Putting Green Response to Foliar Fertilization
Results: During the most stressful parts of the season, HydraSmart High Efficiency Foliars, improved turfgrass quality, color, rooting and vigor under intensive mowing heights and management. HydraSmart programs provided the best turf recovery after the intensive management regime was discontinued.
McDonald, S., Turfgrass Disease Solutions, PA
Spring and Summer, 2017
Purpose
Evaluate the performance of various liquid fertilizer formulations to provide adequate turfgrass color, quality and vigor under tournament preparation conditions and environmental stress.
Summary
HydraSmart’s complete and balanced foliar and soil fertilizers improved turfgrass performance and vigor under stress compared to competitive nutrient (nitrogen) and untreated control treatments.
Planting Type, Irrigation & Soil Conditions
Green Type: California Sand Based
Grass Type: PennCross Creeping Bentgrass
Mowing: Daily at 0.125 inches
Soil
CEC: 2.07
Organic matter: 0.70
pH: 8.0
Stress Conditions
No Fertility since fall 2016
Summer of 2017 in southeastern PA was marked with heavy stress conditions.
Equipment used
Single nozzle equipped with a 8010 flat fan nozzle calibrated to deliver 88 gallons per acre.
Treatments
14 Day Interval: Hydra-Fuse 18-0-6 (5 oz. / M); Hydra-Phite Plus 0-0-28 (3 oz. / M); Hydra-Fe 12-0-0 (3 oz. / M); Hydra-Si 12% Silica (3 oz. / M)
7 Day Interval: Hydra-Fuse 18-0-6 (4 oz. / M); Hydra-Minors (5.5 oz. / M); Hydra-Kace 0-0-29 (2.5 oz. / M); Hydra-Si 12% Silica (2 oz. / M); Hyra-Mn Combo (5 oz. / M)
Results
Intensive mowing and management keeps your course pristine, but can also stress the turfgrass. HydraSmart High Efficiency Foliars helps your turfgrass thrive: improving quality, color and rooting. Once high-stress seasons are done, HydraSmart programs continue recovery.
Alleviating Turf Stress with HydraSmart
Today’s turfgrass managers are faced with quite a dilemma; they are faced with reduced budgets and sky-high expectations from the players and members. Turfgrass is maintained almost to the limit of its genetic potential, and stress is a constant companion to the grass plant. When environmental conditions are favorable for grass growth, various agronomic programs may not visually differentiate themselves based upon a criterion of color alone.
Today’s turfgrass managers are faced with quite a dilemma; they are faced with reduced budgets and sky-high expectations from the players and members. Turfgrass is maintained almost to the limit of its genetic potential, and stress is a constant companion to the grass plant. When environmental conditions are favorable for grass growth, various agronomic programs may not visually differentiate themselves based upon a criterion of color alone. One must dig a little deeper to see how carbohydrate reserves, cell wall integrity, root mass and overall stress resistance in plants varies among different agronomic programs.
This may hold true until periods of turf stress, when the true differentiation of various management programs come to light. This is when using a HydraSmart program will show its true strength, giving the turfgrass that extra edge it needs to overcome the stress and giving the turfgrass manager greater peace of mind. This is because the HydraSmart product line is specifically designed to enhance a plant’s ability to combat stress. This is accomplished through a combination of enhanced-efficiency, agronomy-based nutrition and proprietary additives such as SAR elicitors and biostimulant compounds.
The HydraSmart product line was also developed with the goal of “Formulation Integrity.” This means that additives are included at levels that are actually beneficial, not just as a marketing tagline. Multiple sequestering and nutrient availability technologies are employed to enhance nutrient delivery, and efficiency and nutrient sources are selected for their low impact on the overall health of the plant. The HydraSmart product line is intended to be a holistic approach to turfgrass management, addressing nutrient efficiency, lowering plant stress, boosting plant defense systems and enhancing soil conditions. There is no magic bullet in turfgrass management, but a HydraSmart program is a powerful tool that can make the difference when conditions get tough.