance to weed invasion.

11:45–12:15 - EN ROUTE TO UMASS JOSEPH TROLL TURF RESEARCH CENTER

- Afternoon program: UMass Joseph Troll Turf Research Center, 23 River Road, South Deerfield, MA -

12:15–12:45 - All American Barbecue Lunch - under the tent. Grilled sausages, hamburgers, garden burgers and chicken breasts, served with garden salad, fruit salad, potato salad, coleslaw, cookies, brownies, and lemonade.

12:45–3:00:

• Afternoon Welcome - James Poro, Superintendent, UMass Joseph Troll Turf Research Center

The afternoon educational program will consist of concurrent sessions to be repeated 2x each. The group will break in half and each talk will last 50 minutes with a short break in between:

• Cultural Practices and Turfgrass Selection: A Look at the NTEP Trials
  Dr. Scott Ebdon
  This presentation will cover the principal cool season turfgrasses and how National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) data is used to select cultivars for specific characteristics such as disease tolerance, resistance to weed invasion, drought tolerance, wear tolerance, and vigor.
• In-Field Weed ID and Spring Establishment Weed Management Demonstration
  Mr. Randy Prostak
  This walking session will cover two topics: 1) in-field identification of troublesome weeds; and 2) the effect of different pre-emergence materials on annual grassy weed control at spring establishment.

3:00 - Pesticide and professional credits awarded

3:15 - Adjourn

Pesticide & Professional Credits

UMass Extension's In-Season Lawn Care Training Program has been approved for 4 pesticide re-certification contact hours for Massachusetts category 37 (turf) and the applicator's license. Credits are valid for equivalent license categories in all New England states.

Professional credits:

• 1 credit for the Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association's MCH certification
• 5 CEUs for the Northeast Organic Farming Association's AOLCP certification
• 2 credits for the Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals MCLP certification

Contact

Jason Lanier at (413) 545-2965; jdl@umass.edu or Mary Owen at (508) 892-0382; mowen@umass.edu