FORMER TLI SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT NOW TURFGRASS EXTENSION SPECIALIST

By Suz Trusty

Dr. James D. (Jay) McCurdy is an Assis- tant Professor and Turfgrass Extension Specialist in the Department of Plant & Soil Sciences at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS. Dr. Mc- Curdy was the recipient of the TLI Dr. Henry W. Indyk Scholarship in 2006, the year it was established.

Photo courtesy of Jay McCurdy

McCurdy’s research interests include turfgrass weed ecology and manage- ment, herbicide resistance, pesticide fate, and wildlife habitat inclusion within urban environments.

Along with his research and teaching roles, he is the academic liaison for the Louisiana-Mississippi Golf Course Super- intendent’s Association and is an advisor for the Mississippi Turfgrass Association. McCurdy’s recognition for outstand- ing achievement includes: the Watson Fellowship presented by Toro and the Environmental Institute for Golf, the Southern Weed Science Society’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award, and the Musser International Turfgrass Foundation’s Award of Excellence.

2006 TLI Scholarship recipient, Jay McCurdy, is now an Assistant Professor and Turf Extension Specialist at Mississippi State.

Dr. McCurdy is the son of TPI mem- ber Bob (and Suzanne) McCurdy, McCurdy Farms, Dyer, TN. He earned his B.S. in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Tennes- see, Martin, specializing in Turfgrass and Golf Course Management. He went on to earn his M.S. in Plant Sci- ences from the University of Tennes- see, Knoxville. He received his Ph.D. in Agronomy and Soils from Auburn University, Auburn, AL, where he worked with Dr. Scott McElroy and wrote his dissertation on “The Effects and Sustainability of Legume Inclusion within Warm-Season Turf Swards.”

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McCurdy will be making a presenta- tion at the TPI 2016 International Education Conference & Field Day in Houston, TX, in February. His topic is “Weed Control—New Herbicides and the Future of Sod Production.” The presentation will combine the expertise of his academic training and research with his practical, hands-on experience working with sod on the family farm.

He’s well aware of the unique chal- lenges turfgrass producers face rela- tive to other sectors of the turfgrass industry. Off the sod farm, phrases like turf regrowth, time-to-harvest, and tensile strength are relatively unknown and even less well understood. Produc- ers know that herbicides are critical to providing a high quality product that is affordable and sustainable, yet the effects of herbicides upon harvest characteristics can be devastating. Optimizing on-farm weed control requires forethought and up-to-date knowledge. Attendees will learn about new products and where they might fit in their own herbicide plan. Emphasis will be placed upon program

approaches to weed control and the effects of herbicides on turf regrowth and establishment.

JAY MCCURDY’S

CAREER PATH The McCurdy family farm was a traditional cattle and row crop opera- tion until the mid-1980s. “That’s when my Dad and Granddad diversi- fied, planting their first acres of Tif- way 419,” McCurdy reports. “We still call it the number one field. When I was old enough to start helping, we were using a Ryan walk-behind sod cutter, machetes and shovels to cut the sod. We’d stack the slabs on pallets, put the pallets on our goose- neck trailer and haul it to Jackson, TN, the closest hub for the housing market and commercial construction sites. We did little sod installation as our area has many good, quali- fied landscapers. For their jobs, we’d deliver the sod and their crews would handle the installation. We did do a lot of commercial sprigging jobs on sports fields and golf courses.”

During his high school years, McCurdy mowed, harvested and drove trucks. He continued to help out as his schedule allowed while pursuing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. After complet- ing his master’s degree, he briefly returned to the family farm. “Then I had an opportunity to spend a year in China to build and manage a research facility for the Hong Kong Golf Club,” he says. “Choosing turf in that part of the world was a bit more complicated than in the United States. We needed to figure out the logistics of sourcing about a dozen dwarf and ultradwarf bermu- das, as well as some fairway height grasses. We also needed to source the greens construction materials and research tools.”

TPI TURF NEWS • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015