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College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

Ohio Turfgrass Foundation 2015 Conference and The Ohio State University Green Industry Short Course

Dec 7, 2015 through Dec 10, 2015 (All day)
Location: 
Greater Columbus Convention Center - 400 N High St, Columbus

Registration is open for the combined Ohio Turfgrass Foundation 2015 Conference and Trade Show and The Ohio State University Green Industry Short Course at otfshow.org/registration. The theme is “A Greener Future.”

The joint event is for people who work in such fields as lawn care, tree care, landscaping, and golf and sports turf management, said Amy Stone, an organizer of the Short Course and a horticulture educator with Ohio State University Extension. The Short Course offers more than 160 sessions by experts from the green industry, agencies and universities.

Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) coordinates the Short Course, and the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation is a nonprofit group that promotes the state’s turfgrass industry and supports related research and education.

Sessions will cover a range of topics related to growing and managing turfgrass and landscape plants, from the high-tech — like robotic mowing of golf greens and using drones in managing sports fields — to the Earth- and profit-friendly, such as protecting and conserving water and minimizing fertilizer and pesticide use.

The sessions will be divided into 12 tracks: golf, lawn care, sports, turf and landscape pest management, plant selection and care, trees in the landscape, ornamental plant health management, spray technology, equipment technician training, fertilizer strategies, business management, and “Hort Shorts” (hands-on demonstrations).

Session speakers from CFAES will be joined by others from Michigan State University, Pennsylvania State University, South Dakota State University, the University of Florida, Cub Cadet, the Toro Company, West Virginia’s Oglebay Resort, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and the U.S. Golf Association. A complete list of sessions, topics and speakers is posted at go.osu.edu/2015GreenShortCourse. Several extra-fee workshops are also planned for December 7.

The Short Course previously was called the OSU Nursery Short Course and was held in conjunction with the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association’s annual CENTS program in January. The Short Course was combined last year with OTF’s Conference and Trade Show, and the name was changed to better reflect the audiences that attend.

The event will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center Columbus. Details are at otfshow.org. Registration is open to both members and nonmembers of OTF. Discounted group registration rates are available for attendees coming from the same company.