In this episode, we talk about what it takes to become an entrepreneur, scale a business, and how POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer has helped to improve the GrassRoots customer experience.

In Episode #53 the TurPh.Dudes are joined by Dr. Scott McElroy. Dr. McElroy is on the cutting edge of the implementation of robotic mowing and joins us on this episode to discuss the state of robotic mowers today, where innovation is heading, and how they can be a solution for those looking to supplement traditional labor.

In Episode #52 The TurPhDudes are joined by Cort Hall and Nick Wilson. Cort and Nick serve lawn care customers in the southeastern United States and are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the intersection of agronomics and the business of growing an LCO business. If you are interested in growing your LCO business, thinking about getting into the LCO business, or just curious about what goes into running a successful LCO business, today’s episode is for you.

In Episode #51 the TurPh.Dudes are joined by Dr. Patrick McCullough, University of Georgia. In the near future, the turfgrass industry expects the use of an important active ingredient, oxadiazon, to be significantly limited by an EPA decision following the oxadiazon reregistration review process. Dr. McCullough’s years of experience in herbicide research and agronomic consulting provides for great insights into alternative options and management strategies that are available to fill the gap left by oxadiazon.

In episode #50, the TurPh.Dudes are joined by Dr. Rebecca Williams-Wagner and Dr. Phil Dwyer to discuss biologicals in the turfgrass industry, and an exciting new microbial product called Azo Root. We discuss the history of biological products in the turfgrass industry, pitfalls and shortcomings that have led to poor performance as well as new advancements in packaging technology from 3bar Biologics that help to optimize the performance of these living organisms. The discussion dives further into the mode of action of Azospirillum and the research that has shown how it helps in growing healthier roots in both cool and warm season turfgrass.

In Episode #49 The TurPhDudes are joined by Dr. Jim Kerns. Dr. Kerns focuses on etiology, epidemiology and the management of diseases of both warm- and cool-season grasses. His research program focuses on understanding the biology of ultradwarf bermudagrass diseases, large patch of zoysiagrass, plant parasitic nematodes in turf, and diseases of creeping bentgrass. The mission of the program is to provide efficacious and cost-effective management strategies to turfgrass managers in NC and beyond.

In Episode #48 the TurPh.Dudes are joined by Dr. Ming-Yi Chou, Rutgers University. Dr. Chou focuses on evaluating and developing efficient cool season turfgrass disease management measures, including cultural practices, disease prediction models, synthetic fungicides, and biorational agents targeting diseases important to the Northeast. A few of which are dollar spot, brown patch, anthracnose, and summer patch. His research efforts are centered on plant-soil-microbiome interactions in turfgrass, with an emphasis on how these interactions and coevolution collectively contribute to disease suppression.

In Episode #47 The TurPh.Dudes are joined by Brian Laurent, the founder and CEO of Propel Solutions, LLC and the Superintendent Network. Brian’s work is focused on supporting golf course superintendents as an association executive director, marketing director, communication specialist, and more. In this episode we hit on Brian’s experience documenting events at some of golf’s biggest stages and tips for superintendents to enhance communication between the agronomy team, the paying customer, and other facility personnel.

In Episode #44 the TurPhDudes are joined by Steve McDonald, Chief Plot Sprayer of Turfgrass Disease Solutions, a private turfgrass research and consulting firm based outside of Philadelphia, PA. In this episode, the guys discuss ongoing annual bluegrass weevil management trends.

In Episode #44 The TurPhDudes are joined by Stephen Ohlson, Vice President of GreenSight. In this episode the guys discuss a new digital tool for turfgrass management, GreenSight's TurfCloud. TurfCloud empowers the Golf Course Superintendent with next-generation tools to proactively monitor and manager their turf and their teams through the integration of robotics, A.I. drive automated data analysis, and cloud based planning tools.

In Episode #44 The TurPhDudes are joined by Dr. Mike Fidanza, Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences at Penn State. In this episode the guys discuss fairy ring management, Dr. Fidanza’s ancestral roots as a mushroom farmer, and “The Raymond,” a renowned breakfast dish in Lakeland, FL.