Center offers turfgrass management resources
From an interactive Web site to hands-on workshops, the College's Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education (CENTERE) is hard at work bringing valuable information and good advice on turf management to consumers and industry professionals alike.
Comprising faculty from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences departments of Crop Science, Entomology, Plant Pathology and Soil Science, the center aims to be a primary source for turf management information.
Attracting more than 8 million hits annually, the Center's "TurfFiles" Web site (www.turffiles.ncsu.edu) packs countless articles, scientific reports, turf management tips, data and industry news into an easy-to-use information clearinghouse.
The site's interactive "Turf Selection" feature tailors advice to each user's specific turf conditions. The "Turf and Weed ID" section helps users identify particular weeds and determine the best ways to treat them. "Turf Tips" offers management advice by season, and the "Turf Alerts" e-newsletter broadcasts up-to-the-minute news on turf-related issues, such as major pest outbreaks. Geared toward both homeowners and industry professionals, the site also offers information on insect and disease management, as well as select publications on everything from soils to water quality.
"We hope to help people become knowledgeable in turfgrass management, not only as it benefits the industry, but also in educating private landowners about practices that will help them care for their land and protect the environment," says Dr. Art Bruneau, professor of crop science and one of the Web site's founders.
As the Web site has grown, many of the Center's print publications have become models for other states. In fact, Bruneau recently learned that golf course superintendents in New Jersey plan to use the center's latest set of water quality publications to enhance their work. And the center's turfgrass management training manual, "Enhancing North Carolina's Quality of Life," has attracted international attention. Bruneau and his colleagues worked closely with the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina to develop the training guide to make certification more accessible to a greater number of people.
"We've had requests from nearly every continent for the pest management manual," Bruneau says, in reference to one of the training guide's components. "We've designed this manual to be an educational series for Master Gardeners and turfgrass managers that gives the tools and resources needed to become certified and teach others."
The center's faculty also hosts a number of different certification programs for turfgrass professionals, including workshops, presentations and conferences. Their annual short course, an intensive week-long "crash course" in turfgrass management, attracts participants from across the country. The short course provides basic information to new professional turfgrass managers and also serves as a refresher for those with more experience. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services offers 10 hours of pesticide continuing certification credit for those who complete the course.
-Suzanne Stanard
Comprising faculty from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences departments of Crop Science, Entomology, Plant Pathology and Soil Science, the center aims to be a primary source for turf management information.
Attracting more than 8 million hits annually, the Center's "TurfFiles" Web site (www.turffiles.ncsu.edu) packs countless articles, scientific reports, turf management tips, data and industry news into an easy-to-use information clearinghouse.
The site's interactive "Turf Selection" feature tailors advice to each user's specific turf conditions. The "Turf and Weed ID" section helps users identify particular weeds and determine the best ways to treat them. "Turf Tips" offers management advice by season, and the "Turf Alerts" e-newsletter broadcasts up-to-the-minute news on turf-related issues, such as major pest outbreaks. Geared toward both homeowners and industry professionals, the site also offers information on insect and disease management, as well as select publications on everything from soils to water quality.
"We hope to help people become knowledgeable in turfgrass management, not only as it benefits the industry, but also in educating private landowners about practices that will help them care for their land and protect the environment," says Dr. Art Bruneau, professor of crop science and one of the Web site's founders.
As the Web site has grown, many of the Center's print publications have become models for other states. In fact, Bruneau recently learned that golf course superintendents in New Jersey plan to use the center's latest set of water quality publications to enhance their work. And the center's turfgrass management training manual, "Enhancing North Carolina's Quality of Life," has attracted international attention. Bruneau and his colleagues worked closely with the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina to develop the training guide to make certification more accessible to a greater number of people.
"We've had requests from nearly every continent for the pest management manual," Bruneau says, in reference to one of the training guide's components. "We've designed this manual to be an educational series for Master Gardeners and turfgrass managers that gives the tools and resources needed to become certified and teach others."
The center's faculty also hosts a number of different certification programs for turfgrass professionals, including workshops, presentations and conferences. Their annual short course, an intensive week-long "crash course" in turfgrass management, attracts participants from across the country. The short course provides basic information to new professional turfgrass managers and also serves as a refresher for those with more experience. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services offers 10 hours of pesticide continuing certification credit for those who complete the course.
-Suzanne Stanard