Episodes

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “Testing Ground” featured in Tennessee Turfgrass magazine. UT turfgrass researchers have invented a device to test the playability of football fields, soccer pitches, and other surfaces—with the goal of keeping athletes safe. In 2018, the NFL scheduled a game for a neutral site in Mexico. Though the field had passed mandatory tests like surface hardness, the league’s players association had concerns about the safety of the fie...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode covers how The University of Tennessee’s research as part of the FIFA 2026 World Cup is already scoring benefits on the world stage. When FIFA selected the University of Tennessee to oversee research for building and maintaining the FIFA WORLD CUP 26 pitches, it promised to focus worldwide attention on the university’s turfgrass science and management program. With the opening games just weeks away, UT’s collaboration with the Fédération Internatio...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “Welcome, Dr. Zia Williamson to Mississippi State University” from Mississippi Turfgrass magazine. Mississippi State University is pleased to welcome Dr. Zia Williamson as Assistant Professor of Extension for Turf and Ornamental Entomology in the Department of Agricultural Sciences and Plant Protection. A native of Lincolnton, Georgia, Dr. Williamson grew up surrounded by the green industry through her family’s landscaping bus...

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “How Variability Within and Between Natural Turfgrass and Synthetic Athletic Fields Impacts Athlete Safety and Performance” written by Ava Veith, Dr. David McCall, Dr. Chase Straw, Dr. Daniel Sandor, Dr. Jay Williams, Elisabeth Kitchen, Kevin Hensler, Aaron Tucker and Dr. Caleb Henderson Authors Note and Context Ava Veith is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Plant Science at Penn State University under the advisement of Dr....

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “Give Yourself the Edge in Managing Sedges in Lawns and Landscape Beds” written by Jeffrey Derr and Adam Nichols. Sedges are major weed problems in turf and landscape ornamentals, as well as in crop production, including container- and field-grown nursery crops. Although there are annual sedges that occasionally are problems in these areas, the major problems are perennial species. Having an understanding of their taxonomy and ...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode spotlights Turfgrass Council of North Carolina member Devin McCaffrey. Devin McCaffrey brings a straightforward philosophy to his work as Southeast Territory Manager for Performance Nutrition: help the land perform better while leaving it better than you found it. He works to deliver liquid and dry fertilizers, biostimulants, and a portfolio of plant health solutions spanning agriculture, turf, and ornamental markets. One of the biggest challenges...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features a message for VTC members from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Written by Kati McCall, Water Supply Planner, Office of Water Supply, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality We are reaching out on behalf of DEQ’s Water Supply Planning and Analysis team regarding the Virginia Water Withdrawal Reporting Regulation (9VAC25-200).1 This regulation requires users withdrawing groundwater or surface water in Virginia to repo...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “Advancing Precision Weed Management in Turfgrass Systems with Machine Vision-Guided Targeted Spraying” Written by Brooke Heikkila – Graduate Research Assistant Navdeep Godara – Assistant Professor of Turfgrass & Forage Weed Science, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University and Pawel Petelewicz – Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Weed Science, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultura...

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “A Golden Milestone, The 50th Annual MTC Conference at Turf Valley Resort” After five decades of advancing the turfgrass profession in Maryland, the 50th Annual Maryland Turfgrass Council (MTC) Conference convened on December 16, 2025, at the scenic Turf Valley Resort. The event marked a major milestone for our Council in celebrating half a century of education, innovation, and collaboration across all sectors of the turf indus...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “Creative Membership Models for Private Clubs” written by Larry Hirsh for golfprop.com and read from Virginia Turfgrass Journal. Among the intriguing elements of the private club world are the various membership models that exist. Of course, there are equity, where the members own the club and non-equity, where an investor owns the club; but within each category there are numerous variations. Clubs exhibit a wide variety of ope...

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “Students Shine at National Turf Bowl Competition” College Park, Md. — Students from the University of Maryland (UMD) placed fourth out of 79 teams at this year’s Turf Bowl, an intercollegiate academic competition that tests students’ technical and professional knowledge of the turfgrass industry. The Turf Bowl challenges students in a wide range of subject areas, including turfgrass management, pest management, and soil scien...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “How Should Fertility be Used to Manage Brown Patch Disease in Tall Fescue Lawns?” written by Dr. Brandon Horvath, Professor and Turfgrass Pathologist, University of Tennessee Plant Sciences. Tall fescue is a prominent lawn grass choice especially in the Middle and Eastern Tennessee regions where cool-season turfgrasses are more prevalently used. Brown patch, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is the most damaging pathogen affecting...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. On this episode we preview presentations and activities for the procrastinators recertification seminar on June 11, 2026 in Maryland. Introductory comments are from 8:00 AM to 8:10 AM with moderator Dr. Carroll. From 8:10 AM to 9:00 AM will be a presentation titled “Thinking Outside the Chemical Box: Prospects for Alternative Approaches to Weed Management in Turf” by Dr. Daniel Buonaiuto, Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architec...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode covers the business behind the green with the article “How to Price Your Services for Profit” written by Kristina Kelly. When it comes to running a turfgrass business, your work is rooted in results. Healthy lawns, properly installed sod, and satisfied customers are the visible signs of success. And behind every vibrant blade of grass is a business owner making daily decisions that impact their bottom line. One of the most important? Pricing. Sett...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “Minimizing Spring Dead Spot” written by M. Aaron Tucker, Assistant Professor, Auburn University and Wendell J. Hutchens, Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas. Introduction Spring Dead Spot (SDS) is one of the most persistent and damaging diseases affecting warm-season turfgrasses that undergo winter dormancy. First documented in 1954 on a bermudagrass lawn in Stillwater, Oklahoma, SDS continues to challenge turf manage...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode spotlights New England Sports Field Management Association member Ryan Restivo – Parks Superintendent for the Town of New Canaan Parks Department in New Canaan, Connecticut. Read from New England Blade magazine. How did you get your start in the sports field industry? I’ve always had a passion for sports, the outdoors, and hard work. During high school and the early part of my collegiate career, I worked at a renowned golf course in Darien, Connec...

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “Influence of Management on the Microbiome of Turfgrass Systems” By Benjamin Snell, Graduate Student at North Carolina State University. Home lawns, golf courses, and athletic fields account for the majority of the turf industry. A considerable amount of research has been conducted within these areas of the industry, with a primary focus on management strategies. Improving management strategies is crucial for turf managers to p...

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “Turfgrass Research, Partnership, and Progress: 10 Years of the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Classic & Field Day” Many of Virginia’s turfgrass industry professionals will gather at Independence Golf Club on Monday, May 18, 2026, to celebrate a major milestone: the 10th anniversary of the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Classic & Field Day. The inaugural event was held on May 15, 2017 across the James at the Country Club of...

This episode of The Turf Zone Podcast features the article “Turf Tips” by Dave Han, Ph.D. with Auburn University and Alabama Extension. When hot weather arrives, our warm season grasses will soon shift into high gear and simply keeping up with them can be a challenge. Here are some reminders of what to expect and look out for in the transition from spring to summer. Temperatures will still fluctuate Most parts of Alabama aren’t truly safe from all possibility of frost until mid-April. Even th...

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features a summary of bills of interest from the end of the 2026 Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly. Prepared by Percy Public Affairs and the Maryland Turfgrass Council. Read from MTC Turf News magazine. At the stroke of midnight on Monday, April 13th, the Maryland General Assembly adjourned (SINE DIE) the 2026 Legislative Session in Annapolis, Maryland. This year, the Maryland General Assembly introduced a total of 3,473 individ...

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “What’s New with Wetting Agents” written by Michael Fidanza, Ph.D., Stan Kostka, Ph.D. and Tom Malehorn Soil surfactants are commonly called “wetting agents” in the turfgrass industry, and there are many, many wetting agent products in today’s turf market. In 2012, the USGA Green Section article — Understanding the different wetting agent chemistries — advanced our understanding of these products in a logical manner. Another go...

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “Autonomous Mowing on Trial” written by Landon Erbrick, Paul Bartley, Mark Hoffman and Tanzeel Rehman of Auburn University and J. Bryan Unruh of the University of Florida. As the landscape industry faces mounting labor challenges, tightening environmental regulations, and growing pressure to improve efficiency, the emergence of mowing technologies are generating widespread attention. But do these machines actually deliver on th...

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode features the article “Biochar Revisited: Rethinking Its Promise for Turf & Landscape Soils” written by Anthony Will and read from New England Blade magazine. In recent years, interest in biochar has grown rapidly – but so has the confusion about what it actually is and how it works as a soil amendment. Turf managers searching for guidance may find thousands of articles and research papers, many of which make conflicting claims about soil health, n...