Course Difficulty: Advanced
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Precision Turfgrass Management
Instructors: Bill Kreuser, Ph.D. and Michael Carlson Ph.D. Precision turfgrass management uses observations, data, and models to improve management efficiency in turfgrass systems. This course will cover turfgrass growth potential, various turf and pest models, manipulation of growth with nitrogen and PGR programs, clipping volume, crop sensors, mapping data and construction of prescription maps for…
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Putting Green Management
Instructor: Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D. This one credit course weaves through the history of golf and maintenance practices that have led to our modern-day maintenance practices. It is filled with easy to interpret turfgrass research that supports or leads to questioning numerous cultural and mechanical practices and their impact on turfgrass agronomics. Topics covered include…
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Programming Plant Growth Regulator Applications
Instructor: Bill Kreuser, PhD This course is designed to be a comprehensive course focused around the scheduling and use of PGR in turfgrass. Briefly cover different PGRs and then dive into their influence on turfgrass growth, health, and playability. This course will go beyond the topics covered in a short one to three hour seminar,…
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Causes and Management of Turf Stress
Instructor: Bill Kreuser, PhD Turfgrass plants need to adapt to changing weather conditions or they parish. This course covers different forms of abiotic stress, their impact on health, and management strategies to over-come stress. Different topics include heat, cold, too little & too much light, drought, ice encasement, desiccation, and traffic damage. Multiple stresses, plant…
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Responsible Pesticide Use
Instructor: Paul Koch, Ph.D. This two credit course focuses on turfgrass integrated pest management (IPM) and science-based strategies for reducing the non-target injuries (i.e. pesticide risk) that can occur from repeated pesticide use. Strategies for documenting your IPM progress to groups both within and outside your organization will also be discussed. Designed Duration: 6 Lectures,…
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Diseases of Cool-Season Turfgrasses
Instructor: Paul Koch, Ph.D. Course provides a comprehensive introduction to the primary diseases of cool-season turfgrass. Students will learn how to identify diseases, receive the most up-to-date research related to integrated disease control strategies, and work to develop comprehensive disease control programs specific to their location. Designed Duration: 7 Lectures, 6 Quizzes Credits Earned: 2
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Diseases of Warm-Season Turfgrasses
Instructor: Jim Kerns, Ph.D. This six-week course will provide a fundamental understanding of diseases of warm-season turfgrasses. Each week will focus on the identification, biology, and management of a different disease or group of diseases. By the end of the course the students will have a comprehensive understanding of how to manage the most important…
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Weed Identification and Control
Instructor: Aaron Patton, Ph.D. This nine-week course will provide a fundamental understanding of weed ecology, an overview of major cool- and warm-season weeds, and integrated pest management strategies for their control. The course will focus mainly on cool-season systems (75%) with additional warm-season examples and discussion (25%). Chemical management with a heavy emphasis on pesticide resistance…
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Turf Soil Management
Instructor: Doug Soldat, Ph.D. Sound soil management is the building block of a healthy system. Dr. Doug Soldat leads this course focusing on the basics of soil science, management of soil physical properties including organic matter, different types of cultivation techniques, and the construction and management of different root zone systems. Designed Duration: 6 Lectures,…
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Turfgrass Fertilization
Instructor: Doug Soldat, Ph.D. This three-week course will cover various aspects of turfgrass fertilization including a thorough examination of nitrogen fertilizer, other secondary and micronutrients, cost-benefit of different fertilizer sources, nutrient demand & clipping volume, and the impact of fertilizer in the environment. At the end of the course, students will build a nutrient management plan…
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Understanding and Using Soil Testing
Instructor: Doug Soldat, Ph.D. This course focuses on measuring and managing soil chemical properties. Topics covered include soil pH, cation exchange capacity, soil sampling techniques, and different soil test extraction and quantification methods. Dr. Soldat will then cover different ways to interpret soil test results including SLAN, BCSR, and MLSN. Designed Duration: 6 Lectures, 3…
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Turfgrass Irrigation
Instructor: Doug Soldat, Ph.D. This three-week course will cover turfgrass irrigation requirements, irrigation management strategies, technologies to measure water status and water more efficiently, the factors driving evapotranspiration and teach students how to create a water budget. Designed Duration: 6 Lectures, 3 Quizzes Credits Earned: 1
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Turfgrass Drainage
Instructor: Alec Kowalewski, PhD It’s been said that common sense and drainage are needed to grow turf. And, if short on the former, than add more of the latter. This course covers various aspects of turfgrass drainage including soils, layers, root zone construction, drainage technologies and cultivation techniques to improve drainage. Designed Duration: 6 Lectures, 3…