Thursday, November 16, 2006 - 9:30 AM
315-8
Evaluating Different Surfactant Chemistries on an Inorganic Porous Ceramic Amended Golf Course Green.
Mica Franklin and Stanley Kostka. Aquatrols Corp, 1273 Imperial Way, Paulsboro, NJ 08066
Golf course greens in the United States are frequently amended with inorganic porous ceramics to increase firmness, water retention, cation exchange capacity and to reduce nutrient leaching. Soil surfactants are routinely applied to greens, tees and fairways to alleviate soil water repellency, reduce preferential flow, retain soil moisture, reduce runoff and reduce water consumption. Greens amended with elevated levels of porous ceramics have recently been identified that while increasing hydraulic conductivity have also been impacted by symptoms of localized dry spots.
The objectives of this research were to compare the effects of different surfactant chemistries on soil water repellency, moisture retention, turfgrass quality, chlorophyll content, and localized dry spots in a green amended with elevated levels of an inorganic porous ceramic. A replicated field trial was conducted on a golf course in central Florida. Four surfactant chemistries; a blended EO-PO block copolymer (BEP), a methyl-capped block copolymer (MEP), an APG-EO/PO block copolymer (AEP), and a single component EO-PO block copolymer (SEP), were evaluated on a droughty bermudagrass green amended with an inorganic porous ceramic.
Differences between surfactant chemistries were detected visually, as the AEP treatment and BEP treatment consistently maintained the highest quality turfgrass and the lowest level of localized dry spot. Chlorophyll content paralleled turfgrass quality, as the AEP treatment and BEP treatment contained the highest chlorophyll contents. The AEP, SEP and BEP surfactant treated plots maintained the highest VWC. When compared to other surfactant treatments, MEP held less water within the soil profile.
These preliminary results indicate that soils amended with elevated levels of inorganic porous ceramics, while maintaining saturated hydraulic conductivity, can be water repellent, which may exacerbate preferential flow. In these soils, alternative surfactants and surfactant remediation strategies may be necessary from those used in rootzone mixes not amended with porous ceramic materials.
The objectives of this research were to compare the effects of different surfactant chemistries on soil water repellency, moisture retention, turfgrass quality, chlorophyll content, and localized dry spots in a green amended with elevated levels of an inorganic porous ceramic. A replicated field trial was conducted on a golf course in central Florida. Four surfactant chemistries; a blended EO-PO block copolymer (BEP), a methyl-capped block copolymer (MEP), an APG-EO/PO block copolymer (AEP), and a single component EO-PO block copolymer (SEP), were evaluated on a droughty bermudagrass green amended with an inorganic porous ceramic.
Differences between surfactant chemistries were detected visually, as the AEP treatment and BEP treatment consistently maintained the highest quality turfgrass and the lowest level of localized dry spot. Chlorophyll content paralleled turfgrass quality, as the AEP treatment and BEP treatment contained the highest chlorophyll contents. The AEP, SEP and BEP surfactant treated plots maintained the highest VWC. When compared to other surfactant treatments, MEP held less water within the soil profile.
These preliminary results indicate that soils amended with elevated levels of inorganic porous ceramics, while maintaining saturated hydraulic conductivity, can be water repellent, which may exacerbate preferential flow. In these soils, alternative surfactants and surfactant remediation strategies may be necessary from those used in rootzone mixes not amended with porous ceramic materials.