3rd Annual Texas A&M Turf Short Course Set For January 22-26, 2007
The 3rd Annual Turfgrass Ecology & Management Short Course is a continuing education program designed for professionals caring for turfgrass in a broad range of management systems (sports turf, lawn care, golf, parks and municipal lawns/recreation areas and sod production). The “Turf Short Course” assists professionals in developing or updating their own science based turf management programs/strategy. The 2006 course attracted 34 individuals and participant surveys of learner benefits consistently produced answers of “agree” or “strongly agree” for the following statements:
- I gained new insights, relevant to my work.
· The course challenged my thinking.
· I am likely to apply what I have learned.
- I am more likely to adopt better management practices.
Thirteen Texas A&M University faculty will draw upon their expertise, and class discussion, to address turfgrass industry issues, problems and opportunities as they present a well-balanced program of 36 contact hours of instruction. Participants will be awarded Continuing Education Units, appropriate to the course content, upon completion. The course is directed by Dr. David Chalmers, State Turfgrass Extension Specialist and is sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension and Texas A&M University.
· Turfgrass Growth & Development
· Turfgrass Identification
· Soil Physical, Chemical & Biology Properties
· Modifying Soils
· Grass Adaptation, Selection & Use
· Seed, Sod & Sprig Establishment
· Water Management & Water Quality
· Mowing Management
· Common Calculations
· Nutrient Management
· Cultivation, Topdressing & Thatch
· Pesticide Laws, Regulations and Safety
· Integrated Pest Management
· Turfgrass Weed, Disease and Insect Identification and Control
· Environmental Issues
· Industry Issues
· Turf Stress Management
· Practical Diagnosis/Problem Solving
General Information
The fee for the course is $595 and includes the following: Turfgrasses: Their Management and Use in the Southern Zone as the text, a short course notebook of reference materials, CEU Certificate, four lunches and refreshments. On-site check-in begins Monday, January 22, at 8:15 a.m. at the Donald L. Houston Center, 200 Discovery Drive, College Station TX 77843. Classes begin at 9:00 a.m. Monday and will end at 12:00 noon on Friday, January 26th. Early registration is encouraged, as enrollment is limited. Pre-registration is required. As of November 17th 17 individuals had pre-registered. The Registration deadline is January 8, 2007. The course website (http://capso.tamu.edu/all-programs/turfgrass) provides course information, course topics, on-line registration, speaker bios, lodging information, and a downloadable program brochure.
For Further Information: Contact Dr. David Chalmers (dchalmers@tamu.edu) or Daralyn Wallace 979-845-0884 (dwallace@ag.tamu.edu) or visit the course website.