Applied Turf Management AGRN 3200

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3 Applied Turf Management AGRN 3200 Instructor: Mr. James Harris Office: Turfgrass Research Unit Phone number: Lecture: Lab: Noon- 1 T 1-5 F Credit Hours: 3 hours Co- or Prerequisites: AGRN 3150 Introductory Turfgrass Management Resources: Practical Golf Course Maintenance: The Magic of Greenkeeping Course Description: This course will enable students to be familiar with the operation, maintenance, and repair of equipment and irrigation commonly found on golf courses and sports facilities. This will include hands-on operation of equipment and tours of golf courses, sod farms, and sports facilities. This course will allow students to have a basic understanding of equipment and turf facility operations prior to doing an internship. Course Objectives: This course will allow students to operate greens mowers, fairway mowers, rotary mowers, aerification equipment, topdressers, fertilizer spreaders, and pesticide application equipment. Students will learn how to make basic adjustment and repairs to common turf equipment. They will also learn how to backlap and grind reel mowers. Students will learn to make basic repairs to irrigation heads and pvc pipe. Students will gain an understanding of daily operations and logistics of operating a turf facility. Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to: Correctly operate turfgrass management equipment, including lawn mowers, (including greens mowers (walking and riding)), topdressers, vertical mowing equipment and sprayers. Understand the effects that mowing and other turf management equipment have upon plant growth and response. Maintain and repair mowers and mower blades, irrigation equipment and other turf maintenance equipment. Describe and illustrate proper pesticide and fertilizer storage facilities, and understand the laws that govern the storage of such materials. Be able to identify the characteristics of well-organized and clean golf course, sod farm and athletic field maintenance facilities.

4 Specific Learning Areas: Mowing Equipment A. Operation of greens mowers, fairway mowers, and rotary mowers. B. Backlapping and grinding reel mowers, and sharpening rotary blades. Aerification Equipment A. Operation of triplex mounted vertical reels and a Graden verticutter. B. Operation of GA 30 aerifier and selection of tines. C. Clean up, topdressing, and rolling. Pesticide and Fertilizer Application and Storage A. Operate a compressed gas backpack sprayer, hand pump backpack sprayer, and ground driven sprayer. B. Operate rotary and drop spreaders. C. Pesticide storage, labels, and MSDS sheets. D. Calibration of walk- and powered sprayer equipment. Irrigation A. Basic pipe repair. B. Head replacement. C. Design. Tours of Commercial Operations A. Golf course B. Sod farm C. Athletic field facility D. Irrigation installation with commercial representative Course Schedule: The course will have 14 lectures and 14 labs over a 14-week period. lectures will be used to provide the science and theory behind the maintenance practices that are used for turfgrass management. Week Tuesday Lecture Topic Thursday Laboratory Topic 1 Why we mow how Operation of reel and rotary mowers mowing affects turf growth 2 Water movement in soil and sands installation of drains Backlapping, grinding, replacement of reel blades 3 Test 1 Tour of golf course facility 4 Turfgrass cultivation why we do what we do for compaction and thatch 5 Seeding, sodding and sprigging installation and propagation Vertical mowers, core aerification, topdressing operating and adjusting the equipment Sprayer operation and calibration

5 6 Pesticide labels and safety Calibration test - sprayers reading the labels 7 Test 2 Tour of the pesticide facility proper design discussion 8 Fertilizers plant Fertilizer spreader operation and calibration responses and environmental impacts 9 Irrigation why do we Tour of the Athletic facilities irrigate? Evapotranspiration and its effects. 10 New methods for Calibration test fertilizer spreaders monitoring water use in turfed fields. 11 Turfgrass diagnostics Irrigation calibration identification and recognition of turfgrass pests 12 Remote sensing in turfgrass management Remote sensing new methods in field management. what is the new stuff that is out there? 13 Test 3 Tour of a sod farm. 14 Wrap-up and review Wrap-up and review Course Grading: Three exams will be given in the lecture portion of the course, and two hands-on calibration tests will be given in the laboratory portion of the course. Lecture exams will be multiple choice, short answer and fill in the blank. Laboratory calibration exams will be problem sets and live demonstrations to show mastery of the skill (backlapping, reel grinding). The final grade will be calculated from the following apportioned points: Exam 1: 100 points Exam 2: 100 points Exam 3: 100 points Calibration test 1: 50 points Calibration test 2: 50 points TOTAL: 400 points A standard grading scale ( %: A, %: B, %: C.) will apply.

6 Course Details: Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. Unexcused absences will result in a zero for any quiz or exam missed. If you must miss a lab for an acceptable (Auburn approved) reason, prior notice is appreciated. Acceptable reason will follow attendance guidelines as published in the Tiger Cub. All labs (with the exception of field trips) will be held at Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit, 105 Shug Jordan Parkway (at the corner of Shug Jordan Pkwy and S. College St). If there is a field trip planned for lab all students will first meet at the Turf Unit, and group transportation will be arranged. Travel arrangements to the turfgrass research unit and athletic facilities can be arranged upon request. General Lab Notes: Please be on time for lab. We have lots of material to cover in only an hour and 50 minutes. Materials Needed: Paper, writing utensil(s), calculator, clipboard or other hard surface on which to write. A Word About Lab Conditions: Much of this lab will be conducted outdoors. Please come prepared (i.e. sunscreen, hat, water, and be aware of fire ant mounds). The weather will likely be hot for the first few lectures, so be prepared. Rain does not necessarily cancel lab even if it is outdoors. Unless the University is closed for inclement weather, we will still be having lab. Please always be aware of fire ants when we are outdoors and try to point out them for other students to avoid. Course Policy Statements Students with Disabilities: Academic Honesty Policy: Students who need special accommodations in class, as provided for by the American Disabilities Act, should arrange a confidential meeting with the instructor during office hours the first week of classes - or as soon as possible if accommodations are needed immediately. You must bring a copy of your Accommodation Memo and an Instructor Verification Form to the meeting. If you do not have these forms but need accommodations, make an appointment with The Program for Students with Disabilities, 1244 Haley Center, (V/TT) or scw0005@auburn.edu The Student Academic Honesty Code applies to all students taking classes at Auburn University, and thus will apply to all students enrolled in this class.

7 Specific information about the Code can be found at: