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Granular wetting agents ameliorate water repellency in turfgrass of contrasting soil organic matter content

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Abstract

The effectiveness of four granular wetting agents to decrease water repellency in sandy soils of contrasting organic matter (OM) content and influences on kikuyugrass [Pennisetum clandestinum (Holst. Ex Chiov)] grown as turfgrass, were evaluated. A laboratory test assessed the wettability of two non-wetting soils (low OM, 4.7%; high OM, 17%) after treatment with granular soil wetting agents, with four being selected for field experimentation. A field experiment included two turfgrass ages (established from 20 week or 20 year old turfgrass in 2005; the latter included a 50 mm ‘mat’ layer and thus had high OM content in the surface soil), four granular soil wetting agents (plus a ‘nil’ as control), and five replicates. Surface soil (0–25 mm) water repellency, measured using the molarity of ethanol droplet test (MED), ranged from 0.4 M to 4.3 M during the irrigation season, and repellency was more severe in the soil with high OM (32%) content than low OM (8.6%) content. Soil wetting agents decreased the development of soil water repellency to varying extents, and maintained turfgrass quality; with improvement related to the amount of active ingredient applied. We recommend utilising an effective soil wetting agent, in combination with practices that limit the accumulation of soil OM, to decrease the severity and incidence of soil water repellency in turfgrass grown on sandy soils.

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Abbreviations

DM:

Dry matter

ET:

Evapotranspiration

EC:

Electrical conductivity

LSD:

Least significant difference

MED:

Molarity of ethanol droplet

OM:

Organic matter

VWC:

Volumetric water content

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Acknowledgements

Leon Hodgson for implementing the field-based study, maintaining the turfgrass plots, and collecting soil and plant samples. George Wan and Matthew Willis for plant and soil analyses. Greenacres Turf Farm is thanked for help in the design and maintenance of the irrigator. City of Stirling and City of Perth for providing apprentices to assist with mowing, CSBP Ltd for supplying fertiliser, M.E.Y. Equipment for lawn mower supply and servicing, Turf Developments WA for renovating the turfgrass plots, and UWA (UniGrounds) for assistance with some aspects of general turfgrass maintenance. Members of the UWA Turf Industries Research Steering Committee for their support and advice. Comments made by Margaret Roper and three anonymous reviewers improved the manuscript. This project has been facilitated by Horticulture Australia Ltd in partnership with the Australian turf industry. It was funded by voluntary contributions from a consortium of local government authorities, plus the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Department of Education, Department of Water, Golf Course Superintendent Association of Western Australia, Lawn Doctor, Organic 2000, Turf Grass Association of Australia (WA), and the Western Australian Turf Growers Association.

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  1. School of Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009, Western Australia, Australia

    Louise Barton & Timothy David Colmer

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  1. Louise Barton
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  2. Timothy David Colmer
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Correspondence to Louise Barton.

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Responsible Editor: Alain Pierret.

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Barton, L., Colmer, T.D. Granular wetting agents ameliorate water repellency in turfgrass of contrasting soil organic matter content. Plant Soil 348, 411–424 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0765-3

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