Turfgrass breeding, herbicide resistance and using drone technology to assist with turf research and management are just a few of the topics on the agenda for the 73rd installment of the Southeastern Turfgrass Conference.
Scheduled for April 25, the event is held each year at the University of Georgia Tifton campus.
This year's conference will include speakers from the University of Georgia, University of Florida and North Carolina State University.
Information presented this year will include the latest trends in turfgrass breeding with a focus on cost efficiency. Particular emphasis will be on turf varieties that can produce acceptable turf quality with minimal input. This session also will include information on new hybrid varieties for use on golf courses and athletic fields and an update on the efforts of developing more wear-tolerant and disease-tolerant zoysiagrasses for professional applications.
Other topics on the agenda include the importance of understanding plant physiology and its role in turfgrass management and how researchers are using drones to develop drought-resistant turfgrasses in the Southeast.
The University of Georgia has been a leader in paspalum research and development, and this year's conference will include a session on a non-GMO herbicide resistance system designed to improve management of Bermudagrass and grassy weeds in seashore paspalum.
UGA turfgrass breeder Paul Raymer and his team are evaluating their current trials to determine which varieties will be released into the market.