Statement of research and extension interest

I have spent many fruitful years amassing experience in the turfgrass industry and have developed an immense interest in and respect for this field of inquiry . In keeping with this , I have been involved in research and extension activities supporting the turfgrass industry both as a student member of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation - to which I gave five years of service - and as an active team member of Turfgrass Extension Program at University of Wisconsin and University of Massachusetts - where I served for two years . In addition to this , I have approached

br research and extension from the standpoint of stakeholders for whom I serve as a provider of information and technology within the turfgrass industry . I have also operated in the office of facilitator of continuing education for turfgrass growers and managers , upon whom I have striven to impress the value that turfgrass clientele deserve individualized service in a timely manner

It is my belief that any successful turfgrass pathology program must retain its relevance to pique and enhance users ' interest . Furthermore such a program must also convey information in layperson terms in to facilitate comprehension by diverse audiences , which will aid in the application of this information to their specific situations . I also strongly believe that the provided information will be more meaningful when it is based on solid research and evaluated under similar local environmental conditions

Wisconsin boasts unique and interesting climate conditions , having hot and humid summers but cold and snowy winters . This makes it therefore necessary that turfgrass grown in this state to be sustained and managed in two very extreme weather conditions . Consequently , such turfgrass needs to be protected from both summer and winter pathogens . The primary foci of my research are in two areas : on the dollar spot ' caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa and on the snow molds caused by Microdochium nivale , Typhula incarnata , and Typhula ishikariensis (Abernathy , et al 2001

Dollar spot and snow molds are the most economically important fungal diseases on highly-cared-for turfgrass in Wisconsin , and they respectively occur during the summer and winter . Although with a proper fertility program along with sound cultural practices does succeed in alleviating some of the disease pressure , management of these diseases on manicured turfgrass heavily relies on fungicide . Various fungicides or often tank-mixtures of fungicides , are commonly applied preventatively and /or curatively . Recently , however , turfgrass managers have been left with fewer options as it regards fungicides . Fungicide use has become stricter due to concerns related to environmental , human and animal health . Old chemistry (e .g , PCNB and anilazine ) widely used for turfgrass diseases was requested due to regulatory or voluntary cancellation of re-registration . In addition , the release of new fungicides now decreases due to low margin of profit , considering the cost of development and registration . In addition , intensively managed fungal pathogens have been reported to develop insensitivity to fungicide , causing reduction of fungicide efficacy in the field

Development of management strategies to use fungicides more effectively with a minimal risk of causing fungicide insensitivity...