What once was considered witchcraft by many in the industry has caught on as an accepted - and even necessary, by some - method of maintaining healthy turfgrass: bionutrition.
While the use of bionutrition or biostimulants is not intended to replace the long-trusted combination of mowing, fertilization and cultivation, it has been learned that bio can enhance the condition of grasses under great stress when used in conjunction with culture practices.
Luke Strojny, superintendent at Prairie Bluff Golf Club in Crest Hill, Ill., has been on the job for 30 years and has used bio for approximately the last 10. Mother Nature’s extreme mood swings the last couple of seasons has solidified his belief in bio.
“Especially in the last two years with severe weather, it has worked on the greens where we’ve had minimal damage,” Strojny says. “It’s gotten me through some tough years. I’d hate to think [what would’ve happened] if I hadn’t used them.”
Strojny, who says he learned of bio through distributors, warns that not all products are the same and the more expensive products aren’t necessarily the best. He has been at Prairie Bluff for four years and says the results he’s seen on different turf have varied.
“Different golf courses respond differently,” he says. “It even works differently on different parts of this golf course ... from one green to the next.”
Likewise, Ross Santjer, superintendent at Moccasin Creek Country Club in Aberdeen, South Dakota, says he doesn’t just apply bio across the board.
“I have a few greens I treat different than the others to keep all greens consistent,” he says. “Consistency is a big part of having good plant health and happy golfers.”
Extreme conditions this year, from flooding for months to dry for long stretches, has made it difficult for Santjer to see what worked as far as products go, but he says he’ll open the door to bio again in 2012 if tests call for it.
“I am a big believer in test soils to see what you need to maintain good plant health,” he says. “Only time will tell what will work for me next year.”
Superintendent Patrick Grimes of Oak Creek Country Club in Sedona, Ariz., is a believer, too. He says most of what he knows about bio is anecdotal.
“I believe that the addition of humic for a carbon source increases the percentage of nitrogen that is actually getting to the plant,” Grimes says. “I also believe that the microbial activity in my soils has increased due to them. For instance, at one point this season my fairways went nine weeks without a fertilizer app. I've racked my brain trying to figure out why, and the only explanation I can come up with is increased microbial activity freeing up nutrient in the soil.
“I don't believe they're an instant fix,” he adds. “I've been applying for three years now, and only saw this for the first time this season.”
Grimes also is a fan of mychorizal products. He feels these products have helped tremendously in building root mass on his mostly-Poa greens.
“When I began here six years ago, root mass on my greens was barely an inch in the middle of the season,” he says. “Currently, mass is down four-plus inches. I've got to believe that, along with aerification practices, the mychorizal products are a major reason for this.”
Rick Darby, superintendent at Arizona National Golf Club in Tucson, has a fair amount of experience with bionutrition and biostimulants. He says he was able to use biostimulants freely in the 90s and had success on both Bermuda and bent greens. Good information was always available through respectable vendors, university research, the Internet and other superintendents he trusted. Bio isn’t magic, however.
“I’ve learned that biostimulants are not a cure-all, but definitely have a place in regular fertility when proper timing is used,” Darby says. “On both grasses, the best time to use these products is before stress periods occur and during optimal growing times of the year. That is when you get the most bang for your buck and reduce future adverse conditions.”
Darby would love to incorporate these products on a regular basis, but has little input on developing his budget.
“I’ve had to approach things differently,” he says. “With major budget reductions over the last three years, our approach has required a change. My bio program is actually using microbes we generate on site and apply through the irrigation system. What this accomplishes is a better efficiency on nutrient uptake. It has also given us a longer interval between fertilizer applications. Therefore our conditions stay much more consistent for a longer period of time.”
Strojny uses bio mostly on the greens, though he’s tried it on the driving range tees where very little works to heal excessive damage.
“Start out slow, don’t buy everything and have a test area,” he says. “I started on the putting green in the nursery and expanded it from there.”