Technical - Soil Biology
Figure 3 shows the final results of a trial conducted by James Grundy when teaching sports turf management at Reaseheath College. The pictures were taken two years into the trial. The rootzone on the left has been managed with inorganic fertilisers (kindly provided by ALS) and hollow cored, aerated and topdressed in accordance with average greenkeeping practice. The rootzone on the right was managed with mostly organic fertilisers; compost tea was applied every month in the growing season and aeration was limited to solid tines and sarrell rolling.
Figure 3 Case study: Vale Royal Abbey GC
Six years ago, I applied Thatch Eater and started introducing biology into the rootzone. The next year I moved on to applying eight to ten applications of compost tea each year.
This process has shown amazing benefits as we have not hollow cored, scarified or verticut the greens over this time, with no negative effect, and the thatch degradation continued.
We replaced the above procedures with regular aeration in the form of 6 or 8mm solid tines and weekly star slitting or sarrel rolling, combined with brushing and rolling. We are now achieving
green speeds of 9.5 to 12.5 at a cutting high of 4 to 5mm, with excellent firmness and trueness. The figures speak for themselves.
Previously, we applied 120kg of Nitrogen, 7 to 9 fungicide applications and 120 tonnes topdressing; 80/20 .
In 2015, we applied 34kg of nitrogen 3 fungicide applications and 50 tonnes of topdressing sand.
Over the last few years, one fungicide application has been the average. 2015 was a high disease pressure year and we applied one preventative and two curative.
Jonathan Betts, Course Manager, Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club
The conventionally managed rootzone still has a lot of compaction, deep thatch, locked up nutrient, layering, root breaks and anaerobic conditions and is not at all conducive to good grass growth. In comparison, after just two years, the rootzone on the right, with applied biology, has converted the thatch to humus, the microbes have opened up pore space for air and water, locked up nutrients have been made available for grass growth, the layering has gone and roots can grow throughout the rootzone.
In our tough financial climate, when golfers and sportsmen demand the highest standards with minimal disruption, managing in the most cost efficient manner is paramount.
If we take a look at the savings made when managing healthy soil, we can see that savings on 100 tonnes or more of topdressing a year, the reduced investment in machinery and blade maintenance, reduced course or pitch closures, more efficient use of man power, reduced fungicide use and more green fee income
taken together will make a sizeable improvement to almost every club’s finances.
My thanks to Hadley Wood GC, Bromborough GC, Reasheath College, Hexham GC, Gleddoch Resorts Ltd and Vale Royal Abbey GC for supplying pictures and case studies for this article.
Symbio is dedicated to researching solutions to restoring the natural biological activity in soils and growing media essential to ensure the long term sustainability of food production and amenity plant resources for the world’s increasing population.
E:
martin@symbio.co.uk T: 01428 685762 W:
www.symbio.co.uk
Case study: Gleddoch Resorts
Here at Gleddoch Resorts, we faced problems which are typical of clubs in the west of Scotland. More extreme weather and higher rainfall was shortening our already limited playing season, whilst members and visitors were demanding better putting surfaces and less frequent disruption to those surfaces.
In 2009, we started applying microbial products to improve our Soil Biology. In 2010, we took the decision to focus our attention on degrading “thatch” or excess organic material.
2010 was the last year we hollow cored any of our putting surfaces and, since then, we have reduced our organic matter levels by an average of 30% across our greens.
Case study: Hexham Golf Club
I started working with soil biology eighteen years ago and noticed continuous improvement in rootzone quality. Twelve years ago, we stopped hollow coring and reduced topdressing to 60-70 tonnes p.a., sufficient to create a good playing surface.
Aeration is now carried out by regular sarrel rolling, solid tines
118 I PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016
every 6-7 weeks and vertidraining every 18 months, plus slitting in winter.
Since starting with compost teas four years ago, drainage and firmness have both improved considerably, to the extent that, even in the wet north west, the greens are now playable almost all year and our members are very pleased with the lack of disruption to play.
Course closures are now due to waterlogged fairways and surrounds. It is also worth noting that I have only had to apply one fungicide in the last three years and perennial grasses have colonised all the drier greens.
Malcolm Latham, Course Manager, Hexham Golf Club
Despite some of the wettest years on record, from a position where we would have only a handful of greens in play during the winter, we now have playable surfaces all winter long. Throughout the year, our greens are now more capable of dealing with heavy rainfall and remain playable or recover to playable conditions more quickly than previously when hollow coring was the preferred method of drainage management.
Kevin McAleer, Director of Golf (Gleddoch Resorts Ltd)
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