Dr. Phil BuseyDr. Phil Busey

Associate Professor-Turfgrass Science
Ft. Lauderdale Research & Education Center
3205 College Ave.
Ft. Lauderdale , FL. 33314-7799
(954) 577-6337 (voice)
954-475-4125 (fax)
E-mail
Web site

Research Responsibilities

The mission for this position is research on turfgrasses, specifically environmental weed management, and academic instruction.

Weeds are the most difficult turfgrass cultural problem for Florida's single family households and the second most reported management problem on golf courses. To control turfgrass weeds, $90 million is spent on herbicides each year in Florida. Much of the remaining $8.7 billion value added annually to Florida's economy from turfgrass is for regular mowing, irrigation, and fertilization, which function to selectively suppress weeds and favor the five major warm-season turfgrasses.

Goals (CSREES Hatch Project FLA-FTL-04066) are to:

  • Evaluate the role of cultural practices and environmental variables in weed management;
  • Initiate the development of optimum decision tools for management of weeds in Florida turfgrass; and
  • Assist in the development of alternatives to commonly used herbicides such as MSMA and atrazine, including cultural management, spot treatment, and preemergence herbicides.

Methods include

  • The description of goosegrass and other weed populations in Florida as to reproductive strategies (e.g., seed yield, dispersal mechanism, germination requirement, and turf competitiveness);
  • Evaluation of herbicides including rate, timing, tank mixtures, for control of single and mixed weed populations, and nontarget effects;
  • Field experiments on the effects of cultural management variables such as mowing, irrigation, and fertilization on weed populations;
  • Interviews and surveys of golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, sod producers, and lawn care professionals to describe present techniques.

Teaching Responsibilities

Teach Turfgrass Culture (ORH 3222c), Golf and Sports Turf Management (ORH 4223), Genetics (AGR 3003), and Grass Biology (ORH 4905), which are offered in the Academic Program at the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center.  The academic instruction focus is teaching and student advisement for the new Turfgrass Science interdisciplinary studies (IDS) program, which serves a growing number of nontraditional students in South Florida.

Staff

Claudia Arrieta, Senior Biological Scientist

Publications