The leading turfgrass management textbook, revised and fully updated

Now in its Sixth Edition, Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management delivers thorough, science-based coverage of cool-season and warm-season grasses, cultivation, irrigation, fertilization, and pest management. Written by a team of turfgrass scientists, this edition features full-color presentation throughout for improved species identification and visual learning.

This edition adds a new chapter on reduced-maintenance turfgrass systems and a substantially revised golf course maintenance chapter reflecting modern technology. New topics include autonomous mowers, plant growth regulators, disease modeling, biostimulants, soil surfactants, salinity tolerance, water conservation, and climate resilience. Pest management chapters cover the latest herbicide, insecticide, fungicide, and nematicide information.

The book also covers:

• New instruction on the development and analysis of agronomic programs for turf facilities across diverse management settings
• Revised and expanded turfgrass identification photos along with multiple new drawings and color photos throughout the book
• Increased coverage of pesticide and nutrient regulations addressing current compliance requirements for professional turfgrass managers
• The ornamental grasses chapter is now offered as an online supplement, keeping the printed text focused on core turfgrass management

Designed for students in two-year and four-year turfgrass management programs as well as professionals in golf course management, sports field maintenance, lawn care, and sod production, this Sixth Edition provides the depth of coverage and current research needed to develop and maintain high-quality turfgrass systems.

Aaron J. Patton, PhD, is a Professor in the Horticulture & Landscape Architecture department at Purdue University and Executive Director of the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation. His research focuses on weed ecology, zoysiagrass, fine fescue, and reducing management inputs across lawn, sod, golf, and sports turf systems.

Quincy D. Law, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Science in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University. His research aims to enhance ecosystem services, improve agronomic programming, and reduce inputs. He co-authored the 5th Edition of this textbook and has presented research to international audiences.

Nick E. Christians, PhD, is an Emeritus University Professor of Iowa State University where he spent 44 years conducting research and teaching turfgrass science. He is the author of more than 1400 published works on turfgrass science and holds prestigious awards for teaching and research.