Drought can cause a lot of concern for a turf manager. It means higher water and electric bills. It means the turf will suffer greatly if not monitored closely. It can even be a precursor for certain diseases, such as anthracnose, if the manager is not careful. Drought can mean more than dry conditions. When water levels in lakes and reservoirs drop, the salt (Na) and bicarbonates can increase in concentration. If the turf manager is irrigating from this lake, it can mean higher levels of salts and bicarbonates in his greens. This can cause soil particles to flocculate and eventually the soil will become hard and impervious. You can have a complete sealing off of the soil.
We offer several products that provide solutions to these potential problems including penetrants, gypsum, and humic acids. Gypsum can be applied and will knock the sodium (Na) off of the soil colloids into solution. It will also knock potassium (K) off the colloids so be careful and monitor your potash levels. Penetrants such as Dispatch and Duplex (see product images below) will help drive out the Na and bicarbonate by flushing them from the root zone. A new product, ExAlt, applied at a pint per acre ever two weeks will help greatly with high sodium and bicarbonates. KaPre ExAlt is a 30% humic acid product that helps free up a lot of the salts and bicarbonates so they can be flushed from the soil. Again, be careful to monitor your potash levels. Be sure to ask your ATS rep about the following products: VERDE-CAL G Enhanced Gypsum, Aquatrol’s Dispatch, Precision Labs Duplex, and KaPre ExAlt.
