SFMA CONFERENCE PREVIEW
Optimizing Mowing Practices for Turfgrass Species: Autonomous vs Conventional; presented by Tessa Hospod and Jason Henderson, Ph. D. This presentation will describe if mowing regime and height of cut have different effects on turfgrass quality, mowing quality, and stress tolerance on four different cool-season turfgrass species.
It ' s Not About the Paycheck; presented by Jeff McManus Through real-world stories and leadership lessons, McManus shows how high-performing teams thrive— not because it’ s easy, but because passion leads the way.
Ensuring Peak Performance Through Weed Control in Warm-Season Turf; presented by Gerald Henry, Ph. D. and Pawel Petelewicz, Ph. D. This presentation will discuss the impacts of weed infestation on athletic field performance and use with a focus on holistic strategies to address troublesome and / or common weeds of warm-season turfgrasses.
11 a. m.-Noon Work / Life Balance for the Sports Field Manager; presented by Lisa Goatley, LPC and Mike Goatley, Ph. D. This presentation will discuss the challenges in work / life balance and present strategies to maintain healthy family relationships while also meeting the demands of work.
Sports Field Irrigation A to Z— Including the Things You Were Afraid to Ask; presented by Brad Jakubowski This workshop will take you through all of the major concepts of irrigation: Why we water. Why it ' s important for the field, society, and beyond.
Utilizing Autonomous Mowing Technology for Sports Field Management; presented by J. Scott McElroy, Ph. D. In this presentation, Dr. McElroy will cover the major types of autonomous mowers, discuss how they are utilized, and how they will change the way the turfgrass is managed.
Trust the Journey: Navigating Career Transitions with Confidence and Finding Success; presented by Paula Sliefert and Ava Veith Ava and Paula will share their personal experiences with career transitions, offering insights into how they navigated change while staying open to new opportunities.
Managing Sports Fields More Effectively with PGRs; presented by Aaron Hathaway This presentation will take an in-depth look at why and how plant growth regulators( PGRs) can be specifically used to potentially prime a sports field for heavy traffic, aid the transition to and from overseeding, favor the desired turf species, help establish seeding and sodding projects faster, as well as other uses for PGRs.
Leave it Better Than You Found it!; presented by Drew Miller, Ed. D. and Travis Hogan The presenters will discuss the key components of how they have grown in their careers with different components, from leadership to technological advancements.
2-3:15 p. m. Measured Maintenance: Turfgrass Mathematics for Peak Performance; presented by Quincy Law, Ph. D. and Nick Christians, Ph. D. This presentation will work through common turfgrass calculations using both the proportional method and dimensional analysis. Participants will solve a string of applied turfgrass math problems to link and build on concepts including area, volume, fertilizers and pesticides.
Suncorp Stadium— Australia ' s Premier Multipurpose Rectangular Stadium; presented by Matthew Oliver Go behind the scenes of Suncorp Stadium— Australia’ s premier rectangular stadium and one of the busiest natural turf venues in the world. In this session, Matthew Oliver shares real-world insights from leading the sports turf operations at a venue that hosts over 60 major events annually across rugby league, rugby union, soccer, and concerts.
Ballfields on a Budget: Practices and Products to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck; presented by Gregg Munshaw, Ph. D. This presentation will focus on the practices that are critical for healthy turfgrass and discuss other practices that may be reduced based on labor and budget.
Indoor Turf Management: What We Have Learned Preparing for FWC26; presented by John Sorochan, Ph. D. Discussion will focus on the research being done at the University of Tennessee to grow grass in five domed sta-
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