The Wisconsin Turfgrass Association’s annual Summer Field Day is set for Tuesday, July 24 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research and Educational Facility in Verona. The event, which features tours of demonstration plots and presentations by UW–Madison and UW-Extension experts, is an opportunity for managers of golf courses, sports turf facilities, sod farms, lawn care operations, parks and other green spaces to learn about a variety of turf-related topics including new results from recent research projects.
The event kicks off at 9 a.m. with words of welcome and the dedication of the facility’s new storage building. The 1,200 square-foot building, completed in fall 2017, was funded by gifts from the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association and the Wisconsin Golf Course Superintendents Association.
“We are extremely grateful to both organizations for their support in funding this much-needed building,” says Bruce Schweiger, superintendent of O.J. Noer. “To do the kind of world-class research that we do, we end up needing to purchase new specialized equipment every few years, and our previous storage shed was bursting at the seams. The new storage building has enabled us to take proper care of all of our equipment.”
The field day’s morning session, which runs from 9:30 to 11 a.m., focuses on lawn care and general turf issues. Presentations will cover topics such as crabgrass control, rodents, white grubs, living with wildlife, diseases of over-watered lawns, Z-Spray calibration, and updates on fertilizer and grass varieties.
After a catered lunch (included in the registration fee), the afternoon session from 1:30 to 3 p.m. will have presentations focused on golf turf issues including dollar spot control, wetting agent strategies, clipping collection and bentgrass growth.
The cost of registration is $45. Registration and additional information is available at http://www.wisconsinturfgrassassociation.org. For more information, contact the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association’s Audra Anderson at (608) 845-6536.
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences will make a reasonable effort to provide accommodations for participants with disabilities when notified in advanced. To request a disability accommodation, please contact Bruce Schweiger at (608)-845-6895 or [email protected] at least 10 days in advance of the event. Efforts will be made to meet same-day requests to the extent possible.
