Turf Grass Management
By A.J. Turgeon
For one/two-semester introductory undergraduate courses in Turfgrass Management in departments of Agronomy and Horticulture.This generously-illustrated book covers important features of turfgrass systems, interactions between system components, and principles of turfgrass management. Designed for either formal or informal instruction, it attempts to unlock some of the mysteries of turf and establish the role of cultural interventions for achieving specific objectives.
From the Publisher
A principal introductory text for formal and informal instruction in turfgrass management, this generously illustrated book covers important features of turfgrass systems, interactions between system components, and principles of turfgrass management.
From the Back Cover
Turfgrass Management is an introductory text for beginning students in turfgrass science and management. In covering the important features of turfgrass systems, interactions between and among system components, and principles of turfgrass management, it attempts to unlock some of the mysteries of turf and establish the role of cultural interventions for achieving specific objectives.
Distinguishing features of this book include:
- Rich use of illustrations throughout convey key concepts, processes and relationships.
- Fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, and PGR tables provide easy access to lists of agrichemicals that are frequently referenced.
- Contemporary climatic classification system (on the inside front cover and in chapter 3) assists users in determining worldwide turfgrass adaptation.
In addition to updating the information on species, pesticides, PGRs, and other materials used in turfgrass management, significant improvements to this edition include:
- Expansion of the bioenergetics and metabolism section in Chapter 2 to include a more-detailed coverage of the process of photosynthesis.
- Addition of a section on phytohormones in Chapter 2 to provide coverage of a subject that has benefited from recent research that has illuminated the role of these chemicals in plant growth and development.
- Expansion of the edaphic environment section of Chapter 4 with a richer discussion of water potential and salted soils.
- Expansion of the discussion on water quality in Chapter 5.
- Expansion of the discussion on plant-growth regulators (PGRs) and the addition of a table listing the categories of PGRs in Chapter 6.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
This book has been designed as a basic text for beginning students of turfgrass science and management. In covering the important features of turfgrass systems, interactions between and among system components, and principles of turfgrass management, it attempts to unlock some of the mysteries of turf and establish the role of cultural interventions for achieving specific objectives. Illustrations are used generously throughout the text to help students grasp concepts, processes, and relationships of importance in turfgrass systems. Each chapter concludes with a series of questions to test the reader's comprehension of the material.
The sixth edition of Turfgrass Management employs the same organization as earlier editions. The first chapter includes an introduction to turf quality, and it characterizes turfgrass management as the means by which turf quality can be sustained. The second chapter focuses on the turfgrass plant and how it grows and develops into a sustainable turfgrass community. An expanded treatment of bioenergetics and a new section on phytohormones has been included in this edition. The third chapter provides detailed information concerning botanic descriptions, environmental adaptations, cultural requirements, and uses of turfgrass species; a climatic classification system helpful in determining where turfgrass species are adapted; and a taxonomic scheme useful in determining where specific turfgrasses fit in relation to other members of the grass family. The fourth chapter deals with the components of the environment—atmospheric, edaphic and biotic—in which turfgrasses must grow, compete, and survive. An expanded treatment of water potential and salted soils along with a new section on phytochrome has been included in this edition. Chapters 5 and 6 cover the broad array of primary and supplementary cultural practices, respectively, for sustaining turf at desired levels of quality. An expanded treatment of water quality and plant growth regulators has been included in this edition. The seventh chapter covers important aspects of turfgrass pest management, including those involved in the management of weeds, diseases, nematodes, insects, and large-animal pests. While the role of pesticides is emphasized in this chapter, the entire text is concerned with pest management to the extent that pest problems can be reduced or, in some cases, essentially eliminated by providing conditions that favor healthy turf grass growth. Turfgrass propagation is covered in the eighth chapter. Because many problems encountered in the management of existing turfs are directly attributable to improper establishment, the previous chapters set the stage for an enlightened discussion of propagation and its importance throughout the life of a turf. Finally, the ninth chapter attempts to bring it all together into integrated cultural systems for sustaining specific types of turf.
As with earlier editions, the sixth edition contains updated information and specific improvements based, in part, on feedback from many users of the text who were kind enough to share their thoughts and constructive criticisms with the author. I am especially indebted to those individuals who have made contributions to the first and subsequent editions. These include Joe Russo (ZDEX Corporation, Boalsberg, PA) for assisting in the development of the revised climatic map inside the front cover; Floyd Giles for his painstaking drawing and redrawing of the many illustrations in the text; April Pahl, Trudy Zohn, and Jennifer Cooney who also contributed illustrations; Judy Verbeke, who provided some of the leaf cross-section pictures from which illustrations in Figure 3.3 were drawn; and the reviewers of portions of the manuscript, including B.J. Augustin, R. Bacon, J.B. Beard, R. Boufford, P Busey, A.E. Dudeck, R.E. Engel, T.A. Gaskin, V.A. Gibeault, R.L. Goss, G. Hamilton, M. Hendricks, D. Henley, D. Huff, K. Killian, R.B. Malek, C. Mancino, L. Marty, A. McNitt, W.A. Meyer, H.G. Myers, B. Nelson, R. Randell, B. Rehberg, PE. Rieke, D. Rodrigues, M.C. Shurtleff, J.M. Vargas, D.V Waddington, T.L. Watschke, J.R. Watson, John Rogers, and J. Scott Ebdon. Finally, the assistance of my wife, Jean, in editing the manuscript is gratefully acknowledged. A. J. Turgeon
great quick reference book
After being out of the superentendent side of the business for a few years this book brought me back up to speed. The text is well written and easy to understand. I recommend it highly for anyone who needs a book "just to be sure"!
This has just about all you need.
This book went with my entry level class into Turfgrass Management and I have to say it just about covers all you need to know about turfgrass and the practices used to maintain it. I certainly recommend this book to anyone in the turfgrass industry and all students.
Muy Buen libro!
Muy buen libro para todos quellos que se inician y no solo en el mundo del Turfgrass. Es muy facil de entender, excelentes imagenes, graficos detallados y cuadros explicativos muy bien desarrollados. No debe faltar en la bibiloteca de los apasionados del cesped.
