Phosphites

Phosphites have become a popular and very common topic in the turf management world, but what exactly do they do for the turf? 

Phosphites are now commonly being used in the turf world for disease suppression, as plant defense activators that can strengthen the plant to enable it to fight in times of stress and as a biostimulant to strengthen the plant through root & shoot development, stress tolerance, etc. Because of phosphites ability to suppress disease and strengthen the plant to be capable of fighting off stress, phosphites are a very popular and important component of a managers integrated pest management program as there is more and more pressure to move away from or use less synthetic pesticides. Phosphites are generally less expensive than traditional fungicide products and will have less of a negative effect on harming non-target organisms when spraying.

Phosphites on their own have proven to reduce the incidence of disease in many cases by atleast 50% but have also shown that they can even have greater control than that. Research has proven that with the combination of both phosphites and traditional fungicides together that disease suppression is excellent and even better than the fungicides on their own. Because of this data it can give you as a turf manager a few options. When disease pressure is moderate to low the use of phosphites on their own may just be enough to control the disease within your thresholds. When disease pressure is high and phosphites and fungicides are used together you can expect very strong disease control or even the option to use a lower rate of fungicide without losing any of the expected control you would expect from fungicides alone at a higher rate. 

The addition of phosphites to turf will result in higher quality and more dense turf compared to areas where phosphites are not used. In trial data the plots with phosphites added were even able to show that the turf treated with phosphites were more dense and of better overall quality in comparison to the turf that received just fungicide applications. Trials have now been carried out to show that when phosphites are in contact with pathogen material that they will actually slow the development of the pathogen similar to a fungicide and then allow the plant to fight back against the disease.  

Turf Fuel carries two phosphite products called Phos-Sil Fuel Supreme and MZ-23. Phos-Sil Fuel Supreme is a combination of phosphite and silica. The phosphites will help to fight disease and enable plant defense mechanisms while the silica will harden cell walls and results in a tougher and more resilient plant. Phos-Sil Fuel is the ultimate plant stress and health product that will result in a very tough plant. 

   

MZ-23 is a combination of phosphite, sea kelp, potassium, manganese and zinc. This product combination will result in exceptional stress resistance, colour and turf health. It is great for driving roots but the combination of manganese and zinc are also great for in-season patch diseases and carrying out many of the plants most important jobs like photosynthesis.  

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management.   

Humic Acid

Humic acids are a complex form of coal that are made up of decayed matter found in nature from organic matter in the soil, water and sediments found mostly in aquatic and wet ares in nature. They are a chain of carbon that are reactive in soil and will react with many metals and minerals which is one of the main reasons why they are valuable to a turf manager.  

Typical humic acid structure

Humic acids work great in the soil as an amendment and in improving microbial activity. One of the most important characteristics for humic acids is their ability to make nutrients applied or tied up in the soil either more effective or available to the plant when they previously were not able to be used by the plant as efficiently or potentially not even at all. They can also improve the soils ability to retain moisture which can also help in getting some nutrients into solution to be utilized by the plant. Because humic acids help to improve the soil they also promote and increase microbial activity in the soil which in turn can help with thatch management, pest prevention, nutrient availability, etc. 

Because of all of the previously mentioned benefits we can conclude that humic acids help to result in a healthier plant that is more resilient and can withstand stresses easier with some instances of increased rooting also being observed with the addition of humic acids. Humic acids are a great and very necessary tool for turf managers in Saskatchewan given our naturally high pH that occurs in our soils and water sources. We know that with higher pH readings above 7 that many nutrients are less available to the plant within the soil. In order to get the most out of your soil based fertilizer applications or the existing reserves in the soil humic acids are the perfect tool for a problem that many turf mangers are facing in the province.

Turf Fuel has a product called XChange that is our main humic acid source. XChange is great for all of the above mentioned facts such as improving nutrient availability within the soil, microbial activity and for overall plant health. XChange also contains sea kelp which will promote robust rooting and a great colour response. Salicylic acid is also found in XChange and it will aid in priming the natural plant defense mechanisms within the plant to fight off stress and result in a much more healthy and resilient plant. 

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management.   

Plant Defense Activators

The use of plant defense activators in turf has become a very common trend in recent years largely due to the fact that they have proven to be very effective in managing the stresses that the plant is put through and due to their more positive view on the environment in comparison to synthetic fungicides. The general understanding of this process is that we can promote the plant to use its own natural plant resistance responses to fight stresses such as disease, insects and abiotic (physical) stresses. The two most common defense mechanisms are Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) and Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR). 

The focus of this post will be on Systemic Acquired Resistance which is when a stress, pathogen or type of activator triggers the salicylic acid (SA) pathway which then results in a systemic signal within the plant that activates the defense response genes. This results in the production of PR (pathogenesis-related) proteins which are vital for the plant in dealing with the stress. Once this process has taken place the plant can then be strong enough to fight the pathogen or stress without having the plant decline just from using its own natural processes. This process can be related to a human strengthening their immune system to be strong enough to fight a cold without the need for antibiotics.  

Some very common elements that help to bring upon an SAR response in plants are the addition of phosphites, salicylic acid and silicon. SAR products have proven that in some cases they can provide equal and acceptable control of pathogens when comparing them to traditional fungicides which is a huge advantage to our industry as they have now given turf managers the option of products that have a stronger perception within society and government environmentally and more product options as chemical restrictions become more common. These products have also shown that they are fantastic tank mix companions with fungicides as they can either provide better control out of the fungicide or even provide the consumer with the opportunity to cut fungicide rates and still achieve acceptable control. 

The great benefit to using products that contain elements that trigger natural plant defense mechanisms within the plant is that you are able to supply the plant with everything it needs to fight without having the plant deplete itself in any way so that immediately after the plant has dealt with the stress it can then continue on with its normal processes such as photosynthesis or protein production. 

There are many Turf Fuel products that can help to trigger a Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) or natural plant defense mechanism within the plant. Any of our products that contain Nutrifense are going to work fantastic in carrying out the plant defense process. Nutrifense contains an SAR elicitor that will work as a defense activator and Nutrifense also supplies defensive, (stress-fighting) chemicals derived throughout the world for their unique abilities to deal with extreme stress. The three product that contain Nutrifense are Element 6 (which contain a full dose of Nutrifense), Respo Fuel and Photo Fuel which are all going to give any turf manager fantastic results when it comes to stress management. 

Other Turf Fuel products that contain elements such as salicylic acid, phosphites, humic acid, silicon, etc that will all help to trigger the natural plant defense mechanisms within the plant are Phos-sil Fuel Supreme, MZ-23, XChange and Lessen 11. 

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management. 

Basic Nitrogen Nutrition

I have been meaning to get back into blogging for quite a while now as it was something I greatly enjoyed as a Superintendent and now my comeback has finally come. I wanted it to be a continuation of the work I had done as a Superintendent so that is why I have re-purposed my old blog into this current one. My goal will be to post at least once a month and to cover a certain plant health topic and then relate it to some real world product examples.

Since this is the fresh start to the blog I figured I might as well start with about the simplest but most thought about topics in turf management and where most programs start. This topic will be nitrogen nutrition. 

Nitrogen has many roles within the plant and is the nutrient that turf managers will generally use the most of. Nitrogen is a component of chlorophyll which in turn is very necessary for the entire photosynthesis process to take place. Nitrogen is also an important component of amino acids and proteins for cell structure, nucleic acids that allows turfgrass to maintain certain characteristics that are genetic to turfgrass plants and coenzymes which are involved in allowing metabolic reactions to take place within plant cells. Because it is such a valuable component in these processes the plant could not complete its ongoing plant cycles without nitrogen. 

Nitrogen also has an affect on shoot growth, root growth, shoot density, plant colour, stress management/hardiness, disease suppression and turfgrass competition. Shoot growth is important as when you add nitrogen you are promoting the plant to grow top growth or more leaf tissue which is one of the most obvious signs of a growing/living turfgrass plant. Nitrogen can increase root growth initially or if nitrogen is supplied in adequate amounts. In instances of excessive nitrogen use it can limit or decrease root development though as eventually we can deplete carbohydrate levels to the point that the plant chooses to produce shoots over roots and either limit or decrease root amounts. Because nitrogen is a valuable component of chlorophyll it has a huge impact on just how green the plant is as chlorophyll is what gives the plant colour. This is also proof as to why the plant turns yellow when nitrogen is deficient.

An example of chlorophyll in action first thing in the spring

Certain plant stresses will relate to nitrogen levels differently. Generally plant hardiness for cold weather will be lower if the plant has been given excessive nitrogen right before freezing as nitrogen can be a limiting factor in this case. The plants ability to deal with heat stress can be improved with nitrogen though as nitrogen can increase the amount of plant respiration carried out. Traffic stress will generally be less in plants with adequate nitrogen as the plant is resilient enough to handle compaction of the plant and resilient enough to recover and grow new tissue as a result of the stress.  

Nitrogen amounts can have both positive and negative effects on disease development or suppression of certain diseases. High nitrogen can results in a softer and more fleshy leaf tissue that can be more prone to certain fungi of certain diseases like leaf spot, fusarium and certain warm weather patch diseases. But in turn there are some diseases like dollar spot that are generally less common in turf that has been given adequate amounts of nitrogen. One important factor in dealing with disease and nitrogen management no matter what will always be that if an infection takes place and recovery is necessary; nitrogen will be needed to promote recovery of the plant from the stress it has endured.  

Nitrogen levels can also be an important factor in managing stands of turf with more than one turf type. An example of this would with annual bluegrass versus creeping bentgrass. If you want to promote the annual bluegrass than you would want to apply higher levels of nitrogen as it will be more competitive in instances of high nitrogen. If you are trying to promote the bentgrass though, then you would want to slightly limit nitrogen as in this case of lower nitrogen the creeping bentgrass would be more competitive.

If you are looking to add nitrogen to your program with Turf Fuel we would usually look at products like Base N25 and Root Down or many of our premium Turf Fuel G granular products. Other products containing levels of nitrogen include Photo Fuel, Quick Green and Blade Iron.

Base N25 is a 25-0-0 (25% nitrogen) containing slow release nitrogen and Turf Fuel's G2D technology. This is a fantastic nitrogen product for any instances where colour and plant growth are desired or needed as well as helping with all of the other functions that we had previously discussed above. G2D is a blend of conjugated, plant-based hormones that promote plant growth and development while improving shoots, crowns, chlorophyll production and energy conservation. 

 Root Down 18-0-0 (18% nitrogen) is a brand new nitrogen product that is built to be a problem solver. It contains acidified nitrogen and micronutrients. It will work great as a regular nitrogen source in your program or as a sodium, black layer and bicarbonate remediation tool because of the acidified nitrogen it contains. 

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for. 

A New Year!

2017 is here and we are now excitedly looking forward to what a new year will bring us here at the golf course. Winter work has been progressing nicely and things are on track to be all ready for when the warm spring weather decides to arrive this year.

Most of our maintenance, cultural and fertility/chemical planning and calendars have been completed to allow us to be as organized as possible and prevent having to always think on the go. Equipment servicing has been completed and the few repairs that needed to be completed are almost done.

Mowers after reel maintenance was completed

We have received a lot of snow so far this winter which has been great since we have had a relatively cold winter. The snow has really helped to insulate all the turf and help to try and keep everything as healthy as possible heading into the spring.

Nice snow cover on 12 just before Christmas

Lots of snow around the clubhouse

I will be attending the Golf Industry Show again this February to help keep us up to date with all of the new trends and topics within the turfgrass management industry. Safety programs and the final equipment repairs will be completed as well to allow us to have everything ready. 

For 2017 I will officially be taking on the role of General Manager for the golf club along with the Golf Course Superintendent position. This will not really result in any major changes at the club as I have already been performing these duties the past few seasons but it will allow for us to establish a clear direction in where we are trying to go and clear up any confusion that existed for anyone who was looking to contact anyone with questions, concerns or decisions. It will definitely allow the business to run even smoother. 

We will have a new Pro Shop Manager for the 2017 season as our previous manager will not be returning next season. A new manager has been verbally hired and a formal announcement will be made in the next little while once everything has been finalized.

Budget work was completed in December for 2017 and the 2017 golf rates were finalized. There will be no increase in any rates for 2017 for anyone who may have been wondering about this.

As the winter progresses I will be putting a major focus on the business side of things before spring is here. I am hoping to secure all sponsorship for 2017 as there are many items up for renewal this year. There will also be a major focus put on increasing corporate memberships and tournaments as a program will be developed to get our information out to all of the potential customers we have currently been missing out on. A program will also be developed to increase our regular memberships as well as incentives to anyone who can help us bring in new members.  

I will be back with another update for everyone in February. Until then I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best in 2017!

Hole 18 just as winter was arriving

November Update

October was a busy month filled with preparing the golf course for winter. It always is one of the most important months of the year as the work we do really sets the tone for next season. 

A little bit of snow fell to start off the month and really put everyone into the fall/winter mindset. We were finally able to finish tee box aeration the second week in October once the weather smartened up. Fairway aeration began that same week and was completed over the next two weeks as it was only done as time allowed as there were other jobs that had to disrupt completion.

The completion of tee box aeration

17 fairway after aeration

Our final fungicide applications took place on greens and tee boxes the third week of October to help protect us against any winter disease and stress over this upcoming winter. 

Our final fungicide application on greens

Irrigation blowout also took place the third week of the month and took two and a half days to complete. In this process we use a large air compressor to blow compressed air through the irrigation lines beginning at the pumphouse. The air is released through all of the sprinkler heads and drains on the golf course in an attempt to remove all water from the lines to prevent freezing and damage to the system.

The compressor we used for blowout

Air pushing moisture out of the sprinkler heads

Snowfence installation began on the tee boxes following the fungicide application and took three days to install. We install this snowfence to help trap snow which will then help to insulate the turf and protect it from the cold and dry winter winds.

Snowfence installed on 8 tee box

The tarps were installed on the greens over a three day period the last week of October. We install the tarps to help protect and insulate the turf from desiccation. Desiccation of the plant occurs when the plant is exposed to the cold and dry winter winds. The winds remove the moisture that remains in the plant and once the moisture is removed from the base of the plant it is then weakened and eventually dies. 

The tarp installed on the putting green

Snowfence installation on the greens began following tarping and will be completed today (Nov. 4). We install snowfence on greens for the same reason as mentioned above with tee boxes. We will also be installing snowfence to the northwest exposed side of the bunkers the we had rebuilt this year and last. We will be doing this to trap snow in the bunkers on top of the sand. The new sand that we installed is a smaller particle size than previous and as a result it will blow out of the bunker when exposed over the winter.

Snowfence installation on 7 green

Next week I will be attending our Saskatchewan Turfgrass Associations annual fall meetings before everyone goes away into winter mode. I have also been given the opportunity to prepare a presentation for the entire group which I am thankful to have the opportunity to be doing. Following that reel maintenance will be the main focus before my Assistant is done at the end of November. We will be sharpening and performing any repair and maintenance to all of the mower reels so they are ready to cut in the 2017 season.

I will check back with you all in December to update you on what has been happening in the turf care department and the plans for the winter as well as any exciting news involving the golf club in general.   

Our valley holes on a beautiful October day

September/October Update

We are only a few days away from the Pro Shop closing for the season and its hard to believe that another golf season has come and gone. We had another successful season as many great projects were accomplished. August and September were both very busy months for our department.

Greens aeration took place the last week in August right before all of our students went back to school. We completed the front 9 and practice holes on a Monday and the back 9 on a Thursday. We performed this process for many reasons. Some of these reasons include reducing compaction from golf and equipment traffic, reducing thatch (dead and decaying plant matter at the surface), stimulate new plant growth, increase green speed and playability, and to improve water, nutrient and air exchange and infiltration into the soil.

The aeration process

We put out fungicide applications the first and last week of September as a part of our winter protection and fall take-all patch prevention programs. The fungicide is applied to fight against or prevent conditions favorable for the disease pathogen (pest) to grow and produce. Our final winter protection fungicide applications on greens and tee boxes will be applied the week of October 17.  

Our first fungicide application

We have continued with bunker reconstruction work through August and September and now have rebuilt six greenside bunkers. Through this process we are installing all new drainage to remove standing water and then installing all new sand to the bunker. We also installed new weeping tile around two sets of tee boxes to help dry up the surrounds as you walk on to the tee box. We hope to possibly do another bunker and tee surround if weather and time allows yet this fall. 

A rebuilt bunker at 10 green

We will be completing our final cut of the year this week for fairways, tee boxes and rough and then most of our operators will be done work for the season. We hope to complete aeration to tee boxes and fairways this week if the weather cooperates.

Tee box aeration

 
We will be blowing out the irrigation system the week of the 17th and then snowfence will be installed on tee boxes following blowout. We will be tarping greens the last week of October and then installing snowfence on all of them. 

As you can see we have a lot of work planned for October as it should be a very busy month but it is great to be coming off another very successful year for the turf care department. We would also like to thank everyone for their continued support and business. 

Beautiful September morning on the golf course