Finding An Edge In A Competitive Industry
Sustainability at a golf course implies a functioning business model for profitability, agronomic programming conducive to a reliable and quality playing surface, and environmental stewardship. Golfers demand the best possible turf and playing conditions for the cost paid per round of golf. Golf course operators should seek management protocols that address societal concerns for the environment including protection of water resources and minimizing the carbon footprint of the facility. Those that fail to do so will fall increasingly behind in an extremely competitive market.
Turfgrass fertilization is a primary component of golf course management that directly affects turfgrass health and playability, the maintenance budget and environmental quality. A golf course fertility program that promotes optimal turfgrass health while safeguarding environmental quality and capturing efficient use of budget dollars is sustainable.
Safeguarding Water Quality With Nutrient Use Efficiency
Protection of both groundwater and surface water resources is a primary environmental goal within golf course management. Strategies to reduce nutrient leaching and runoff are considered best management practices and include the use of buffer strips of unmaintained and/or higher cut vegetation adjacent to waterways, soil amendments that reduce leaching potential, avoidance of overloading the turf system with nutrients, working closely with climate and weather data, appropriate irrigation practices, soil testing, accurate application methods and proper product selection. Grigg Brothers foliar fertilizers have been tested for foliar nutrient uptake at four U.S. universities on three different turfgrass species (creeping bentgrass, annual bluegrass, hybrid bermudagrass), and research data clearly indicate that turfgrass plants can absorb greater than 80% of applied nutrient through the leaves when the fertilizer is properly formulated and the nutrients properly chelated. (TABLE 1)
Nutrient runoff and the subsequent eutrophication of surface water have led to the ban of phosphorous fertilization of turf in many communities across the U.S. and Canada (viii). Researchers at Auburn University have documented that leaching of phosphorous may occur in sand root zone putting greens (iv).
Phosphorous is a main component of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), an energy compound used for many metabolic processes within plants, and is thus critical to plant survival. While soil tests may indicate ample phosphorous availability in some locations, phosphorous deficiency can occur in others, particularly sand root zone putting greens with calcareous pH and/or cool soil temperatures throughout much of the growing season (i). Utilizing a chelated phosphorous source fertilizer in light and frequent application will minimize risk of phosphorous loss to the environment, and maximum nutrient use efficiency will be lead to optimal agronomic conditions. Research with Grigg Brothers foliar fertilizers indicates greater than 85% phosphorous uptake by the turfgrass plant (iii). By following recommended rates for Grigg Brothers foliar fertilizers, very little phosphorous would be available for loss to the environment, and most not immediately absorbed by the turfgrass leaf tissue would be taken up by the plant roots, fixed in the soil or used by microorganisms.
Only Grigg Brothers has the documented nutrient uptake data to demonstrate the efficiency of advanced fertilizer formulation technology and its related benefit to the environment. Using the most efficient fertilizer available enables turf managers to apply less total nutrient per unit area across the growing season to achieve agronomic objectives while safeguarding environmental quality by minimizing the potential for nutrient loss.
Carbon Footprint
With the global concern for climate change, managing golf courses to minimize carbon emissions and loss should be on everyone’s list of objectives. It makes good sense from both the environmental and marketing perspectives. Capturing resource efficiency by selecting fertilizers proven to provide the highest degree of nutrient uptake and utilization by the plant reduces the risk of volatilization of nitrous dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and reduces overall fertilizer use, which minimizes carbon emissions during production, provides better control over growth for mowing management and provides integrated solutions to pest management, which will be covered later in this article.
Consider The Chelating Agent
Grigg Brothers foliar fertilizers are formulated with only natural chelating agents that place mineral nutrients in a fully bound ring structure. Specifically, the chelating agents used in all Grigg Brothers products are organic acids, amino acids and carbohydrates selected either individually or in combination to chelate specific metal nutrients, while maintaining the highest stability constant. Grigg Brothers natural chelating agents are derived from plants, are quickly biodegradable, can be used by microorganisms as a food source, and unlike synthetic chelating agents, will not persist in the environment as a pollutant.
EDTA (Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid) is a widely used, synthetic chelating agent in many fertilizer formulations around the world. EDTA is one of the anthropogenic compounds found in highest concentration in inland European waters (vii). EDTA behaves as a persistent substance in the environment and is harmful to bacteria,
causing the destruction of their outer membrane. Its potential contribution to heavy metals bioavailability and remobilization processes in the environment is a major concern worldwide (vii).
Nutritional IPM
Nutrient management and disease interactions have been well-documented for many years (i). Recent research funded by Grigg Brothers has shown low rates of specialized products can reduce fungicide inputs for turfgrass disease control. Ultraplex® combined with half or lower than recommended rates of propiconazole can provide excellent dollar spot control over an extended time (vi) (TABLE 2). Ultraplex® is a combination product containing macro and micronutrients, buffering agent, surfactant, sea plant extract and biostimulants.
Fertilizer products containing potassium phosphite (K2PO3), such as Grigg Brothers P-K Plus®, have been documented to improve plant resistance to anthracnose and pythium diseases. Phosphite is an elicitor compound that activates natural plant defenses against pests and environmental stress. Researchers at Rutgers University have shown that P-K Plus® (6 fl.oz. / 1,000 FT2) in combination with low label rates of chlorothalonil (1.8 fl.oz. / 1,000 FT2) is an effective and integrated anthracnose control strategy, equaling or bettering fungicide rotations alone (ii) (TABLE 3). Researchers at Virginia Tech University have demonstrated that P-K Plus® (4 fl.oz. / 1,000 FT2) can prevent the incidence of pythium blight as well as conventional fungicides and improve turfgrass quality (v). P-K Plus® includes macro and micronutrients for plant health, plus phosphite to improve physiology and natural defenses by promoting production of antioxidants and phytoalexin.
Agronomic Solutions, Budget Efficiency, and Sustainability
Sustainable golf course fertilization strategies should involve the use of products with proven agronomic results, the highest level of uptake efficiency, and reduced risk to the environment. Grigg Brothers foliar fertilizers utilize naturally occurring, plant-derived organic chelating and complexing agents that provide nutrients to plants in the proper ionic form. The documented uptake efficiency optimizes agronomic programming and minimizes the risk of nutrient loss to the environment. University research has shown that Grigg Brothers fertility plans and products can help reduce pesticide inputs and maintain quality turf conditions and playing surfaces. This type of proven efficiency, agronomic performance and negligible risk to the environment is why Grigg Brothers fertilizers represent a sustainable approach to nutrient management at golf courses.
REFERENCES
i. Carrow, R.N., D.V. Waddington, and P.E. Rieke. 2001. Turfgrass soil fertility and chemical problems. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ.
ii. Clarke, B.B. 2008. Impact of Chemical and Biological Fungicides for Preventative Control of Anthracnose on an Annual Bluegrass Green. http://www.griggbros.com/edu
iii. Gaussoin, R., C. Schmidt, K. Frank, T. Butler, H. Liu, W. Jarvis, and C. Baldwin. 2009. Foliar uptake of nutrients applied in solution to Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.), Annual bluegrass (Poa annua var. reptans (Hausskn.) and Ultra-Dwarf Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon x C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy). International Plant Nutrition Colloquium (University of California Davis). Paper 1396
iv. Guertal, E. A. 2007. Phosphorus leaching from sand-based putting greens. USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online 6(16): 1-6
v. Horvath, B.J., and D.S. McCall. 2007. Field evaluation of phosphite based products challenged with heat stress and pythium. http://www.griggbros.com/edu
vi. McDonald, S. 2008. Dollar spot control with Banner Maxx with and without Ultraplex and Intake. http://www.griggbros.com/edu
vii. Oviedo, C. and J. Rodriguez. 2003. EDTA: The chelating agent under environmental scrutiny. Quim. Nova, Vol. 26, No. 6, 901-905.
viii. Vavrek, R. 2005. Phosphorous under fire. USGA Green Section Record. Vol. 43 (4), 1-6.
