Program on Oct. 10 to focus on Texas turf triumphs, tribulations
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Richard White, 979-845-1550, rh-white@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – Texas weather has definitely tested turf in recent years, with drought, record heat, high winds and, in some cases, flooding. Texas A&M University and Scotts Miracle-Gro will co-host a field day Oct. 10 to provide an update on how Texas turf has fared.
A highlight of the turf field day will be information and demonstrations of a $500,000 facility for research on surface water quality, according to Dr. Richard White,Texas A&M University turfgrass professor and field day coordinator. (Texas AgriLife Research photo by Dr. Richard White)
The Turf and Landscape Field Day, themed “A Year Later: The Tenacity of Turf in Texas Landscapes,” will be held at the new Texas A&M AgriLife Turfgrass Field Lab and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Lawn and Garden Research Facility on the Texas A&M University campus.
“This statewide event highlights existing Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension programs,” said Dr. Richard White, professor of turfgrass physiology and management and field day coordinator. “This is the second year of the collaborative relationship between AgriLife and Scotts Miracle-Gro.”
Texas A&M University System faculty will present a field tour of topics on turf selection and management, irrigation management and drought recovery, pest management, nutrient management and the environment, new technologies and educational demonstrations, White said.
Preregistration is required through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Conference Services at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and type in the keyword “turf.” Registration, including lunch, is $35 before Sept. 20 and $45 from Sept. 20-29. On-site registration will be available for $45, but with no lunch, White said.
While the main event will be at the Turf Field Lab site on F&B Road, all attendees are asked to park at Reed Arena in Lot 100e on campus and board buses to the site, about a 10 minute ride. A parking lot attendant will provide a sticker to allow parking in the designated lot during the event, he said.
Registration, coffee and refreshments will be offered from 7-8:40 a.m. The official welcome will begin at 9 a.m. and concurrent field tours and programs will run from 9:15 a.m. to noon and again from 1:30-3 p.m. Vendor displays will be set up and viewable throughout the day.
Continuing education units are being sought to be offered for both licensed irrigators, as well as Texas Department of Agriculture licensed private pesticide applicators, he said. Categories and hours accepted for re-certification will be posted on the website once approved.
“This event will be held rain or shine, so come prepared,” White said.
White said a recent addition to the field day activities will be a symposium from 7-8:45 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, 801 University Drive East.
“The goal is to bring together faculty working on turf and landscape issues with industry representatives and practitioners attending the field day for a moderated question and answer forum,” he said.
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