Turfgrass Science

By Eric Watkins

By Gary Deters and Eric Watkins

This article was originally published on the Low Input Turf Using Fine Fescues blog.

Check out our team’s latest efforts in educating the public about our work. Several members of our group including Eric Watkins, Dominic Petrella (now an assistant professor at Ohio State University), Nicole Mihelich and Florence Sessoms were featured in a video, Fescue Research at the University of Minnesota, on GCSAATV.

Watch the video below to learn more about several different fine fescue research projects we are conducting!

2/24/22 The deadline for the Extension Educator position has been extended to March 6, 2022!

University of Minnesota Extension is conducting a candidate search for a newly developed, full-time position in turfgrass irrigation and water resources. This position is funded for three years with the expectation that it will continue beyond that date. DEADLINE extended to March 6, 2022.

Winter can lead to turfgrass damage and death, causing challenges for turfgrass managers. And with a changing climate, new challenges are cropping up every year.

Eric Watkins, a professor in the Department of Horticultural Science, is seeking out answers to those challenges, most recently through an $8 million USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant. His goal? To better understand the winter stresses that are placed on turfgrass and to identify solutions through plant breeding and best management practices.