The way people consume information is changing so rapidly during the pandemic that virtual field days that were unheard of just months ago already are becoming passe.
With research facilities peppered across the state from the Panhandle to Fort Lauderdale, the University of Florida turf team can cover a lot of research topics with a wide range of appeal. With in-person field days all but canceled everywhere this year, the UF team dismissed the idea of a true virtual field day. When they take to the 'Net in October to update viewers on their ongoing research projects and findings, they balk at the idea of calling the event a virtual field day.
Tabbed as the inaugural Turfgrass Research Forum, the event is scheduled for Oct. 14, and will replace traditional events at the university's main research farm in Citra, the West Florida Research and Education Center in Jay and the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center in Davie.
"We've already had three field days whacked this year," said UF professor Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., who also is the associate director of the West Florida Research and Education Center. "We thought about jumping on the virtual field day bandwagon, but we thought we don't need another virtual field day. We are calling this a research symposium. It will be a 30,000-foot look into our research projects rather than digging down into the weeds."
The event, which will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform, will include research updates from Unruh, Jason Kruse, Ph.D., Kevin Kenworthy, Ph.D., Adam Dale, Ph.D., Phil Harmon, Ph.D., Billy Crow, Ph.D., Laurie Trenholm, Ph.D., and Marco Schiavon, Ph.D. Topics that will be covered in the free event include entomology, nematology, plant pathology, disease management, turfgrass breeding and sports turf management.
It will be a 30,000-foot look into our research projects rather than digging down into the weeds.
The format will be quite different for Unruh, who as the turf extension agent for the state spends more than 100 days per year on the road speaking at chapter meetings, helping superintendents diagnose problems and develop solutions on golf courses statewide and presenting at traditional field day and research events. Click here to register.
"The downside is that 111 nights on the road is too many. I've done a lot of soul-searching since March about why I would want to do that," Unruh said. "I am a servant to the industry, and I have a passion for what I do, but there is a cost to 111 nights on the road both personally and professionally."
Delivery of research projects has become the norm this year as the pandemic has canceled most if not all in-person events, including Gnat Fest, the annual field day event at UF's West Florida facility, and the annual university field day at the main research farm in Citra.
"You don't get the personal engagement and the dynamic (atmosphere) that you have in person at field plots," Crow said. "The benefits are that we can do it. Better virtual than not at all."