| Class
will be held in room 130, from 5:00 - 9:00 pm, on Mondays
|
| Regular
Session |
Date |
Lecture
topics planned |
Chapters
to read in Turgeon 8th ed. |
Laboratory
and other special activities |
Exam
and assignment deadlines |
| 1 |
24
Aug 2009 |
Self
introductions. Course objectives and summary.
Core concepts. The cultural roots of turfgrass.
The science of turf. The business of turf.
Introduction to conversions. Turf and the web.
Reading a scientific document. Using library resources,
including the Turfgrass Information File, http://tgif.msu.edu |
1 |
Objectives
and learning goals
|
Class
will adjourn early.Term paper instructions. Read
New York Times article on atrazine: Debating
how much weed killer is safe in your water glass
and rebuttal published by American Council on Science
and Health, NYT
Terrifies Over "Weed Killers" in Water and
Syngenta
response on Science and Safety. |
| 2 |
31
Aug 2009 |
Natural
history of grass. Parts of the grass plant.
Grass identification. How grasses around the world
grow and develop. The genera of warm-season turfgrasses.
Grass Genera and species
to know. |
2,
Appendices
1, 2 |
Observe
the Living Lawn Demonstration Project. Observe
spikelets under dissecting microscopes. Observe germinated
grass seedlings. |
Term
paper topic titles due. Begin reading a scientific paper
and write a 100-150 word critique. (Kneebone,
W. R. and I. L. Pepper. 1982. Consumptive
water use by sub-irrigated turfgrass under desert conditions.
Agron. J. 74:419-423.). |
| |
7
Sep 2009 |
No
class - Labor Day |
| 3 |
14
Sep 2009 |
Grass anatomy and physiology.
C3 (cool-season) vs. C4 (warm season) turfgrass species
and their uses, genetic diversity, competition and
encroachment, seeds vs. vegetative propagation.
|
3,
8 |
Handouts:
Turf Establishment
and Beard's "Evaluating Turfgrass Quality,"
pages 9-15 from Turfgrass science and culture. |
Turn
in summaries of Kneebone article. Topic titles due. |
| 4 |
21
Sep 2009 |
The turf environment (see Natural
sciences handout) and primary turfgrass cultural
practices. The physics of turfgrass, energy
exchanges. Water, evapotranspiration,
Soil physics (particle size, drainage). Localized
dry spots, percolation, USGA Greens Specification.
Units conversion.
|
4, 5 |
|
 |
| 5 |
28
Sep 2009 |
Fertilization
and turfgrass nutrition. Irrigation, sprinkler
system design.Nitrate and nonpoint pollution.
Mowing and mower safety. Irrigation. |
|
Fertilizer
calibration and Which
fertilizer to buy?, soil sampling, soil particles.
Irrigation demonstration, friction loss in pipes, irrigation
uniformity, factors in evaporation. |
Hour
test #1: The kinds of
turfgrasses and how and where they grow and why we grow
them; turfgrass environment (not edaphic); primary cultural
practices; conversions. |
| 6 |
5
Oct 2009 |
Introduction
to turf nematodes and turf nematology, Dr. Robin M.
Giblin-Davis . Summary. |
6 |
Turf
biota: List of organisms to memorize
|
|
| |
12
Oct 2009 |
********** No
class - students work on term paper projects; view
Identifying
turf nutrient deficiencies by Dr. George Snyder
*********
|
| |
19
Oct 2009 |
|
| 7 |
26
Oct 2009 |
Soil chemistry and
turfgrass nutrition
|
7,
9, Appendix 3 |
|
Correcting
pH-induced manganese deficiency in bermudagrass turf
- George Snyder article. Students provide 150-word summary. |
| 8 |
30
Oct 2009 |
All
Day Field Trip, Palm Beach County (sod farm, golf course,
etc) |
| 9 |
2
Nov 2009 |
Secondary cultural practices. (core
cultivation, verticutting), soil amendments and topdressing,
overseeding. |
|
Dolphins
Training Facility |
|
| 10 |
9
Nov 2009 |
**********
No lecture - instructor sick *********
|
|
|
Hour
test #1b: The kinds of
turfgrasses and how and where they grow and why we grow
them; turfgrass environment (not edaphic); primary cultural
practices; conversions. (With
Answers) |
| 11 |
16
Nov 2009 |
Ecology
and pest management, insects, disease organisms, weeds,
nematodes; pest management, insects, disease organisms,
weeds, nematodes. IPM (Integrated Pest Management),
Silent Spring, EPA, pesticide labeling and applicator
certification; pesticide safety |
|
|
|
| 12 |
23
Nov 2009 |
Secondary
cultural practices. (core cultivation, verticutting),
soil amendments and topdressing, overseeding. |
|
|
Hour
test #2: Irrigation and soil; turfgrass environments;
the biotic environment; turf pests and ecology. |
| 13 |
30
Nov 2009 |
Putting
it all together, "What is science and technology?"
Interpreting experiments, conversions. Student presentations. |
|
|
Term
papers due |
| 14 |
7
Dec 2009 |
Student
presentations (continued). Review for final exam. |
|
|
|
| 15 |
14
Dec 2009 |
********** Final Exam
(comprehensive) *********
|
