On Tuesday, July 16, 2024 the Purdue Turf Program, the Purdue Green Industry Working Group and the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation successfully hosted the Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day. The day didn’t start off as we had planned as our tent, capable of seating 500 people, was destroyed overnight in a severe storm. However, quick work by all allowed us to reset the area for some open-air dining in what turned out to be fantastic weather the remainder of the day. Attendees were very appreciative of the diverse education, many exhibitors, networking opportunities, lunch, and cake to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the W. H. Daniel Turfgrass Research & Diagnostic Center.
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- Figure 1. Overhead of the Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day in 2023.
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- Figure 2. Overnight storms in West Lafayette blew over the 500 person tent.
The Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day is the largest field day hosted by the Purdue College of Agriculture and Indiana’s largest Green Industry field day. This was now our eleventh year combining both turf and landscape disciplines at our event. Specialists from four different departments in the College of Agriculture shared with Green Industry professionals their research findings, recommendations, as well as advice on troubleshooting problems.
It was a great opportunity for those attending to receive education, research updates, product updates and also a great opportunity to network with their colleagues and exhibitors in the Green Industry. The field day featured 35 exhibitors representing companies from around the region ranging the gamut from equipment, seed, fertilizers, pesticides, landscape plants, hardscape and more. The 432 attendees where mostly from Indiana and all its surrounding states but many national representatives were also there from various companies to learn more about Purdue’s latest green industry research.
Attendees came from a variety of backgrounds including business owners, managers and staff of wholesale and retail nurseries, landscape management firms, greenhouse growers, golf course superintendents and staff, lawn care companies, grounds maintenance departments, landscape design and installation firms, garden centers, consulting firms, educational institutions, suppliers and more! This year’s field day provided four morning research tours and five afternoon tours including a popular weed identification and control tour, discussion and demonstration of raised bed gardens, a walking tour on turfgrass diseases, hands-on turfgrass identification practice, and a discussion of conflict resolution in the workplace.
Nineteen different speakers were at the field day including Purdue faculty/staff from Botany and Plant Pathology, Entomology, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, and Forestry and Natural Resources. This year’s field day was once again a success and continues to be a leading provider of information and education among the Midwest turf professionals and the Green Industry. Mark your calendars for next year’s Turf and Landscape Field Day, July 8, 2025.
Thank you all for coming!
