Golf Courses

Biological Management of Golf Turf

Biological management of golf turf has the potential to mitigate ground water contamination that can occur from the use of pesticides, as well as reduce the costs associated with fertiliser and fungicide applications. Biological processes in the soil are equally important as the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. When the proper population and diversity of organisms are present, soil and plant health improves. When they are not present, disease, nutrient deficiency and compaction problems can occur. This can lead to excessive water logging of soils (as less water is taken in), and can increase drought stress in warm months (when less water is held in reserve). These factors greatly affect the health of golf turf, the costs to maintain it, and the potential for groundwater contamination. In order to maintain high quality turf, a good balance of nutrients is required, as well as beneficial soil organisms.

Beating Soil Compaction and other Turf Problems

Soil compaction is one of the main problems in high wear areas. When the soil is compacted, turf grass is not able to put its roots down into the soil. Meaning that you will never be able to grow turf grass in bare compacted areas until they are de-compacted. Soil microbes live in the pore space between soil particles and coat each soil particle with a mucus layer that holds moisture. Therefore, by increasing the number of microbes in the soil and removing negative detrimental influences to microbe survival you can maintain open soil profile. However, if you kill the microbes with chemical abuse, you will have issues with soil compaction. Soil microbes also reduce pest and disease attacks on your turf grass. The microbes consume the thatch layer from under your turf grass, turning it into plant available food. This removes the area where disease spores and pests like to wait for the right time and conditions to attack your turf grass.

Organic Fertilising with Beneficial Soil Microbes

Using Ecoworm Humate, you allow the turf stay healthy and stress free, preventing bare patches to develop from soil compaction. Soil microbes are essential for beautiful and healthy turf grass. Increase the level of microbes and feed your golf courses with microbial Ecoworm Humate fertiliser, which will combat all the negative impact that chemical fertilisers have caused. Full of micro-biology it will cycle the nutrients for healthy turf growth, build soil structure, as well as, reduce pest and disease attacks naturally.

Trials have shown that turf treated with vermicompost extract had longer root length, less disease and higher density. One of the Golf Clubs in Sweden reported a 48% reduction in fertiliser applications over the four years when using Ecoworm Humate. They also saw a 73% reduction in fungicide costs, and greatly reduced dollar spot (small, bleached to straw coloured spots) on their greens. This type of savings can be achieved at other golf courses.

There are few factors that need to be considered to grow good healthy turf grass, and all these problems can be reduced and then eliminated with the use of Ecoworm Humate.

These factors are:

Soil compaction
Soil pH levels
Excess thatch layers
Shallow root growth
Turf stress

All these become worse by time with chemical abuse.

We are here to help

Ecoworm is here to help you bring vitality back into your golf course soil with the use of microbes, which cycle nutrients for the turf grass to absorb through their root system, combat pest and disease attacks on your turf grass, promote root growth, as well as thicker more beautiful turf grass growth.