Turfgrass stress can leave golf course superintendents scratching their heads for answers to some of their problems. So superintendents from the United States and other regions of the world came to the GCSAA Educational Conference in Orlando, Fla., and, among other things, attended a seminar presented by Karl Danneberger of Ohio State University and Joe DiPaola of Syngenta Professionals Products, to help find answers to their turfgrass stress problems. They found sometimes there isn’t always a clear-cut answer.
Danneberger and DiPaola emphasized to superintendents that they shouldn’t be trying to produce beautiful turf, but playable turf that meets the standards and expectations of those who play on their courses. The two presenters discussed many issues, one of which was water content in turfgrass during the winter.
Danneberger suggests superintendents push carbohydrates into the turf in right before winter because that helps cells in the turfgrass hold water. He said more turf is lost during the winter because it doesn’t get enough water rather than it being too cold. Watering turfgrass before winter isn’t effective for turfgrass growth because the water will move from the turf to the air because the air is dry, and water is attracted to the dry atmosphere, according to Dipaola. Danneberger and DiPaola suggest superintendents reduce the moisture content of turfgrass before winter.
A way to measure the amount of water in the turf, which should be done during the fall, is too cut the turf, weigh it, then dry it, and weigh it again. The difference of the two measurements is the water content.
And not all types of turfgrass are equal. As an example, ryegrass has a higher water content than other turfgrasses because its crown is taller, so it’s exposed to the air and dries out quicker, according to Danneberger. He said researchers are looking into making a ryegrass that has a compressed crown.