Turf pigments and dyes sound like similar products, but they have vastly different applications on the golf course. Dr. Mark Howieson, technical team leader in research and development for Becker Underwood, explains what each does best.
What are the main differences between turf dyes and turf pigments?
The first step is just the basic difference between them. The terms are used often used interchangeably and they really shouldn’t be. One of the analogies that I use is that dyes are like sugar; pigments are more like sand. When you put a dye or water it’s soluble, it’ll break down. Pigment’s not water-soluble. Let’s move beyond that to applications into turf. With dye you’re coloring for a short term solution. It sits on the leaf until it’s broken down by UV light and the sun. It’s relatively temporary. With a pigment, you’re providing coverage onto the treated surface, and you’re basically hiding or covering whatever you sprayed with the actual pigment. For the most part they’re really not actively broken down by sunlight, but removed as the grass grows and is cut. The length of time it’s visible is dictated by the growth of the grass and the mowing. When you use the two, the big difference is the longevity. The dye won’t last more than a couple of days, but the pigment can last up to a few weeks if the weather cooperates. That kind of dictates how you use them.
How should each be applied to a golf course?
I think the big benefit of a dye is to make a very vibrant mark for a very short period of time. It’s a very common ingredient to put in spray tank with pesticide. It shows them where they’ve been, so they can be better with their application, and it’s very temporary so your turf will be back to normal very quickly. These turf products aren’t typically a very natural color, since you’re trying to use it as a mark for turf.
When you’re trying to improve effects, and you want that improvement to last for a certain amount of time, you want to use our turf pigment products. You can spray that on a green or fairway, and you can get acceptable color out of that. The primary application is that you’re really trying to improve the aesthetics. It’s more uniform, there’s better color, all of the things supers are trying through their normal management process to accomplish.
With this year’s past weather, how can these help a superintendent protect his turf?
There’s no such thing as a silver bullet. But a pigment product could be helpful. With one application, you’re going to cover up a lot of the drought symptoms. It’ll impart a very good color for some of our products for a couple weeks, some for a few months. By applying a pigment product you can improve your uniformity and consistency.
It kind of boils down to what you are trying to do. Are you just trying to have a temporary spray mark for your treatment? A dye is fine for that application. But if you want to maintain acceptable levels of turf for uniformity, a pigment is going to impart some aesthetic to at least some grass that’s not straw brown. You’re getting better coverage and you’re getting more overall uniformity. The other big benefit for the a product like that is that you’re going to get a better longer term result, so you can apply it less frequently.
