By Kristine Moncada
Roadside turfgrass plays many important roles in the environment that include public safety, water quality, erosion prevention, cooling in urban areas, dust reduction, and aesthetics. The UMN Turfgrass Science Team has developed a unique new online training course on the installation and management of this important part of the landscape. Dr. Eric Watkins and Dr. Jon Trappe, both from UMN, along with Sam Bauer of BauerTurf developed the course with input from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Installation and Management of Roadside Turfgrass is now being offered through the University of Minnesota Extension.
Why take the course?
Installation and Management of Roadside Turfgrass provides a series of lessons on establishing roadside turfgrasses and roadside turfgrass management. This training program is essential for contractors looking to establish roadside grasses in the state of Minnesota, and the content has been tailored to be applicable to any northern U.S. climate.
Students who are interested can earn 1 credit for the Roads Scholar Program from the Center for Transportation Studies.
Who should take the course?
This course is appropriate for anyone seeking knowledge about roadside turfgrass installation and management.
- Contractors and operators who establish and maintain roadside grasses
- Employees of state departments of transportation
- City and county employees
- Anyone with an interest in roadside turfgrass and its maintenance
There are no prerequisites needed to take this course.
What you can expect to learn
At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to understand the steps in establishing seed and sod on roadsides, as well as implement fundamental cultural practices for maintaining turfgrasses on roadsides. Specifically, you will be able to:
- Explain turfgrass attributes that are useful in a roadside turfgrass installation
- List the important steps of soil preparation in turfgrass establishment
- Compare and contrast sodding and seeding as roadside establishment options
- Establish a framework for the development of sustainable mowing strategies
- Design a watering program for the successful establishment of roadside grasses
- Describe the benefits of proper fertility on turfgrass establishment and maintenance
- Explain the importance of weed control on turfgrass establishment and maintenance
Course Sponsors
This course was developed by the Turfgrass Science team at the University of Minnesota, with financial support from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Local Road Research Board through the project “Expanding the Success of Salt-Tolerant Roadside Turfgrasses through Innovation and Education."
For more information
For content-related questions:
Eric Watkins
612-624-7496 | [email protected]