Cultural Practices to Maintain Soil Physical Properties for Ultradwarf Bermudagrass Cultivar.

Aerification leads to substantial damage to the golf course putting green playing surface which results in prolonged recovery. The demand for high quality playing conditions year around requires an aerification practice that is less disruptive. Therefore, objectives of this research were to determine the right combination of DryJect (DJ) technology with modified traditional aerification programs to achieve minimal surface disruption without a compromise in soil physical properties and playability. The research was conducted at the Mississippi State University Golf Course practice putting green on a USGA (United States Golf Association) specified ultradwarf bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) cultivar, ‘MS Supreme’. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Treatments included various combinations of 1.27 cm (HT1.27) and 0.64 cm (HT64) diameter tine sizes and DJ from June to August. Data collection included surface firmness, hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, chlorophyll index, normalized difference vegetative index, thatch depth, thatch accumulation, volumetric soil water content (3.81 and 12.20cm depth), and percent recovery. Fourteen days after treatment (DAT) in July, HT64 + two DJ treatments had the firmest surface while HT1.27 had the softest surface. In July, DJ treatments had 95% greater recovery 7 DAT, while HT1.27 had the slowest recovery. At the final data collection date (121DAT), HT1.27 and HT1.27+DJ July had the lowest thatch depth and bulk density values. Results indicate DJ treatments reduced recovery time while maintaining similar soil physical properties compared to the HT1.27 treatment. Jordan Craft