GTI's New Location Open for Business!
via Guelph Turfgrass Institute
The new location of the Guelph Turfgrass Institute is officially open!
The GTI is a partnership between the Ontario turfgrass industry, the University of Guelph, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The GTI conducts quality turfgrass research and provides education services, with a special emphasis on environmental sustainability and enhancement.
The new G. M. Frost Centre building is a state-of-the-art research and teaching facility which includes a classroom, a large lecture hall, a spacious boardroom, and a scientific laboratory to facilitate collaborative learning experiences, innovative research, and specialized services.
The new grounds cover approximately 7 hectares (17 acres) which includes 14 research plots. These plots include different combinations of turfgrass cultivars and mowing heights grown on the five sports field rootzones outlined in the Sports Turf Canada Athletic Field Construction Manual. New to the institute are two movable rain-blocking devices which will be used for drought trials supported by the Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance.
The research fields were seeded in 2018 or 2019 and have been in use for the 2020 and 2021 field seasons. Some of the trials ongoing right now include:
• NTEP National Tall Fescue Test
• TWCA Kentucky Bluegrass drought trial
• 2020 TWCA Tall Fescue Drought trial
• Assessing the effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Winter Hardiness of Creeping Bentgrass and Annual Bluegrass on Golf Greens
• Comparing plant growth regulators: Anuew, Primo Maxx and an experimental on a USGA putting green – Sponsored by Nufarm
• Comparing different formulations of Fiesta to determine application safety for turfgrass – Sponsored by Neudorff North America
• Bio-solids as potential turfgrass fertilizer - Sponsored by OTRF
• Long-term surfactant study conducted on greens height creeping bentgrass ‘V8’ and on an annual bluegrass-creeping bentgrass mixed-stand that has been overseeded with ‘T1’ bentgrass – Grad student Ellen Westelaken
• Biology and management take-all patch in Canada caused by the fungus Slopeiomyces cylindrosporus – Grad student Karen Francisco – Sponsored by OTRF
• Incorporating the Use of Machine Learning in the Turf Canopy Scanner – Grad student Arthur Rosenfield
The GTI is looking forward to welcoming the Diploma Turfgrass Management students back to campus this fall and will be hosting the Turfgrass Manager’s Short Course in March 2022. For more information, you can visit the website (guelphturfgrass.ca) or follow the “GuelphTurf” on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.