Vibratory Rolling Enhances Topdressing Incorporation On Ultradwarf Bermudagrass Putting Greens.

Thatch accumulation and excessive grain in ultradwarf bermudagrass putting greens can negatively impact playability.  Frequent sand topdressing is often used to help alleviate these conditions.  However, the high shoot density and aggressive growth habit of ultradwarf bermudgrass inhibits the successful incorporation of sand topdressing into the turf canopy.  The objective of this study was to compare traditional methods of sand topdressing incorporation and vibratory rollers as a means of incorporating sand topdressing into putting green turf canopies.  This study was conducted on a three-year-old ‘TifEagle’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon ´ traansvalensis Burtt-Davy) putting green at the East Tennessee Research and Education Center in Knoxville, TN, had not been topdressed with sand for two years.  Sand topdressing was applied biweekly at a 3-mm depth from 30 July to 24 September, 2008.  Standard brushing, vibratory rolling alone, and brushing with vibratory rolling were used as sand incorporation methods.  Additionally, a control treatment that was not topdressed was included.  The amount of topdressing sand that was incorporated into the turf canopy was determined, as well as organic matter concentration in the upper 2.5 cm of the rootzone, a measure of total biomass, surface hardness, and thatch depth.  The combination of brushing and vibratory rolling resulted in less sand on the turf surface than either treatment alone.  The combination of brushing and rolling, while producing a similar surface hardness to brushing alone, produced a higher surface hardness values than rolling alone or the untreated control.  Thatch depth was not affected by topdressing incorporation methods.