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Featured Speakers of the Month

January 02, 2019 News Online

Each month speakers presenting at the 2019 National SFMA Conference and Exhibition in Phoenix, Arizona will be featured. Don’t miss the educational opportunities offered at the conference!


Samuel Doak is a Senior Instructor at Virginia Tech. On Wednesday, January 23, he will be presenting
Don’t Say the “M” Word: Math.

This presentation will provide a hands-on approach to basic fertilizer, topdressing and control agent calculations. Short cuts and money saving methods will also be discussed. Bring a phone calculator for practice and practical problems.

After attending this session, participants will:

  • Have the knowledge and confidence to accurately calculate the fertilizer needed for any size area using any fertilizer analysis and be able to determine the lowest cost per pound of nitrogen from a group of fertilizers.
  • Be able to determine the amount of topdressing required for any size area or depth needed.
  • Be able to calculate the proper amount of liquid or granular control agents for a given application rate and formulation.

Michael Goatley, Ph.D. is a Professor/Extension Turfgrass Specialist at Virginia Tech. On Thursday, January 24, he will be presenting Competition Kills.

A sports turf manager is constantly striving for the thickest, most dense playing surface possible. While that remains of utmost importance for playability and safety, it is also important to understand that at some point your turfgrass will literally be competing against itself. This presentation considers how we achieve an appropriate balance between a dense canopy and a healthy stand of turfgrass.

Attendees will take home information that will allow them to:

  • Better understand how the growth and development of their cool- and warm-season sports field grasses will most likely respond to the climate/season and the maintenance strategies being employed at a particular time.
  • Develop and implement maintenance programs designed to optimize turfgrass density.
  • Know when renovation will actually improve the safety, playability, and health of the playing surface.