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Dr. Mark Carroll

Associate Professor


Director

Environmental Science & Policy Program 0220 Symons Hall 1112 H.J. Patterson Hall College Park, Maryland 20742

Associate Professor

Plant Science & Landscape Architecture 2102 Plant Sciences Building 4291 Fieldhouse Drive College Park, Maryland 20742

RESEARCH FOCUS

  • Water quality issues in the management of turfgrasses and the development of low input sustainable turfgrass systems
  • Characterizing the sorption of pesticides to turfgrass thatch, and on the evaluation of solute transport models to predict pesticide movement in turf
  • Development and validation of innovative approaches that will minimize nutrient fertilization of lawns and on quantifying nutrient and sediment runoff losses from residential developments

Biography

Biography: 

My research program focuses on water quality issues in the management of turfgrasses and the development of low input sustainable turfgrass systems. My early research program efforts focused on characterizing the sorption of pesticides to turfgrass thatch, and on the evaluation of solute transport models to predict pesticide movement in turf. My current research is directed at the development and validation of innovative approaches that will minimize nutrient fertilization of lawns and on quantifying nutrient and sediment runoff losses from residential developments. Instructional responsibilities include teaching two Plant Science courses (Intro to Turf Science and Management, Commercial Turfgrass Maintenance and Production) and serving as the undergraduate advisor to all Turf and Golf Course Management students.

Education: 

Ph.D., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Turfgrass Science
M.S., Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, Soil Science
B.S., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, Soil Science

Awards and Honors: 

University of Maryland College of Agriculture, Junior Faculty Award, 1994

Northeastern Branch American Society of Agronomy, Teaching Award, 1994

Merrill Presidential Faculty Mentor, 2009

Professional Work

Professional Positions Held: 

2006 - Present Associate Professor, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park
1997 - 2006 Associate Professor, Department of Natural Resource Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park
1995 - 1996 Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy, University of Maryland, College Park
1989 - 1995 Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy, University of Maryland, College Park
1988 - 1989 Research Technician, Department of Floric¬ulture and Ornamental Horticulture, Cornell University
1982 - 1988 Research Assistant, Department of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture, Cornell University
1979 - 1982 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University

Professional Service: 

Associate Editor, Applied Turfgrass Science
Associate Editor, International Turfgrass Society Research Journal

Research

Areas of Interest: 

  • Turfgrass
  • Water Quality
  • Nutrients
  • Pesticides
  • Runoff
  • Organic Lawn Care

Current Research: 

Water quality issues in the management of turfgrasses

Current research in this area is aimed at quantifying nutrient and sediment runoff losses from the lawns of residential developments.

 

Low input sustainable turfgrass systems

Research in is area is focused on the development and validation of innovative approaches that will minimize nutrient fertilization of lawns.

 

Selected Presentations: 

Invited research presentations:

Turfgrass nutrient and stormwater management using compost with emphasis on environmental safety. Eastern Pennsylvania Turfgrass Conference. Jan. 2017, Valley Forge, PA

Use of compost and microclover to reduce runoff and lawn fertilizer use. Turning a New Leaf Conference. Nov. 2015, Towson, MD.

Fate and risk of pesticides applied to turfgrass systems. American Phytopathology Society Annual meeting, Aug. 2014 Minneapolis MN

Stormwater nutrient concentration data – considerations in turf applications of compost, Biocycle East Coast Conference, Baltimore MD, Oct. 2014

Exactly what is sustainable lawn care? Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course. Newport News, VA. Feb. 2013.

Pesticide Degradation in Turfgrass Thatch. Keynote Presentation Bouyoucos Conference on the Advances in Research on Soil Biological, Chemical and Physical Properties for Sustainable Constructed Rootzones.  Philadelphia, PA. May 2012.

Teaching

Courses Taught: 

PLSC205 INTRO TO TURF SCI & MGMT Fall 2016
PLSC305 INTRO TO TURF MGT

Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015

PLSC401 PEST MGMNT TURFGRASS Spring 2014
PLSC410 COM TURF MAINT & PROD Spring 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2016
PLSC460 APPL KNOWLEDGE IN PLSC Spring 2012, Spring 2014
   
PLSC608T SUPERVISED TEACHING Fall 2013, Fall 2014
PLSC789F CRTQ PRMRY PLNT SCI LIT Spring 2016
PLSC618 CRTQ PRMRY PLNT SCI LIT Spring 2017

Publications

Selected Publications: 

Articles in Refereed Journals:

Landschoot, P., M.J. Carroll, J.M. Goatley and T.R. Turner. 2017. Turfgrass nutrient management and regulatory issues in the chesapeake  bay watershed. Intern. Turf Soc. Res. J. 13: IN PRESS

Landschoot, P., and M. Carroll. 2016. Tolerance of microclover to postemergence and preemergence herbicides. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management. 2. doi:10.2134/cftm2015.0226

Lilly P., J. Jenkins and  M.J. Carroll. 2015. Management alters C allocation in turfgrass lawns. Landscape and Urban Planning. 134: 119-126.

Mu, Y. and M.J. Carroll 2013. Thatch and soil microbial activity in recently cultivated turfgrass. Intern. Turf Soc. Res. J.12:567-574.

Referred Proceedings:

Chen, S., M.J, Carroll and T.R. Turner. 2016. Fertilizer use restrictions and organic lawn care: Evaluation of compost tea, compost topdressing and cultivation on turf color, quality and weed encroachment5th European Turfgrass Society Conference, Albufeira Portugal, Book of Abstracts page 100-101.

Leshin, R., and M. Carroll. 2012. Sorption of organic pollutants to thatch as influenced by thatch chemical properties. p. 90-92. In A. Zuin and T.S. Aamlid (eds.) Proc. Eur. Turfgrass Soc. Conf., 3nd Kristiansand, Norway 24-26 June. Bioforsk, Fokus, 1432 As, Norway