Core Cultivation of a Putting Green with Hollow and Solid Tines

Abstract

Most turfgrass soil cultivation research has emphasized water in· filtration and thatch responses, but has provided limited information regarding detailed soil and rooting responses to different cultivation methods. This study evaluated cultivation effects on soil physical properties and turf growth of a 'Penneagle' creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Hods.) putting green. Cultivation, utilizing vertically operating hollow (HTC) or solid (STC) tines, was applied over a 3-yr period on a loamy sand soil (modified fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, TypicDep. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI 48824. Acknowledgment is made to the U.S. Golf Association, the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation, and the Michigan Agric. Exp. Stn. for support of this research. Part of a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the M.S. degree.

Creeping Bentgrass Color and Quality, Chlorophyll Content, and Thatch–Mat Accumulation Responses to Summer Coring

“…Spring-plus-summer coring resulted in increased chlorophyll levels as well as improved turf color and quality in late summer. Eggens, 1980;White and Dickens, 1984;Murphy et al, 1993;McCarty et al, 2005McCarty et al, , 2007. Murray and Juska (1977) observed that coring reduced total organic matter in the thatch of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), but the eff ect was short-lived.…”

Efficacy of Management Practices to Mitigate the Off-Site Movement and Ecological Risk of Pesticides Transported with Runoff from Agricultural and Turf Systems

“…We speculate the greatest difference in soil physical properties was most prominent shortly after hollow tine or solid tine core cultivation; which diminished as roots grew, compaction dissipated, and core channels were covered or filled. Other researchers have reported greater air porosity and saturated water conductivity in turf managed with hollow tines compared to solid tines, and enhanced water infiltration in turf managed with hollow tine core cultivation compare to untreated turf (Murphy et al, 1992;Baldwin et al, 2006;McCarty et al, 2007).…”

“…Hydrographs revealed reduce runoff volumes associated with hollow tine core cultivation in 81% (63 d) and 87% (2 d) of the samples ( Figure 3B). Solid tine core cultivation has been shown to result in localized compaction with the most sever compaction at the base of the zone of cultivation (Murphy et al, 1992). Hollow tine core cultivation has also been shown to result in compaction along the sidewalls and base of the coring; however, sidewall compaction dissipated while bottom compaction remained after 95 d (Petrovic, 1979).…”

“…As a result one would anticipate increased soil compaction with the solid tine cultivation and greater accessibility of soil adsorptive sites with the hollow tine cultivation. This would influence infiltration and hydraulic conductivity (Murphy et al, 1992;Baldwin et al, 2006;McCarty et al, 2007) as well as pesticide availability for transport (Liu et al, 1995;Gardner et al, 2000;Raturi et al, 2005). Analysis of pesticide loads with runoff volumes and pesticide concentrations in the runoff showed loads were attributed to runoff volume more than chemical concentrations for both management practices (volume r 2 = 0.78 to 0.90, concentration r 2 = 0.05 to 0.22).…”

“…Solid tine core cultivation requires a reduced amount of labor and is less disruptive to the surface of the turf but is believed to cause localized compaction. Cultivation with hollow tines typically involves removing cores from the turf, which are air-dried and brushed back into the open holes (Murphy et al, 1992). Despite the widespread use of core cultivation, little is known about the quantity of pesticides transported in runoff from turf managed with either solid tine or hollow tine core cultivation practices.…”