Turfgrass Extension Program Essay Example for Free

Turfgrass Extension Program Essay I have spent many fruitful years amassing experience in the turfgrass industry and have developed an immense interest in and respect for this field of inquiry. In keeping with this, I have been involved in research and extension activities supporting the turfgrass industry both as a student member of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation—to which I gave five years of service—and as an active team member of Turfgrass Extension Program at University of Wisconsin and University of Massachusetts—where I served for two years. In addition to this, I have approached research and extension from the standpoint of stakeholders for whom I serve as a provider of information and technology within the turfgrass industry. I have also operated in the office of facilitator of continuing education for turfgrass growers and managers, upon whom I have striven to impress the value that turfgrass clientele deserve individualized service in a timely manner. It is my belief that any successful turfgrass pathology program must retain its relevance to pique and enhance users’ interest. Furthermore, such a program must also convey information in layperson terms in order to facilitate comprehension by diverse audiences, which will aid in the application of this information to their specific situations. I also strongly believe that the provided information will be more meaningful when it is based on solid research and evaluated under similar local environmental conditions. Wisconsin boasts unique and interesting climate conditions, having hot and humid summers but cold and snowy winters. This makes it therefore necessary that turfgrass grown in this state to be sustained and managed in two very extreme weather conditions. Consequently, such turfgrass needs to be protected from both summer and winter pathogens. The primary foci of my research are in two areas: on the â€Å"dollar spot† caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa and on the snow molds caused by Microdochium nivale, Typhula incarnata, and Typhula ishikariensis (Abernathy, et al., 2001). Dollar spot and snow molds are the most economically important fungal diseases on highly-cared-for turfgrass in Wisconsin, and they respectively occur during the summer and winter. Although with a proper fertility program along with sound cultural practices does succeed in alleviating some of the disease pressure, management of these diseases on manicured turfgrass heavily relies on fungicide. Various fungicides, or often tank-mixtures of fungicides, are commonly applied preventatively and/or curatively. Recently, however, turfgrass managers have been left with fewer options as it regards fungicides. Fungicide use has become stricter due to concerns related to environmental, human, and animal health. Old chemistry (e.g., PCNB and anilazine) widely used for turfgrass diseases was requested due to regulatory or voluntary cancellation of re-registration. In addition, the release of new fungicides now decreases due to low margin of profit, considering the cost of development and registration. In addition, intensively managed fungal pathogens have been reported to develop insensitivity to fungicide, causing reduction of fungicide efficacy in the field. Development of management strategies to use fungicides more effectively with a minimal risk of causing fungicide insensitivity is now a critical and urgent need for the current turfgrass industry. The achievement of this goal depends on specific factors. A population instead of an individual must be the target of control strategies, because it is the fungal population that evolves to survive in an environment that is experiences constant changes as a result of agricultural practices. Therefore, the primary interest of my research is aimed at gaining a better understanding of the pathogen population and its dynamics in the turfgrass agrosystem. This research is also directly linked to the extension of the new practical knowledge about disease management toward stakeholders in the state. For the comprehensive study about fungal population, I have developed three key assay tools for S. homoeocarpa. The first (1st) is the in vitro fungicide sensitivity assay using predetermined discriminatory concentrations; the second (2nd) is the PCR-based DNA fingerprinting technique; and the third (3rd) is the vegetative compatibility assay using nitrate non-utilizing (nit) mutants. Based on this technique and methodology, I have conducted research and compiled data on the structure and dynamics of S. homoeocarpa field populations in Wisconsin and Massachusetts since 2005 up to the present. S. homoeocarpa populations on turfgrass where different management practices had been applied has been shown to be significantly different in term of genetic variability and fungicide sensitivity. For example, the population on the fairway was very different from one on the adjacent rough or putting green. In addition, the dollar-spot population changed relatively fast in response to fungicide application. Particularly, benzimidazole fungicide thiophanate-methyl caused the fungal population to rapidly shift to fungicide insensitivity. Various unique cultural and fungicide practices used on turfgrass surely affect the fungal population, and this proves to be critical information for developing and implementing effective dollar-spot control measures. My future research will focus on investigating how the fungal population changes in response to different agricultural input as well as environmental factors on turfgrass, and these activities include mowing, irrigation, and the use of fertilizers and fungicides. Further long-term research on the S. homoeocarpa population will increase knowledge about the population dynamics of phytopathogenic fungi on perennial gramineous plants, where few or no previous studies have been conducted. My extension in Wisconsin will be geared to augment the outstanding efforts of the current turfgrass extension program. First of all, the Turfgrass Diagnostic Lab (TDL) will be used as a pipeline for getting information to the clientele in the state. Fast and accurate disease diagnosis is the key to successful disease control. Timely diagnosis of turfgrass samples and recommendation of proper treatments is recognized to be of utmost importance, and will therefore be promptly and directly offered for the benefit of the turfgrass industry. Communication with the clientele via phone, site visits and consultations also provides critical feedback to identify imminent problems and needs faced by the turfgrass industry. The key element of extension project is that proper fungicide programs will be developed and provided to the turfgrass industry as an important element of integrated pest management (IPM). The use of fungicide is requisite for managing turfgrass diseases below the tolerance level, which is usually very low on intensively managed turfgrass. At the same time, fungicide must be used with a minimal number of applications and at a proper concentration to minimize its destructive effect on the environment. Therefore the most effective fungicides must first be selected for targeted pathogen species. For example, for three major fungal species causing snow molds, certain fungicides provided better control for certain species but not for other species. Such distinctions would lead to the choice of the most effective fungicide(s) for each species. Second, the fungicide sensitivity level of the local pathogen population should also precede fungicide selection. At the location where insensitive fungal isolates are found, corresponding fungicides must be avoided or carefully used in combination with other effective fungicides. In order to make the consultation of effective fungicide programs informative and accessible to the public, the TDL service will be supplemented with the following: The in vitro fungicide sensitivity assay for major systemic fungicides (e.g., benzimidazole and demethylation inhibitor) to which insensitivity is commonly found in turfgrass pathogens Molecular diagnosis for snow mold fungi using DNA fingerprinting technology as well as phenotypic characteristics to achieve accurate identification of causal agents. In the future, my extension program will design and provide customized fungicide programs for individual locations based on more comprehensive information about the pathogen population. Abernathy, S.D., R.H. White, P.F. Colbaugh, M.C. Engelke, G.R. Taylor, II and T.C. Hale   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2001). â€Å"Dollar Spot Resistance among Blends of Creeping Bentgrass Cultivars.† Crop    Science. 31: 806-809.

Prejudice in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay -- Harper Lee Mo

Prejudice in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel which can deceive the reader into thinking that it is very simple. However, if the reader delves beneath the surface, she may find that there are a number of complex themes running through the novel. One of the central themes in this novel is the prejudice that was characteristic of southern town in the 1930?s. A variety of prejudices combine to form the character of the town of Maycomb. The three main prejudices encountered are those of race, class, and sex. The prejudice of race, in the novel, makes the words of a lower-class white woman from a ne?er do well family readily accepted against those of a Negro with an upstanding reputation. When Tom Robinson is accused of rape by Mayella Ewell, southern society and societal prejudice against blacks must be upheld. In spite of the flimsiness of Mayella?s accusation against a black man whose one arm is withered, the white of Maycomb are bound to believe Mayella simply because she is white. Despite Tom?s upstanding reputation, the people of Maycomb cannot allow a white woman?s accusation go unanswered because doing so would make the white element seem less superior. For these reasons the people of Maycomb form a mob in an attempt to persuade Atticus to drop his defense of Tom Robinson. Even though most people have a less than high opinion of the Ewells, there is still that overriding solidarity that they feel must be shown against the Negro. The blacks live in their section of town, and the whites live in their section of town. This clear division must be maintained is southern society, as represented by Maycomb, is to survive. This idea of a clear division is enforce by Aunt Al... ...ly capable of taking care of themselves. Scout is constantly told to ?act like a lady?, ?dress like a lady?, and remember to keep her place. Her place seems to be with the women, who have no real role in the business of the town. Even Atticus explains to Jem and Scout that women are not allowed to serve on juries simply because they are women. He comments that women are too talkative and that justice would be halted or impeded by their many questions if they were allowed to serve on juries. These three forms of prejudice ? race, class, and sex -- are integrated into the novel and the society of Maycomb, which serves as a symbol of the southern way of life in the 1930?s. With these tools, Lee creates a graphic picture of a restrictive society which prefers to cling blindly to what has always been, rather than change its ways and accept change and progress.

Ancient Greek and Ancient Egyptian Art Compared Essay

Egyptian art comes from the paintings the Egyptians created in the tombs of rich people when they died. These pictures were supposed to help the dead person out when he or she reached the next world, where the Egyptians thought you lived after you died in this world. At first, carvers had a hard time painting the pictures but in about 2160 B.C. they started taking short cuts and made their work sloppier. Greek art was much different from the Egyptians art. One of their styles of art was sculpting. In Crete, between about 1700 and 1450 BC, the Minoans produced a lot of medium-sized figurines, mainly made of metal and ivory. The Greeks learned how to make big stone statues from the Egyptians. At this time many Greek men were working in Egypt as soldiers, and so they had a chance to see Egyptian statues and learn how they were made. One Egyptian technique is to have a triangle for the face and two upside-down triangles for the hair. This makes the hair help support the neck, which otherwise might be too thin to hold up the head. Another Egyptian idea is to have one foot a little in front of the other, which also helps the statue to stand up and not fall over. One difference is that the Greeks always made their statues nude (without clothes), while the Egyptian statues always wore clothes. This is because the Greeks thought that men’s bodies were sacred and that the gods liked to see them. In the Severe style, sculptors began to make statues more true to life, and with more feeling in their faces and their movements. Instead of all being standing straight up and looking sacred and peaceful, now statues began to do things: drive a chariot, carry something, throw a spear, or ride a horse. And sometimes they looked sad, or frightened, or nasty, depending on who they were supposed to be. At the same time, sculptors took more interest in making the muscles and bones look true to life too. The Severe style didn’t last very long, and after about thirty years it was replaced by the Classical style. Greek sculptors began to experiment with honoring the gods by showing the beauty and grace of the human body, especially the bodies of young, athletic men (women’s bodies were still not shown without their clothes). The sculptors also became more interested in the three-dimensionality of sculpture: people being able to  see it from all different sides, and not just from the front. At the end of the 400’s BC, Greece, and especially Athens, was devastated by a terrible war which involved nearly all the Greek city-states, the Peloponnesian War. The end of the war left Greeks too poor for much sculpture, but when people did begin creating new sculpture again it was in a new style. There is more emotion, especially sad feelings like grief. There is more interest in women, who are sometimes shown without clothes now. Portraits of individuals also became more popular. As you can see, Greek art was different from Egyptian art in many ways and Greeks had many forms of art work unlike the Egyptians.

German Words of Love and Romance