TMSS 2014 - 3rd International Conference on Turfgrass Management & Science for Sports Fields

3rd International Symposium on Turfgrass Management & Science for Sports Fields which is to be held August 17th-24th, 2014 in Brisbane, Australia as part of the 29th International Horticultural Congress (IHC2014). IHC2014 will include many symposia and workshops that not only covers the turfgrass industry, but also other sectors of the food production and environmental/amenity horticulture sectors of the horticultural industry.
The theme for the Symposium is "Improving the Research Performance of Turfgrass Management and Science for Sports Fields" with topics ranging from new innovative approaches in the management and science of turfgrass for sports fields, managing turfgrass for sports fields in developing and developed countries, the significance of the workforce in turfgrass management, and visionary papers on the future of turfgrass management and science. Academics, scientists, researchers, consultants, government officers, graduate students, industry leaders and manager/operators of turfgrass facilities are invited to participate in the sharing of research-based information within the exciting field of turfgrass management and science for sports fields.
We invite paper and poster presentations which address the risks, challenges, opportunities and solutions on one or more than one of the following thematic areas:
Turfgrass history & personalities
Turfgrass breeding & selection
Turfgrass growth & physiology
Turfgrass seedbed preparation
Turfgrass business and economics
Turfgrass plant protection (weeds, insects, diseases)
Sports field design and construction
Soil chemistry/physics & root zone construction
Soil nutrition and fertilizers
Irrigation/drainage and water quality
Sports fields facilities management
Sports field business management
Producing quality sod
Environmental and ecological issues
Convenors
Dr Panayiotis A. Nektarios is an Associate Professor in the Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture in the Agricultural University of Greece. He was the organizer/convener of the 1st International Conference on Turfgrass Management and Science for Sport Fields, under the auspices of ISHS and the Editor of the corresponding Acta Horticulturae. Since 2005 he has been a Board Member of the International Turfgrass Society (ITS), the Chairman of the Turfgrass Management Working Group of ISHS and the President of the European Turfgrass Society (ETS). He has served as co-editor and reviewer in several International and National Conferences focusing on turfgrass science and management.
Keith McAuliffe held a lectureship in Soil Water Management with Massey University and was Chief Executive of the NZ Sports Turf Institute from 1989 to 2009. Currently he is Head, Consultancy Services Aust., Sports Turf Research Institute, based in Queensland, Australia and is a specialist in sports turf development and management in Australasia and SE Asia, with a particular focus on research and development into construction and drainage. He has served on various committees and boards, including 8 years as a Director at the International Turfgrass Society and has served as Pitches and Grounds Development Officer for the Asian Cricket Council from 2002 to 2009.
Keynote Speakers
Phillip Ford holds a degree in Agricultural Science and a Masters degree in Turf Management, and is currently completing a PhD at the University of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, studying the influence of agronomic conditions on the hardness and rotational traction of natural turf football fields, with particular emphasis on reducing the risk of non-contact, ground-related injury on community-level football fields during drought conditions. He has been involved in turf research and education in Australia since 1981. In 2008 he received the Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association achievement award, and in 2011 the Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association Distinguished Service Award for service to the turf industry. The title of his presentation is "Preventing excessive surface hardness and rotational traction on natural turf community-level football fields during drought conditions".
Keith McAuliffe is Head of Consultancy Services for Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), Australia, based at the Redlands Research Station in Queensland, Australia. Keith first started working on sports surfaces in 1979, after graduating with an M. Agr. Sc. Degree from Massey University. He then returned to the University for an 8 year stint as Lecturer in Soil Water Management, before assuming the role as CEO of the NZ Sports Turf Institute, a position he held for 20 years. Keith has contributed to numerous research programs, as well as actively coordinated numerous high profile consultancies for international bodies such as FIFA, Asian Cricket Council, Board of Control for Cricket in India, Hong Kong Government, Malaysian Commonwealth Games and Guangzhou Asian Games. Keith has compiled in excess of 300 articles and given in excess of 260 presentations on soils and sports turf. His main areas of expertise are sports turf drainage systems, construction of turf facilities, performance testing and multi-use of sports stadia. The title of his presentation is "Optimising the performance of major multi-use stadia playing surfaces".
Dr. Panayiotis Nektarios is an associate professor at the Dept. of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture at the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece. He teaches Turfgrass Science and Management at undergraduate and graduate courses. His research is focused on turfgrass environmental issues and the use of turfgrasses on green roof systems. Dr. Nektarios has several publications on peer reviewed journals and international conference proceedings. The title of his presentation is "Turfgrass condition and management in Hellenic soccer fields".
Dr Ruth Mann is Head of Research at Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) in the UK and manages the Soils and Pathology laboratories and overseas all research on pests, weeds, diseases and associated disorders, including integrated management programmes (IPM). Dr Mann is also responsible for grass cultivar testing and product testing, including plant protection products, fertilisers, wetting agents and application technology testing. Ruth is a highly respected trainer and delivers professional qualification courses on how to advise on plant protection products in the United Kingdom and runs other bespoke courses for Sports Turf Managers across the world. The title of her presentation is "Growing sports turf in difficult environments ? a review';.
Brian Holl is Professor Emeritus of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia and senior consultant with Lamorna Enterprises Ltd. Victoria BC in Canada. He has been a research scientist, academic and consultant for 40 years addressing a diverse array of subject matter including legume and grass genetics and breeding, turfgrass agronomy and soil microbial community analysis in turf ecosystems. His current interests are in the integration of soil, plant and cultural management strategies that contribute to the establishment of resilient sports field turf to mitigate the impacts of heavy user pressures, increasingly restrictive pesticide regulation, and changing climate. The title of his presentation is "Antifragile Turf: Soil microbial community assessment and turfgrass management in a changing world".
Bernd Leinauer holds the position of Professor at New Mexico State University, USA. His research program focuses on developing water management strategies for turf areas to reduce the amount of potable water used for irrigation. Dr. Leinauer has presented nationally and internationally and has authored numerous publications covering turfgrass water conservation. The title of his presentation is "Turfgrass Water Conservation".
J. Scott McElroy, PhD, is an associate professor of turfgrass management and weed science in the Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University, Alabama, USA. Dr. McElroy teaches Sports Turf Management and Principles of Weed Sciences. His research focus is on wear and shade tolerance of warm-season turf grasses, weed management in turfgrass, and weed/turfgrass molecular biology and bioinformatics. The title of his presentation is "The Growing Problem of Herbicide Resistant Weeds in Turfgrass in the United States".
Dr. Deying Li is an associate professor at the Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, USA. He received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University. Dr. Deying Li teachs "Turfgrass Science and Management", "Sport Turf Management", and "Advanced Turf Science and Management". His research areas include soil physics, turfgrass physiology, and stress problems in golf and sports turf root zones. He has published over 50 peer reviewed papers on these subjects. The title of his presentation is "Comparison of Thermal Properties of Athletic Field Root Zone Media".
Dr. Patrick McCullough is an assistant professor at the University of Georgia, USA, and specializes in turfgrass weed science. Dr. McCullough's research focuses on new herbicides for turfgrass, annual bluegrass control, and herbicide physiology. Dr. McCullough regularly publishes research articles in turfgrass and is an associate editor for Crop Science. The title of his presentation is "Recent Advancements in Herbicide Chemistries for controlling Poa annua in Turfgrass".
Dr. John E. Kaminski, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science at The Pennsylvania State University. John serves as the Director of the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program and conducts research on the optimization of chemical and cultural management strategies for turfgrass diseases and select weed problems. The title of his presentation is "The Challenges of Managing Turfgrass Diseases".
Editorial Committee
Associate Professor Panayiotis Nektarios (Greece)
Adjunct Associate Professor Dr. David Aldous (Australia)
Associate Professor Mike Fidanza (USA)
Associate Professor Scott McElroy (USA)
Keith McAuliffe (Australia)
Dr Nikos Ntoulas (Greece)
Dr Marco Volterrani (Italy)
Scientific Committee
Professor Trygve Aamlid (Norway)
Professor Dr. Nick Christians (USA)
Professor Dr. John Cisar (USA)
Professor Dr. Bruce Clark (USA)
Professor Dr Tim Colmer (Australia)
Associate Professor Diego de Gomez (Spain)
Professor Dr. Elizabeth Guertal (USA)
Distinguished Professor Dr. Bingru Huang (USA)
Professor Dr. Thomas Hsiang (Canada)
Professor Emeritus Dr Brian Holl (Canada)
Associate Professor John Kaminski (USA)
Dr Chris Lambrides (Australia)
Professor Dr. Peter Landschoot (USA)
Professor Dr. Bernd Leinauer (USA)
Associate Professor Dr. Deying Li (USA)
Dr. Filippo Lulli (Italy)
Dr. Don Loch (Australia)
Dr. Simone Magni (Italy)
Professor Dr. Bert McCarty (USA)
Peter McMaugh (Australia)
Dr Andrew Mitchell (New Zealand)
Professor Dr. Marty Petrovic (USA)
Professor Dan Potter (USA)
Professor Dr. Mike Richardson (USA)
Matt Roche (Australia)
Professor Dr. Tammo Steenhuis (USA)
Dr Alan Hunter (Ireland)