Syngenta is committed to providing educational opportunities to enhance your business and agronomic development. Since 2011, Syngenta has partnered with the GCSAA to provide free educational webinars. Not only do these webinars provide a wealth of information from the industry’s leading experts, but they are also recognized by the GCSAA as a means of earning credit toward maintaining Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) certification. After viewing a webinar, users can go to the GCSAA website, and fill out the GCSAA external education affidavit to receive GCSAA Education Points.

Be sure to check back for updates. For a complete list of industry-wide GCSAA webinars sponsored by Syngenta, visit GCSAA.

Preventing Spring Dead Spot 
Lane Tredway, Ph.D.

In this 60-minute webinar, Lane Tredway, Ph.D., reviews important aspects of spring dead spot, including procedures for diagnosis, factors that encourage disease development, cultural practices that can reduce disease pressure, and proper application of fungicides for effective control. 

Poa annua Control and Resistance Management in Warm-Season Turf 
Dean Mosdell, Ph.D. and Jim Brosnan, Ph.D.

Many factors are involved when developing your Poa annua management program. Dean Mosdell, Ph.D., Technical Manager Syngenta, and Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, present the changing dynamics in Poa annua management in overseeded and non-overseeded turf. 

Positive Environmental Actions for Your Golf Course 
Dan Potter, Ph.D., and Walt Osborne

In this 60-minute webinar, you’ll learn more from Dan Potter, Ph.D., and Walt Osborne about implementing Operation Pollinator and the EcoMeasures tool on your course.

PGR 101 – Back to the Basics 
Dean Mosdell, Ph.D.

Many factors are involved when developing your PGR programs; please join Dean Mosdell, Ph.D, technical manager with Syngenta, as he presents, just the facts on PGRs. Mosdell will discuss the benefits derived from PGRs featuring pre-stress conditioning, growth control, seed head suppression, and enhancing turf quality. This will be a quick 60 minutes, packed with information so mark your calendar now.

Effective Management of Turfgrass Patch Diseases
Lane Tredway, Ph.D.

Lane Tredway, Ph.D., Syngenta technical manager, will discuss management of the patch diseases, some of the most destructive diseases in both cool- and warm-season turfgrasses. In this 60-minute webinar, he will review diagnostic procedures for the most common patch diseases, including summer patch, bermudagrass decline, take-all patch, and necrotic ring spot. He will also present integrated strategies and preventive fungicide programs for effective management of the patch diseases.

Planning a Snow Mold Prevention Program
Matt Giese, M.S.

Matt Giese, M.S., Syngenta technical manager, will discuss identification of snow mold, as well as management strategies for planning a snow mold prevention program. In this webcast, he will focus on pink and gray snow mold while explaining their disease cycle and how it can be prevented. He will also explain the importance of preventive fungicide applications, define golf course treatments, discuss spring cultural practices to stimulate turf recovery, and offer solutions for repairing damaged turf.

How Plant Activators Work and Their Impact on Disease Control and Plant Health
Michael L. Agnew, Ph.D. 

The presentation will be about understanding Plant Activators, and will cover the following:

• Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR)
• Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR)
• Naturally occurring plant defenses
• Overview of products that activate plant defenses
• Demonstrate the impact of plant activators on disease control

DMI Chemistry 101
Matt Giese and Lane Tredway, Ph.D.

Matt Giese and Lane Tredway, Ph.D., will explore the DMI subgroup of sterol biosynthesis inhibitors and their use for turfgrass disease management. They will focus on DMI fungicide mode of action, new types of DMI fungicides available, best practices and use for the products, and managing DMI resistance issues.

Azoxystrobin and Plant Health
JR James, Ph.D.

In this webcast, you'll learn all about Azoxystrobin fungicides, including their history, mode of action, and what makes the fungicide class so useful to the golf course maintenance industry. Best use practices of Axozy will be explored, including its strengths and weaknesses, as well as how it can be used as part of a turfgrass disease management program. This presentation will also focus on disease management, overall performance, and clearing up any misperceptions about the fungicide’s role in plant heath.

Understanding Fungicide Differences
Michael L. Agnew, Ph.D.

What’s the difference between a contact fungicide and a systemic fungicide? And, what are the differences between single-site and multi-site fungicides? The terminology can be confusing. In this webcast, Michael Agnew, Ph.D., and Lane Tredway, Ph.D., will give you a deeper understanding of these fungicides (history, availability, mode of action and resistance management), while providing you with best practices for their effective use in an integrated pest management program.

Management and Control of Southern Turf Insects
Mark Coffelt, Ph.D.

In this webcast, Mark Coffelt, Ph.D., will provide insights on the biology and behaviors of such Southern insects as white grubs, mole crickets, billbugs, chinch bugs and red imported fire ants. Additionally, he will explore best practices for the effective use of chemical and integrated pest management program control options.

Myths and Misconceptions of Pythium Diseases in Turfgrass
Lane Tredway, Ph.D.

Lane Tredway, Ph.D., Syngenta technical manager, will debunk several misconceptions about Pythium diseases, such as the myth that Pythium is only a problem in cool-season turf. He will also explore the differences between various Pythium diseases — such as root rot and root dysfunction — and the various fungicide and cultural practices superintendents can employ for effective Pythium management. Additionally, he will focus on disease diagnosis and fungicide resistance management.

Management and Control of Northern Turf Insects
Mark Coffelt, Ph.D.

 In this webcast, Mark Coffelt, Ph.D., will provide insights on the biology and behaviors of such Northern insects as white grubs, the annual bluegrass weevil, billbugs, caterpillars, hairy chinch bugs, turfgrass ants and various ants. In addition, he will explore best practices for the effective use of chemical and integrated pest management program control options.

Proactive Management of the Annual Bluegrass Weevil
Daniel Peck, Ph.D.

The annual bluegrass weevil (ABW, Listronotus maculicollis) is a problem of increasing concern for golf course superintendents in eastern North America. Preventing and suppressing ABW outbreaks is still largely dependent on insecticidal control. The key to a successful ABW management program is knowing when and where to target the insect not only with insecticides, but also with the range of detection, monitoring and decision-making tools that are available.

In this webcast, Daniel Peck, Ph.D., will draw on information from recent scientific studies to address what goes on at the ABW’s overwintering habitat, what goes on at its developmental habitat, and what the relationship is between those diverging habitats. In addition, he will explore how this information can be used to improve best management practices for ABW in Poa annua playing surfaces.

Diagnosing and Managing Nematodes, a Hidden Threat to Golf Course Turf
Lane Tredway, Ph.D.

Lane Tredway, Ph.D., Syngenta technical manager, will discuss nematodes — one of the most common and persistent pest problems for golf courses. In this webcast, he will explain life cycles, reproduction, feeding habits and other characteristics of nematodes as they relate to the damage nematodes cause. In addition, he will focus on diagnosis and the various cultural and chemical approaches golf course superintendents can employ to control nematodes.

How to Diagnose & Manage Mole Crickets
Rick Brandenburg, Ph.D. and Lane Tredway, Ph.D.,  

Rick Brandenburg, Ph.D., NC State University, and Lane Tredway, Ph.D., Syngenta Technical Manager, will discuss monitoring and management strategies for mole crickets in turf. In this webinar, they will focus on species identification, mole cricket life cycles and reproduction, how and where mole crickets cause damage, and their habitat and food sources. They will also detail strategies for monitoring mole crickets on the golf course to help you with proper timing and selection of management practices.