Surfactants I. Localized Dry Spot

The dry  are often produced heterogeneously on the greens. They are usually persistent and of various forms. They can be caused either by a decrease in irrigation inputs below the needs, by low values of uniformity of irrigation distribution (deficient irrigation system) and due to hydrophobicity. The latter is typically the case in sports surfaces of sandy areas due to the decomposition of organic matter by mushrooms basidiomycetes, the same ones that produce the typical "witches' rings".

The repellency is usually caused by the decomposition of the mycelium of these fungi and other sources of organic matter, which excrete substances covering the sand particles and giving this hydrophobic character. In these cases, the use of surfactants is necessary for remediation. The use of humidity sensor Pogo will help to prevent extreme cases of patchy greens, note that it is easy to wet an area with medium dryness, but very difficult to do so in patches with very low values of VWC.

Likewise, the decomposition of roots, stems and other organic sources such as peat, also favour these processes. For further information, the reader can refer to the literature of Peter H. Dernoeden, Creeping Bentgrass Management,2002.

The hydrophobic character generally occurs in the first few centimetres of soil (3 to 6 cm), another reason for the use of humidity sensors with medium length rods.

Removal of the mattress alone is not sufficient to improve irrigation water infiltration, and aeration and the use of surfactants with irrigation is therefore necessary..

The appearance of dryness is due to hydrophobic conditions of the soil, caused by the appearance of an organic film produced by decomposing mycelia of basidiomycete fungi on the sand particles.

You can use instruments to find the dry spots in your field and act on them:

• TDR 350

• POGO Sensor

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