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MTGF
Increases Funding of Research Projects
By DAVID OBERLE
MTGF President
It is with great pleasure I am able to share
some good news with you regarding your
Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation. On
March 14th, at our quarterly BOD meeting, we
received the financials from the Northern
Green Expo. Revenue increased
approximately 20% to a total of $142,000.00.
Due to the increase in revenue we were able
to increase funding of on-going projects and
meet all grant requests. The following is a
list of research projects and the Funding
Grants.
$2,000.00
Finalizing Research on Resistance to
White Mold in Annual Bedding Plants
By Michelle Grabowski, UM Extension Educator
– Plant Pathology and Horticulture
and Dean Malvick, UM Dept. of Plant
Pathology
$1,540.00
Determining the Susceptible Window of
Infection for White Mold of Annual
Bedding Plants in Order to Appropriately
Time Fungicide Applications
By Michelle Grabowski, UM Extension Educator
– Plant Pathology and Horticulture
and Dean Malvick, UM Dept. of Plant
Pathology
$15,000.00
University of Minnesota Program for
Selecting American Elms for Resistance to
Dutch Elm Disease
By Robert A. Blanchette and Jeffrey H.
Gillman, Department of Horticultural Science
and Department of Plant Pathology.
$3,250.00
Accelerated Development of Polymerase Chain
Reaction (PCR) Technology for Detection of
the
Oak Wilt Pathogen in Red and White Oak Group
Species for Plant Diagnostic Laboratory Use
By Dr. Jennifer Juzwik, Research Plant
Pathologist, University of Minnesota
$5,000.00
Various fertilizer sources and cultivation
practices for mitigation of greenhouse gas
emissions
and potentially mineralizable nitrogen on
Creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass
turfgrass:
By Kristina Smith Walker, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor of Agronomy, University of
Minnesota/Crookston,
and Katy Euliss Smith, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor of Environmental Sciences,
University of Minnesota / Crookston
$4,000.00
Conversion to Low-Input Turfgrass Species
– The Easy Approach
Sam Bauer, Extension Educator, University of
Minnesota Extension, Mary Meyer, Professor
and Extension Horticulturalist, University
of Minnesota, Dan Miller, Plant Health
Specialist, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum,
Karl Foord, Extension Educator, University
of Minnesota Extension
$50,000.00
Turfgrass Program Support
By Dr. Eric Watkins, Dr. Brian Horgan and
Sam Bauer, University of Minnesota Extension
$15,000.00
University of Minnesota Fellowship Endowment
Fund
MTGF Super
Tuesday
The Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation’s
annual Super Tuesday took place on January
8, 2013. The theme of the day was based
around the ‘Best Management Practices for
Minnesota Invasive Insects and Diseases.’
This was a great opportunity to spend the
day with a few of Minnesota and Wisconsin’s
top entomologists as they discuss Japanese
beetle, Emerald Ash
 Borer,
Gypsy Moth and other current and emerging
pests in the Upper Midwest. Speakers on hand
were: Chris Williamson, University of
Wisconsin; Jeff Hahn, Michelle Grabowski and
Chad Giblin, University of Minnesota; Mark
Abrahamson, Monika Chandler and Lucy Hunt,
Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Shawn
Bernick, Rainbow Treecare Scientific
Advancement, and Eric Nordlie, Bailey
Nurseries. The attendance was a mix between
arborists; cemetery managers; facility
managers; garden center managers; golf
course superintendents; landscape
architects; designers and maintenance
supervisors; lawncare operators;
municipalities, park supervisors, and sports
turf managers. Education credits were
approved for GCSAA CEUs, ISA CEUs, and MNLA
CP. Gertens Wholesale, JRK Seed and Turf
Supply, and McCarthy Well Company are three
sponsors of the event.
MNLA / MTGF Northern Green Expo
Each January, the Minnesota Turf and Grounds
Foundation co-hosts the Northern Green Expo
at the Minneapolis Convention Center. This
year, the event took place from January
9-11. About 7,000 people annually attend the
event. 2013 attendance was 6,692.
MTGF Provided $85,000 For Turf and
Grounds Research at UM in 2012
The Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation, a
non-profit organization, is a partnership of
seven turf and grounds related associations
representing nearly 2,300 employees in the
turf and grounds industry. The MTGF is also
in partnership with the University of
Minnesota. The mission of the MTGF is to
promote the green industries in Minnesota
through support of research, education and
outreach at the University of Minnesota and
 elsewhere.
The MTGF pursues its mission in various
ways. One of these is an annual "Call for
Proposals," titled the "MTGF Research Gift
Program," whereby researchers, instructors
and outreach faculty and staff involved in
turf and grounds work may submit requests
for unrestricted gifts to support their
activities. In 2012, along with a commitment
$15,000 to a University of Minnesota
Endowment Fund, the MTGF is donating $70,000
to four projects. The researchers are: Dr.
Brian Horgan/Eric Watkins; Michelle
Grabowski/Jeff Hahn, and Robert Blanchette/
Jeffrey Gillman. The MTGF has donated
$861,536 dollars towards turf and grounds
research from 2001 - 2012.
U of M On-Line
Diagnostic Tool
New this year, MTGF is funding
“What’s Wrong With My Plant? An Online
Diagnostic Tool for Insect, Disease and
Abiotic Problems” by Jeff Hahn, UM Extension
Entomologist and Michelle Grabowski, UM
Extension Educator – Plant Pathology and
Horticulture. The MTGF funded $3,000.
U of M TROE Center
Research at the TROE Center is
vital for the future development of our
industry and the Research being done at the
TROE Center is of great benefit to our
members. The MTGF supports the work at TROE
Center and provided an unrestrictive gift of
$50,000.
White Mold
The MTGF also is supporting
Michelle Grabowski’s research on "Testing
Annual Bedding Plants for Resistance to
White Mold." Research on S. sclerotinia on
bedding plants and their level of resistance
or susceptibility is beneficial to the
grounds managers. The MTGF supports this
type of work and provided an unrestricted
gift in the amount of $2,000.
Dutch Elm Disease
The MTGF is also supporting
Robert Blanchette and Jeffrey Gillman’s
research on "Selecting American Elms for
Resistance to Dutch Elm Disease." Research
on Dutch Elm Disease-resistant elm cultivars
will be very beneficial to the grounds
managers. The MTGF provided an unrestricted
gift in the amount of $15,000.
 Pesticide
Re-Certification
The MTGF partners
with MNLA and the Minnesota Department of
Agriculture to annually host a Pesticide
Re-Certification session in November for
Categories A & E. The dates for 2013 are yet
to be determined.
MTGF Clippings Magazine
MTGF CLIPPINGS is the official publication
of the Minnesota Turf and Grounds
Foundation. The MTGF is a non-profit
organization that was formed in 1993. It is
a partnership of seven turf and grounds
related associations and the University of
Minnesota. MTGF CLIPPINGS is mailed to every
member of each of these organizations. With
a collective readership of over 3,000
individuals, it is the premier publication
serving turf and grounds professions in
Minnesota.
MTGF Membership Information
Any association engaged in the development,
care and maintenance of public or private
grounds is eligible to become an allied
association member of the Foundation subject
to approval of the MTGF Board of Directors.
Individuals or businesses may become regular
Foundation members by joining one or more of
the member allied associations best suited
to their needs and interests.
There are no membership fees associated with
either allied association membership or
regular membership. However, if an
individual or business subscribes to the
mission and purpose of the Foundation but is
not a member of an allied association, they
are eligible for affiliate membership.
Affiliate membership is subject to Board
approval and does carry an annual membership
fee as established by the Board of
Directors. Those interested should contact
our business office at 952-473-3722 for
further information.
Benefits
• Supporting professionalism within the
turf and grounds industry by encouraging
continued growth of each allied association.
• Encouraging the exchange of knowledge
among members of the turf and grounds
industry through educational conferences,
workshops, seminars, trade shows and field
days.
• Supporting relevant turf and grounds
research, education and outreach at the
University of Minnesota.
• Being pro-active in environmental,
regulatory and public policy matters as they
affect the turf and grounds industry.
About the Minnesota Turf and Grounds
Foundation
The Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation, a
non-profit
organization,
is a partnership
of seven turf- and grounds-
related
associations and
the University of
Minnesota.
The 7 MTGF allied associations are:
+ Minnesota Association of Cemeteries
+ Minnesota Educational Facilities
Management Professionals
+ Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents'
Association
+ Minnesota Park and Sports Turf Managers
Association
+ Minnesota Society of Arboriculture
+ Minnesota Turf Association
+ Minnesota Turf Seed Council
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Minnesota
Turf and Grounds Foundation