Both warm- and cool-season putting greens are pushed to the brink of death, especially when the turf species is grown in marginally adapted regions. Tools are available to help mitigate stress, yet few offer the impact of using turf fans to increase air movement. David McCall, Ph.D., will discuss how turf fans provide key benefits to putting green canopies, but also come with their own drawbacks. This 60-minute webinar will provide in-depth detail about how increasing air movement at the surface can impact the entire plant system during stressful conditions. McCall provides insight on the expected influence of air movement at different velocities, based on controlled research environments as well as in-play greens.
Original presentation date: Aug. 3, 2017
Education points: 0.1
About the Instructor
David McCall is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at Virginia Tech, in the Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science. He currently serves as turfgrass pathologist and as an agronomic remote sensing specialist. McCall earned his masters and PhD from Virginia Tech. His graduate research focused on improving understanding of how turfgrass under stress responds to light, which has led to unique detection methods prior to visible changes in the canopy. McCall’s research currently focuses on a) remote sensing with UAVs (drones) to monitor disease epidemics and water inefficiencies, b) field radiometry for improving biological and environmental stress detection, c) novel strategies to reduce pesticide inputs, and d) fungicide performance, efficacy, and ancillary benefits. His extension duties include disseminating information on the latest strategies to suppress diseases of turfgrasses grown for sod, commercial and residential lawns, and recreational facilities, such as athletic fields and golf courses.
Member price: $0
Non-member price: $45
