Optimising turf: Growth, organic matter and nutrients

The types of surfaces you would like to have at your facility are produced when you have the right growth rate for the time of year, the right amount of organic material at the right places in the soil and when the grass is supplied with the right amount of nutrients.

Dr Micah Woods will discuss his extensive research on the subject and has developed the #MLSN nutrient guidelines for turfgrass nutrition, while helping to popularise the OM246 method for testing total organic material by depth in the soil and the clipping volume method for rapid assessment of growth rate. This class will cover an introduction to these topics and then go through the application of these techniques for modern turfgrass management to achieve the types of surfaces desired for more days in the year.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand how to apply the MLSN nutrient guidelines for efficient fertiliser supply
• Understand the value of measuring the growth rate
• Understand what one can do with clipping volume data
• Be able to adjust organic material in the soil with more control
• Apply regular measurement of turfgrass performance to document results