Education Seminar
Presented by

Turf Valley Resort
2700 Turf Valley Rd.
Ellicott City, MD
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Turf Valley Resort Website
The annual Education Seminar is a full day event that provides industry professionals with the opportunity to hear from some of the best educators from around the country. And as always there will be re-certifications and GCSAA education points awarded. This is also a great event to network with your colleagues and discuss the upcoming growing season. Included with registration will be education, breakfast, lunch, ice cream break and a beer and wine networking social after the event. Be sure to register early and don't miss our biggest educational event of the year!
Education Credits and GCSAA CUEs
check back for updates
We are currently working on obtaining pesticide and fertilizer points from surrounding states in addition to CUEs and service points from GCSAA. Please check back periodically for updates.
Delaware: 2.5 Nutrient Management Credits
Maryland: 8 Pesticide Credits in categories: 3A, 3B, 3C, CORE*
Maryland: 2 CUEs approved for MDA Nutrient Management Program
Pennsylvania: Approved for pesticide recertification credits in categories:
Cat 00-2, Cat PC-6, Cat 06-2, Cat 07-6, Cat 10-2, Cat 18-6, Cat 23-6
Virginia: 2 Credit hours towards Virginia CFA recertifications
Virginia: Pesticide Credits in the following categories:
3-B (24), 10 (10), 60 (60)
Washington, D.C.: 4 Pesticide Credits in Categories:
00, 3A, 3B, 3C, 6, 7A, 7B, 7E, 8, 9
West Virginia: 2 Nutrient Management CEUs
West Virginia: Pesticide Credits: Cat 4A-11, Cat 11-11, Cat 12-11
Silent Auction Returns!
Thanks to the generous support from vendors, members and friends of the industry we will once again feature a Silent Auction! Come prepared to bid on and WIN some great items! You can pay on site, or we can send an invoice to your club!
Accepting Donations for the Silent Auction!
Your generous donations are crucial to supporting our initiatives, including scholarships, research, and advocacy efforts for our industry. Whether it’s equipment, golf rounds, gift cards, or unique experiences, every contribution makes a difference.
Click Here for the Silent Auction Donation Form
Match Play Registration
The MAAGCS Match Play Championship will be in its 10th year, and Andrew Harrison and Ralph Meola "Brothers From Another Mother" are your defending champions. Registration opens at the education seminar and is based on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you want to secure your spot in the event, be sure to attend the education seminar!
ATTIRE:
Sport-coat and tie preferred
Speakers

Thank you Sponsors!
Lunch Sponsor

Breakfast Sponsor

Ice Cream Sponsor

Break Sponsor(s)

Schedule
6:30-7:15
Breakfast and Registration Silent Auction Opens for Bidding
7:15-7:30
President Shaun O’Connor
Opening Remarks
7:30 - 8:30
Steve McDonald, M.Sci
Turfgrass Disease Solutions
Fertilizer and Pesticide Inputs for a Successful Renovation
Many golf courses are doing renovations in the Mid-Atlantic region. This presentation will discuss pesticide and fertilizer as well as soil preparation and testing for a successful renovation project. Some additional topics will include: opening dates for new grass, grassy options, compaction relief and managing expectations.
8:30 - 9:30
Jim Kerns, Ph.D.
NC State University
Management of Chronic Diseases of Cool- and Warm-season Turfgrasses
Managing turfgrass diseases can be challenging, especially for those diseases that affect below-ground plant parts such as roots, stolons, and rhizomes. All of the fungicides that are most effective at suppressing the growth of these pathogens have limited to no mobility in thatch and soil. This provides a considerable barrier to suppress pathogen activity that, in turn, allows the turfgrass plant to produce new roots and shoots continually. This presentation will cover the current state of disease diagnoses in the US, followed by a brief overview of the research on fungicide movement into rootzones. The seminar will finish with a more detailed discussion of the epidemiology and management of the following diseases: spring dead spot, large patch, Pythium root rot, summer patch, and nematodes.
9:30 – 9:45 am
Alvin Harris
Washington, D.C. DOEE
Regulatory Updates
9:45 am – 10:00 am
Morning Break
10:00 - 11:00 am
Cale Bigelow
Purdue University
Using rootzone and tissue testing to optimize nutrient inputs
This presentation will discuss the primary data that can be used to inform a nutrient management plan for various golf turf areas. The 4R principles of nutrient stewardship will be emphasized. Rootzone/soil testing options for physical, chemical and biological properties as well as plant tissue testing will be discussed.
11:00 - 12:00
James McCurdy, Ph.D.
Mississippi State University
Weeds of Managed Landscapes: Natural Areas, Turfgrass, and Everything In Between
This presentation is designed for golf course superintendents who oversee a wide range of ornamental landscapes, from horticultural plants to conservation areas. Dr. McCurdy will guide you through practical strategies to manage these diverse spaces with a focus on reducing pesticide inputs and promoting environmental stewardship. In addition to discussing the integration of sustainable practices, the presentation will highlight innovative weed control techniques tailored to both high-traffic turfgrass areas and more natural, low-maintenance areas. Special attention will be given to the ecological balance required when managing invasive and native weed species, emphasizing the importance of timing, herbicide selection, and cultural practices. The discussion will connect the intricacies of maintaining golf course landscapes with the broader challenges posed by weeds in both ornamental and turfgrass settings.
12:00 - 1:00
Lunch Break
1:00-2:00
Richard Buckley
Rutgers University
Fairy Ring: the Rings of Death!
Surrounded by myth and legend, Fairy Rings have confounded humanity for centuries. Modern turf managers are not immune to the Fairy Ring phenomenon. This one-hour lecture will cover all the basics concerning Fairy Ring Diseases in golf and landscape turf. The disease will be profiled with up-to-date research-based information. Pathogen biology, symptoms and signs, the conditions that lead to disease outbreaks, diagnostic tools, and integrated control programs that include all known cultural, biological, and chemical management strategies will be discussed.
2:00 - 2:30
Ice Cream Break
Silent Auction Last Call is 2:15 pm
2:30 - 3:30
Tom Malehorn, Mike Fidanza, Ph.D, Stan Kosta, Ph.D.
RhizoSolutions, Penn State, RhizoSolutions
Soil Surfactant Technology for Improving Turf Resilience to Abiotic and Biotic Stresses
Wetting agents (soil surfactants) are invaluable tools in modifying how soils and water interact and function. Originally, these products were used to mitigate localized dry spot problems in turf. Over the past decade, research has provided further insight into our understanding of soil water repellency, why it occurs, when it develops, and how it may impact infiltration, percolation in the rootzone, water status and fertilizer management in the environment. Recent research has broadened our understanding of how these compounds influence more than irrigation water use efficiency. An understanding of the management of nutrients, nutrient application, placement of and storage of nutrients in the soil , and the broader aspects of the interactions occurring in the rhizosphere. Question: What does Westminster (Maryland), Joppa (Maryland), Ijamsville (Maryland), Aberdeen (Scotland), Zurich (Switzerland), and Munich (Germany) all have in common? Answer: Taking discoveries from basic soil physics research and applying it to improving abiotic stress tolerance on putting greens in Maryland. This presentation will review some of the basic principles on the interactions between soil surfactants and soils as well as provide practical case study examples of strategies to exploit them beyond traditional uses. The presentation will also review the mode-of-action of soil surfactant formulations and technology to further clarify that all soil surfactants are not the same. The overall goal is to improve turfgrass health and function to minimize or optimize pesticide inputs and utilize water resources more effectively and efficiently.
3:30 - 5:00
Pesticide and Fertilizer
Re-certification Application
Sponsorship Available!
Contact Tyler Eastham- teastham@gmail.com with questions or to confirm your sponsorship. You can also use the registration button to secure your sponsorship!
All sponsorship include 1 entry into the seminar
Reception Sponsor: $1,500
Speaker Sponsors: $1,000
Break Sponsors: $500