2019 Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Expo

Conference & Tradeshow

GUIDEBOOK

January 28—31

President’s Welcome

Scott Woodward

VTC President

Welcome to Mid Atlantic

Turfgrass Expo (M.A.T.E)

2019!!!!

This year we have a great educational line-up

for every aspect of Turf where we will talk

about new techniques, chemicals, types of

grass and maintenance. The conference covers

all aspects of the industry, including Sports

Turf, Lawn & Landscape, Golf and Sod Produc-

tion.

Other things to expect will be our partners

showing the latest in Turf Equipment, Turf

Services, Chemicals, Seed, Sod, etc.

Don’t forget our annual Corn Hole Tourna-

ment & Reception,. Both will be held on Tues-

day evening on the showroom floor. You can

sign up once you arrive to the Expo Center.

The conference is also a great opportunity to

mingle with your fellow Turf Managers to learn

and share additional ways to help your busi-

nesses.

All the profits from M.A.T.E will go to fund

turfgrass research at Virginia Tech.

Happy New Year and enjoy the show!

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Turfgrass Flag Challenge

Take your score card to

“flagged” vendors. Get them to

initial in the proper space. Return

completed cards to registration

by 11am Wednesday to be eligible

for cash prizes.

Corn Hole Tournament

Tuesday evening on the trade

show floor. Come enjoy the food,

grab a drink, enter the tourna-

ment, and have a great time! De-

tails on page 21

Board of Directors Virginia Turfgrass Council

Phil Bailey

Wes Bray

Scott Caskie

Tony Montgomery

Rick Owens

Jesse Pritchard

Michael Skelton

T.J. Skirsky

David Smith

Jimmy Viars

Scott Woodward

Craig Zeigler

University Welcome

Welcome to 2019 M-A-T-E.

On behalf of the Virginia Tech Turfgrass

Team welcome and thank you for attend-

ing the 2019 Mid-Atlantic Turfgrass Exposi-

tion. Your time and financial support in at-

tending this conference are important ways

to demonstrate your support for the

turfgrass research, extension, and teaching

programs at Virginia Tech. We’ve once

again designed a comprehensive educa-

tional program that features not only mem-

bers of the VT Turf Team but numerous

guest university and industry experts with

ideas, techniques, and management strate-

gies we believe will be very valuable to you

in improving your personal and profession-

al activities.

Since all the profit from MATE is dedicated to support turfgrass research at Virginia Tech, your attendance directly supports our efforts and for that we are extremely grateful. Another invaluable role you can play is to make time to meet and greet our industry colleagues and commercial repre-sentatives at our trade show. Without the financial support of these partners, con-ducting such a comprehensive conference experience simply would not be possible.

Regardless of your particular industry seg-

ment, or your level of expertise in that seg-

ment, we know that you will find something

in the M-A-T-E educational program for

you.

Dr. Mike Goatley

Virginia Tech

And don’t forget to take the time to intro-

duce yourself to members of the VT Turf

Team and our special guest speakers.

Give us some feedback on this year’s (and

future!) conference program(s). Thanks for

being a part of the mid-Atlantic’s largest

regional educational opportunity of its kind!

W.S. Bill Connelly Scholarship Contest

presented by Landscape Supply

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 am to 10:00 am Ballroom B

This contest is growing in popularity.

Come and hear graduate students present

their research findings to an industry-

based audience rather than the typical

scientific community audience. This is a

valuable speaking experience for students

AND it provides you the latest research

from the young men and women actually

conducting much of the cutting edge stud-

ies.

Diamond Sponsors

Grass seed has become our expertise ... and

we remain dedicated to providing the finest

grass seed in the industry.

Since the early 1990’s we have been devel-

oping and marketing superior sod varie-

ties. Our main goal and focus is to bring

innovative turf selections to the horticul-

tural industry, for the benefit of the indi-

viduals who plant, cultivate, sell, install,

maintain and enjoy them.

Sod Solutions

Pennington Seed

Platinum Sponsors

Lunch Sponsors

PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Monday - January 28

9:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration - Lobby 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Golf Session - Ballroom DE

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Ballroom - C

Certified Turfgrass Professional Day 1 of 3 - Room 2

Tuesday - January 29 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration - Lobby

8:00 am - 9:30 am General Session Ballroom - DE 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Mechanics’ Seminar Day 1 of 3 - Ballroom A 9:45 am - 12:45 pm Breakout Sessions Golf - Ballroom DE Sports Turf - Ballroom F Lawn/Landscape - Ballroom B Sod Production - Ballroom C Irrigation Seminar Parts 1,2 of 3 - Room 5 Certified Turfgrass Professional: Day 2 of 3 - Room 2

12:45 pm - 4:30 pm TRADE SHOW & LUNCH (UNTIL 2:00 PM)

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Irrigation Seminar (Part 3) - Room 5

Virginia Sod Growers Meeting - Room 1

4:30 pm - 7:30 pm CORN HOLE TOURNAMENT AND RECEPTION ON THE TRADE SHOW FLOOR 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Practice 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Tournament

Wednesday - January 30 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration - Lobby 7:00 am - 8:00 am Fellowship Breakfast – Ballroom F Sponsored by Trinity Turf Prillaman Landscape Dimensions 8:00 am - 10:00 am W.S. Bill Connelly Scholarship Con- test Presented by Landscape Supply Ballroom B

8:00 am - 11:00 am Certified Turfgrass Professional: Day 3 of 3 - Room 2

8:00 am - 4:00 pm Mechanics’ Seminar Day 2 of 3 - Ballroom A 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Limited Pesticide Recertification (3A, 3B, 60) - Ballroom DE

10:00 am - 2:00 pm Trade Show

11:00 am - 1:00 pm Lunch

Gold Sponsor

Program at a Glance

Thursday - January 31 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration - Lobby

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Pesticide Recertification - Ballroom DE Virginia and Maryland

8:00 am – 4:00 pm 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Initial Pesticide Certification Review for Core Exam (Virginia): Ballroom C

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Va Initial Pesticide Certification Exams (must have VDACS letter to take exams) Ballroom C

9:00 am - 4:00 pm Fertilizer Certification - Ballroom B 9:00 am – 3:30 pm Training and Examination 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Fertilizer Recertification Virginia and Maryland

9:00 am - 4:00 pm Mechanics’ Seminar Day 3 of 3 - Ballroom A

VTC Events in 2019

COME TO THE BAY February 26-27 Virginia Beach

COME TO THE VALLEY

October 8-9 Staunton

NO SUITCASING POLICY

Suitcasing is when an attendee or ex-

hibitor solicits business in the trade

show aisles or other public spaces.

Such activity is unethical, is not fair to

vendors, and will not be tolerated. To

distribute information or conduct busi-

ness, you must be an exhibitor.

M-A-T-E has the right to remove any-

one who violates this policy. Out of

respect for exhibitors who pay to sup-

port your association, please report any

violation to the M-A-T-E Registration

Desk.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Thomas Hutcheson Memorial Scholarship Tyler Morris (VA Tech) Emeline Daly (VA Tech)

Robert P Ruff Sr. Scholarship

Alexander Kaval (VA Tech)

Keri Knott (VA Tech)

Connor Gillespie (VA Tech)

RLCA Scholarship Ethan Luther(VA Tech)

VIRGINIA TECH FIELD DAYS

June 26 Virginia Beach

Turfgrass

August 14 Blacksburg

Lawn and Landscape

PROGRAM DETAILS Monday - January 28

9:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration - Lobby

10:00 am - 5:00 pm Golf - Ballroom DE Morning Moderator: Scott Caskie 10:00 No Matter How You Slice It, This Improves Selective Bermudagrass Control John Brewer and Shawn Askew, Ph.D., Virginia Tech

11:00 Nematodes: The Unknown Contributor to Our Putting Green Woes Jordan Booth and David McCall, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Afternoon Moderator: Rick Owens, CGCS

1:30 USGA 2018 Year in Review Darin Bevard and Elliott Dowling, USGA

3:15 An NC State Turf Pathology Program Update Jim Kerns, Ph.D., NC State

4:15 Weed Control for Low-Maintenance Roughs and Natural Areas Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

10:00 am - 5:00 pm Everything but the Kitchen Sink Ballroom C Morning Moderator: Wes Bray 10:00 2018 Was a ‘Great’ Year for Diseases. What Did I Learn for 2019? David McCall, Ph.D., Virginia Tech

11:00 Don’t Get Killed by the Competition Mike Goatley, Jr., Ph.D., VirginiaTech Afternoon Moderator: Craig Zeigler 1:30 The Basics of Personal Financial Planning Kyle Richardson, Edward Jones Co.

3:15 An Overview of Broadleaf Herbicide Use in Turf Jeff Derr, Ph.D., VirginiaTech

4:00 Communication and the Turfgrass Manager Geoff Rinehart, University of Maryland

CERTIFIED TURFGRASS

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM

MONDAY (Day 1 of 3) Room 2

10:00 Turfgrass Growth & Development

11:00 Calibration

1:00 Irrigation Management

2:00 Turfgrass Primary Uses

3:00 Mowing Principles & Practices

4:00 Principles of Soil Management

PROGRAM DETAILS Tuesday - January 29

7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration - Lobby

8:00 am - 9:30 am General Session - Ballroom DE 8:00 VTC Annual Meeting AND Awards 8:30 Good, Better, and Best Management Practices for Water Quality Protection Frank Rossi, Ph.D., Cornell University

8:00 am - 4:00 pm Mechanics’ Seminar - Day 1 of 3 Ballroom A Moderator: Nick Hamner 8:00 Sprayers (Pump Repair and Calibration) Smith Turf & Irrigation 2:00 Club Car Maintenance Smith Turf & Irrigation

9:45 am - 12:45 pm Breakout Sessions Golf - Ballroom DE Moderator: Phil Bailey 9:45 Strategies to Combat an Expanding Pest: Annual Bluegrass Weevil Sam Camuso, Syngenta Crop Services

10:45 Managing Soilborne Diseases Jim Kerns, Ph.D., NC State

11:45 Amendments and Biodiversity Joe Roberts, Ph.D., University of Maryland

Sports Turf - Ballroom F Moderator: Mike Skelton, CSFM 9:45 Getting the Most Out of Your Natural Grass Sports Fields Ryan Bjorn, Maryland Soccerplex

10:45 What Have We Learned from 8 Years of Pesticide Bans on K-12 Playing Fields Frank Rossi, Ph.D., Cornell University

11:45 Weed Management Challenges in Sports Turf Shawn Askew, Ph.D., Virginia Tech

Lawn/Landscape - Ballroom B Moderator: CD Prillaman

9:45 Distinquishing Biotic from Abiotic Issues in the Landscape Jim Kerns, Ph.D.,NC State

10:45 Weed Control in Ornamental Landscapes Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

11:45 Beyond Brown Patch: A Deeper Look at Lawn Diseases in the Mid-Atlantic David McCall, Ph.D., Virginia Tech

PROGRAM DETAILS Tuesday - January 29

Continued

9:45 am - 12:45 pm Breakout Sessions Sod Production - Ballroom C Moderator: Jeff Everhart 9:45 Sod Farm Weed Control: Grow-In, Sod Strength and Harvestability Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., Mississippi State University

10:45 Social Media Marketing Susan Ball, SBDC, University of Mary Washington

11:45 Selling to State Agencies Gourtney Mustin, Va Dept of Supplier Diversity

Irrigation Seminar (parts 1,2) - Room 5 Moderator: T.J. Skirsky, SiteOne Landscape Supply

9:45 Efficiency, Uniformity, and Nozzles Chris Keating, The Toro Company

11:15 Two-Wire Systems David Evers, Hunter Industries

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Irrigation Seminar (Part 3) - Room 5 The Basics of Drip Irrigation John DiMarco and Heath Traver, Rain Bird

Virginia Sod Growers Meeting - Room 1

4:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Corn Hole Tournament and Reception 4:30 - 5:30 Practice 5:30 - 7:30 Tournament

CERTIFIED TURFGRASS

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM

TUESDAY (Day 2 of 3) Room 2

9:45 Turfgrass Identification

10:45 Turfgrass Weed Management

11:45 Turfgrass Insect Management

12:45 pm - 4:30 pm

Tradeshow and Lunch (Until 2:00 pm) (Ticket, which is included in packet, is required for lunch)

PROGRAM DETAILS Wednesday - January 30

7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration - Lobby

7:00 am - 8:00 am Fellowship Breakfast - Ballroom F

ARE WE GOING TOO FAST?

Ray Funkhouser

Sponsors: Trinity Turf Prillaman Landscape Dimensions

8:00 am- 10:00 am W.S. Bill Connelly Scholarship Contest presented by Landscape Supply Ballroom B

8:00 am - 4:00 pm Mechanics’ Seminar - - Day 2 of 3 Ballroom A 8:00 Reel Preparation Before Grinding Ron Blodget, Foley 1:00 The Roller Tamer Don Cotton, Turfpride Products 2:30 STIHL Products Update Kenneth Glass, Stihl

8:00 am - 4:30 pm Limited Pesticide Recertification (3A, 3B, 60 only) Ballroom DE

CERTIFIED TURFGRASS

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM

WEDNESDAY (Day 3 of 3) Room 2

8:00 Turfgrass Establishment

8:45 BMPs for Water Quality

9:30 Turfgrass Nutrient Management

10:15 Turfgrass Disease Management

10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Tradeshow and Lunch* (Ticket, which is included in packet, is required for lunch) * lunch is from 11:00 to 1:00

PROGRAM DETAILS THURSDAY - January 31

7:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration Lobby

8:00 am – 5:00 pm Pesticide Recertification - Ballroom DE

8:00 am – 4:00 pm 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Initial Pesticide Certification Review for Core Exam (Virginia) Ballroom C

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Virginia Initial Pesticide Certification Exams (must have VDACS letter to take exams) - Ballroom C

9:00 am - 4:00 pm Mechanics’ Seminar - Day 3 of 3 Ballroom A 9:00 am Injection Systems Do’s & Don’t’s Central Diesel 1:00 pm Tier 4 Engines Central Diesel

9:00 am - 4:00 pm Fertilizer Certification - Ballroom B 9:00 am – 3:30 pm Training and Examination 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Fertilizer Recertification

Let us know how can we improve

Virginia Turfgrass Council

PO Box 5989

Virginia Beach, VA 23471

757-464-1004 http://vaturf.org/

email: virginiaturf@gmail.com

Education Wing

TRADE SHOW

Friend of the

Industry Sponsors

RainBird Landscape

& Turf

Nutrien Solutions

Flag Challenge

Sponsor

Reddick Equipment

Vendor Listing

A-1 Aerification LLC 419

Aqua-Aid Inc 510

Ballard Sports 110

BASF 216

Bayer Environmental Science 104

Businesses for the Bay 103

Buy Sod 122, 124, 126

Capitol Sports Fields 106, 108

Carswell Distributing 313, 315, 317

Central Sod Farms 509

Chesapeake Valley Seed 128

City of Fredericksburg 112

Corteva Agriscience (Dow) 107

Dominion Equipment Area E

Farrar Sod 102

Finch Services Area A

First Products 423, 425

GCSAA 900

Genesis Green Supply 402

Growing Solutions 121

Harmon Turf Services 101, 200

Innovative Turf Services 803

Vendor Listing

Landscape Supply Area B

Luck Ecosystems 307, 406

McGill Premium Compost 206

Modern Turf 204

Monty’s Plant Food 411

Nedia Enterprises 501

Newsom Seed 802

Nutrien Solutions 418

PBI Gordon 503

Pennington Seed/Pro Turf 301, 400

RainBird Golf 805

RainBird Landscape/Turf 415

Reddick Equipment Company 421

Revels Turf & Tractor Area A

RLCA 120

SIMPLOT 319

Sipcam Agro 404

SiteOne Landscape Supply 412, 414

Smith Turf & Irrigation Area C

Sod Solutions 111, 210

Southern States 202

STI Pre-Owned Equip. 904

STI Turf Care Equip. 902, 903

Stihl 212, 214

Syngenta 806

Vendor Listing

TETAC 416

Textron Golf Area D

Triangle Turf & Ornamental 505

Trinity Turf 100

Truck Crane Solutions 807, 808

TurfLine 220

Turf Equip. & Supply Area C

Turf Pride Equipment 222, 224

Turf & Garden 417

VDACS 413

Virginia DCR 511

Virginia Sand and Stone 801

Virginia Tech Turf Club 507

Virginia Turfgrass Foundation 901

Vereens Turf 105

Weed Man 800

Woodward Turf Farms 311, 410

Yamaha Golf Cars 303, 305

Did you know?

Platinum Group Members

receive complimentary on-

site Pesticide Recertification

Tuesday Evening

Corn Hole Tournament 4:30—5:30 Practice

5:30—7:30 Tournament

$20 for a team of two

Pay at Conference

Registration

grab a snack and a

drink at the cash bar

Map is old

Add farrar, sti, etc

511

EDUCATION SESSIONS

See page 17 for Education Wing Layout

CORN HOLE PRACTICE

Wi-Fi Login

Username: MATE2019

Password: welcome2019

Friend of the Industry

Robert Barksdale