Kyle Erdige, superintendent at New York State’s Timber Banks Golf Club, wanted to decrease his fertilizer and water usage in a significant way. He turned to bionutrients in 2012 to reach those goals. But he didn’t expect to surpass them.
Erdige used bionutrients throughout the year, focusing on a product built from seaweed extract on his course’s greens, tees and fairways. He said the primary reason he used bionutrients was to help decrease his fertilizer and water usage by a goal of 20 percent. They helped bolster his turf as a major part of his spring feeding on greens and tees and also as dormant feed and after aerification.
“I believe the turf is going into next season in better condition because the Soil Life I’m spraying is helping the plant take up the nutrients better and easier because of the microbial activity it creates.” The bionutrients he uses are cost-effective because he’s using less water, lower rates on chemicals and spraying less often. “I’m getting better nutrient uptake and therefore using less fertilizer.”
Erdige used seaweed-extract bionutrition products during mid-summer at about a quarter pound rate for two applications to fight off summer stress.
“This seemed to help with the summer stresses and also gave the root zone some nutrients instead of just feeding the top side of the plant with foliar applications of Adams Earth that I use in every one of my foliar sprays for greens. I feel it helps the plant with the summer stresses and wear and tear of the cultural practices we have here and also from everyday play.”
Timber Banks’ turf was “definitely strengthened” going into the fall of 2012 because of its improved ability to handle stress and having enhanced strength to fight off diseases through use of the bionutrients, says Erdige. Not only did the products strengthen his turf, but also his course’s bottom line.
Build from the bottom line
Superintendents use bionutrition products to manage water usage and chemical applications.
