Effects of De-Icing Products on Putting Green Turf

Prolonged ice cover of putting greens can lead to turfgrass crown death. De-icing products can aid in ice removal but variations in ice thickness and putting green topography increase the likelihood these products will contact and damage ice-free turfgrass areas. The objective of this research was to assess, in two separate trials, the phytotoxic effect of chemical de-icers and the greening effect of solar de-icers applied directly to ice-free creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) native soil and sand-based putting greens. The chemical de-icing trial included 11 products applied at rates of 136.3 and 68.2 g m^-2 for all chemicals with the exception of sodium acetate, for which the label dictated rates of 136.3, 97.6, 73.2, 48.8, and 24.4 g m^-2 were applied. The solar de-icing trial contained nine products applied at a dry volume of 0.3L m^-2 to account for differences in bulk density. In 2014, only urea-based de-icing chemicals were damaging to the turf. In 2015, damage was seen by all de-icing chemicals with urea-based chemicals having the most severe damage; warm temperatures and thawed soil likely led to actively growing tissue encountering de-icing chemicals and increasing the severity of the damage. Organic based fertilizers, categorized as solar de-icing products, produced the greatest increase in green color in both years of the trial. Proper selection of chemical and solar de-icing products along with application timing can limit damage to ice-free bentgrass greens.