UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Homeowners struggling to nurse their lawns through a drier-than-normal Pennsylvania summer can get some much-needed advice at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, Aug. 14-16.

“Helpful Tips on Home Lawn Care” will be one of several free programs being staged in the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibit Building Theatre on Main St. between West 9th and West 10th Streets at the Ag Progress Days site.

Peter Landschoot, professor of turfgrass science, will provide a brief overview of basic lawn care practices and products, including choosing the right seed mix for your lawn, when and how to fertilize, weed control, and lawn renovation on Tuesday, Aug. 14, at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug.15, at 4 p.m.

If you think you know a lot about crops and soils, you can stop by the theatre to play a few rounds of “Agronomy Jeopardy.” As with the popular television game show, participants are given the answer and must respond with the proper question. Contestants of all ages will choose from six categories -- turfgrass, soils, hay and silage, grains, agricultural innovators and random questions -- as they hit “Daily Doubles” and play for fun and prizes (Tuesday at 2 p.m., Wednesday at 1 p.m. and Thursday at 11 a.m.).

Visitors can find out why nutrient management is more than just how farmers manage manure on their farms by attending “Nutrient Management: Food-Farms-Water Quality,” (Tuesday at 11 a.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m.). “The impact of nutrient run-off on water quality begins with consumer preferences for abundant, inexpensive, high-quality food,” says Douglas Beegle, professor of agronomy. “Agriculture has become very efficient at meeting this demand, but there is an environmental cost. Current programs address improving on-farm nutrient management, but ultimate solutions will require changes in the nation’s food-production systems.”

Other Exhibit Building Theatre events include presentations by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on the State Animal Response Team program (Tuesday at noon and Thursday at 10 a.m.), and a joint town meeting sponsored by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Ag and Rural Affairs and Education committees (Wednesday at 10 a.m.).

Penn State's Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 14; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 15; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 16. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days Web site at http://apd.cas.psu.edu.

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EDITORS: Contact Bob Oberheim at 814-865-2081 or via e-mail at agprogressdays@psu.edu.

Gary Abdullah Writer-Editor 814-237-1023 gxa2@psu.edu