J. Mike Goatley

My research program emphasizes the selection and implementation of appropriate grasses and management programs that meet the needs and expectations of a particular use situation in an environmentally responsible manner.  A primary research area involves turfgrass variety evaluations that result in the production of an annual ‘Recommended Turfgrass Variety List’ for Virginia’s turfgrass managers.  Other research areas include the identification of better adapted warm-season turfgrass alternatives to existing cool-season species, urban nutrient management, and soil remediation. I work collaboratively with a variety of faculty and staff from many program areas at Virginia Tech, as well as with industry collaborators across the state of Virginia.

Role of Graduate Students

The goal for any of my graduate students is to ensure they are well-rounded in all academic areas so that a wide range of professional opportunities is available to them in their post-graduate career.  Graduate students will naturally gain a great deal of applied field research expertise given the focus of my research program, but they will also be expected to develop basic research skills under the guidance of carefully selected graduate committee members with specific expertise in basic research areas.  The students will be expected to expand their public speaking and writing capabilities during their graduate career at Virginia Tech through regular participation in a variety of opportunities to make both written and oral presentations at Field Days, Short Courses, Conferences (local, state, regional, and national) and professional meetings.

Future Research

Efforts are underway to field test a rechargeable filter to capture nitrates and phosphates from the leachate passing through the sand-based soils of the athletic fields at the University of Virginia’s Scott Field and Virginia Tech’s Worsham Field.  A strategy called ‘low impact conversion’ that was previously successfully demonstrated with bermudagrass is now being evaluated at both research and golf sites across Virginia to determine the possibility of converting cool-season turf to zoysiagrass without removing the existing turf from use.  Opportunities for expanded research in protecting urban water quality continue to present themselves and are being explored with colleagues from within and external to Virginia Tech.