Please join the Mid-Atlantic Sports Turf Managers Association for our Annual Spring Meeting March 16, 8 am to 4 pm at the US National Arboretum, which is operated by the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service as a division of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Encompassing 446 acres total, the Arboretum functions as a major center of botantical research. It conducts research on trees, flowering plants, shrubs and turf, as well as the development of plants. Turfgrass in particular has a major impact on our quality of life. The U.S. National Arboretum’s Grass Roots Initiative is a four-year, in-depth look at the science behind this familiar, but often misunderstood, landscape plant.
Education Program Schedule
(An approved Maryland recertification training program.)
8 am Registration & Networking
Coffee break sponsored by Rain Bird Corporation
9 am Ryan Bjorn, Maryland SoccerPlex
Message from the President
930 am Geoff Rinehart, Lecturer, UMD Institute of Applied Agriculture
Using Variety Trial Data to Select Improved Turfgrass for Playability & IPM Considerations
1030 am Dr. Frank Wong, Regulatory Affairs, Bayer United States, LLC
Meeting the Challenge of Public Misperceptions: Pesticides, Fertilizers, & Safety
1130 am Jerad Minnick, Lead Advisor, Natural Grass Advisory Group
Eliminating the Guess Work: How Data is Simplifying High Use Grass Field Maintenance
1230 pm Lunch
Sponsored by Turf Trade & Capitol Sports Fields
130 pm Michael Gildea, Horticulturist, Chevy Chase Club
Insect & Disease Management Strategies: A Case Study of Alternative Pest Control Strategies on Ornamentals
230 pm Grassroots Facility Tour
Hosted by Joe Doherty, Graduate Research Assistant, UMD & Geoff Rinehart, Lecturer, UMD
(Demonstration of grass species selection for use in the Mid-Atlantic region followed by Q&A)
330 pm Networking
Beverages sponsored by Finch Services, Inc.
Special thanks to our event sponsors, Turf Trade, Rain Bird Corporation, Finch Services, Capitol Sports Fields, and annual sponsors:
Newsom Seed
Turface Athletics
Genesis Turfgrass
Turf Equipment & Supply
Oakwood Sod Farm
Sod Solutions
Landscape Supply
Hummer Turfgrass
Finch Services
Bayer
Floratine
Luck Ecosystems
Aqua-Aid