Thinking differently: trying to reduce topdressing & core aerification by careful adjustment of the growth rate & organic matter

My presentation on breaking all the rules about managing organic matter, delivered as part of the 40th Congress of the Spanish Greenkeepers Association in Sevilla.

Transcript

1. Thinking Differently Thinking Differently Trying to reduce topdressing & core Trying to reduce topdressing & core aerification by careful adjustment aerification by careful adjustment of the growth rate & organic matter of the growth rate & organic matter Micah Woods Micah Woods Chief Scientist | Asian Turfgrass Center Chief Scientist | Asian Turfgrass Center www.asianturfgrass.com www.asianturfgrass.com November 28, 2018 November 28, 2018
2. 4 stories 1. Surprised at PGA Catalunya 2. The textbook way 3. I started noticing 4. Six surprising years --- My recommendations now
3. 1. Surprised at PGA Catalunya 1. Surprised at PGA Catalunya
4. Talking about nutrient requirements, November 2012
5. After Madrid, I went to meet David Bataller in Girona.
6. PGA Catalunya, December
7. PGA Catalunya, May
8. PGA Catalunya, May
9. PGA Catalunya, May
10. PGA Catalunya, January
11. 2. The textbook way 2. The textbook way
12. Moeller & Lowe Green Section Record Vol. 54 (21) November 4, 2016
13. “the underlying problem is often excessive organic matter just beneath the putting surface. Core aeration, verticutting, and topdressing are the primary agronomic practices used to manage organic matter, but they are disliked by most golfers.” Moeller & Lowe, 2016
14. “There are many agronomic programs that influence the playability and health of putting greens, but organic matter management is arguably the most important.” Moeller & Lowe, 2016
15. “In general, organic matter accumulates when programs that dilute organic matter are not keeping pace with organic matter production.” Moeller & Lowe, 2016
16. “0.5-1.5 cubic feet per 1,000 square feet every 7-14 days effectively dilutes organic matter throughout the growing season” Moeller & Lowe, 2016 That is 0.15 to 0.45 mm (150 to 450 mL/m2) every 7 to 14 days
17. Hartwiger & O’Brien, Green Section Record, July/August 2001
18. O’Brien & Hartwiger, Green Section Record, March/April 2003
19. “To keep organic matter content below 3-4 percent in the upper rootzone, these articles recommend core aeration treatments that impact 15-20 percent of the putting surface each year and topdressing programs that incorporate at least 40-50 cubic feet of sand per 1,000 square feet annually.” Moeller & Lowe, 2016 That is 12 to 15 mm per year (12 to 15 L/m2)
20. “Increasing sand topdressing frequency to every 7 to 14 days and applying at least 20.3 ft3 /1000 ft2 topdressing sand annually, combined with routine soil cultivation to ensure sand incorporation, are practices that can be utilized to manage SOM.” Schmid C.J., Gaussoin R.E., and S.A. Gaussoin. 2014. Organic matter concentration of creeping bentgrass putting greens in the continental U.S. and resident management impact. Applied Turfgrass Science. That’s a recommendation of at least 6 mm per year (6 L/m2). Another recommendation
21. 3. I started noticing
22. Creeping bentgrass green in Kumamoto, Japan. No coring for multiple years.
23. Creeping bentgrass in Kyushu in late summer. No coring in 13 years.
25. Zoysia japonica in England, July
26. Turf varieties at ATC research facility in Thailand, 2008
27. Penncross and L-93 bentgrass grown from seed in Thailand
28. Penncross bentgrass in Thailand
29. Creeping bentgrass green in Kanagawa, March
30. Articles and books transitioned from explaining the textbook ways at the start, to describing how one can make site-specific adjustments that break a lot of the “rules.”
32. Spreadsheet from PACE Turf with estimated sand requirement based on temperature (growth potential).
33. 4. Six surprising years
34. Moss on a korai green at Keya GC in Fukuoka, May 2012
35. Korai green after 12 mm hollow tine and 2 mm topdress Keya GC, May 2013
36. Keya GC, June 2013
37. Keya GC, August 2013
38. Keya GC, August 2014
39. Keya GC, March 2015
40. Keya GC, August 2017
45. Keya GC, August 2018
48. Keya GC, August 2018
49. My recommendations now
50. Measuring clipping volume from putting greens
54. Sample for organic matter by depth Keya GC, May 2017
56. Collecting sample by depth in Bangkok Seashore paspalum green, November 2018
57. Korai green soil profile in Bangkok November 2018
58. Korai green soil profile in Bangkok November 2018
59. Zoysia matrella 0 to 2 cm depth prior to furnace
60. Zoysia matrella after burn at 360 °C
61. Zoysia matrella after burn at 360 °C and then stirred
62. Zoysia matrella after burn at 440 °C
63. Zoysia matrella after burn at 440 °C and then stirred
68. What I recommend now: • Be aware of the textbook recommendations • Measure the growth rate • Measure surface firmness • Measure soil water content • Measure the surface layer organic matter • Adjust to get desired results
69. More information at www.asianturfgrass.com