MSU Turfgrass Field Day, Aug. 13, 2025

There are two research tours for attendees to choose from in the morning; golf turf and lawn/athletic fields tour. Each tour will be 2 hrs. in length. There are two afternoon tours for the attendees to choose from (these are separate pay events so some attendees will just attend the morning research tours and some will attend both the morning tour and afternoon diagnostic walk/tour).

Morning Research Tours

Golf Turf Research Tour (9 - 11 am):

•  Disease identification and management strategies for golf turf – Dr. Ruying Wang and Nancy Dykema. Prominent diseases on golf turf will be identified and discussed including cultural and chemical management strategies. Fungicide resistance in anthracnose will be addressed. Management strategies for dollar spot and other diseases will be discussed.
  
  
•  Rolling and turfgrass nutrition as a critical component of IPM – Dr. Thom Nikolai will discuss different light weight rolling treatments and their interaction with fertilizer programs and how they decrease dollar spot, reduce moss, and even suppress weed encroachment to save money and reduce pesticide use.
  
  
•  A quarter century of monitoring nitrogen fate – Dr. Kevin Frank. In- ground lysimeters were built at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center in 1989-1990 to monitor nutrient and pesticide fate in turfgrass systems. Nitrogen leaching has been monitored continuously since 1998 for both high and low annual nitrogen rates. Nitrogen in leachate has been less than 5 ppm for the low N rate for over 25 years, but the high N rate has seen peaks and valleys in the amount of nitrogen leaching over time.

• The temporary tee box? Dr. Trey Rogers. Teeing grounds typically require space to execute a full swing, stable surface and even terrain. Placing tees in unique places on a golf course is often prohibitive for several reasons. This tee box utilizes the shallow turfgrass profile (STP) design currently being utilized by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. In practice, when a STP tee box becomes too worn, the sod is simply replaced, and the area is immediately re- opened for play.
  
  
• Hydroponic and variable depth putting greens – Mike Rabe will present the results that compare subsurface irrigation of variable depth putting greens to conventional USGA variable depth putting greens. Differences in disease (primarily take-all patch), divot recovery, localized dry spot, and challenges with consistent moisture management between the green construction methods will be discussed.
  
  
• WinterTurf and turfgrass physiology research update – Dr. Emily Holm will discuss the latest winterkill and heat/drought related physiology projects. The effects of altering mowing heights in the fall and application of plant growth regulators on turfgrass survival under ice encasement will be presented.
  
  
• Moss control and phosphorus and potassium effects on putting green performance – Dr. Kevin Frank. Moss can be a persistent nuisance on putting greens that have thinned due to numerous reasons. Herbicide treatments and non-herbicidal options were applied to a moss infested green; results will be discussed. In a different trial, the effects of multi-year applications of phosphorus and potassium on putting greens will be presented.

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

• Herbicide treatment effects on multiple turfgrass species and aerial herbicide applications to suppress Phragmites. Dr. Thom Nikolai and Eric Galbraith will discuss the different effects of herbicide treatments on Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and fine leaf fescue with respect to efficacy and phytotoxicity. In a different trial, they will present results from using aerial application technology to apply herbicides to phragmites.
  
  
• Plant diagnostics: Tour the Weed Garden – Dr. Erin Hill will discuss key weed identification tips using examples from the weed garden and teach participants the keys to taking good photos for submission to the diagnostic lab. Without proper identification, pesticide recommendations cannot be given accurately.
  
  
• World Cup shallow turfgrass profile update – Evan Rogers. The 2026 World Cup will feature eight stadiums requiring a temporary conversion from an artificial to natural playing surface. Three of these stadiums will be converted using the shallow turfgrass profile system (STP), a system developed by Michigan State University and the University of Tennessee. At this stop, we will provide updates on the system’s performance, share some of the cutting- edge equipment we have been using to assess its suitability for tournament level play, and ask attendees their perception of the playing surface.
  
  
• A programmatic approach to PGR applications – Ryan Bearss. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are commonly applied according to the accumulation of growing degree days (GDD). Applications of PGRs like trinexapac-ethyl (Primo Maxx), are typically made every 200-450 GDDs. We evaluated the effects of simulated traffic and trinexapac-ethyl applications made every 7 days (programmatically) at 1/8 th , 1/4 th , ½, 1x, and 2x the label rate, on turf recovery, turf color, and surface performance. Results will be presented.
  
  
• An evaluation of soil surfactants (wetting agents) for managing a shallow turfgrass profile system – Dr. Jack Guevara. Soil moisture management is essential for maintaining high-quality playing surfaces and healthy turfgrass. However, over time, the soil can become hydrophobic, preventing moisture from infiltrating and spreading evenly. Wetting agents can help mitigate soil hydrophobicity, thereby enhancing moisture retention and improving water infiltration. In shallow turfgrass systems with a 2- inch sandy rootzone over a geocellular drainage system, managing soil moisture becomes even more critical. This study evaluated four wetting agents applied monthly at label rates. Following irrigation, plots were subjected to a 7-day dry-down period. Measurements included soil moisture, surface performance, soil hydrophobicity, and turfgrass health, color, and quality.
  
  
• Lawn Disease Identification and Management – Dr. Ruying Wang and Nancy Dykema. The impact of fertilizer on common lawn diseases such as dollar spot, red thread, and leaf spot will be shown and management strategies will be discussed. Identification and management of necrotic ring spot using cultural and chemical means will be presented.

Lunch 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Afternoon Program

1. Disease and Weeds Diagnostic Tour (12:00 - 2:00 pm)

Dr. Ruying Wang, Nancy Dykema, and Dr. Kevin Frank will lead the disease and weeds diagnostic tour. Attendees will be split into two groups with one group taking the disease tour for one hour and the other group taking the weed tour for one hour. After one hour, the groups will change so each group will have one hour focused on diseases and one hour on weeds. On the disease diagnostic tour participants will learn how to identify the common turfgrass diseases. Management options for common diseases including dollar spot, brown patch, crown-rotting anthracnose, red thread, pythium blight and root-rot will be presented. For the weeds tour, identification tips for common turfgrass weeds including crabgrass, clover, dandelion, and others. Management programs including the impact of herbicides, fertilizer programs, and mowing height on weed control will be discussed.

2. Lasch Family Golf Center Tour (12:00 – 1:00 pm)

The state-of-the-art Lasch Family Golf Center provides the Michigan State golf teams one of the finest, well-appointed facilities in the nation. The tour will start with an inside look at the $6 million, 15,000-square-foot building completed in March 2016 that includes a 5,000-square-foot indoor practice area; men's and women's locker rooms; coaches' offices; video room; weight room; and a kitchen area featuring nutrition/hydration stations. The tour will then move outside to learn about the design and management practices to maintain a world class practice facility from Forest Akers golf course superintendent Ben Keeler.