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2023 MSU TURFGRASS FIELD DAY RECAP


Turfgrass Field Day, August 9th, 2023

Golf Tour Stops 9:00 - 11 :00 AM

1. Disease Management - Dr. Joe Vargas, Jr. and Nancy Dykema

2. Winterkill Reestablishment -Payton Perkinson and Dr. Kevin Frank

3. Poa Management Options and Robotic Mowers - Dr. Thom Nikolai

4. Capillary Hydroponic Putting Greens - Mike Rabe and Dr. Thom Nikolai

5. Drought and Winter Stress Research Update - Dr. Emily Holm

6. Sod on Plastic Production - Dr. Trey Rogers and Evan Rogers

Lawn/Athletics Tour Stops 9:00 - 11 :00 AM

7. Don't Guess, Test! Diagnostic Support for Management Decisions - Dr. Erin Hill

8. Sod on Plastic Production - Dr. Trey Rogers and Evan Rogers

9. Per rye and K blue establishment on plastic - Jackie Guevara and Dr. Trey Rogers

10. Developing a Natural Turf, Shallow Profile System - Ryan Bearss and Dr. Trey Rogers

11. PGRs and Sod on Plastic in No-Light Conditions - Jake Kilby and Dr. Trey Rogers

12. Turfgrass Disease Update - Dr. Joe Vargas and Nancy Dykema

Afternoon Tours 1- 3 pm

1. MSU Athletic Fields Tour: Bus departs at 11 :45 am from Hancock Turf Research Center (HTRC) and will take attendees to Spartan Stadium. After touring Spartan Stadium, soccer, baseball, and softball fields, bus will pick up attendees near Jennison Fieldhouse and return to HTRC.

2. The History of Pesticides and MDARD RLJles and Regulations Update: Bus departs HTRC at 11 :45 am. Presentation will be in 1200 Molecular Plant Sciences Bldg (attached to Plant and Soil Sciences Bldg.). Bus will return attendees to HTRC upon conclusion.

3. Disease Diagnostic Walk: Walk will depart from HTRC building at 12 pm and tour the plots at HTRC.


Dr. Trey Rogers

Dr. Trey Rogers - Sod on Plastic Production


Sod on Plastic Production - Evan Rogers


PGRs and Sod on Plastic in No-Light Conditions - Jake Kilby


Turfgrass Disease Update - Nancy Dykema


Per rye and K blue establishment on plastic - Jackie Guevara


Poa Management Options and Robotic Mowers - Dr. Thom Nikolai


Winterkill Reestablishment -Payton Perkinson


Devendra Chalise, Dr. Michael Itam and Kailey Miller - Drought and Winter Stress Research Update


Dr. Michael Itam and Kailey Miller - Drought and Winter Stress Research Update


Disease Management - Nancy Dykema


Disease Management - Dr. Joe Vargas, Jr. 


Don't Guess, Test! Diagnostic Support for Management Decisions - Dr. Erin Hill


Dr. Kevin Frank


MSU Athletic Fields Tour - Andy Flynn



Drought and Winter Stress Research Update - Dr. Emily Holm, Dr. Michael Itam & Devendra Chalise


Softball Field



Turfgrass Field Day, August 9th 2023

2023 Schedule:

7:30 AM Registration Opens

8:45 AM Opening Comments

Morning Research Tours

Golf Turf Research Tour (9 - 11 am):

Disease management strategies for golf turf – Dr. Joe Vargas, Jr. and his research team will discuss the effects of different fungicides on turfgrass rooting and fungicide efficacy on crown rot anthracnose.

Dollar spot management – Nancy Dykema will discuss several different dollar spot trials including biocontrol treatment options, the effect of creeping bentgrass cultivars, and dollar spot timing using the Smith-Kerns prediction model.

Plant growth regulators and robotic mowers for fairway maintenance – Dr. Thom Nikolai will discuss different PGR programs for fairways and attendees will be able to see first-hand how robotic mowers maintain a golf course fairway.

Winterkill reestablishment – Payton Perkinson and Dr. Kevin Frank will discuss putting green reestablishment practices in the spring. The effect of creeping bentgrass cultivar and Two-Putt annual bluegrass seeded on three dates on two different rootzones will be presented.

Update on summer and winter stress research on various turfgrass species – Dr. Emily Holm and her research team will discuss their progress on abiotic stress research projects ranging from summer drought stress to winterkill. The rainout shelter field will be highlighted.

Hydroponic putting green system – Mike Rabe will discuss the 1st research season of the hydroponic putting green that compares subsurface irrigation of variable depth putting greens to conventional USGA variable depth putting greens.

Lawn and Athletic Fields Turf Research Tour (9 – 11 am):

Identification and management of lawn grass diseases - Dr. Joe Vargas, Jr. and Nancy Dykema will discuss common lawn diseases such as red thread, dollar spot, rust, and brown patch. Fungicide recommendations and the effect of cultural practices such as irrigation and cultivation will be discussed.

Weed identification in the MSU weed garden – Dr. Erin Hill will lead a tour of the MSU weed garden which contains over 20 different common turf weeds. Identification tips and common herbicide or cultural control recommendations will be discussed.

The components and development of a natural turf, shallow profile system – Ryan Bearss

Tools for quantitative performance assessment of turfgrass systems – Evan Rogers

Plant growth regulator efficacy on sod grown on plastic, maintained under prolonged no-light conditions – Jake Kilby

Perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass establishment on plastic – Jackie Guevara

Lunch 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Afternoon Program

Disease Diagnostic Walk (12:00 - 2:00 pm)

Nancy Dykema will lead participants on the disease diagnostic walk. Participants will learn how to identify the common turfgrass diseases and management options for common diseases including: dollar spot, brown patch, crown-rotting anthracnose, red thread, and pythium blight and root-rot. The diagnostic walk will include discussion of best management practices both with and without fungicides to ensure high turfgrass quality and most importantly customer satisfaction.

MSU Athletic Fields Tour (12:00 – 2:00 pm)

The MSU athletic field tour is returning to field day and will visit Spartan Stadium and the baseball, softball, and soccer facility. Andy Flynn the head athletic field manager will lead the tour of the facilities. Discussion will include different establishment techniques used, herbicide recommendations for establishment during summer, and fertilizer programs to hasten establishment, along with management techniques used throughout the various sport seasons.  Transportation to/from Spartan Stadium will be provided.

The History of Pesticides and MDARD Rules and Regulations Update (12:00 – 2:00 pm)

Dr. Thomas A Nikolai will discuss the history of pesticides, toxicity, BMP’s and sustainable practices intertwined with MDARD rules and regulations. This presentation will be given in the Plant and Soil Science Building, transportation will be provided from to and from the HTRC.

2022 MSU Turfgrass Field Day RECAP


Turfgrass Field Day, August 10th 2022

Golf Tour

1. Turfgrass Disease Update – Dr. Joe Vargas, Jr. and Nancy Dykema

2. Soil testing & Winterkill reestablishment – Dr. Kevin Frank and Payton Perkinson

3. Turfgrass Physiology & Winterkill Update – Dr. Emily Holm, Kailey Miller, Megan Gendjar, & Michael Itam

4. Plant Growth Regulator Research – Dr. Thom Nikolai

5. Hydroponics and Variable Depth Putting Greens – Mike Rabe and Dr. Thom Nikolai

6. USGA golf ball reaction research update – Evan Rogers and Dr. Trey Rogers

Lawn/ Athletics Tour

7. Perennial ryegrass control in mixed stands of cool-season grasses – Ryan Bearss & Dr. Trey Rogers

8. Crabgrass control – Dr. Thom Nikolai

9. Sod on plastic: establishment and maintenance – Jake Kilby and Dr. Trey Rogers

10. Hydroponics and Variable Depth Putting Greens – Mike Rabe and Dr. Thom Nikolai

11. Turfgrass Disease Update – Dr. Joe Vargas and Nancy Dykema

12. Sod on plastic: establishment practices – Jackie Guevara and Dr. Trey Rogers

Athletic Fields Tour

Spartan Football Stadium, Baseball Stadium, Softball Stadium, Soccer Stadium and practice field

Read the MSU Field Day Report

Dr. Vargas starts the day with a turfgrass disease update

Dr. Nikolai discusses Crabgrass control

Jake Kilby discusses Sod on Plastic at stop 9

Mike Rabe presents Hydroponics and Variable Depth Putting Greens

Dr. Frank - Soil testing & Winterkill reestablishment 

Nancy Dykema presents Turfgrass Disease update 

Payton Perkinson discussing Winterkill reestablishment

Jackie Guevara - Sod on plastic station 12

Dr. Rogers fields a question

Dr. Holm discussing Turfgrass Physiology & Winterkill


Ryan Bearss presents Perennial ryegrass control in mixed stands of cool-season grasses

USGA golf ball reaction research update – Evan Rogers

MSU Athletic Turf Manager, Andy Flynn lead the Athletics Field Tour

Spartan Stadium!

McLane Stadium 

Secchia Stadium

DeMartin Stadium

Practice soccer field

A view from above

Go Green!

Coffee and Donuts Sponsor


Bus Sponsor



Breakfast Sponsor


Lunch Sponsor


Lanyard Sponsor


Bottled Water Sponsor



Turfgrass Field Day Recap - August 11, 2021

For the MSU Turf Team and the more than 400 participants who came out to learn, network and participate in the study of turfgrass, it turned out to be a great day.  One day later, and it would have been a completely different story, as MSU along with many other Michigan areas, received 4 inches of rain overnight.  

Highlights from the day included Dr. Vargas's turf dust - IRS comparison, Dr. Frank's barefoot test and learning that Poa Annua ranks only behind cockroaches on the toughness scale.  A photo recap of the day can be found below.


Congratulations to Peter Cookingham, Head of the Turfgrass Information Center, on his upcoming retirement.  Read More


Thank you to Jesse Sholl and the staff at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center for all they did to make this one of the most successful Field Days to date.

The 2021 Turfgrass Field Day was presented with the support the following sponsors:

Lanyard sponsor:  MeritHall Inc., Rep. Travis Goeski
Corporate Lunch Sponsors: NuFarm, FMC Professional Solutions, MTESP
Bottled Water Sponsor: Green Point Consulting
Breakfast Sponsor: Harrell's LLC


Golf 1. Disease Management for Golf Courses
Nancy Dykema and Dr. J. M. Vargas, Jr.
Anthracnose
Dollar Spot Management
Summer Stress in Turfgrass


Lawn and Athletic Fields 7.  Turfgrass Weed Research
Dr. Thom Nikolai, Dr. T.O. Green, Eric Galbraith, Dr. Eric Patterson, and Ben Pritchard
Discussing results of a 3-year lawn HOC study and a walk over to a GDD crabgrass application study.

Golf 2.  The Effects of Soil Test Philosophy Recommendations on Creeping Bentgrass and Annual Bluegrass
Jackie Guevara and Dr. Kevin W. Frank
The study evaluated two soil testing philosophies and fertilizer recommendations, namely Sufficiency Level of Available Nutrients (SLAN) and Minimum Levels for Sustainable Nutrition (MLSN).

Lawn & Athletic Fields 8.  Disease Management in Lawns and Athletic Fields
Nancy Dykema and Dr. J.M. Vargas Jr.
Leaf Spot, Dollar Spot, Red Thread, Necrotic Ring Spot

Golf 3.  Abiotic Stress Physiology of Putting Green Species
Megan Gendjar and Dr. Emily Merewitz, Kailey Miller, Dr. Kevin Frank
Soil water content and plant growth regulator effects on Poa Annua acclimation to and survival of winter.
Mowing height effects on winterkill of Poa Annua putting greens.

Lawn & Athletic Fields 9.  The Long-Term Effect of Irrigation and Fertilizer Programs on Different Turfgrass Species
Dr. Kevin Frank and Jesse Sholl
The objective of the study is to demonstrate the interaction and performance of fertilization and irrigation on different turfgrass species and mixtures.

Golf 4.  Racecourse Athletic Field Systems, and Golf Ball Reaction and Soil Strength Studies
Dr. J.N. Rogers, III, Dr. J.R. Crum, and Dr. T.O. Green
The the golf ball reaction and soil strength study (2021-2022) will give insight to improving golf shots by allowing golfers the option of bouncing shots to gain distance while placing them nearer target putting green.

Lawn & Athletic Fields 10, Golf 5.  Outbreaks of Japanese Beetle Decline in Southern Michigan Due to Biological Control While Populations Increase in Northern Michigan
Dr. David Smitley
In 1999, with Japanese Beetle populations exploding in Michigan, a survey by Cappaert and Smitley (2002) revealed that the most promising biocontrol organisms were either absent or nearly absent in Southern Michigan.

Golf 6.  Turfgrass Weed Research
Dr. Thom Nikolai, Dr. T.O Green, Eric Galbraith, Dr. Eric Patterson, and Ben Pritchard
Attendees were encouraged to take ratings at two different studies.

Highlights from the Afternoon Workshops:






Michigan Turfgrass Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. P.O. Box 27156, Lansing, MI 48909

The Michigan Turfgrass Foundation exists to promote safe, healthy turf surfaces for all Michigan residents.

Call or E mail Us

Office: +1 517 392 5003

E Mail miturfgrass@gmail.com


Address:

PO BOX 27156

LANSING, MI 48909

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