Bern Leinauer, professor and turfgrass Extension specialist, and his students, study turfgrass. He will be one of the experts at the Program Southwest Turfgrass Association Recreational Landscape Conference and Expo in Ruidoso, Nov. 12-14. From right to left, Guillermo Alvarez, Leinauer, Matteo Serena, Elena Sevostianova and Salvador Hernandez. (Bubmitted photo)

New Mexico State University's turfgrass experts will host the Program Southwest Turfgrass Association Recreational Landscape Conference and Expo in Ruidoso.

Bernd Leinauer, professor and turfgrass Extension specialist, along with Natalie Goldberg, department head of the Extension Plant Sciences Department, who serve on the board of directors of the Southwest Turfgrass Association, will be joined by other experts in the two-day conference Nov. 12-14 in the Ruidoso Convention Center.

Some of the topics that will be covered this year include "Selecting, Testing and Constructing Sports Turf Root Zones" and "Portable Roadways: Protecting Turf During Other Events" presented by Jason Henderson, a professor at the University of Connecticut.

Jim Brosnan, professor the University of Tennessee, will talk about "Indicator Weeds: Revealing Management Weaknesses" and "Weed Control Programs for Sports Turf."

Goldberg, from NMSU, will give a presentation on "Common Tree Diseases in New Mexico."

John Sorochan, co-Director for the Center for Athletic Field Safety at the University of Tennessee, will be the keynote speaker and will talk about natural and synthetic turf for sports fields.

"Our goal is to inform and update all grounds maintenance personnel, administrators and city officials, on latest findings and recent developments in the area of turfgrass and landscape maintenance," Leinauer said.

The event is open to the public for a fee, which varies in price depending how many days attendees will participate or if they qualify for a corporate or single rate. The fee covers a show, lunch, coffee and snacks. Online registration can be accessed at http://southwestturfgrass.com, and on-site registration is available as well. That webpage also provides a detailed schedule of the presentations and activities.

"The conference includes a trade show where you can see and learn about the latest products for landscape maintenance," Leinauer said. "The conference also offers CEUs and provides opportunities to learn, network and share ideas."

The Southwest Turfgrass Association conference is in its 18th year, providing seminars and uniting experts from NMSU's Extension services with industry professionals.

The proceeds from the conference support NMSU's graduate and undergraduate turfgrass research.