Turf managers are seeing improved sustainability and playability with GreenTRX, a 16 percent organic fertilizer from Anuvia Plant Nutrients.
The fertilizer, which has a chemical ratio of 16-1-2-17S-3Fe, causes a green-up, but doesn’t create a huge flush in growth, says David Plunkett, territory manager for Harrell’s Southeast Florida region. “It’s a bunch of nutrients that are put together and they’re broken down into amino acids so they’re readily available, and that’s what gives you the quick release,” Plunkett says.
At the same time, GreenTRX contains a significant amount of slow-release material, Plunkett says. Between 60 and 65 percent of the product releases within two weeks of application, and the rest releases over the course of two months following application.
The slow-release materials are beneficial when turf is under stress, says Dr. Raymond Snyder, research and development manager at Harrell’s. “Under the challenging environmental conditions that we’ve had, a superintendent should always consider a safe product that has a slow-release component,” he says.
GreenTRX has less burn potential than other fertilizers, Plunkett says. “I tried to get a burn, and we put out three pounds of N and didn’t water it in, and we did not get a burn,” he says. “We got a good green-up, but we did not get a burn. So it’s typically higher rates than what you would put out of many fertilizers.”
By creating a dense turf canopy on greens and fairways, GreenTRX positively impacts play, Snyder says.
From a sustainability standpoint, GreenTRX is beneficial because it does not leach, says Todd Ingram, superintendent of Fort Lauderdale Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “It’s all contained,” he says.
Because a significant portion of the product is released at a slow rate, its contents — which derive from sewage sludge and food waste — don’t just get dumped into the turf system and leach through, Plunkett says.
Anuvia’s practice of reusing waste as ingredients in GreenTRX reduces the negative impact of waste on the environment, Snyder says. “It completes the loop in that it utilizes organic waste streams from other industries that would otherwise be sent to a landfill or something of that nature,” he says.
Overall, turf managers see positive results with GreenTRX, Plunkett says. “I think it’s a great product,” he says. “I think it can certainly help a lot of guys in a lot of situations.”
Patrick Williams is a Cleveland-based writer and frequent GCI contributor.