Cultural Management Practice Appraisal for Least Disruptive Thatch Control in Ultradwarf Bermudagrass Golf Greens.

Ultradwarf bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon x C. transvaalensis) cultivars are readily used in the southern portion of the United States as golf course putting greens.  In this setting, ultradwarfs display fine leaf textures, rapid recuperative capacities, high shoot densities, and prostrate growing habits, enabling them to tolerate low mowing heights.  These desirable characteristics often result in excessive accumulations of organic matter that can be detrimental to plant health and playability.  To remediate exorbitant amounts of thatch and organic matter accretions, vertical mowing is a practice commonly conducted in an aggressive, frequent manner.  This management approach is effective at minimizing thatch and organic matter; however, plant health and playability is sacrificed.  The objective of this study was to assess various cultural management practices on their abilities to alleviate thatch and organic matter accumulations without compromising the health and playability of the turfgrass. The presentation will demonstrate the outcomes from the study.