Sometimes observations made after the passing of time are the most meaningful. The wonders of today may or may not be the wonders of tomorrow.
Golf course management strategies over time have evolved. Greenskeepers became superintendents. Science was always involved, perhaps not always understood, but always involved. When soil became sand the importance of understanding science evolved and emerged as well. This was around the ‘70s and superintendents everywhere learned that sand and soil were much different.
Alternative methods of feeding the plants on our greens became an exploration of sorts. Liquids, solubles mostly, from some form of agriculture, emerged in turf. In agriculture, they had been used for decades, and these products, for the most part, were always aimed at the soil. Some were granular and were dissolved, then sprayed in large volumes of water per acre to minimize the “burn” potential. “Will it burn?” was a common question.
The truth is, some burned the soil anyway and I still bear the scars of learning that the hard way. Mostly, it was because I did not understand the raw materials in products, or their mode of action. Many raw materials were fine for soil applications, more or less going into the ocean of exchange sites the soil contained, and the ability of soil to “buffer” such products offered some protection.
No longer do we sit back as superintendents and get “taught” the hard way. We have all learned about the importance of quality as specific products were developed for foliar applications on turf. We became educated and there was a thirst for this information which the brave wanted badly.
Growing grass is not going to the moon. The grass knows what to do. We just need to help the plant complete its biological objective, which is the production of mature proteins in our golf environment.
Brave superintendents always experiment, to find a better way, and to do so is almost our duty. I speak of a system that is all encompassing, including soil, plants’ external and internal chemistries, and balance.
Golf has evolved as well, and as the construction boom occurred, and golf became “more manufactured”, there was a demand for faster greens and smoother surfaces. Rootzones of sand needed a different standard of care.
Balancing these facts, with the emerging science of plant management, challenged superintendents to be better, and to learn about soil science and plant science. We rose to the challenge. We must OWN this knowledge as it is an insurance policy for us. It’s a system of learning based on the understanding of plant chemistry.
The problem was in not trying, or learning this new system driven by science. Today, it is my view that with what we have learned by experience, by doing our own testing, and by knowing more about the grass plants we work with, we are at a point where we can take a closer look at the definition of nutrition. It is more than just nutrients. It is about organic acids, amino acids which link to produce those mature proteins, plant catalysts, and plant defense components of the energy Krebs Cycle. We have these tools.
Fast forward to 2017. It’s time to retool again, to think, to challenge ourselves in a different way. How much have we learned over 30 years or so? Science once again plays a leading role now that we know that plants know what to do. They have always known what to do. How much of anything does that plant need? The answer is always: it depends.
We have been forced to go deep and to examine how a plant grows. And to know not to take recommendations for multiple product tank mixes as has become standard over the last three decades. This was the case in part because we were all learning these new ways of application. Sales theology needs to be separated from scientific facts.
Formulation chemistry has also evolved and become more specific. This is a good thing, at a good time, for superintendents in today’s world. It is the world of tight budgets, of doing more with less, and squeezing that nickel.
Superintendents are where the buck stops, and they have learned to manage their own destiny, choosing the combinations and the timing of apps according to the internal, always-running-clock in their heads.
We have to think about plants and how they turn towards the sun in search of energy. We should think about our perception of plants. Some we grow to eat, and some animals eat. Regions of the earth produce specific and amazing kinds of plants. They all make their own food, all harvest the sun and adapt to their surroundings. This the order of nature.
We must adhere to that order, understand it and use it to our advantage. This also applies to turfgrass.
Superintendents grow grass in timelines around some high levels of created stress, such as low mowing, which immediately upsets the internal plant chemistry and balance. Add shade, add traffic, golf conditions, weather and there you have it…our challenge.
There has to be a balance between club tournament scheduling versus necessary maintenance decisions that affect a vital living surface. Our greens are how we are judged, but this of course, applies to all areas of intensely managed turfgrass. Golf and sportfields alike.
Plants are much more sophisticated in terms of “sensing” than even animals. What’s a good example of this? Every single root apex is able to detect and monitor concurrently and continuously, at least 15 different chemical and physical parameters.
We tend to underestimate plants and their absolute ability to know what to do. We need to remember that they are, in fact, intelligent and respect that knowledge.
