Raymond McCauley
Doctor of Philosophy – Crop Science
Thesis / Dissertation: Fraise Mowing Effects, Uses, and Recovery in North Carolina.
Honors / Awards: 2020 Eagle Award, NC-SC STMA Scholarship
Advisor / Co-Advisors Dr. Grady Miller
Graduate Committee
Drs. Joshua Heitman, Daniel Bowman, and Brian Jackson
There are some brilliant, brilliant people in this department, and I am not one of them. I thank you all for sharing your time, patience, knowledge, wisdom, and support over the past four plus years. I would especially like to thank my advisor Dr. Grady Miller for taking a chance on me and Dr. Drew Pinnix for not killing me (although I gave him plenty of incentive). I would also like to thank my wife, Ma, Dad, and brothers for their unending love and support. To everyone else, thank you all.
Research Summary
Fraise mowing is a very disruptive cultural practice, and bermudagrass requires ≥3 weeks to recover from it. Results from our research provide turfgrass managers with definitive steps to shorten this downtime with nitrogen fertilization while informing them of fraise mowing’s effects on soil physical properties. The successful pairing of aerification with fraise mowing was also demonstrated, as well as fraise mowing’s potential to remove shallow soil compaction. Results of our research will remove some of the apprehension of fraise mowing and may lead to its expanded use.
Publications and Presentations:
McCauley, R.K., G.L. Miller, and G.D. Pinnix. 2019. Fraise mowing as a spring transition aid. Crop, Forage, & Turfgrass Manage. 5:190025.
McCauley, R.K., G.L. Miller, and G.D. Pinnix. 2019. Impact on soil from fraise mowing bermudagrass. SportsTurf 35:14-16.
McCauley, R., G. L. Miller, and D. Pinnix. 2019. Shallow soil compaction following fraze mowing. Golf Course Manage. 87(8):73.
McCauley, R.K., G.L. Miller, and G.D. Pinnix. 2018. Impact of fraise mowing on soil physical properties of bermudagrass surfaces. N.C. Turfgrass November/December:12-14, 16.
Fraise Mowing’s Effect on Pesticide Applications. Southeast Regional Sports Turf Conference and Trade Show, Myrtle Beach, SC, November 20, 2019.
Fraise Mowing Impacts Soil Physical Properties of Bermudagrass Surfaces. Agronomy Society of America, San Antonio, TX, November 11, 2019.
Fraise Mowing and Aerification Alter Soil Physical Properties. N.C. State Turfgrass Field Day, Raleigh, NC, August 14, 2019.
Shallow Soil Compaction Following Fraise Mowing. Agronomy Society of America, Baltimore, MD, November 6, 2018.
Fraise Mowing Influence on Soil Physical Properties N.C. State Turfgrass Field Day. Raleigh, NC, August 8, 2018.
Turfgrass Management in North Carolina. Eagle Ridge Homeowners Association Meeting, Raleigh, NC, August 1, 2018.
Outside Events. NC Sports Turf Managers Association Educational Event, Advance, NC, October 3, 2017.
Recovery after Fraise Mowing and Alternative Fraise Mowing Applications. N.C. State Turfgrass Field Day. Raleigh, NC, August 9, 2017.
Evaluation of New St. Augustine and Zoysiagrasses for Homeowners and Sod Producers. N.C. State Sandhills Turfgrass Field Day. Jackson Springs, NC, June 14, 2017.
Evaluation of Fraise Mowing on Soil Properties of Bermudagrass Surfaces. N.C. State Turfgrass Field Day. Raleigh, NC, August 10, 2016.
I plan to use my degree to:
Conduct practical research that improves turfgrass management.
What I enjoyed most about my experience in Crop and Soil Sciences at NC State was:
Chewing the fat with Drs. Miller and Pinnix, as well as with other graduate students.
While earning my degree, my greatest supporters were:
Primarily, my wife, mother, father, and brothers.
However, nothing would have happened without the help and guidance of Drs. Miller, Pinnix, and Heitman, the technical support of Marty Parish, Scott Brinton, and Adam Howard, steering from Mrs. Angie Barefoot and Kathy Kelly, and comedic relief from fellow graduate students.
Now that I have graduated, I’m most looking forward to:
Time with my wife and beagle.
LinkedIn profile: LinkedIn
