By Andrew Hollman
Minnesota experiences winter weather that can vary dramatically from year to year. The 2018 to 2019 winter started early and offered us ice, extremely cold temperatures, and record snowfall for the month of February. The impact that this has on turfgrass won’t be evident until the snow melts and the grass begins to grow. The melt of the snow and regrowth of our research putting greens in the spring of 2011 presented us with grim view.
By Jon Trappe
Many people associate harsh winters with heavy snowfalls. From a plant’s perspective, snow can actually protect the plant from extreme low temperatures by acting as a form of insulation. Despite the recent winter storm in April and record snowfall in February, the majority of winter 2018-19 was below average precipitation, with much of the state having below average to no snow cover for most of December and January.
By Chase Straw
Athlete performance tracking devices are becoming prevalent in team sports at the professional and collegiate levels. An individual device is small (~3 x 1.5 inches) and usually inserted into a vest that holds it to an athlete’s upper back. They measure several variables regarding athlete performance during competition while on a sports field, such as distance covered, top speed, sprint count, acceleration, and deceleration.
by Yinjie Qiu
Turfgrass grows in a complex environment that is full of stresses. For example, in the summertime, turfgrasses may be under abiotic stresses such as heat and drought stress. Some biotic stresses, such as summer patch and dollar spot disease, can occur at the same time. Situations like this cause stress for golf course superintendents and other turf managers. Some of these problems could be solved by cultural management methods; however, these methods can be labor intensive and expensive.
Check out our team’s latest efforts in educating the public about our work! We have a poster presentation and talks at a workshop.
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The University of Minnesota's Turfgrass Science Program conducts field-based research and offers education and consultation to both commercial turfgrass managers and homeowners caring for their yards. Want to search our site? Click here.
For turfgrass or home lawn questions, contact:
For questions related to turfgrass extension, contact:
Dr. Brian Horgan, Professor
bphorgan@umn.edu or 612-624-0782
For degree questions, contact:
Dr. Eric Watkins, Professor
ewatkins@umn.edu or 612-624-7496
