3/25/2024 - By Dr. Jeff Atkinson

In episode #50, the TurPh.Dudes are joined by Dr. Rebecca Williams-Wagner and Dr. Phil Dwyer to discuss biologicals in the turfgrass industry, and an exciting new microbial product called Azo Root. We discuss the history of biological products in the turfgrass industry, pitfalls and shortcomings that have led to poor performance as well as new advancements in packaging technology from 3Bar Biologics that help to optimize the performance of these living organisms. The discussion dives further into the mode of action of Azospirillum and the research that has shown how it helps in growing healthier roots in both cool and warm-season turfgrass.

Helpful Links:

Azo Root from Harrell's

More About TurPh.Dudes:

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the TurPh.Dudes podcast brought to you by Harrell's. Our TurPh.Dudes are reaching out to industry leaders and game changers to discuss what they’re seeing out there. Topics focus on turf health, nutrition, control solutions and the latest in academic research. TurPh.Dudes episodes are released periodically. You can subscribe to us on iTunes and Google Podcast or tune-in directly right here at www.harrells.com. Send us your questions @turphdudes on Twitter or by email at turphdudes@harrells.com.

About Dr. Jeff Atkinson
Dr. Jeff Atkinson serves as Harrell’s Director of Agronomy for the Northern United States. In this role, Dr. Atkinson is responsible for the testing and development of proprietary products to expand Harrell’s portfolio and to provide technical support to our sales representatives and customers. Dr. Atkinson has experience in research and development across several disciplines of golf course agronomics. His work can be found in both industry and peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Atkinson has worked in the turf industry for 15 years and holds a bachelors, masters, and doctorate degree from Clemson University. His graduate research focused on the physiological effects of shade on putting green turf, herbicide efficacy and turfgrass tolerance, and biology of invasive species.