AGSA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Treasurer / West Hills Golf Club
The best part of this industry is superintendents willingness to share information. As a sales representative, I get a unique opportunity to see successes, and sometimes failures, during my travels. This session will aim to share some of those stories with the hopes of helping attendees leave with some new ideas that they can put to use at their own facilities.
Job Titles:
- Back to the Basics: How to Optimize Your Fungicide Program / Description
Atlantic Canada's turf insect pest landscape has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. During this period, turfgrass managers have seen the arrival of annual bluegrass weevils and European chafers, as well as the resurgence of pests like leatherjackets (European crane flies), ants, and chinch bugs. Within the same period, the insecticide landscape has changed greatly as key active ingredients have been deregistered and the new ones discovered and developed. In this presentation, Dr Ben McGraw of Pennsylvania State University will provide a comprehensive overview of the most devastating turfgrass insect pests affecting golf courses in Atlantic Canada and their management. This presentation will emphasize the importance of understanding pest biology and ecology to identify weaknesses in pest lifecycles and develop strategies that will increase the turfgrass manager's probability of successful control. An update on Penn State's biological, biological, and chemical efficacy trials will be provided for each pest species or complex. Finally, we will examine what a year-long pest management strategy would look like from a budgetary standpoint, then look to see where multiple pests may be controlled simultaneously or where inputs may be reduced.
In this presentation, Ben McGraw, Ph.D., of Penn State University, will present an overview of some of the more recent chemical, biological, and biorational insecticide products that have become available in Canada. Several new reduced risk insecticides have been registered in the last few years, but still confusion remains surrounding their optimal use and target pests. The talk will focus on the use of these products for control of Atlantic Canada's major pest complexes. The impact of these products on control programs as well as the latest research that is being conducted at Penn State University and other universities on these products will be discussed.
New tools from the USGA leverage data and superintendent's knowledge to help guide the decision-making process to help ensure timely applications for improved efficacy efficiency. Elliott Dowling Topic: New Trends in Cultivation Description: Cultivation is an often scrutinized process on golf courses. New tools and trends in this realm have given superintendents more options to maximize the effects of the process with less impact on the playing experience. Doug Soldat Topic: Optimized fertilization for golf turf Description: This talk will talk about the latest research on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilization for golf turf. You'll walk away with a better understanding of how to use soil tests and clipping volume to make fertilizer decisions that maximize your functional goals while protecting the environment. We will also discuss the economics and performance of the many different fertilizer options available today.
Sports field managers provide a place to play. Safe and useful sports fields are crucial for children and building community. In conjunction with Sports Turf Canada, this half day seminar will provide methods for planning best management practices for maintaining natural sports fields including mowing, fertility and pest control. The seminar will also provide information about understanding the current inventory of sports fields and better understanding the management needs and use patterns of the current sports field inventory including a brief synopsis of the use of synthetic sports fields and their required management. The seminar is designed to be useful to managers, lead hands and sports field technicians giving them insight into how they can be more efficient at providing a safe place to play.
Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K) fertilization strategies and considerations. Attendees will learn about the N cycle, fate of soil K, understanding different formulation chemistries and when to apply, including correct doses based on time of year. The seminar will focus on fall nutrient application strategies that offer increased turf vigor the following spring with less winter damage. In addition, pest interactions with these nutrients will be covered. Alan Dolick Topic: Managing for soil biology in golf: Lessons learned over the years. Description: The biological approach to managing fine turf has been gaining momentum over the last few years. Taking theoretical concepts and applying them practically can sometimes be a challenge, with success not always being always a straight line. Alan will share the successes and setbacks he has seen out in the field, why he believes these things are happening, and what you can expect to see if you begin to implement some of these practices at your facility. Leah Brilman Topic: Seed Supply Issues: Causes and where do we go? Description:
Job Titles:
- Vice President / Chester Golf Club
Job Titles:
- - Ways to Build Resilience and Promote Well Being - How These Factors Influence One 's Leadership Style - How These Factors in Turn Work to Build a Workplace Culture That Thrives.
This seminar will delve into the complex relationship between having a successful career as a golf course Superintendent and a personal life filled with meaning and presence. We will discuss the following: - The various pitfalls and traps that foster poor decision making and lead to burnout - Ways to build resilience and promote well being - How these factors influence one's leadership style - How these factors in turn work to build a workplace culture that thrives. This will be an interactive afternoon where the attendees will be encouraged to reflect on their own journeys, discuss themes in a group setting, and share if they feel comfortable doing so. Ryan Beauchamp Topic: The Bayer Necessities of Application 2.0 Description: Efficacy Foundations 2.0. The curriculum will focus on how Superintendents can extract the most value out of the chemical component of their Integrated Pest Management programs. The content of the seminar is very comprehensive while being delivered at a grass roots level that is grounded in science. Participants will be introduced to Fungicide Phyto mobility, correct product placement with emphasis on understanding different formulation technologies and Buffer zone management. Tips and tricks will be shared with the goal to maximize efficacy of plant protection products in an environmentally responsible manner. Jeff Mingay Topic: What is golf architecture relative to improving your course Description: With two decades of experience working to improve aged courses, golf architect Jeff Mingay talks about how he sees/analyzes existing layouts relative to making recommendations for improvement. Jeff also explains how golf course superintendents can employ the same lense and criteria to determine what's required to genuinely make their own golf courses better. Jeff will discuss opportunities at the teeing areas and why short grass always trumps rough, while also explaining that sand bunkers are overrated and only trees in the right places are necessary.
Job Titles:
- PEI Director / Glasgow Hills Resort
Job Titles:
- President / Green Gables Golf Club
Job Titles:
- NB Director / Rockwood Park Golf Club
Job Titles:
- NL Director / Glendenning Golf Club