Technical


Organic Matter


Fibre optimum! O


Organic matter, or the build up of thatch, remains a dominant issue across many sports disciplines, but has our knowledge and understanding of it moved with the times?


In the first of a three part series, Agronomist Charles Henderson, offers an insight into the latest technology available for the management of organic matter


110 PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013


rganic matter, thatch, fibre - call it what we will, research, articles and opinions are plentiful when it comes to organic matter and its management. Yet it remains a dominant issue in all of our maintenance and renovations programmes and will do for many years to come. Through accurate assessment of organic matter, the industry’s knowledge of its development and management is evolving.


Importance of organic matter management


All educated turf managers agree that failure to deal with organic matter, and allowing its increase, results in a range of negative changes in our surfaces, including:


- deteriorating surface firmness


- reduced playability during wet/winter months


- decreased frost play tolerance - increased poa annua content


- increased average annual moisture contents


- higher chance of aggressive disease occurrence


- favourable conditions for pest activity


- favourable conditions for algae, moss and other weeds


If you’re a golfer, course manager or the club accountant, either way you look at it, increasing and/or excessive organic matter levels in greens is not good for the long term health of the clubs. For some, this remains much more than something to manage, it’s an issue that sits at the very heart of other maintenance challenges faced and poor playing quality that golfers experience. In recent years, the industry’s knowledge and understanding of organic matter has increased. As understanding increases, it is becoming apparent where past shortfalls in dealing with it have been present.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140