Seasonal Influence on Wetting Agent Longevity: An Update on Current Member Driven Research By Ryan Schwab, Graduate Research Assistant
With current social pressures on water usage, looming water fee structure increases, and extended periods of drought, soil moisture management is more important today than ever before. Multiple strategies exist to maintain soil moisture. For example, moisture meters for assessing volumetric water content, technology and automated sensors for monitoring evapotranspiration or rainfall, and/or relying on the “feel� method. Whatever the strategy, pushing the limit too far or too often can be problematic especially with unpredictable weather. Severe wet-dry cycles may provoke the development of localized dry spots (LDS), resulting in soils that repel water, which often requires wetting agent application to restore the polar attraction of water to soil. The use of wetting agents to reduce LDS development and maintain uniform soil moisture has become common practice. However, some very practical and applied questions remain on their use, function, and ability to improve soil moisture uniformity. When throughout the season should they be applied? How frequent? Which wetting agents are recommended for specific circumstances? Will these products impact playability? It is the intention of the turfgrass science team at the University of Minnesota to develop solutions and strategies to maximize wetting agent efficiency. Application frequency as suggested by wetting agent labels is often determined by the rate. The rate and frequency may also be adjusted by the superintendent’s intended use. Recently, our team has identified that the longevity of these products to reduce soil water repellency is influenced by the season in which it was applied. A strict calendar-based wetting agent Page 56