Buckeye Turf

The Ohio State University's Buckeye Turf portal uses the latest Internet technologies to deliver timely technical information and educational resources to turfgrass professionals who manage golf courses, parks, athletic fields, and recreational facilities. More than a collection of web pages, this newly designed portal brings together an abundance of content produced by an interdisciplinary group of Ohio State faculty and staff who specialize in the study of turf management strategies.

"A true e-learning experience for anyone interested in turfgrass management, Buckeye Turf serves industry professionals around the globe," explains Karl Danneberger, a professor in the Horticulture & Crop Science Department. "We invite users to download educational podcasts, read timely technical turf notes in multiple turfgrass science disciplines or sign up for a distance education experience."

By working closely with HCS Digital Technology Team leader Tim Rhodus, the OSU Turfgrass Science Team has used cutting edge Internet technologies to better communicate turfgrass science management techniques for many years. Buckeye Turf combines these technologies into one location that complements the content generated by the Ohio State faculty and staff. Rhodus and team members Bud Witney and Victor van Buchem designed Buckeye Turf using a content management system (Joomla) that boasts an extensive use of RSS Feeds, blogging software, multi-language podcasting, multifunction search capabilities and photo management archives. The site design also allows users to change the width of the content displayed on their monitor.

Buckeye Turf is the new home for longtime successful turf outreach and education initiatives, such as TurfNotes, SportsNotes and International SportsNotes, and now adds new services through enhanced podcasts, LandscapeNotes and distance education opportunities. Users are encouraged to use RSS Feeds to subscribe to a syndicated feed from Turf News, TurfNotes, SportsNotes and Podcasts sections. Additionally, users are invited to sign-up to receive e-mail notification when a new posting has been published to the website.

Via Buckeye Turf Podcasts professionals and students can access, download and watch the latest OSU research reports and presentations on turfgrass pests, cultural programs, and case studies delivered as enhanced podcasts. Since August 2006, OSU faculty, staff and graduate students have contributed over 50 presentations to this multimedia resource which delivers full-screen playback through the QuickTime player or iTunes music software.

Dr. Danneberger also developed an innovative method for creating an international turfgrass educational tool by having visiting researchers and students Aneta Studzinska, Marcela Munoz and Jia Yan perform the voice-overs for the Polish, Spanish and Chinese versions of the Buckeye Turf Podcasts. iTunes subscriptions are available for all the podcast series: English, Spanish, Polish, Chinese and Research Reports and make downloading newly published podcasts a seamless and automatic process.

Modeled after TurfNotes and SportsNotes, the new LandscapeNotes will deliver timely technical tips for turfgrass selection, weed management and lawn care maintenance. Coordinated by Dave Gardner, associate professor of Turfgrass Science, frequent contributors to LandscapeNotes include Extension pathologist Joe Rimelspach and the Bug Doc, Dave Shetlar.

With the demand for distance education increasing, Buckeye Turf will soon be launching an online Sports Turf Management Certificate Program which incorporate the lecture materials presented in a Sports Turf Management course organized by Ohio State Sports Turf Extension Specialist Pam Sherratt. This certificate program was developed for turf professionals who can not attend The Ohio State University, but still want to attain a higher knowledge about maintaining athletic fields. All of the course content was packaged as podcast files by the Digital Technology Team from lectures presented by Sherratt, Danneberger, Gardner, Shetlar, Rimelspach, John Street and Mike Boehm. Sherratt, who manages SportsNotes anticipates high school, collegiate, and recreational facilities field managers and their employees will benefit from this new educational opportunity.

In addition to engaging Ohio's turfgrass industry through outreach efforts, Buckeye Turf is also an academic resource hub that highlights courses offered at OSU, student club activities, research programs, and opportunities to support OSU through endowments. The site uses integrated Google mapping for locating various facilities on the Ohio State campus and also offers an extensive plant science career resource that includes profiles of over 100 alumni. The News Feeds section of the site uses RSS feed capability to deliver live turf related content from numerous professional and academic sources around the country.

"Buckeye Turf promises to serve anyone who has an interest in acquiring turfgrass science knowledge," says Danneberger. "This site is a resource for knowledge and current events within the Ohio State University Turfgrass Science program and the turfgrass profession. We hope to reach interested turf professionals through a visually pleasing and easy-to-navigate website that presents useful content to its users."