At Turfgrass Field Day in 2014, attendees take turns trying to kick a goal with a soccer ball fitted with an instrument to measure kicking force.
The University of Arkansas’ annual Turfgass Field Day begins Wednesday at the Agricultural Research Center in Fayetteville, providing networking and insight for those in the lawn and landscaping, golf course, and sports industries.
The event includes a trade show with about 20 vendors, a seven-stop research tour and pesticide recertification.
Mike Richardson, professor of turfgrass management and physiology for the UA Division of Agriculture, said this year’s field day will feature work by professors and their graduate students.
“It’s all exciting. Probably the most unusual thing or the thing people will walk away talking about … we’re trying to introduce — grass tennis courts,” Richardson said.
Other research presentations include one on earthworms, another on plastic versus metal spikes on sports cleats and a third on incorporating plants into low-management lawns or low-maintenance areas of golf courses.
According to Richardson, the event has been going on for about 15 years and usually draws a crowd of about 200, the majority from the lawn and landscaping industry.
“It’s a pretty common thing that research programs will do,” Richardson said. “It’s a time for us to have an open house and let people in the industry see what we’re working on and be able to take it back to their golf course, lawn care company, etcetera, and put it to use.”
The day’s events include a breakfast, registration period and tradeshow followed by seven brief research presentations on various subjects. The afternoon session is an opportunity for pesticide recertification.
According to Richardson, the format of Turfgrass Field Day has stayed relatively the same since its launch around 2000. He said turfgrass is often an overlooked industry in the state.
“We always want to stress that the turfgrass industry is a huge part of the Arkansas economy,” Richardson said. “We’re working on a full survey and we think it has an estimated … $1.5 billion impact on the state’s economy.”
On-site registration for Turfgrass Field Day begins at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and online registration is available here.
The first two attendees from any company or organization are $75 and any additional attendees are $35 each. Registration fees include lunch, a hat and a field day book.
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