Certified Turfgrass Professional Short Course
JAN 21, 28 and FEB 4 and 11, 2022
N.C. Cooperative Extension Haywood County Center
289 Raccoon Road, Waynesville, NC
N.C. Cooperative Extension Agents in Western NC will offer the annual Certified Turfgrass Professional Short Course. This year it will be offered at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center.
Although the class is designed to prepare people in the turfgrass industry to take the NC Certified Turfgrass Professional exam, many take it for the credits offered or just for the information. CEUs have been applied for. If you have taken the course for credits in the past 2 years you will not be able to get credits this year.
Day 1- January 21st 2022
Section I
Turfgrass Characteristics, The Benefits of Turf in Our World; The Many Parts of North Carolina’s Turfgrass Industry; Important Turfgrass Characteristics; Vegetative Identification of Turfgrasses; Regions of North Carolina where the major grass species are best adapted; Some of the commonly used cultivars for each turfgrass species.
Section II
Establishing Turfgrass, Criteria that should be considered when selecting turfgrasses; Climatic zones of North Carolina; Best time to establish a particular turfgrass species; How to prepare a site for planting; Different planting methods; How to read a seed label to purchase the best seed; How to calculate seed needs; How to renovate a poor or declining turf; How to select and manage turfgrasses for shaded environments.
Day 2- January 28th, 2022
Section III
Soils & Nutrient Management, Introduction to Soil-Water Dynamics; Soil Volume; Soil Structure; Soil Depth & Horizons; Soil Colloids; Essential Elements; Nutrient Availability; Cation Exchange Capacity; Soil pH – Acidity & Liming; Macronutrients and Micronutrients; Nutrient Management Strategies: Soil Testing, Plant Tissue Testing, Monitoring & Visual Estimates; Nutrient Management Programs: Turf Species, Fertilization Timing, Fertilization Frequency, Fertilization Rates, Fertilizer Formulations; Environmental Concerns & Considerations
Section IV
Cultural Practices Mowing; Irrigation; Vertical Mowing; Power Raking; Aeration; Root Zone Cultivation.
Day 3- February, 4th 2022
Section V
Pests & Integrated Pest Management, Pest Management Strategies; Weed Identification and Management ; Diseases: Causes, Hosts, Developmental Factors & Forecasting, Symptoms; Management of Insects: Identification, Prediction, Thresholds & Management Weed Identification and Management. Diseases: Causes, Hosts, Developmental Factors & Forecasting, Symptoms, Management of Insects: Identification, Prediction, Thresholds & Management
Section VI
Pesticides Characteristics/Pesticide Characteristics; Pesticide Selection; Pesticide Formulations Applied as Solids; Pesticide Formulations Applied as Liquids; Judicious Pesticide Use; Pesticides in the Turf Environment; Storing, Handling & Disposing of Pesticides; Protective Clothing; Spill Containment, Accident Response; Equipment Cleanup; Plant Growth Regulators
Day 4- February 11th 2022
Section VII
Landscape Safety and Pesticide Use- Personal & Operational Safety; The Role of HAZCOM Training; The differences between the chemical and trade name of pesticides; Safe and effective use of pesticides
Section VIII
Calculations & Calibration Area Measurement; Calculations & Dilution Ratios; Sprayer Calibration; Sprayer Maintenance; Spreader Calibration; Spreader Maintenance; Fertilizer Calculations; Fertilizer Analysis & Ratios; Application Techniques & Options
Section IX
Turfgrass Business & Economics/Review Effective Personnel Management; Estimating Insurance; Accounting; Permitting & Licensing; Marketing; Customer & Public Relations; Review Session; Evaluations
February 18th, 2022
Exam or make up date for weather.
