Field evaluation of wetting agent efficacy against localized dry spot, soil moisture, and root system growth on creeping bentgrass putting green turf - 2010 trial.

This experiment was designed to determine the efficacy of wetting agents against localized dry spot, effects on soil moisture content, and on root system growth and health in creeping bentgrass putting green turf. Soil moisture readings, NDVI, and general environmental data were collected from May to September 2010. Water droplet penetration tests were conducted on 4 soil cores from each plot to determine the penetration test timings for each sample core. Due to the unusually wet summer, irrigation was withheld from the plots for the last few months of the trial to accommodate for environmental conditions. NDVI values confirmed visual inspections of the plots, indicating that treated plots performance was consistently higher than that of the control, but there was little difference between the treated groups. Hydrophobicity tests indicate that the rootzone of the plots remains severely hydrophobic. These levels of hydrophobicity were only relieved by treatments at or near the surface. The 2x NCF-091 treatments performed best overall based on the water drop penetration tests and canopy reflectance data.