GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Are you interested in learning about new advances in nematode control? Would you like to get a glimpse at the new turfgrass cultivars that are being developed? The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has all your answers at its annual Central Florida Turfgrass Field Day, being held tomorrow at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra.

“Each year the UF/IFAS Turfgrass Team holds field day events at their research facilities in Ft. Lauderdale, Jay, and Citra, and every effort is made to highlight new research focused on improving pest and disease control, cultivar evaluations and natural resource management,” said Jason Kruse, associate professor of environmental horticulture and a turfgrass specialist. “While we expect our primary audience to be turfgrass professionals from the golf, sports and landscape industries, I am confident that nearly anyone with an interest in turfgrass management will enjoy the event and take something away from it that will help them improve the management of their own turfgrass systems.”

Registration begins at 7:45 a.m., with opening remarks at 8:45. Field tours are set to begin at 9 a.m., with stops at various turfgrass research projects and include:

• Ramon Leon will discuss “preventing escapes of late emerging weed species,” including a list of weed species that are becoming more prevalent in turfgrass in Florida as a result of the ban on monosodium methanearsonate.

• Phil Harmon will discuss turf fungicide products, including field trials on leaf and sheath spot disease of Bermuda grass.

• Jing Zhang will discuss the performance of several Bermuda grass and zoysia grass cultivars maintained under putting grass conditions. Emphasis will be placed on growth, quality, and disease and pest susceptibility.

• Billy Crow will talk about turfgrass nematicide trials.

• Kevin Kenworthy will highlight advancements being made in breeding of St. Augustine grass and zoysia grass cultivars.

• Ken Quesenberry will talk about advances being made in bahia grass breeding trials.

• Natasha Restuccia will discuss regional performance of entries in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) Zoysia grass trials.

• Travis Shaddox will detail St. Augustine grass responses to various micronutrient fertilizer sources.

• Bobby Kerr will discuss research investigating seasonal rooting dynamics of warm-season grasses.

• Bernard Cardenas will give an overview of soil moisture and evaporation-based smart controllers for managing irrigation applications.

Individual tickets are $35 and can be purchased on-site. For more information and directions, please visit: www.gatorturf.eventbrite.com.

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