Crossing the W
hile exposing yourself to a different culture will always leave an impression, my time in the UK has definitely changed the way I think about agronomy. It has also helped me to shape my opinion on where the industry should be moving in both New Zealand and the UK.
Agronomy
In agronomic terms the conditions that I have encountered in the UK are very similar to New Zealand. Fundamental issues, such as thatch management, drainage, surface preparation and species composition, are the main priority for greenkeepers in both countries. I expected to encounter far more
agronomic differences than I did. Despite the growing season being shorter and the soils less fertile in the UK than in New Zealand, the species composition and major turf issues are very similar. This has helped me come to the realisation that greenkeeping operations are often more influential on species composition than the climatic conditions or soil type.
Drainage
Hood left her native New Zealand to join the STRI to work as a regional agronomist in the North of England. Now she is heading back to take up a senior position with
Two years ago Megan
the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute.
agronomy is approached in the UK and New Zealand and how the industry should be
moving forward in both countries
8
In her ‘farewell’ article she looks at how
Like the UK, many older New Zealand golf courses have drainage issues. In New Zealand the trend has been towards reconstruction as drainage systems have not always been effective or have been too disruptive to surfaces. The Brits, however, have the pipe draining of greens down to a fine art. I have seen many fine examples of beautifully designed greens saved from reconstruction by the installation of the closely spaced pipe drainage systems. These systems are quick and inexpensive to install and disruption to play is minimal. Perfect! We have been experimenting with all sorts of other
technology in New Zealand. However, in my
opinion, none come
close to the
well-designed pipe drainage systems that
Etiquette When I came to the UK I thought that
I have seen in the UK. Thatch Management
The approach to thatch management is similar in the UK to New Zealand, however, the monitoring of organic carbon levels is much more common in New Zealand. Most higher quality New Zealand clubs monitor their thatch levels at four different depths every six months (I always use ‘loss on ignition tests’). This inexpensive testing (which is available in the UK) helps greenkeepers to assess the progress of thatch management programmes and also to communicate the ongoing need for operations such as topdressing and hollow-tine coring to members.
Equipment
The use of bulk- topdressing units is more widespread in the UK and has greatly improved the efficiency of topdressing here. This technology is yet to make a big impact in New Zealand, however, I don’t think it will be long until they catch on to these
handy tools. Turf rollers (including vibratory
rollers) have been widely used in New Zealand for quite some now and many UK clubs have taken on the technology during my time here. Certainly we are in a golden age of turf machinery and it is good to see that greenkeepers in
both countries are making the most of the new technology.
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