Mississippi Turfgrass - Summer 2015

Summer 2015

The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine

Our Story —

50 Years of Turfgrass Management at Mississippi State Also, Upcoming Events —

MSU Turfgrass Research Field Day, August 25, and the Deep South Turf Expo, December 13–15

Summer 2015

Contents • The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine Features

7 Upcoming Event —

Deep South Turf Expo October 13–15

8 Upcoming Event —

7

MSU Turfgrass Research Field Day, August 25

10 Cover Story —

Our Story — 50 Years of Turfgrass Management at Mississippi State

Departments

6 From the MTA President

9 Calendar of Events

9 Members’ Corner

18 Mississippi State Turf Team

18 Index of Advertisers

8

On the cover: the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Center on

Mississippi State University’s campus near Starkville, MS. Photo courtesy of Judson Lecompte, Research Associate/Graduate Student, Mississippi State University.

4 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2015

10

President’s Message

Toby Thornton

More on Events the Horizon!

As

I’m writing this article, I’m hopeful that everyone is making it through another hot summer unscathed. I will be happy to move into the fall for cooler weather and maybe a chance for us to catch our breath.

I also hope, with all the warm weather, that everyone is noticing some of the great new changes to MTA’s event schedule. It was great to see all of you at the Yard Dawg Classic at the Refuge, which is always truly a fun event. Thanks to Nathan and Bill for letting MTA use the facility. I feel terrible for not being able to attend the Golf Course Management workshop due to course renovations, but I’m sure it was also a great event.

As for some of our future events, we really have some fantastic things on the horizon. MSU Turfgrass Field Day will again be held in Starkville, August 25.

This was a wonderful event last year, and it again promises to reunite the excellent research ongoing at State with the fun and excitement of vendor booths and barbeque.

The first annual Deep South Turf Expo is scheduled for October 13–15. This will be a great thing for the MTA and all other associations involved. There’s skeet shooting, golf and a boat cruise. Please make plans to come down to Biloxi for top-notch educational sessions, as well as a little recreation with friends and family.

I look forward to seeing and meeting you at each of these special events.

Toby Thornton 2015 MTA President

Mississippi Turfgrass Association Box 9555 MS State, MS 39762 Office: (662) 325-0517 Fax: (662) 325-2705 www.msturfassociation.org Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, TN 37064 Office: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 info@leadingedgecommunications.com Mississippi Turfgrass Editor James D. McCurdy, Ph.D.

MTA OFFICERS

President Toby Thornton Shell Landing Golf Course (601) 507-4254 Vice President Paul Welborn Lawn and Pest Solutions (662) 316-1347 Secretary/treasurer Wayne Philley Mississippi State University (662) 325-2728 Past President Josh Quinn Perfect Turf Lawn Solutions (601) 906-2591 Administrative secretary Linda Wells Mississippi State University Box 9555 MS State, MS 39762 Office: (662) 325-0517 Cell: (662) 769-7558 lmw218@pss.msstate.edu

Directors

Jordan Carlisle LADD’S (601) 818-7586 Jay Coalter Patrick Farms Golf Course (601) 317-1641 Erick Coomer Greenwood Country Club (228) 860-5292 Ken Edwards City of Gulfport (228) 861-5641 Jeremy Ely Sunkist Country Club (228) 669-6745 Chris Hussey Hussey Sod Farm (662) 231-3203

6 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2015

Adam Strehle Quality Turf Services (662) 719-8029

Upcoming Event

a New Southern Tradition

By Tricia Roberts, Executive Director, Alabama Turfgrass Association

A

fter years of discussions and reminiscing about the good ‘ol days of the Southern Turfgrass Conference, the Deep South Turf Expo has officially become a reality! The Deep South Turf Expo is a collaboration of the Mississippi Turfgrass Association, Louisiana-Mississippi Golf Course Superintendents Association,

DSTE Sponsors Surf ‘n Turf Dinner

Bayer Harrell’s, Inc. Lunch

BASF Continental Breakfast

Syngenta Reception

Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation Past Presidents’ Breakfast

Beard Equipment Company Greenville Turf & Tractor Sporting Clay Tournament

NuFarm Americas Tradeshow Bags

Sod Solutions

Alabama Turfgrass Association, the Alabama Golf Course Superintendents Association and the Gulf Coast Golf Course Superintendents Association.

With the vision of providing a regional turfgrass show, the Deep South Turf Expo will start a new era of traditions.

The inaugural event is scheduled for October 13–15 in Biloxi, MS, and turfgrass managers from all over the Southeast are expected to congregate for this epic event. Be sure you’re there to be a part of the excitement and happenings!

The Deep South Turf Expo will feature educational sessions designed for every segment of the turfgrass industry. Breakout sessions on Wednesday and Thursday will address issues including career development, pesticide regulation, weed/disease/insect control, maintenance schedules and the newest research in turfgrass management. The program is full of the finest turfgrass professionals, professors and researchers who are southern turfgrass experts.

And, of course, this will be the ideal event to get your pesticide recertification points and other CEUs required for your profession.

Another great feature of the Deep South Turf Expo is a tradeshow full of companies that provide goods and services specifically for the turfgrass industry. If you need it, you will be able to find it here! Our exhibitors are thrilled about the concept of a regional tradeshow, and we hope you take advantage of the selection. The tradeshow will feature private rooms for

you to meet with exhibitors and place orders, as well as a silent auction with great deals and bargains.

Social events include a golf tournament at The Preserve Golf Club, a skeet tournament at Coast Rifle and Pistol Club and an afternoon cruising on the historical Biloxi Schooner along the Mississippi Sound. The day will end with the Grand Opening Reception of the tradeshow where everyone can mingle, talk to the exhibitors, make dinner plans and reconnect with friends. The following day will feature our Surf ‘n Turf Dinner beside the sparkling pool at the Beau Rivage.

Attendees will not be disappointed with our host hotel, the Beau Rivage, a Four-Diamond development by MGM Resorts International that sits directly on the Gulf of Mexico. Our room rates are $99 and can be secured by calling 888-567-6667. There’s also a link on the event website that will take you directly to the hotel’s on-line reservation page — www.DeepSouthTurf Expo.org. All educational and tradeshow functions will be held at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center, just five minutes from the Beau Rivage.

Expect true southern hospitality!

Be part of this new tradition... learn from the industry’s best, reunite with college friends, share success stories with peers outside of your “competition zone” and make new friends and contacts from all over the southeast at the Deep South Turf Expo.

Visit www.DeepSouthTurfExpo.org for more details and to register! v The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine • 7

Upcoming Event

Schedule at a Glance 8:00 a.m.

Registration with Breakfast (coffee and donuts)

8:45 a.m.

Welcome by Jay McCurdy, Ph.D. Assistant Professor

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Concurrent Educational Sessions (see below)

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Vendor Expo, Door Prizes and More (field demos and vendor meet-up)

12:00 p.m.

Lunch, Presentation of Honors, Prizes and Closing Remarks

Mississippi State Turfgrass Research Field Day, August 25 Rodney Foil Plant Science Research Center Starkville, MA

The

2015 Turfgrass Field Day, slated for Tuesday, August 25, will showcase the latest developments from the Mississippi State Turfgrass Team. Learn about the latest and greatest bermudagrass varieties for Mississippi athletic fields, home lawns and golf courses. Increase your knowledge of turf disease and weed management. Enjoy the innovative designs and plant selections at the Mississippi State Trials Garden. Testdrive machinery, and visit with sponsors during the vendor expo. Bring your plant and disease samples to have them identified. And feast on Little Dewey’s famous pork barbecue.

Parking is free, and pre-registrants receive a discounted entry ($30 for turf and ornamental professionals), with lunch and a t-shirt. The deadline for preregistration is August 1, 2015. Watch your email box for registration forms, or call the MTA office at (662) 325-0517. v

8 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2015

Concurrent Education Sessions Ultradwarf Putting Green Management Presenters: Christian Baldwin, Ph.D., Wayne Philly, Jordan Craft and Bryant Wait View the latest research in cultivation technologies, genetics and growth regulators.

Turf Technology: Fraze Mowing Presenter: Barry Stewart, Ph.D. This innovative renovation tool has the potential to revolutionize warm-season turfgrass management.

Turf Disease Management Presenters: Maria Tomaso-Peterson, Ph.D., and Jason Ruffin Learn about the latest strategies for disease management on warm- and cool-season turf.

Turfgrass Weed Management Presenter: Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., and Michael Richard Hear an update on resistance management, pre- and post-emergence strategies that work and new herbicides.

Native Landscapes for Mississippi Presenter: Guihong Bi, Ph.D., and Judson Lecompte Learn about innovative designs and plant selections that benefit aesthetics and wildlife.

Calendar of Events

August 25

Mississippi State Turfgrass Research Field Day Rodney Foil Plant Science Research Center Starkville, MS

September 15

LMGCSA SuperPro Carter Plantation Springfield, LA

September 15–17

NRPA Congress and Expo (Nat. Rec. and Park Assn.)

Las Vegas, NV

October 13–15

Deep South Turf Expo Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Conference Center Biloxi, MS

October 21–23

PLANET Green Industry Conference Louisville, KY

Members’ Corner

MTA Member Updates

Nathan Crace, principal of Mississippibased Watermark Golf/Nathan Crace Design, was elected in April 2015 to become a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA). Because the selection process is so stringent and the criteria so demanding, there are only 175 current ASGCA members working worldwide.

Crace’s design credits include the 1999 renovation of former PGA Tour stop Hattiesburg C.C. and Golf Digest’s “Best New Affordable Public Course in America” for 2003 Copper Mill G.C. near Baton Rouge (both done when he was the senior design associate at Maxwell Golf for eight years after college), as well as his solo awardwinning renovation of Ole Miss G.C. in 2008 (the “#3 Best Public Renovation in America” from Golf Inc.) and multiple renovations for the US Air Force.

Crace is a 1994 Summa Cum Laude graduate of the Mississippi State University PGA of America’s Professional Golf Management program. Not only is he now a member of the most prestigious group of golf course architects in the world, but he is also the only member in Mississippi.

October 22–24

GIE+Expo — Green Industry Equipment Expo and School of Grounds Management Kentucky Expo Center Louisville, KY

January 19–22, 2016 STMA Conference and Exhibition San Diego, CA

February 6–11, 2016

Golf Industry Show San Diego Convention Ctr. San Diego, CA

February 10

MTA Hospitality Night Golf Industry Show Location TBA

Above, Ken Edwards, CSFM, former MTA president and current board member representing sports fields, welcomes soon-to-be MTA member Jamie Hall (shown on the left), the head groundskeeper for the Biloxi Shuckers, the AA Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, MGM Stadium, Biloxi, MS. Prior to the Shuckers, Jamie served as the athletic field specialist at Rollins College, where he maintained the school’s athletic fields. Jamie spent a few years working for Southern Athletic Fields, located in Columbia, TN. Jamie was also the head groundskeeper for the Columbus Catfish (Low A Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays) and head groundskeeper for the Huntsville Stars in 2009. v

The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine • 9

Cover Story

Our Story —

50 Years of Turfgrass Management at Mississippi State

By Dr. Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Assistant Extension Professor, with Wayne Philley, Senior Research Associate, and Barry Stewart, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mississippi State University

S

ince my arrival at Mississippi State more than a year ago, I’ve shared laughs and memories with hundreds of turf alumni, faculty and supporters. Folks like Harold Walker, Charles Winstead, Jeff Krans, Mike Goatley, Euel Coats, Charlie Scoggins, Wayne Philley and so many more are living testaments to the program and its history. Among the many students — past and present — that I spoke with, each had their own honor and reverence for the teachers and mentors who have built our program. This article is by no means a comprehensive history of the program, merely the beginning to a celebration of 50-plus years of MSU turf.

The early years

The MSU catalog first listed a Turfgrass Management curriculum in 1965.

However, initial turf research efforts owe much credit to forage and pasture research being conducted to support 10 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2015

Mississippi dairy and beef production.

Dr. H.W. Bennet (circa 1945), who developed forage-type dallisgrass, and Dr. Byron Burson, a cytogeneticist, are commonly mentioned in many of our interviews with past students and faculty. Early department heads for the Agronomy program clearly shepherded research pertaining to turf. Dr. Clarence Dorman, for whom Dorman Hall is named, and Dr. C. Dale Hoover are just two of the names often mentioned.

The earliest specific turf research was conducted under the direction of Drs. Louis N. Wise and Corwin M. Johnson. Dr. Wise was employed in March 1950 to head the new Pasture Management research and teaching program. His simultaneous interest in turfgrass is appropriately credited with founding MSU’s earliest turfgrass research program. Dr. Johnson, hired in March 1956, also contributed to the program through his research

on “wintergrass” overseeding varieties for putting greens.

In 1958, the first turfgrass field plots were initiated on the MSU campus, probably by Ben Fleming, a master’s student who later went to Penn State for a Ph.D. That same year, a Golfdom article expressed the following: “Good wishes for a successful turf program to Dr. Louis N. Wise at the Mississippi State College at Starkville. Dr. Wise runs the first successful and only seed training school of its kind in the world.

We saw him again at Beltsville and at Gainesville, Fla., where he was picking up information so as to develop a comprehensive program in turf research for Mississippi.”

Dr. Wise, along with Dr. W.L. Giles (MSU’s eventual 13th president), was an early leader in the Seed Technology program, but his 1961 publication, The Lawn Book, was evidence of his keen interest in turfgrass. By 1960, Dr. Wise had moved into University

administration and eventually served as vice president of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine. The vet school now bears his name.

In 1959, W.R. (Bobby) Thompson Jr., who was employed as an assistant agronomist, took responsibility for the Turfgrass program and taught the first course, entitled “Turfgrasses,” in 1962.

Notably, Thompson went on to graduate in 1966 as the first Ph.D. student from MSU with a specialty in turfgrass.

He continued his career working for the Potash Institute. Jack Spence and Gene Livingston, research technicians, are also acknowledged in Dr. Wise’s book for their assistance.

Growth and advancement

In July 1961, Dr. Coleman Y. Ward was hired to replace Dr. Johnson, who had departed for California. Having just completed a Ph.D. in turfgrass science at Virginia Tech, Dr. Ward was charged with leading both the Pasture Management and Turfgrass programs.

He simultaneously oversaw numerous research and teaching programs spanning at least three major efforts: forages, turf and roadsides. He advised graduate students in a diversity of subjects, all of which interacted with one another and assisted in each other’s projects.

“Coleman Ward was the best teacher in the department,” says Vance Watson. “Back in those days, graduate students presented their own photography at meetings in slide carousels.

He wanted us to take one photo for ourselves and one for him… We were always in the darkroom… He’d prepare us for presentations by turning the lights off in 327 so that we couldn’t read our notes.” (At the time, Dorman 327 was the faculty conference room and coffee-break area.)

During Dr. Ward’s tenure, great strides were made towards a modern turfgrass program. His cooperation with the Mississippi Dept. of Transportation spawned a new era of growth within both the Roadside and Turfgrass programs. William R. Meredith

Dr. Vance Watson, beginning in 1966, was a graduate student for Dr. Coleman Ward. He is holding Dr. Wise’s The Lawn Book, which was used as the first standard curriculum in the MSU program.

began doing turfgrass research pertaining to roadside vegetation management in 1961, and in 1962, Sammy Simpson was employed to research highway ditch-bank stabilization. Dr. Gene Bieber arrived from Auburn circa 1966 and took over the Roadside program with the help of Sammy Atwell.

Ed McWhirter (Mr. Mac) was also an early contributor as assistant agronomist, for whom Wayne Philley was hired to work with in the field plots as an hourly worker. Ed ran the field plots, cultivar evaluations and overseeding trials.

Dr. Hiram D. Palmertree was hired in 1967 as the first statewide forage and turfgrass Extension specialist. Palmertree, along with Ward, is credited with the first statewide Extension programming and organized the Mississippi Turfgrass Association. He served as Extension service director from 1988 to 1996.

Jim Perry, a landscape architect by trade, was the second turfgrass Extension specialist. He was the father of the Turfgrass Tabloid, which is now maintained as the Establish and Manage Your Home Lawn publication.

Dr. Euel Coats arrived in 1970 and was heavily involved in the Turf program. He led the Annual Turfgrass Short Course and Turfgrass Field Days for many years after Dr. Ward’s departure. His “Cruel Euel Classic” golf tournament (1989 to 2002) is still held each year to raise funds for turfgrass research, although under a new name — the Yard Dawg Classic.

Coats’ most seminal work includes dallisgrass control with Sencor and MSMA, the first reporting of simazine resistance in Poa annua in Mississippi and early adaptation of sulfonylurea herbicides in turf (including the discovery that Image had great viability for controlling nutsedge in turf).

The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine • 11

Cover Story • Continued

The earliest students

Prior to official recognition of the Turfgrass Management major, the earliest student thought to have graduated with an interest in turf (e.g., having remained in the turf industry) was K.V. Estes, a 1957 Horticulture graduate who went on to design the “SoilReliever” aerification device. A 1963 graduate was James H. Simpson of Simpson Sod Company in Covington, Louisiana. The first student to receive a graduate degree was Ben Fleming, who completed an MS degree in Agronomy in 1960.

The Turfgrass program had originally been housed in the Lloyd-Ricks building, but in fall 1966, the offices and teaching facilities of Dorman Hall were opened. The third floor was built with several groups in mind, including Dr. Ward’s Turf, Forage and Roadside programs, as well as Weed Science and Plant Pathology.

The first students with bachelor’s degrees in Turfgrass Management graduated in 1967. It is interesting to note that both of these students, Harold Walker and Charles Winstead were from Canton, MS, and both went on to earn Ph.D.s under the direction of Dr. Ward before serving long careers in academia.

The first student to start and finish under the Turfgrass Management major was Randy Nichols, a 1969 graduate who spent most of his career as director of golf course operations at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta. Nichols also served as GCSAA president.

Equally deserving of mention was the second graduate of the program, John Freemam, who was founding president of the Alabama GCSA. Notably, the first female to graduate from the program was Melodee Kemp (now Fraser), who continues a close relationship with the program through her position with Pure Seed Testing.

Many of Dr. Coat’s students were instrumental in adapting crop herbicides for use in turf. His reputation with the department of transportation has spawned more than 25 years of 12 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2015

Photo from 1985. Front row (left to right): Roy Creech (Head/Dept. of Agronomy), James Hairston (Assoc.

Prof./Soils), John Mann, Melodee Kemp, Tim Meeks, Jeff Krans (Prof. & Advisor/Turf) and Euel Coats (Assoc.

Prof./Turf Weed Control). Back row (left to right): Bruce Hospes, Britt Pollock, Mike Mandle, John Mills and David Dendley. Turf majors not shown: Jimmy Geter, Patrick Hindman, Steve Johnson, Brady Bell, Rusty Mercer, Tommy Shook, Ed Gurney, Charles Colton, Chris Rather, Jeff Williams and Mitchell Wilkerson.

Dr. Euel Coats (left) began his productive tenure in 1970 and retired in 2002. He taught Weed Science Curriculum and one semester of Turfgrass Management, the year between Ward and Krans.

continuing cooperation. Jim Taylor worked for Dr. Coats in the 1970s and again, beginning in 1989, on the Highway Project with the Department of Transportation. This research continues to be conducted under the direction of Dr. John Byrd.

The Hey-Day

The Turf and Forage programs were split in 1972, when Dr. Ward was assigned full-time to turfgrass research and teaching. He moved on to an administrative role at the University of Florida in 1974 and, shortly thereafter, to Auburn as turf Extension specialist.

Dr. Jeff Krans was hired in 1975 to fill Dr. Ward’s position. Dr. Krans was the founder of the GCSAA “Turf Bowl” and a proponent of the push for a Sports Turf Management track

within the Turf program. It was under Krans’ leadership that three semesters of internship (co-op) were made mandatory. When asked about his tenure at MSU, Krans said, “It wasn’t the school that made the program; it was the students. At seminar, they’d take pride in two things: where they were from and where they had worked. It was almost a competition between them to see who could land the best internships.”

Wayne Philley was hired as a research technician in 1979 under Dr. Krans’ direction. Together, this duo developed several popular bermudagrass cultivars, including MS-Choice, MS-Supreme, MS-Express and MSPride. MS-Choice debuted at DavisWade Stadium in the early 1990s and continues to be marketed as Bulls-Eye Bermuda by West Coast Turf.

Cover Story • Continued

Dr. David Nagel began as turf and vegetable Extension specialist in 1987, and then Dr. Mike Goatley was hired in 1988 to form a new position focused upon teaching and research.

Dr. Goatley’s position was funded as a result of the PGM program, which had ballooned to 250 new students — all were required to take turfgrass management and golf course operations, justifying a new teaching position in turf. The University agreed and put in money for a nine-month position, and the experiment station (MAFES) added the research component.

When asked what he remembers about those early days, Dr. Goatley said, “Jeff Krans gave me all of two

weeks to unpack and get settled... I jumped in with his notes and started teaching Turfgrass Management and Golf Course Operations. Those were the days of the first bermudagrass variety selections and first generations of ultradwarfs… Lisa Goatley did a lot of field work for me.”

The turf program blossomed in the 1990s when the University became one of three schools nationwide to have the PGA of America-affiliated Professional Golf Management degree. A requirement of that program was having a championship-level golf course, which was built in-house during the mid-1990s by renovating Lakeside G.C., an existing 18-hole facility.

Charlie Scoggins (right) enrolled as a turf student in 1966 and graduated in 1970. He was an early advocate for the campus golf course and led Campus Landscapes during the conversion of Lakeside G.C. to the MSU Golf Course. He taught golf course operations.

14 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2015

Charlie Scoggins and Campus Landscaping led this effort. According to Scoggins, the only existing PGA program affiliated with a university at that time was at Ferris State in Michigan. Scoggins spearheaded some of the early drive for the construction of the MSU facility.

Brian Alt of Alt-Clark and Associates was the architect. Scoggins estimates Campus Landscapes spent about $1.5 million during the initial construction, but the architects estimated that an outside contract would have cost at least twice that much.

This facility provided hands-on experience for turf students along with added program visibility, and the turf program enrollment surged. “The idea was that the superintendent would be a model for the turf student,” said Scoggins. That first superintendent was Tim Lacey, followed by Thom Johnson. Since 1995, Pat Sneed has served as superintendent and adjunct faculty within the Plant and Soil Sciences department. Faculty, students, alumni and administrators alike admire his leadership and skill with student labor.

In 1993, the program’s name changed to Golf and Sports Turf Management, and a mandatory co-op program was added with flexible curriculum that allows students to select a primary focus — either sports turf or golf. The addition of co-op also carried a requirement that the student maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher to be eligible to co-op. This raised the bar for academic achievement. These changes were put into place by Drs. Goatley and Krans.

In essence, the current curriculum still reflects these changes. Students take both basic and applied sciences, plus courses in humanities and the arts. Three semesters of cooperative education are required, one of which must be a non-summer. The nonsummer co-op allows many students to do back-to-back co-ops or an eightmonth co-op. This remains very attractive to employers and allows the student to see a season change at the facility where they are working.

Dr. Don Waddington joined the program in 1997 after retiring from Penn State’s teaching program. His expertise in sports field management research and his experience in teaching brought added distinction to the accelerated Sports Turf Management course taught from March until semester’s end.

“That’s something I’m really proud of,” said Dr. Krans. “We paid him $1,000 a week for five weeks. He loved it, and he was a heck of a teacher.”

A push from the region’s green industry led to two new positions created at the turn of the century. Dr. Barry Stewart joined the program in January 2000 to focus on teaching and research, and he co-taught Sports Field Management with Dr. Waddington.

In April of the same year, Dr. Wayne Wells was hired to head the state’s turfgrass Extension program, while Dr. Nagel focused full-time on vegetable Extension.

Dr. Stewart’s position was funded

by Dean Bill Fox, based on the success of the Golf Course Management students. (Side note: his son, Gibb Fox, was a GSTM student and successful superintendent, so that helped in his knowledge of our program).

“We felt that Sports Turf Management should be a more soils-based curriculum, separating it from the Golf Turf curriculum. That’s how it was advertised, and Dr. Stewart fit the bill with his soils background,” says Dr. Krans. “We also envisioned that it might someday separate out of the GSTM concentration and stand as its own separate concentration.”

Drs. Krans and Coats, as well as Scoggins, retired in 2002 during a University-wide accelerated retirement program. The pre-9/11 (2001) golf bubble had burst, and enrollment in turf programs around the country dropped over the following decade.

Dr. Goatley left soon after at the end of 2003 for Virginia Tech, while Dr. Victor Maddox taught Turfgrass Management in the spring of 2004 prior to Dr. Gregg Munshaw’s arrival in June 2004.

The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine • 15

Cover Story • Continued

The vacancies left by practically simultaneous retirements of four key figures were felt across the state and region. Industry and alumni were instrumental in voicing their needs for new hires to support statewide demand. In 2004, Dr. Maria TomasoPeterson was hired to support the turfgrass program and implement a course in turfgrass pathology. In 2011, Dr. Munshaw departed for the University of Kentucky, and Dr. Christian Baldwin, having just left Jacklin Seed Company, joined the team as his replacement.

My predecessor, Dr. Wayne Wells, retired in June 2013 after many years of dedicated service to turfgrass stakeholders region-wide. My short stint since January 2014 has left me humbled by the efforts of those before me.

Many others outside of the turf faculty and staff in Starkville had a hand in the writing of this rich history.

• J ames Spencer, a plant pathologist, participated in turfgrass outreach and disease management.

•A rlie Wilson, a turfgrass entomologist, evaluated chinch bug resistance in St. Augustinegrass.

•H enry Green, affectionately called “Fire Ant Green,” was an early turfgrass entomologist who performed research on fire ant control along with Jim Heitz.

•D on Blasingame, an Extension plant pathologist, was “one of the best turf pathologists there ever was from a practical standpoint,” said Dr. Coats.

•R eg Perry, a Toro distributor from Memphis area, is credited with having overseen the formation of the Southern Turfgrass Association.

•C urlee Green, a Jackson County Extension agent, is credited by some as the founding father of the Louisiana-Mississippi GCSA. •H arvin Hudson and Wayne Porter have long served the industry through their support and planning of the annual Golf Course Management Workshop held at Dancing Rabbit Golf Course.

•M rs. Linda Wells was the Mississippi Turfgrass Association’s first admin16 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2015

Spring 2015, Golf Course Operations class. Front row (left to right): Jay McCurdy (Assistant Professor), Wayne Philley (Senior Research Associate), Elliot Rees, Colton Jones, Ethan Flournoy, Corey Garrison, Connor Martel, Will Whitfield and Chris Handlan. Back row (left to right): Christian Baldwin (Assistant Professor), Alex Cruthirds, Keair Edwards, Elliot Rees, Justin Hickman, Alex Marshall and Kyle Moak. Not pictured are close to 30 undergrads and 4 master’s students, along with Pat Sneed (MSU Golf Course Superintendent and Adjunct Faculty), Maria Tomaso-Peterson (Associate Professor) and Barry Stewart (Associate Professor).

istrative secretary. She continues to serve admirably, and Dr. Wayne Wells is still actively involved at most Extension programs.

Current era

Like its early days, our program continues to emphasize cutting-edge turfgrass research. An annual summer field day (August 25, 2015) features MSU’s newest research efforts. Our cooperation with the regional turfgrass associations is a hallmark of the small but effective statewide turfgrass Extension program. The upcoming Deep South Turf Expo (October 13– 15) is testament to this. Foremost, though, the emphasis of MSU Turf is still on the students and producing quality turfgrass professionals.

Our program is having to evolve, just like the rest of the turf industry.

Our graduates are diverse in background and experience. Their career preferences are increasingly areas outside of the golf industry. The strength of other industry sectors, like municipal turf, lawn care operation and sports field management, is growing; therefore, our teaching, internships and curriculum have been amended to reflect that.

Through the years, the curriculum has undergone changes to allow for new areas (Spanish, Athletic Field Management and Weed Management) to be incorporated into the program.

The original 1969 curriculum required more than 140 hours to graduate. In

2002, 131 credits plus 3 semesters of co-op were required for graduation. In 2005, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board required that all majors at Mississippi institutions have 124 credits or less. This meant the elimination of some courses from the curricula, mainly in restricted electives. The latest curriculum revision occurred in 2014 when PSS 2113 Intro to Turfgrass was added.

Currently, 122 credits are required, plus three semesters of co-op. The current curriculum includes 10 courses specifically related to turf. They are: PSS 2113 Intro to Turf PSS 2111 Turf Lab PSS 3411 Turf Seminar I PSS 3421 Turf Seminar II PSS 4413 Turfgrass Management PSS 4423 Golf Course Operations PSS 4443 Athletic Field Management PSS 4823 Turf Weed Management EPP 3423 Turf and Ornamental Insects EPP 4253 Turfgrass Diseases To our knowledge, no other undergraduate program teaches this many courses directly related to turfgrass.

Currently the Golf and Sports Turf Management major has 42 students, 5 graduate students and more than 450 graduates, many of whom have helped to shape the role of turfgrass management throughout the nation, particularly in the Southeast. As always, Bulldawg Turf students are renowned for being knowledgeable, with exceptional work ethic and commitment to their trade. v

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The Mississippi Turfgrass Association Magazine • 17

Mississippi State Turf Team

Gary Bachman, Ph.D. Associate Extension/ Research Professor Specialty: Ornamental Hort.

Coastal Res. & Ext. Center Phone: (228) 546-1009 gbachman@ext.msstate.edu

Index of Advertisers

James McCurdy, Ph.D. Assistant Extension Professor Specialty: Turfgrass Extension Specialist and Weed Scientist Phone: (662) 325-2331 jmccurdy@pss.msstate.edu

Clarissa Balbalian, M.S. Diagnostics Lab Manager Specialty: Plant Pathology Phone: (662) 325-2146 cbalbali@ext.msstate.edu

Wayne Philley, M.S. Senior Research Associate Specialty: Turfgrass Breeding and Evaluation Phone: (662) 325-2728 wphilley@pss.msstate.edu

Christian Baldwin, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Specialty: Turfgrass Mgmt.

Phone: (662) 325-8280 cmb907@msstate.edu

Mike Phillips, Ph.D. Department Head and Professor Dept.: Plant and Soil Sciences Phone: (662) 325-2311 jmp657@msstate.edu

Donna Beliech Area Extension Agent IV Rankin Co. Extension Service Phone: (601) 825-1462 donnab@ext.msstate.edu

Wayne Porter, Ph.D. SE Regional Extension Specialist Specialty: Horticulture Phone: (601) 482-9764 wporter@ext.msstate.edu

John Byrd, Ph.D. Professor Specialty: Invasive Weed Mgmt.

Phone: (662) 325-4537 jbyrd@pss.msstate.edu

Michael Richard Extension Associate Specialty: Sports Turf Mgmt.

Phone: (662) 325-2311 mpr160@msstate.edu

Keith Crouse, Ph.D. Associate Extension Professor Specialty: Soils Phone: (662) 325-3313 keithc@ext.msstate.edu

Jason Ruffin Research Associate Specialty: Turfgrass Mgmt., Turf Research Facility Manager Phone: (662) 325-2640

Geoff Denny, Ph.D. Assistant Extension Professor Specialty: Commercial Ornamental Horticulture Phone: (662) 325-1682 gcd42@msstate.edu

Barry Stewart, Ph.D. Associate Professor Specialty: Sports Turf Science Phone: (662) 325-2725 bastewar@pss.msstate.edu

Alan Henn, Ph.D. Extension Professor Specialty: Ext. Plant Pathologist Phone: (662) 325-4535 ahenn@ext.msstate.edu Lelia Kelly, Ph.D. Extension Professor Specialty: Consumer Horticulture North MS Res. & Ext. Center Phone: (662) 566-2201 leliak@ext.msstate.edu Blake Layton, Jr., Ph.D. Extension Professor Specialty: Ext. Plant Entomologist Phone: (662) 325-2085 blayton@entomology.msstate.edu 18 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Summer 2015

Maria Tomaso-Peterson, Ph.D. Associate Professor Specialty: Turfgrass Pathology Phone: (662) 325-2593 mariat@pss.msstate.edu Jeff Wilson, Ph.D. Regional Extension Specialist Specialty: Ornamentals, Landscape, Turfgrass, Fruits and Vegetables North MS Res. & Ext. Center Phone: (662) 566-8019 jwilson@ext.msstate.edu

Agri-AFC,LLC...........................................3 www.agri-afc.com Bayou Bend Turfgrass...........................17 www.bayoubendTurf.com Boshancee Nursery Inc..........................6 www.boshanceensy.com Carroll Sod Farm...................................15 CoverSports USA...................................17 www.coversports.com Harrell’s LLC............................................5 www.harrells.com Humphries Turf Supply............................9 www.humphriesturf.com Jackson Sand........................................15 www.jacksonsand.com Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation...................13 www.jerrypate.com O2YS Corporation..................................14 www.o2yscorp.com Oldham Chemicals Co............ Back Cover www.oldhamchem.com Riebeling Farms, Inc.............................15 Smith Seed Services.............................17 www.smithseed.com Sur-Line Turf, Inc..................................17 www.surlineturf.com The Turfgrass Group....Inside Front Cover www.theturfgrassgroup.com Winstead Turf Farms.... Inside Back Cover www.winsteadturffarms.com

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