TURF 238: Turf and Ornamental Weed Control Syllabus

All course information is listed within this syllabus.

TURF 238: Turf and Ornamental Weed Control (3 credits). This course will focus on physical and chemical weed control methods. It will encompass topics relevant to Turf and Ornamental Weed Control and Plant Identification.

Prerequisites: None

Instructor

Instructor For TURF 238.

Manoj Chhetri
Assistant Teaching Professor

Department of Plant Science
19 Tyson Building
University Park, PA 16802

E-mail: Use Canvas Inbox

Background

Dr. Manoj Chhetri is an assistant teaching professor of turfgrass science at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park. He earned his Ph.D. in horticulture from Kansas State University and an M.S. in horticulture from Oklahoma State University. With over five years of research experience in turfgrass science, Dr. Chhetri specializes in turf ecology and abiotic stress physiology, with a strong focus on managing turfgrass in lawns, sports fields, and golf courses. Before joining Penn State, he served as an extension field specialist in horticulture at the University of Missouri for more than two years. Dr. Chhetri is committed to enhancing his teaching methods by drawing on his extensive experience in research, teaching, and extension.

Course Overview

The course will encompass topics relevant to Turf and Ornamental Weed Control and Plant Identification. There are established start and end dates and a week-by-week schedule that you will be required to follow. There are modules with readings, course activities, quizzes, and exams.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of TURF 238, students will have learned:

  • some of the reasons why weeds must be controlled, and potential problems
  • some of the physical and chemical methods used to control weeds
  • the common chemical and trade names of selected herbicides
  • how to properly select and apply herbicides
  • some of the factors that affect herbicide performance
  • how to identify some of the common turf and ornamental weeds

Course Schedule

For due dates, refer to the Course Summary on the Syllabus page in Canvas.

Course Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check the World Campus Course Catalog approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Required

ISBN: 978-1501755729
Neal, J. C., Uva, R. H., DiTomaso, J. M., & DiTommaso, A. (2023). Weeds of the Northeast (2nd ed.). Comstock Publishing Associates.

For pricing and ordering information, please see the Barnes & Noble College website.

Materials will be available at Barnes & Noble College approximately three weeks before the course begins. It is very important that you purchase the correct materials. If your course requires one or more textbooks, you must have exactly the correct text required (edition and year).

Optional

ISBN: 978-0470048450
Christians, N. E., & Agnew, M. L. (2008). The Mathematics of Turfgrass Maintenance (4th ed.). Sleeping Bear Press / Ann Arbor Press.

You may purchase course materials from Barnes & Noble College (the bookstore used by Penn State's World Campus). For pricing and ordering information, please see the Barnes & Noble College website. Materials will be available at Barnes & Noble College approximately three weeks before the course begins. Alternatively, you may obtain these texts from other favorite bookstores. Be sure you purchase the edition/publication date listed.

E-Reserves

This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in the Course Navigation Menu, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and searching for your instructor's last name.

  • Chemical Update: Turfgrass Herbicides. Liskey, Eric, Exec Ed. Grounds Maintenance / Interlec Publishing, Jan. 2000.
  • Controlling Weeds in Nursery & Landscape Plantings. Harpster, Tracey; Kuhns, Larry J. PSU Ag Coop Ext UJ 236, 2012.
  • Control of Summer Annual Grass Weeds in Turfgrass. Landschoot, Peter. PSU Ag Coop Ext. UC 078, 2009.
  • Core Cultivation: Timing is Everything. Understanding the risks of coring at non-traditional times. Moeller, Adam. Green Section Record, March / April, 2010.
  • Diagnosing Turfgrass Problems. Dept. of Crop & Soils Sciences - Coop Ext. Special Circ. 238.
  • Introduction to Weeds and Herbicides. Lingenfelter, Dwight D; Hartwig, Nathan L. PSU Ag Coop Ext. UC 175, 2007.
  • Lawn: Weeds. Askew, Shawn. Home, Grounds & Animals, Chapter 5, 2007.
  • Maintaining School Athletic Fields on Limited Budgets. Sports Turf Management Magazine. Sept. 2014. pp. 26-27.
  • Managing winter annual weeds. Sports Turf Management Magazine. Sept. 2014. pp. 12-16.
  • Pennsylvania Pesticide Applicator Certification Core Manual. Randall, Carolyn; Hock, Winand; Crow, Edward; Hudak-wise, Colleen; Kasai, Jeanne, eds. PSU Ag Sci & Coop Ext. AGRS-106, 2008.
  • Pesticide Interactions. McCarty, L. Bert; Clemson Univ.; Sparks, Beverly, Univ. of Georgia. Grounds Maintenance for Golf and Green Industry Professionals Website. http://grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_maintenance_pesticide_interactions/index.html.
  • PGRs: Metabolism and Plant Responses. Understanding how PGRs work can help superintendents use these products to benefit the turf and the golf course. Branham, Bruce. GCM, July 2007.
  • Plant Growth Regulation Guide. Watschke, Thomas; Cooper, Richard. PBI/Gordon Corp., 2009.
  • Postemergence Weed Control. Fech, John C. Sports Field Management Website Features Turf Health, July, 2011.
  • Protox-inhibiting Herbicides. Combining the protox-inhibiting herbicide carfentrazone with synthetic auxin herbicides provides rapid growth of broadleaf weeds. Hart, Stephen; Lycan, Darren. GCSAA - GCM, 2002.
  • Spray Coverage Information. Tee Jet Technologies. Reproduced from TeeJet.com, 2017.
  • Surflan label. Specimen Label. United Phosphorous, Inc., 2011.
  • Toxicity of Pesticides. Hock, Winand. PSU Ag Coop Ext. Agrichemical Fact Sheet.
  • Turfgrass Management Mathematics. Sports Turf Management Magazine. Sept. 2014. pp. 20-22. http://read.dmtmag.com/i/369217/27(10/22/2014).
  • Turfgrass Weed Control for Professionals. Patton, Aaron; Weisengerger, Daniel. Purdue Ext. AY 336, 2013.
  • User's Guide to Spray Nozzles. TeeJet. Spraying Systems Co., 2004.
  • Weed Management in Turf. Landschoot, Peter. PSU Ag Coop Ext. UC 189, 2009.
  • Weeds Master the Skills of Survival. Smith, Virginia. Centre Daily Times / Knight Ridder, May 6, 2006.
  • Why So Much Crabgrass? Superintendents' Korner Webpage. Gardner, David. Buckey Turf Program. Horticulture Crop Science in Virtual Perspective, 1999.
  • Yellow Nutsedge Control in Landscape Turf. Hart, Stephen, Lycan, Darren. NJ Ag. Exp Station Coop Res. 8, Ext Fact Sheet FS 543, 2004.

Modules, Quizzes, and Exams

As a student in TURF 238, we recommend that you work through the modules in this course following the sequence and timing presented in the Syllabus and/or Calendar. However, some students may elect to work faster than others. Just remember you will be working at your own pace but must complete all of the modules, quizzes, and activities before the stated deadline.

Each week, if there is a quiz, exam, or assignment, there is a defined deadline to have it completed. If you do not complete assigned work by the deadline you will earn a zero grade for it.

The quizzes/exams appear on the last page of the modules to test your understanding of the concepts presented. You may only take each quiz/exam one time. Once the quiz/exam is open, you must finish it. You will be able to review your quiz/exam results once following submission.

Please be prepared to take the quiz/exam before you open it. Timing will begin as soon as you start the quiz/exam and will not stop even if you log out or switch browsers. Quizzes and exams have varying amounts of questions and time limits; please refer to the Canvas Syllabus page. You will have a 10-minute warning before the quiz/exam closes; at which point, it will automatically close.

Plant Identification

You are responsible for learning the plants as they are presented in this course as well as the required textbook and the specified guides. You are responsible for learning all materials from all sources relating to the assigned plants. These sources will be your teaching aids to use to prepare for the Plant ID exam and complete the Plant ID assignment. More information on plant identification sources and requirements is included in the Canvas modules. Refer to the Course Schedule for the deadlines.

Grading Policy

The following table is the grading criteria for the course.

Grading Criteria
Requirement Cumulative Point Value
Quizzes 260
Exam 1 150
Exam 2 (Plant ID Exam) 100
Plant ID Assignment 60
Exam 3 150
TOTAL: 720

The following table is the grading scheme for the course.

Grading Scheme
Letter Grade Percentage Points
A 100% – 93% 670–720
A- < 93% – 90% < 670–648
B+ < 90% – 88% < 648–634
B < 88% – 82% < 634–590
B- < 82% – 80% < 590–576
C+ < 80% – 78% < 576–562
C < 78% – 70% < 562–504
D < 70% – 60% < 504–432
F < 60% < 432

The course's final grade is determined by the total points earned by the student. The percentages listed above are for reference only.

The turnaround time for graded assignments is generally one week or less.

Bonus Points: There are none offered in this course. The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus as needed.

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information.

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" under World Campus Student Resources.

Online Students Use of the Library

As Penn State World Campus students, you have access to many of the materials that the library offers to students. The library website has a lot to offer, but can be overwhelming. A guide has been created to serve as your introduction to important library resources, services, and important pages within the library. The Online Student Library Guide is updated regularly by the online librarian and is intended to provide a level of comfort through an introduction to help you feel comfortable navigating the library website to find valuable information for your coursework.

Technical Requirements

This course is offered online and it is assumed you possess the minimum system requirements and computing skills to participate effectively. A list of technical requirements is listed on World Campus' Penn State Technical Requirements page.

Minimum Skills

  • You should have an understanding of basic computer usage (creating folders/directories, switching between programs, formatting and backing up media, accessing the internet).
  • You must be able to conduct word processing tasks such as creating, editing, saving, and retrieving documents.
  • You must be able to use a web browser to open web pages, download files, and search the internet.
  • You must be able to use an e-mail program to send and receive messages and to attach and download documents/files.
  • You must be able to download and install programs or plug-ins from the internet.

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Penn State Policies

Login Policy

Students are expected to log in regularly to keep up to date with announcements, discussions, etc. The class will progress at a regular pace throughout the semester and there are specific due dates and times for assignments, etc.

Course Availability

Your course will be available to you beginning the first day of class and will remain open for one year. After one year the course will close.

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According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is "an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically." Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean's List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

You can learn more at The College of Agricultural Sciences Academic Integrity Information for Students.

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In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Accommodations for Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Use of Trade Names

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Subject to Change Statement

Please note that this Course Syllabus is subject to change. Students are responsible for abiding by such changes.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search to start planning ahead.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search to start planning ahead.