Turfgrass Pathology Course
Welcome to the Turfgrass Pathology online continuing education course. This course is offered via the course management system Moodle.
This course is approved for 1.2 GCSAA education points by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. These education points are applicable towards Class A and certification entry and renewal for GCSAA members. For more information, visit www.gcsaa.org.
Course Introduction
Turfgrass managers are constantly dealing with turfgrass pathology problems. Whether on a golf course, home lawn, park, or athletic field, turfgrass diseases can significantly damage turf in the Midwest. As governmental agencies continue to regulate inputs on turfgrass, it will be important for turfgrass managers to know how to meet new turfgrass management challenges — especially concerning turfgrass diseases. Each disease has a unique profile and requires different tactics for effective control. This course will equip turfgrass managers with the expertise necessary for controlling diseases in this challenging environment.
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to diagnose the Upper Midwest turfgrass diseases presented in this course and then determine control measures for the diseases using both cultural and chemical methods. Specifically, you should be able to:
- describe the correct procedure for taking a disease sample
- correctly identify a disease when given visual symptoms
- explain the signs and symptoms of major diseases
- name effective chemical controls
- describe possible cultural controls
Audience
This course is designed for anybody who works with turfgrass: golf course superintendents, park supervisors, sports turf managers, lawn care providers, lawn and landscape maintenance employees, landscapers, etc. Topics that will be covered include:
- Introduction to Plant Pathology
- Cultural and Chemical Control of Turfgrass Diseases
- Foliar Diseases of Turf
- Patch Disease of Turf
- Rusts and Smuts
- Anthracnose
Registration Fee
$75 Registration Fee
Method of Instruction
This is an online course in Moodle, an e-learning platform using a number of interactive instructional tools including audio and video clips, discussion boards, formula calculators, and case studies, along with instructor feedback.
Course Lessons
- Plant Pathology Overview Part 1
- Plant Pathology Overview Part 2
- Cultural Control of Turf Diseases
- Chemical Control of Turf Diseases
- Foliar Diseases, Part 1: Dollar Spot, Red Thread, and Pink Patch
- Foliar Diseases, Part 2: Powdery Mildew, Gray Leaf Spot, Drechslera, and Bipolaris
- Foliar Diseases, Part 3: Snow Molds
- Patch Diseases, Part 1: Summer Patch and Necrotic Ring Spot
- Patch Diseases, Part 2: Take-All Patch, Pythium, and Brown Patch
- Rusts and Smuts
- Anthracnose and Septoria
- Case Study
Procedure for Registering and Accessing Moodle
Step 1: Register for the course online here. When you complete your payment for your registration, you will see a window with your University of Minnesota Guest ID (also called your Web Registration ID) and temporary password. The Guest ID and temporary password will also be sent to you in an e-mail message.
Step 2: When you receive your Guest ID and temporary password, you will be asked to change your temporary password. You will not be able to access the Moodle course with your temporary password.
Moodle Enrollment Key - in order to access the Turfgrass Pathology course in Moodle, you are asked for the Enrollment Key. Your enrollment key is located on the "How to Access Your Moodle Course" page that was listed on your registration confirmation.
Technical Requirements
Moodle recommends using Mozilla Firefox as your browser, as some features will not work properly in other browsers.
Before you begin the course, make sure you have the necessary software, so that you can successfully use all the features and tools in Moodle. To check specific computer requirements, visit the University of Minnesota Moodle Technical Requirements page, which includes free software downloads for Windows and Macintosh.
Know Your University of Minnesota Internet ID and Temporary Password, or Obtain a Guest ID. (This ID is also called your Web Registration ID.)
Forgot your Internet ID? Look it up at www.umn.edu/lookup.
Forgot your password, or never set one up? Call OIT Helpline at 612-301-4357. (When working with the OIT Helpline, let them know that you have a question related to your Web Registration ID.)
Contact Information
For content-related questions, contact instructor Eric Watkins at ewatkins@umn.edu or 612-624-7496.
For registration questions, contact Heather Dorr at hdorr@umn.edu or 612-625-5267.
