The Name
During the many years I have been at the STRI, my job title seems to have changed with fair regularity - although my duties have remained the same. When I first started at the STRI my job title was Advisory Officer. This then changed to Turf Adviser (a time when I was often asked for racing tips by immigration people when they looked at my passport), Turf Consultant, Agronomist and, eventually, Turfgrass Agronomist. I certainly feel the latter is the most appropriate title to most accurately describe my role. It is worth noting that the term ‘agronomist’ actually means a person who has specialist knowledge of soils and crops and the relationship between the two. Whilst I initially took a degree in Agriculture, I certainly no longer have specialist knowledge of corn crops or indeed of other crops - I specialise in turfgrass and therefore it is appropriate to be known as a Turfgrass Agronomist.
Whilst one can be pedantic about what you should precisely call an Adviser or Consultant to a groundsperson or greenkeeper (or others in the turfgrass industry) there is no doubting the role that could, or should, be played by a Turfgrass Agronomist.
The Role
Turfgrass Agronomy is a highly specialised role. It requires an extensive and appropriate scientific background and qualifications, practical knowledge and understanding as well as good communication skills (both verbal and written). Sadly, and unfortunately, turfgrass agronomy has suffered from a problem that has affected many other professions, namely the ease at which anyone with limited knowledge is able to produce a smart looking business card and tack on ‘Consultant’ after their name. There are many requirements
and roles for a professional Turfgrass Agronomist but principally they are as follows:-
• To have a thorough and extensive knowledge of all turfgrass species.
• To understand the environmental and management requirements of turfgrasses.
• To be very knowledgeable about soils, sands and rootzones
• To have up to date knowledge of fertilisers, pesticides, machinery and any other materials used in the maintenance of sports turf surfaces.
• To be aware and knowledgeable of all legislative requirements within the industry.
• To have good knowledge and understanding of irrigation systems and their operation.
• To understand, interpret and advise after testing soil, sand or water quality, etc.
• To have specialist knowledge of both the science and practicalities of constructing sports turf facilities.
• To understand the constraints imposed upon turf and playing surface performance by environmental constraints.
• To have a broad understanding and appreciation of all aspects of the turfgrass industry.
Whilst much of the above can be acquired through study and qualification, it is fundamental to have good, and appropriate, experience. In my opinion it is experience which is crucial in becoming a successful and respected Turfgrass Agronomist. Varied and many experiences offer a great opportunity to learn and improve oneself - success in turfgrass agronomy is not purely based around the acquirement of some impressive letters after your name!
Collecting, Analysing and Advising
Sports clubs and golf clubs will have varied expectations of their Turfgrass Agronomist. Indeed, I find the challenge of identifying what the club expects, and wants, from a consultancy visit to be one of the most interesting aspects of my job. Each consultancy visit is different. In some instances the site visit is carried out with the Head Groundsperson or Greenkeeper with no other parties present (indeed these other parties may not be interested in the visit or the subsequent report). In such situations the consultancy visit is invariably directed at and for the benefit of the Head Groundsperson or Greenkeeper. In other situations, in addition there could well be several other parties present such as the Chairman of the Grounds or Green Committee, the Club
Secretary and other Club officials. As you can imagine such a consultancy visit with several people present, many of who have little or no knowledge of agronomy or turf management, is quite a different scenario to purely dealing with a knowledgeable and experienced turfcare professional.
Another important part of
the Turfgrass Agronomist’s job is deciding at what level to pitch not only the on-site discussions, but also the level of information in the confirmatory report. Dependant upon circumstances, some clubs require a brief report focusing on the main action points for the coming months or year, etc. In contrast, other clubs expect the confirmatory report to be endless pages long covering every fundamental aspect of playing surface development and management. As one can appreciate, it is invariably the relationship between the Head Groundsperson or Greenkeeper and their respective committees which often dictates the way in which the actual consultancy visit takes place and the nature of the subsequent confirmatory report. To carry out a consultancy visit in the most satisfactory manner, the following are essential:-
• Pre-visit information. This is particularly important when carrying out a first ever visit to the site so that as much important background information is gathered before the site appraisal takes place. If the Club have design and construction information of the turfgrass facility, together with information on recent management treatments, this information should be seen and digested by the Turfgrass Agronomist before the visit. Dependant upon the nature of the visit there may also be merit in carrying out some further pre-visit investigations such as gaining knowledge about the soils and the climate of the area.
• If there is any doubt about the purpose of the visit this should be clarified before the visit takes place (preferably in written form). I once remember appraising an eighteen hole golf course and looking at almost every square metre of the course except one particular tee, which was located in a far off corner of the course and which the Head Greenkeeper and Committee did not think
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