The hot seat

In mid-summer, the National Weather Service reported that a staggering three-quarters of the country was in or very near drought status, terrible news for an industry that bases its very existence on the quality of its playing surfaces.

Many superintendents turned to a variety of bionutrients to help them combat summer stress. A combination of core aerification, deep tining, topdressing, nutrients, light weight mowing, wetting agents and bio-nutrition can help stem the tide of summer stress on turfgrass, says Brian Benedict, superintendent at The Seawane Club in Hewlett, N.Y., on Long Island. He reported four dry weeks in a row through mid-July.

“The weather has been strange this season,” he says. “I am noticing is how tired the grass is looking and I believe that it is a direct result of the mild winter we experienced. The lack of hardening from no deep sustained freeze has depleted the carbohydrate storage of the plant due to growth throughout the winter as opposed to going completely dormant.”

In addition to traditional applications of nitrogen, the incorporation of triplex mowing and careful watering, Benedict incorporated roots granular fertilizer with mycorrhiza in aerification holes to stimulate root elongation and growth. He also uses CPR on a regular basis on his greens at four ounces per thousand square feet every seven to 10 days as part of his foliar program.

“I believe the sea plant extract combined with our nitrogen, calcium and magnesium/manganese program has really helped our greens. Also, we changed over to the Progressive Turf liquid fertilizer this year (10-3-5). Progressive is a soy bean extract-based product that seems to really have a wonderful effect on our poa/bent greens. On the fairways we use plant food molasses on a 14-day interval at a rate of one gallon per acre. I believe the continued application of simple sugars will help the plant through periods of stress.”

Benedict says using bionutrients is not a one shot deal.

“I think the bio-nutrition products are helpful and aid in plant health. I do not believe that they are the end all be all of our agronomic program. They are an additive source, not the staple. The N-P-K are the bones of the program and the bio-nutrition products aid in the uptake and use of the major nutrients, almost like vitamins.” All products are sprayed except for the roots granular product. “Bionutrients should not be considered on a one application basis and see what happens. You must go season after season and visually inspect the turf and monitor its resiliency.”

Benedict says superintendents should be wary of hot sunny weather as it pertains to uptake and degradation.

“I water in most of the products that we use and only leave the Emerald Isle CPR to dry on the plant. Most of the products are better crown- or root-absorbed,” he says. “We will continue to use the products on our greens, tees and fairways as long as the members support the budget.”