CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 04/26/17

UGA-Tifton set to host annual turf conference

By Clint Thompson

The 71st annual Southeastern Turfgrass Conference will be held on Tuesday, May 16, at the Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia.

The conference will focus on plant breeding, fertilizer and herbicide management, and will feature researchers from five universities, according to Brian Schwartz, turfgrass breeder on the University of Georgia Tifton campus.

“Every year the turfgrass conference brings together some of the top researchers in the South, who discuss their findings. This year is no different. We are expecting at least 30 different scientists to be in attendance to discuss topics such as turfgrass varieties, computing irrigation requirements for turfgrasses and how to establish insect pest management strategies for Georgia citrus,” Schwartz said.

The response of grasses to the unseasonably warm temperatures over the winter is expected to be a major topic of discussion. 

“We had an early spring green-up in our grasses and plants due to the very warm and mild winter, and then we had a frost. It’s been hard on some varieties, but some of our newer varieties seem to have handled it OK,” Schwartz said. “One of the challenges this year will be for those people who got out early and fertilized. In places like Tifton, Georgia, they might be OK, but up north (Georgia), they might have done it too early.”

Turfgrass that was fertilized prematurely may have died back temporarily when freezing temperatures moved through the South in early April. Schwartz said in extreme cases, the turf would die entirely and have to grow back in from the sides over the course of the rest of this year.

Last year, the release of UGA’s new turf cultivar, ‘TifTuf,’ generated much discussion at the event. Schwartz said that as many as 35 growers across the United States are using the new variety, and five more are going to sign on to grow it this spring.

Sod growers tell Schwartz they like ‘TifTuf’ because it’s easier to grow and uses less water.

This year’s conference will begin at 8 a.m. and will run until 3 p.m. An optional field tour of turfgrass research plots will be held after the conference.

For more information or to register for the event, go to ugatiftonconference.caes.uga.edu or call 229-386-3416.

Clint Thompson is an agriculture writer based in Tifton, Georgia.

Authors:
Clint Thompson
Experts/Sources:
Brian M Schwartz
'TifTuf' is pictured growing in front of the Future Farmstead on the UGA Tifton campus.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
TiftonCampusSunset2 CAES News
CAES Transfer Pathways Program expands enrollment access for rural students 11/12/24 Emily Cabrera
The Transfer Pathways Program is opening new doors for rural students who dream of attending the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). In partnership with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and Southern Regional Technical College, students who complete required coursework at these institutions can transfer to CAES to complete bachelor’s degrees in one of three majors — agribusiness, agricultural education, and agriscience and environmental systems. 
GMREC CAES News
North Georgia hub fueling agricultural research at UGA 11/06/24 David Mitchell
Research in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences runs the gamut — from plants, animals and dairy science, and crop and soil sciences to entomology, food science and technology, and more. It’s an expansive agenda, too broad to be housed on the university’s 760-acre main campus. For that, CAES turns to its eight off-campus research and education centers located all over the state.
University of Georgia startup CytoNest Inc. released its first commercial product this year, a fiber scaffold that optimizes cell manufacturing and tissue engineering. (Photo by Lauren Corcino) CAES News
UGA again ranks No. 1 in new research-based products 11/04/24 Brandon Ward
The University of Georgia once again ranks No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of commercial products to market based on its research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM. For nine straight years, UGA has placed in the top two and has never appeared out of the Top 5 in the 11 years the survey has been reported by AUTM. UGA industry partners and startups released a record 66 new products developed from the university’s research in fiscal year 2023, on which the AUTM report is based.
Some of the University of Georgia's extended campuses saw damage from Hurricane Helene. (Photo courtesy of Adam Fouche) CAES News
Relief efforts continue after Hurricane Helene 10/04/24
The University of Georgia community has rallied in the wake of Hurricane Helene, coming together to address damage done to campus facilities while also lending a helping hand to friends and neighbors hit hardest by the storm. While UGA’s main campus weathered the storm with relatively minor damage, the same could not be said for the Tifton campus, where heavy rains and high winds brought down trees and power lines, leaving the campus and surrounding area without power.
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel saw some damage from the winds and rain of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
UGA weathers Hurricane Helene 09/27/24
The University of Georgia’s main campus was fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed after Hurricane Helene barreled through the state early Friday morning. However, the impact was more significant at our extended campus locations. While the UGA Griffin campus reported no major damage, UGA-Tifton was hit much harder, with dozens of downed trees and power outages, as well as flooding in several buildings. Damage to farm operations across south Georgia appears to be extensive.
Yangxuan Liu, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics, reflects on her journey from medicine to agricultural economics. Her work supports farmers across Georgia while also empowering residents in her local community of Tifton. CAES News
CAES economist recognized as emerging leader for work supporting farmers 09/09/24 Claire Sanders Kinnard
For Yangxuan Liu, her career as an associate professor of agricultural and applied economics feels like equal parts coincidence and fate. “I was initially involved in agriculture because of my family farm in China. During breaks from school as a child, I would go visit my grandparents and work in their fields where they grow corn, wheat, cotton and other crops. This really gave me respect for the value of working the ground,” Liu said.