Sustainable Water Conservation Through Evapotranspiration Replenishment Regimes, with Wetting Agents and Cultural Practices.

Proper watering of golf course putting greens has been debated since their inception. The amount of water and frequency of application depend upon the weather and in a large part upon the character of the soil and the drainage (USGA Green Section Staff, 1922). Evapotranspiration (ET) is evaporation and plant transpiration combined to give water loss estimates that certified golf course superintendents (CGCS) use when creating irrigation schedules. Increased environmental awareness of water as a crucial natural resource caused implementation of restrictions on irrigation regimes. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, a field experiment was conducted in East Lansing, MI to evaluate the effects of daily 30, 60, and 90% ET based water replenishment on a ‘Crenshaw’ creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera var. L) native soil push-up putting green. Included treatments were combined with daily double mowing and a wetting agent to evaluate common CGCS cultural practices. Weekly ball roll distance, time domain reflectometry (%VWC), and overall visual quality data were collected. Annual soil analysis and total microbial population (μg/g soil) were measured.