Pogo’s Carmen Magro receives Ph.D. in agronomy from University of Padua

Carmen Magro, CGCS, recently received his Ph.D. in agronomy for his thesis Soil Moisture in Amenity Turfgrass Systems, from the University of Padua in Italy.

(Left to right): Stefano Macolino, Ph.D. (University of Padua / European Turfgrass Society), Mike Fidanza, Ph.D. (Penn State University), Carmen Magro, Ph.D., Claudio Bonghi, Ph.D. (University of Padua) (Photo: Carmen Magro)

Magro’s work in sports field and golf course turfgrass and agriculture spans three decades in applying an understanding of key variables for improved turfgrass systems, water management, nutritional management and cultural practice improvements for advanced turfgrass and plant performance.

Magro is the mind behind the Pogo analytics platform and is often found working golf tournaments, sports field venues and practical training sessions at facilities of all levels, educating others in monitoring technology and improved practices from key monitored soil, water and ambient variables.

“I believe a future of improved turfgrass practices and agricultural enhancements will undoubtedly stem from applying improved practices learned from proper monitoring leading to greatly reduced waste in water and nutritional applications and greatly reduced use of pesticides across the entire agronomy spectrum,” Magro said. “Achieving a Ph.D. is certainly not an end but yet a beginning to much more work ahead of us. As an example, in recent professional golf events as well as the World Cup held in Qatar, working with the superintendents and field managers, turf performance practices led to changed methods in turf management that once did not exist prior to proper monitoring. These are practices every property should implement, in my opinion, to meet the individual and collective goals of the facility and industry.”