Technical
Infiltrometer working on the 2nd green
that the top surface was firming up, and that waterlogged greens were a thing of the past, but I wanted data. The Infiltrometer uses the double ring system. It has a ball resting on the top and a gauge that measures the downward movement of water in mm/hr. I test the percolation rates every month in three positions on the green. Before I begin, I saturate the rootzone for at least ten minutes to make sure I get a ‘true’ saturated reading. These are the average annual results:
- 2010 - 31mm/hr - 2011 - 28mm/hr - 2012 - 39mm/hr
As you can see, there was a slight dip last year, but improvement was vast this year, even with the greens being pretty much saturated due to heavy rainfall. It will be interesting to see whether the trend continues.
Compaction
I test compaction levels using a penetrometer. It measures pounds per square inch at different layers in the soil. The idea is to see if any pans have built up over time which affect water movement throughout the profile. Monthly, I take nine readings across the green (see graph below).
As soon as the test was implemented, I could see that there was a slight pan between the 100 and 200mm layer. Over the years, the aeration of the greens was channeled in this range as that was what the machinery capabilities allowed for. Based on the results, from 2010 we
Measuring sward density
The density of the sward appears fairly consistent over the years, with a slight increase in 2011. I observed that, if I took a reading after a granular application of
Tools used during the three year tests
started to aerate above 100mm (shallow aeration) and below the 200mm layer (deep aeration). Now, when I put the penetrometer into the greens, I feel it sliding through the 100-200mm range, instead of feeling resistance.
Sward Density
My last agronomic test measures sward density by recording the number of leaves in a randomly selected 2cm². As with the other in-house tests, it is conducted monthly and the average results for each year are as follows:
- 2010 - 104 plants in a 2cm² - 2011 - 116 plants in a 2cm² - 2012 - 102 plants in a 2cm²
fertiliser, the numbers would shoot up but, after a foliar application, the numbers were very consistent. It proves, once again, that to produce consistent growth, little and often applications of fertiliser are needed instead of giving it all at once.
Maintenance Programme
In the past, I have been criticised for not giving the full picture. So, in the spirit of full disclosure, and before I go on to my observations and conclusions, here is the full greens maintenance programme at Ealing Golf Club:
Ealing GC Greens Maintenance Programme Item
Nitrogen kg/ha Phosphorus kg/ha Potassium kg/ha Sand Tonnage Aeration
Verti-cutting Fungicide
Applications Overseeding Rainfall (mm) Irrigation (mm)
Speed in Feet -
Apr to Sept Speed in Feet -
Oct to Mar Smoothness 1 to
10 - Apr to Sept Smoothness 1 to
10 - Oct to Mar Height of Cut
(Prism in mm) - Apr to Sept
Height of Cut
(Prism in mm) - Oct to Mar
Rounds played Greens cost in £
112 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 Compaction Test - PSI
(including all wages set at £10.5ph, materials and fuels)
30,962 35,392 33,997 27,780 26,570 25,798
2.6 2.9 2.7 N/A 8.9 N/A 7.6 1.9 2 8.9 8.1 2 22 31
2010 2011 2012 150 149 152 23
261 226 166 186 154 125 13 10 4
7 7 4
0 0
8 2 4
0
483 477 743 216 183 110
Evapo-Transporation 614 639 580 (mm)
10.6 10.8 10.2 8.2 8.3 8.4
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