2nd Quarter Magazine 2018

Texas A&M Legend Dr. Richard White retires

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2018 Sponsors

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Table of Contents President’s Message Executive Director Message Summer Conference Wrap-Up and Photos Summer Equipment Rodeo Wrap-Up and Photos 2017 Athletic Complex of the Year - UTPB AgriLife Extension College Station Texas Tech Turfgrass Field Day Congratulations to our newest CPTM’s Dallas Turf Field Day Preview Agrilife Extension Dallas Texas A&M Legend Retires

Save the Dates!

Annual Conference and Trade Show

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ADVERTISERS TTA Conference and Show Sponsors Thomas Turfgrass All Seasons Turfgrass Target Specialty Products Burnside Services Inc. Bowlin Consulting Larson Golf Services King Ranch Turfgrass

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December 11 - 13 San Antonio Details Coming Soon

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President’s Message

Fellow TTA Members, As the summer heat continues across the state, I keep reminding myself that fall is just around the corner and hope that there will be some much need showers along with the cooler temperatures.

I hope everyone has had a good summer and were able to spend time with your families.

This past July the TTA held its annual summer conference and equipment rodeo at the beautiful Hyatt Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop Texas. A very special thanks to our sponsors and vendors who put on a great show. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Another big thanks to our speakers who gave great presentations. The equipment rodeo was held during the conference and was well attended and enjoyed.

And finally, a huge thank you to our Executive Director, Katie Flowers and the Board of Directors for all they have done to make these events possible.

We are excited about our upcoming winter conference which will be held in San Antonio. We have some new and exciting events for this year’s show. The winter conference will be held December 11th -13th.Please make plans to attend and watch for upcoming announcements for the show.

Keeping Texas Green, Patrick Pankratz

OFFICERS President - Patrick Pankratz, MCPTM 830-981-4658 First Vice President - Mike Chandler, MCPTM 254-681-0725 Second Vice President - Whitney Milberger-Laird 713-899-2844 Past President - Danny Smith, CPTM 817-994-4559 Executive Director - Katie Flowers (800) 830-8873 * Fax 979-690-1335 ADVISORS Dr. Hennen Cummings, Tarleton State University Dr. Joseph Young, Texas Tech University Dr. Ben Wherley, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Website:

www.texasturf.com

DIRECTORS Region I Brian Noel, CPTM Scott Anderson, CPTM

806-341-2933 915-368-3551

Region II Rusty Walker, CSFM, CPTM Raymond Miller

817-229-0416 813-363-9059

Region III Corbett White Clark Wheatley, CPTM

210-326-7091 512-712-3161

Region IV Neal Iverson Phil Lozano, MCPTM

972-207-2058 972-317-7430

Region V Craig Potts, CSFM Russell Coe, MCPTM

979-862-5439 214-768-1290

Region VI Brad Bentsen, MCPTM Emory Thomas, MCPTM

956-580-8760 979-532-2593

Region VII John Walker Irene Gavranovic-Sipes

713-557-0279 281-375-7505

Published quarterly by the Texas Turfgrass Association, Inc. Statements of fact and opinion are made on the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion or endorsement on the part of the officers and members of the Texas Turfgrass Association, Inc. For information on advertising rates contact Texas Turfgrass, P.O. Box 9928, College Station, Texas 77842.

Email any questions to info@texasturfcom

Executive Director Message

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Howdy!

First, thank you to everyone who was a part of the Summer Conference and Equipment Rodeo in Bastrop! Without the support of the sponsors, vendors, and members, it would not have been possible.

As we shift toward the Winter Conference and Show in San Antonio, I invite all of you to call, text, or email at any point to provide feedback or thoughts on what you would like to see for future shows, sessions topics, or even speakers featured by TTA! A great big thank you to all the member who have worked with me on updating communication, answering phones calls, and going through this Executive Director transition together. I hope that slowly, all of you can see I am dedicated to the association and making small improvements that will result in big changes for us all in the future.

As many of you know, social media and networking is the new face of associations and I am serious and committed to building the face of Texas Turfgrass in that realm. I invite all of you to help advance and grow our social media network by following our Twitter account - @TxTurfAssoc and to like our new FaceBook page; Texas Turfgrass Association (@TxTurfAssoc). If you ever have a photo or link you would like me to share and are not on social media, please send it my way and I will immediately do our part for TTA.

Lastly, I would like to begin enhancing the Texas Turfgrass Magazine with more information on our members or vendors. If you have an employee, company, or even yourself that has tackled a worthy obstacle or even maybe would like to share your trials and tribulations through this Texas Heat, please submit to me this “Article nomination” and I would love to publish a “TTA Member or Story of the Quarter”. Again, this will be a dedicated TTA member who is representing themselves and the industry, even if that means they are learning by trial and error in their profession and would like to share it.

The purpose of this article can be anywhere to learn from each other, brag on each other, or humor each other. I invite all of you to participate and I cannot wait to see and “hear” what I get.

I look forward to shaking many more hands along the way and I am always here or just a phone call away. Thank you to everyone who has embraced the Texas Turfgrass Association and our future. Lastly a special thank you to my Board of Directors who make me enjoy my job that much more!

Warmest Regards,

Katie Flowers Your Executive Director

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Summer Conference Wrap-Up Summer Conference for TTA = Success!

No better way to kick off summer for the Texas Turfgrass Association than to travel to Bastrop, Texas and stay at the Hyatt Lost Pines!

It was a successful Summer Conference for sponsors, vendors, and members who gathered to network, gain education credits, and discover sales opportunities. Some of TTA’s newest members came to their very first show and a few Table Top Exhibitors displayed their business that have not before.

By far one of the most delightful successes of the conference were the caliber of the speakers and their topics they provided to not only teach but engaged our members and their industry. TTA was delighted to introduce some brand-new speakers to their program that elevated the sessions and the energy each day. Dr. Becky Grubbs, our newest Turfgrass Extension Specialist from College Station was full of energy and a crowd favorite, along with Ed Bredemeyer from Central Life Sciences who gave a refreshing mosquito session. Dr. Gabriel Neal gave our audience a new way to learn about Skin Cancer prevention and the feedback was so positive that we realize the importance as an industry to keep gathering health screening information for TTA members.

Lastly, the seasoned and highly engaging speakers like Dr. Ben Wherley, Gary Brooks, Laura Miller, Dr. Joey Young, Dr. Hennen Cummings, and Raymond Miller fulfilled education requirements way beyond by engaging and reaching our members on topics that are pertinent to the Turf Industry. And we cannot forget the famous Dr. Don Renchie who can always make Laws and Regulations enjoyable, fun, and beyond informative. Without all of them, this show would not have been so successful!

As our association grows, we hope to keep providing the change and energy to allow these very special conferences to be a success! Thank you for Summer 2018!

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Summer Conference Photos

Summer Equipment Rodeo Wrap Up

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Almost 200 people came to the Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop, Texas this past July to attend the Texas Turfgrass Association Summer Conference. We kicked off the 2nd day of the conference with our 4th Equipment Rodeo. The idea behind the rodeo is to give equipment suppliers an opportunity to not only show their equipment to conference attendees but let them have a chance to operate the equipment.

This year we setup the rodeo at the back of the driving range of the Lost Pines golf course and we had approximately John Walker 15 – 20 acres to setup the display tents and operate the Region VII Director equipment. Breakfast was served at the site so most of the conference attendees were able to enjoy a great meal to start the day and see the equipment on display. Ten different equipment vendors had their machines shined and ready for looks and test drives. We feel that this was by far our most successful rodeo of the past 4 years because we listened to what our exhibitors and our attendees wanted to experience during this event. We will continue to listen and grow this event form year to year and we thank all of the people that participated this year.

See you in San Antonio this December for the TTA Winter Conference!

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Summer Equipment Rodeo Photos

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2017 Athletic Complex of the Year Texas Turfgrass Association Athletic Complex of the Year UTPB Athletic Complex By: Scott Anderson, CPTM

Assistant Director Parks and Recreation - City of Odessa TTA Region 1 Director The City of Odessa Parks and Recreation Department was extremely proud to nominate the UTPB Athletic Complex for consideration by the Texas Turfgrass Association as Athletic Complex of the year.

UTPB Athletic Park located in Odessa, Texas sits on a portion of land adjacent to the north eastern side of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB). The City of Odessa obtained a long-term lease for the property from the University in the mid 1980's to establish an adult four-field softball complex under the operation of the Parks and Recreation Department. Over the years, additional property has been added to the original lease and the complex now encompasses ninety acres. Since completion in 2009, amenities at the athletic complex include two lighted adult four field softball complexes, a lighted fast pitch four field complex for girls’ teams, two lighted Little League fields, three lighted regulation soccer fields, and four un-lit regulation size soccer fields. Various volunteer sports associations operate their respective sports at the complex by use of an Athletic Facility Use Agreement with the City of Odessa.

Seasons begin as early as February and last through November each year. Outside of league play, soccer and softball organizations annually host ten to twelve tournaments per year drawing players from throughout Texas and New Mexico. Additional amenities the complex include five picnic pavilions, a playground, two horseshoe pits, two tennis courts, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, and a recently completed sprayground.

Along with an Athletic Field Supervisor, UTPB Athletic Complex has a dedicated staff of four full-time employees, including one equipment operator, two grounds maintenance workers, and one irrigation technician. The annual operations and maintenance budget are set at $185,00.

13 The turf at UTPB Athletic Complex is planted in Tiff 419 which is automatically irrigated with raw water supplied from Lake Ivey Reservoir. Turf maintenance consists of yearly soil testing, and fertilization formulations are based upon those results. Fertilization occurs on a six-week application schedule from April through the end of the growing season in late October.

Foliar applications of iron are applied at various times throughout the growing season depending on upcoming tournaments schedules. The Tiff 419 is maintained at a mowing height of ½” – ¾” utilizing reel mowers. Employees mow playing fields a minimum of two times per week, while common areas are mowed once per week. Mowing patterns are alternated to eliminate the development of grain. Irrigation staff preforms water audits annually and as a rule, 1 ½” of water is applied each week during the growing season.

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2017 Athletic Complex of the Year

Sports fields are de-thatched and top dressed in early spring and followed with four cycles of core aerifications for the remainder of the growing season.

Using an integrated pest management approach, pre-emergent herbicides are applied in February and September utilizing boom spray equipment. If defined IPM thresholds are experienced, post emergent herbicides are applied.

Turf management in this portion of Texas requires several challenges. Some of these include long periods of drought, irrigation water high in Ph, constant winds, soil high in alkaline, extreme temperature fluctuations, and tremendous amounts of caliche rock throughout the sandy topsoil, which averages a depth of eight inches. Despite these obstacles, the fields at UTPB Complex are an example of what can be accomplished with a dedicated staff and a solid management program.

The City of Odessa Parks and Recreation Department is proud that UTPB Athletic Complex was chosen as 2017 Athletic Complex of the year.

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AgriLife Extension - College Station

Indicator Weeds: Staying Connected to the Big Picture

By Becky Grubbs, PhD Assistant Professor & Turfgrass Extension Specialist Many of us have heard it before: “The best defense against weeds is a dense, healthy stand of turfgrass.”

It’s true and yet so often we get caught up in that immediate desire to be rid of what we are seeing that we forget to use those weeds to our advantage. Weeds prevail when they are able to outcompete our desired turfgrass under specific environmental conditions. In a sense, they are symptoms or indicators of a problem. It is when we address this underlying issue using an integrated approach to weed management that we really set ourselves up to be successful not only in controlling the weeds we are currently seeing but in preventing them from returning by optimizing the overall health of our turfgrass system.

The turfgrass system has many components, all of which inform the overall health of our grass and its ability to withstand or outcompete pests and stress.

Weed encroachment can be an indication that any one of these components may be lacking or off-balance. Here are a few scenarios which may compromise turfgrass health and common Texas weeds associated with those conditions: (Next Page)

Condition:

Possible Causes

Low Fertility

Soil Compaction

Coarse, sandier soils with poor nutrient-holding capacity.

Fine-textured, heavier soils

Soil pH affecting nutrient-availability

Traffic (vehicular, equipment, pedestrian)

Inadequate fertilization

Topography

Physical removal or displacement of nutrient-rich soil (common in urban construction practices).

Weed Groups Associated with this Condition

Legumes (Fabaceae or Leguminosae Family)

Broken or Malfunctioning Irrigation Equipment Poor Drainage (Heavier or compacted soils) Topography (Low Spots) Excessive Watering or Rainfall

Tap-rooting species Hydrophyllic (water-loving) species

Plants adapted to sandier soils and low-fertility environments

Plants with a vining, spreading, or matting growth habit

Powderpuff (Mimosa strigillosa Torr. & A. Gray)

Burclover (Medicago polymorpha L.)

Water Hyssop (Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell)

Arrowleaf Clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi)

Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris)

Tropic Croton (Croton glandulosus L.)

Reversed Clover (Trifolium resupinatum L.)

Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.)

White Clover (Trifolium repens)

Yellow Woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta L.)

Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.) Examples of Indicator Weeds for this Condition

Soil Moisture and Watering Practices (Hot spots become hard spots)

Too Much Moisture

Black Medic (Medicago lupulina L.) Burclover (Medicago polymorpha L.) Vetch (Vicia spp.)

Field Sandbur (Cenchrus spinifex Cav.) Thistle (Cirsium spp.)

Spotted Spurge (Euphorbia maculata) Dandelion (Taraxacum spp.)

Plants adapted to more tropical climates

Common Chickweed (Stellaria media L.) Annual Bluegrass (Poa annual L.) Wild Onion (Allium canadense L.) Yellow and Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus spp.)

Green Kyllinga (Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb.)

Aster (Aster spp.)

Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) – Central taproot with fibrous root system

Dandelion (Taraxacum spp.)

Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris)

Start with a soil test to assess nutrient needs Get on a regular fertility regimen appropriate for the site. Consider the use, expectations, and soil properties.

Cultural Steps to Ameliorate the Problem

Adjust watering and cultivation habits to reduce nutrient losses that may occur as a function of surface runoff and leaching.

Temporarily or permanently increase mowing height to stimulate deeper, more vigorous root growth

Audit irrigation system Fix broken or malfunctioning heads

Consider cultivation methods including core aerification or slicing

Improve system drainage

Adjust irrigation timing and/or frequency

Rotate area use to minimize traffic. Explore possible soil amendments to improve soil structure

Dr. Becky Grubbs Contact Information Texas A&M University | AgriLife Extension | Dept. of Soil and Crop Science College Station, TX bgrubbs@tamu.edu 979.845.0603

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Texas Tech Turfgrass Field Day By: Dr. Joseph Young, PhD Assistant Professor of Turf Science Department of Plant and Soil Science Texas Tech University

The turf research team at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas put on another successful Turf Field Day this summer. This was the second-year separate events were held for homeowners and professional turf managers. The number of homeowners who attended this year’s event doubled from the first year, and we were all pleased with the turnout.

Homeowners from the region attended the event and learned more about turf species that grow well in the region, native drought tolerant landscape plants, pollinator preservation strategies, and vegetable gardening for lawns. Many of the homeowners brought lawn questions and concerns that needed solving. We had an excellent time communicating some of our research with attendees and helping them develop more sustainable landscape management plans. We look forward to continuing this effort and increasing attendance each year.

The following Monday brought out the professional turf managers. We had a great list of sponsors who provided financial support to keep the event going strong. The Anderson’s, Turf Care of Texas, Redexim, Professional Turf Products, Aquatrols, Netafim, Watermaster of Lubbock, Corteva (formerly Dow Agroscience), Trimax Mowers, Target Specialty Products, and West Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association. This was a great day of education for all those who attended. Many of my graduate students discussed research efforts that are being initiated through our program. Everyone was enthusiastic to see the drone we are using to capture images of golf courses to better identify drought stress. Another student is obtaining many ground-based measurements and analyzing soil conditions to validate the drone imagery.

19 This study is sponsored by the USGA, and we are very excited to be conducting this important research. Other talks consisted of an herbicide control demonstration with Corteva’s upcoming products GameOn and Relzar, a jackrabbit damage recovery trial, and viewing some newer cold-tolerant varieties of bermudagrass. We are looking forward to continuing building the event. Mark your calendars for the 2nd week in July next year and come up to Lubbock for an educational day.

http://ttuturf.blogspot.com/

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Congratulations to our newest CPTM’s Keith White City of Coppell Employed with the City of Coppell for 19 years and for the past 3 years has been a Parks Supervisor. Keith enjoys the challenges of the job, being able to impact people on a day to day basis and believes that is the reason why he remains that the City of Coppell.

Benjamin Bauer FC Dallas Organizations: Texas Turfgrass Association, Sports Turf Manager’s Association, Texas Sports Turf Manager’s Association Degree: University of Cincinnati Bachelor of Sport Administration Other Info: 2016, 2017 Texas Soccer Field of the Year, 2017 STMA Professional Soccer Field of the Year

Cheryl McLaurin Eco Lawn Care Civic Organizations: Active member of local PTA and the social chair of her neighborhood.

Professional Organizations: TTA; TNLA; Professional soil Classifier, USDA Degrees: BS in Agronomy from Mississippi State University, 2007; Masters in GIS from Mississippi State 2015

The Certified Professional Turf Manager (CPTM) designation recognizes a level of achievement in professional turfgrass management in Texas beyond a Bachelor of Science degree or a long tenure in the industry. The CPTM designation is a mark of distinction. Professionals who acquire the CPTM designation benefit the turfgrass industry and themselves through increased self-esteem and respect, increased value and service to their employer and increased competitiveness in the job market. By acquiring the CPTM designation, the professional turf manager sets himself or herself apart from other turf managers. For applicants to be considered for the CPTM designation and to maintain that designation they must provide documented evidence of turf management skills, participation in continuing education programs and successful employment in the turfgrass industry.

Applicants for the CPTM designation are also required to satisfactorily complete a comprehensive written examination. An intensive 4-day training program in preparation for the examination is optional. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

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Dallas Turf Field Day Preview

Let’s talk turfgrass in Texas! Come join us for the 2018 Texas A&M Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day. Researchers from the AgriLife Research and Extension Programs will be presenting on topics such as breeding for improved turfgrasses, weed identification and herbicide selection, water conservation tools and techniques, disease diagnosis and fungicide use, and management of insect pests. Field day attendees have the opportunity to earn up to four (4) CEUs from TDA and four (4) CEUs from TNLA. Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center 17360 Coit Road, Dallas, TX 75252

Wednesday, October 10, 2018 | 7:00 am – 2:00 pm Turfgrass and Landscape Field Day Agenda 7:00 am – 8:00 am: Registration 8:00 am – 8:15 am: Opening remarks 8:30 am – 12:30 pm: Field talks Featured Speakers: Muthu Bagavathiannan, Ben Wherley, Justin Eads and S.T. Kong, Janet Hurley, Kevin Ong, Dennis Genovesi, Meghyn Meeks, Lindsey Hoffman, Ambika Chandra, Tony Provin, Patrick Dickinson, Charles Swanson, Becky Grubbs, Young-Ki Jo, Scott Nolte, Robert Puckett.

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm: Lunch, poster session, trade-show

Click Here to REGISTER

Registration includes morning refreshments and BBQ lunch.

Registration = $55.00 before October 5, 2018 Late/Onsite Registration = $75.00 after October 5, 2018 No refunds after Friday, October 5, 2018. A $15 processing fee will incur for all refunds.

Contact Dr. Lindsey Hoffman at lindsey.hoffman@ag.tamu.edu for more information.

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AgriLife Extension - Dallas Howdy from Dallas!

By Lindsey Hoffman, PhD Assistant Professor & Turfgrass Extension Specialist

Howdy! My name is Lindsey Hoffman and I am the new Extension Turfgrass Specialist with Texas A&M at the Dallas Research and Extension Center. I started in my position on July 9 and had the opportunity to meet many of you at the summer conference in Bastrop. I am excited to be a part of AgriLife Extension Services and look forward to working with industry professionals across the state of Texas.

About me: My passion for all things turfgrass grew after working on several golf courses in Massachusetts and Colorado. I decided to pursue a career in the turfgrass industry, which motivated me to obtain my undergraduate degree from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I continued on to obtain both my M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts concentrating in general turfgrass ecology and physiology. For both degrees, I conducted applied, field-based research that focused on topics such as optimization of fertility programs and cultural/ chemical practices for minimizing damage caused by abiotic stresses such as cold and drought. Following graduate school, I had the opportunity to work with breeders at the University of Minnesota and Rutgers University to assist in the development of improved cultivars for commercial production. Throughout my graduate and post-graduate school positions, I maintained a strong connection to the turfgrass industry and developed relationships with golf course superintendents, sports field managers, sod growers, and seed producers. Ultimately, these relationships have brought me to the position I am in today as an Extension Specialist.

My program: Going forward, my Extension program will be centered around two overarching themes: ecosystem services of turfgrass and resource conservation. Briefly, ecosystem services refers to the measurable benefits of turfgrasses that can be classified into categories such as environmental, aesthetic, recreational, economic, sociologic, and psychological/physiological. Resource conservation, in my opinion, refers to reducing inputs (such as water and fertility) while still maintaining a healthy, aesthetically pleasing turfgrass surface. My program will focus on the needs of the turfgrass industry and will incorporate educational tools and resources that will support the themes of my Extension program. With that being said, I welcome the opportunity to communicate with all of you to discuss the major issues facing you as turfgrass managers and to evaluate methods for addressing and solving these issues.

In closing, I am very excited to be a apart of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services and look forward to meeting with all of you in the future.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time with questions, concerns, or ideas.

Lindsey Hoffman lindsey.hoffman@ag.tamu.edu 972-952-9212

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Texas A&M Legend Retires Turfgrass expert clips his last blades of grass for research purposes Dr. Richard White retires from Texas A&M Writers: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Beth Ann Luedeker, baluedeker@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION - Dr. Richard White intends to sit back and let the grass grow under his feet for a while, after spending 29 years helping develop turf for Texas’ sometimes unforgiving conditions.

White retired from his position as a professor in the Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass management scientist in College Station on Aug. 31.

“My favorite memories will be the people I have worked with in the department and in the industry,” he said. “I have enjoyed helping our students and watching them become successful professionals and leaders in the industry. Also, mentoring junior faculty and watching their successes.”

White came to Texas A&M after working as an assistant professor at Rutgers UniversityCook College in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University and his doctorate from Virginia Tech.

He started as an assistant research scientist in 1989 at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas and then moved to College Station in 1993 as an associate professor.

His teaching responsibilities included undergraduate courses and advising and directing graduate students.

“Dr. White was instrumental in developing the turfgrass science major for the department and has served as a leader in advanced teaching techniques and assessment,” said Dr. David Baltensperger, head of the

25 Texas A&M soil and crop sciences department.

His research program centered on the development of information to understand mechanisms of stress resistance in perennial grasses used for turf and conservation purposes. The primary focus was to develop fundamental information for an understanding of mechanisms of drought and temperature resistance in perennial grasses. “My research program also contributed to applied programs in irrigation water management and conservation and results in the refinement of management strategies that reduce cultural inputs required to maintain turfgrass areas,� White said.

White co-developed four zoysia grass, one bent grass, one perennial ryegrass and two annual ryegrass cultivars.

Some highlights of his career included: • Contributing to the development of best-use practices for cycling bio-resource nutrients through turfgrass sod.

• Establishing a strong relationship between osmotic adjustment in zoysia grass cultivars and their water requirement.

• Demonstrating the impact of irrigation frequency on creeping bent grass performance in hot, humid climates.

• Contributing to a better understanding of nitrogen requirements of ultra-dwarf Bermuda grasses.

• Co-discovering thermo-morphogenic response in dwarf and ultra-dwarf Bermuda grasses.

• Definitively establishing the benefit of blending bent grass cultivars for improved disease resistance and performance.

“Dr. White has been a national leader for the turf industry, working across a broad range of industry, academic and agency partners to advance the role turfgrass can play in enhancing our environment,” Baltensperger said.

Maybe his most enduring legacy will be his shepherding of the ScottsMiracle-Gro Facility for Lawn and Garden Research, located at 3100 F&B Road in College Station, through its 15-year journey to reality.

White coordinated the design and development of the facility to provide the needed infrastructure and facilities for the turfgrass program. He had already developed and constructed a state-of-the-art surface water runoff facility at the same location in collaboration with other soil and crop sciences personnel and the Scotts Company.

He is a member of the Crop Science Society of America, Sports Turf Managers Association, and Advisor to the Board – Texas Turfgrass Association.

He has been recognized with two Texas A&M University Vice-Chancellor’s Award in Excellence, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Research Team Awards; the Texas Environmental Excellence Award for the Rio Grande Basin Initiative in the Agriculture category; and the Texas A&M University Soil and Crop Sciences Department Award for Teaching.

Save the Dates!

Annual Conference and Trade Show

December 11 - 13 San Antonio - Details Coming Soon