Author Archive

Headshot: Mike Kenna

About Mike Kenna, Ph.D.

Mike Kenna, Ph.D., is the retired director of research, USGA Green Section. Contact him at mpkenna@gmail.com.

Posts by Mike Kenna, Ph.D.

Understanding summer bentgrass decline: What the research reveals Posted on 05 Aug 2026 in the Current Issue & From the Magazine & Research categories.

Summer bentgrass decline on putting greens may have less to do with disease and more to do with energy. Read more»

How heat stress affects bentgrass and poa annua Posted on 03 Aug 2026 in the Featured & Current Issue & From the Magazine categories.

Summer turf decline is driven by internal plant physiology, specifically protein degradation and carbohydrate depletion in the root system, rather than ambient heat alone. Read more»

3 USGA projects on plant growth regulators Posted on 29 Jul 2026 in the Online Exclusive & Featured categories.

This summary article covers PGRs by examining ongoing, USGA-supported university research. Read more»

Annual bluegrass management: What 20 years of research now shows Posted on 14 May 2026 in the Current Issue & From the Magazine categories.

Annual bluegrass emerges as turf’s most persistent weed, and more than 20 years of research now points to a long-term, systems-based approach for sustainable control. Read more»

Reflections on managing annual bluegrass Posted on 13 May 2026 in the Current Issue & From the Magazine categories.

A recap of new research on why annual bluegrass is so persistent, and why managing Poa annua takes a systems-based, long-term approach. Read more»

Is ‘trees-over-turf’ science lying to you?  Posted on 13 May 2026 in the Current Issue & From the Magazine categories.

How public health research often oversimplifies the trees vs. turf debate. Read more»