2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Managing soil organic matter and rootzone moisture patterns of sand-based putting greens is critical to long-term health of turfgrasses. Soil compaction and accumulation of organic layers near the root zone surface reduce infiltration rates, decrease surface firmness, inhibit deep rooting, and negatively affect playability. Cultivation practices such as hollow-tine core aerification have traditionally be used to maintain desirable rootzone physical properties and reduce organic matter build up but can be overly disruptive to the playing surface. The objective of this study was to characterize the short-term effects of relatively non-invasive cultivation practices on soil physical properties of sand-based golf putting greens. The study was conducted on-site at six golf courses in central Oklahoma that utilized either hollow-tine core aerification, dry sand injection (DryJect), or air injection (Air2G2) cultivation methods. Cultivation events occurred in spring 2017 and 2018. Two putting greens were evaluated at each golf course and three sub-samples were taken per green. Measurements of infiltration rate, volumetric water content, surface firmness, ball roll distance, and sand particle size distribution were conducted prior to a cultivation event and subsequently at 3 days, 1 week, and 4 weeks after the event. Similar measurements were taken seasonally to characterize the typical conditions at each location. The study suggests these novel cultivation practices can be effective tools for golf course superintendents seeking lower disruption to the playing surface, but conventional hollow-tine core aerification still has the largest effect on rootzone properties.