SFMA’s Conference Education Committee has put together an exciting and informative education program for the 2023 Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Each month, speakers presenting at the conference will be featured. The SFMA Featured Speakers of the Month for December are Dr. Adam Thoms, Dr. Nick Christians and Brad Park.
Dr. Adam Thoms is an associate professor at Iowa State University and Dr. Nick Christians is a professor at Iowa State University. They will be presenting “Developing a Topdressing Program for Athletic Fields” on Tuesday, January 17.
Topdressing is one of the most common practices, but one of the most misunderstood practices. This presentation presents what happens when the topdressing rate is too fast or too slow. We will also present what to do if your field has layers. Finally, we will discuss what to topdress with.
Presentation objectives:
- Attendees will learn to justify the cost of topdressing.
- Learn how to remedy a layering issue.
- Explain to others proper amounts of topdressing.
Brad Park is an agronomist at Rutgers University. On Tuesday, January 17, he will be presenting “Tall Fescue for Sports Fields and Grounds.”
This presentation will provide insight on sports field and grounds scenarios where tall fescue may be an establishment option, maximizing tall fescue competitiveness, and examining National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP)-derived research information related to tall fescue variety selection.
Presentation objectives:
- The attendee will be able to identify sports field and grounds scenarios where tall fescue may be an establishment option.
- Management practices intended to maximize tall fescue competitiveness will be discussed.
- The attendee will be presented with the latest National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP)-derived research information related to tall fescue variety selection.