Improving Irrigation Efficiency and Soil Water Management in Sports Turf

Course Summary:

This course will help you develop the skills needed to better soil water management and improve irrigation efficiency on athletic turf. The discussion will have a comprehensive look at irrigation, including increasing irrigation infiltration, reducing water runoff, and addressing pH, bicarbonates, and sodium levels in the soil. This course will also teach tactics to improve soil water management, such as dealing with too much or too little rainfall and increasing soil volumetric water content. The course will conclude with an overview of the causes of localized dry spots and the role of soil surfactants in firming up playing surfaces and improving pesticide placement and efficacy.

About the Instructor:

Chip Houmes is the District Manager for Precision Laboratories, providing technical support for 17 states in the Midwest. Chip has 38 years of experience in turf and agriculture chemicals, and he has given over 300 presentations on pesticides, weeds, insects, disease, plant growth regulators (PGRs), and fertility. Chip received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Illinois and currently resides on his operating family farm where he also grew up.