OMAFRA Turfgrass Management Report
OMAFRA Nursery and Landscape Report
Attending a superintendents' meeting recently I overheard the comment that "spring is a thing of the past". This certainly seems to be borne out by the mid-summer like conditions we are experiencing this week. Hopefully the long and gradual bloom filled transitions from winter to summer don't end up being something we share with our grandchildren as to how things were better back in the day.
Check out the latest Turfgrass Management Report from OMAFRA Turf Specialist Pam Charbonneau containing all the latest turf management information. Of interest to those dealing with the fallout of the provincial pesticide ban, the new product Fiesta is now available for the selective control of most broadleaved weeds in lawn areas. I tried a sample and the speed of top kill on dandelions and clover in particular was impressive. I have not seen any data on the potential for regrowth from the roots of weeds but I will be watching closely to see what happens.
On a sad note, our friends at Turfcare shared the sad news that Gary Roos died in a boating accident near Kelowna earlier this month. Gary was involved in the irrigation business and was a familiar face at industry events in Ontario for many years. Our condolences go out to Gary's family, many friends and colleagues.
GTI Update
The GTI has been hopping this spring with a diverse mix of new and ongoing projects. Research Superintendent Peter Purvis has provided safety training to over forty individuals which is indicative of the amount of activity going on in the research plots. Don't forget to mark your calendar for August 19th when we will be holding our Summer Research Field Day. Watch these pages for more details as well as research highlights.
Dr. Katerina Jordan and her team have been busy at the Turf Diagnostic Clinic. Recently submitted samples have included Pythium root dysfunction, take-all patch and Waitea patch. If you have a troubling turf problem, do not hesitate to collect a sample and send it into the clinic for evaluation. If received during normal business hours the clinic provides a 24 hour response.
Diploma Update
Graduating Associate Diploma in Turfgrass Management students will return to campus on June 16th for their convocation ceremony. All the highlights will be provided in the next GTI Advisor posting. Graduating students have found employment across Canada and internationally with several grads working in the United States as well as the United Kingdom.
Current students are well into the required internship component of the program. The number of good internship opportunities in Ontario continues to increase and many golf courses have reaped the benefits of a strong internship program and have been able to recruit keen and dedicated interns for their organization. A number of students have ventured west with students serving internships as far away as Vancouver Island. Several students have endured the visa challenges and found challenging positions in the United States where golf course internship programs are much more established.
Enrolment numbers for fall entry to the program are strong with only a few spaces remaining. If you have any keen young, or even not so young, individuals on your staff please put them in touch with us. For those who cannot commit to a two year program, consider the Turf Managers Short Course.
Guelph Turf Jobs
Looking for a change? Interested in keeping on top of new industry opportunities? Sign up for the Guelph Turf Jobs automatic email position listing service. It is easy to sign on, you can sign off at any time and best of all, it is free of charge. To sign up, simply click on this link which should open a new email message in your email program and just click on the send button. If by some error of technology this fails to happen on your computer, just send an email to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca and include the following line in your message SUBSCRIBE GUELPH-TURF-JOBS followed by your name (i.e. - SUBSCRIBE GUELPH-TURF-JOBS Bill Smith).
If you have a job posting you would like to distribute to the list, just sent is as an email or email attachment to robwith@uoguelph.ca. The list includes all graduating students, recent graduates, many alumni and other active turf professionals.
Upcoming Industry Events
June 9
Georgian Bay Golf Superintendents Association
June Meeting
Hawk Ridge Golf & Country Club
June 10
Ontario Golf Superintendents Association
Pro/Super Tournament
Otter Creek Golf Club
June 15
Western Ontario Golf Superintendents Association
June Meeting
Tarandowah Golf Club