Wet v's Dry????

Wet v's Dry......

What is the extreme occurring in the region - H₂0 (water)!!!! South East Queensland has not only witness the worst floods in over 30 years but we are continually being inundated with rainfall during April and May resulting in historic rainfall amounts. This certainly puts the decisions we make in the golf and turf industries into perspective. From a golf course maintenance standpoint, the preference is to control the water applied to a course so drier is nearly always better. For golf courses, the effects of drought can really only be seen in non-irrigated areas.

Since wet conditions cause many more turfgrass maladies than dry, some of the consequences from too much H₂0 resulting in waterlogged soils lead to:

·         Lack of soil oxygen

·         Root dieback / shallow root system

·         Reduced root uptake of nutrients and water

·         Accumulation of toxic soil gases

·         Reduced rate of natural organic matter decomposition

·         Greater fungal disease pressure

·         Increased compaction proneness to traffic