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EDITOR'S BLOG

WINTRY TIMES AHEAD
What happens to turf in frost conditions?
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

Each time play is allowed to continue on frosty surfaces, further turf decline is promoted.

This week I thought it would be good to again broach the subject of the weather. Some parts of the country have been getting a dollop of snow, with regional weather forecasts hinting that we wintery conditions are in effect across the country.

Air and soil temperatures have dropped dramatically recently, shifting from double figures down to low single figures.

According to research by the Met Office, we are more likely to see snow between January and March than in December, with snow or sleet falling an average 3.9 days in December. Many of us might be dreaming of a White Christmas, but climate change has sadly meant the chances of snowfall over the holidays are slim.

In fact, the last widespread White Christmas in the UK was back in 2010 and was described by forecasters as "extremely unusual". Not only was there snow on the ground at 83% of stations (the highest amount ever recorded), but snow or sleet also fell at 19% of stations. More recently, however, 2020 was recorded as a White Christmas after parts of East Yorkshire and Suffolk woke up to a beautiful dusting of white.

These wintry conditions usually bring periods of frost which when heavy cause frozen ground conditions.

Turf is especially prone to damage when it is frozen or when the ground is thawing. Normal practice is for a golf course to remain closed until the ground has completely thawed, which often occurs by mid-morning.

What happens to turf in frost conditions?

Frost on the grass leaf blades tells us that the water inside the leaves is frozen. Remember that 80+% of plant tissue is made up of water, the primary component of plant tissue. When this water is frozen, foot traffic on the turf causes the ice crystals in the cells to puncture through the plant's cell walls, thus killing plant tissue.

When they are frozen the leaves of the turf get easily bruised by player's feet. After thawing, the affected turf turns black or brown and becomes sparse. The turf can often remain thin for long periods if damage occurs early in the winter. The fine turf on greens becomes more susceptible to disease and the putting surface becomes very uneven.

More long-term damage can be caused when play takes place as the turf is thawing after a prolonged freeze. Under these conditions the top surface of the turf may be soft, but the underlying soil can still be frozen. Root damage occurs easily from a shearing action as player's feet move the soft top surface against the frozen sub soil.

The process of damage to the turf normally occurs in the following pattern:

Bruising and damage to the leaf.
Loss of turf colour.
Severing of grass roots.
Compaction of the soil.
Thinning of the swards.

Each time you continue to allow play on frosty greens you continue to promote further turf decline. Low soil and air temperatures prevent turfgrass recovery.

However, many golf clubs do operate a favourable frost policy, whereby a number of contingencies are put in place to reduce frost damage on the course and allow golf to be played during frosty conditions, some of the methods used by clubs include:

Many clubs are now using artificial winter tee mats, which are brought out for the winter period.
Temporary green areas have been mown out and introduced for winter play.
The course is inspected every morning by the greenkeeping staff who then make a judgement on whether the greens / or which greens are playable depending on the severity of the frost.

Often if the frost is a haw frost, it is likely that many of the greens will be playable by late morning once thawed. In most cases frost damage will not be noticeable until the spring when long term damage has already occurred. A poor thin sward, a heavy compacted green and a poor putting surface are all consequences of play being allowed on frosty courses.

The best policy is for a club to inform club members / players of the reasons why greens and courses must be closed during heavy frosts. Explaining these facts to the members and players will help them understand the longer-term benefits of maintaining the sward quality of their greens.

As for other winter sports facilities such as football, rugby a heavy frost may result in the postponement of fixtures and training sessions. It is important that the grounds staff have a say if these pitches are playable.

And if we do indeed get a heavy snow fall, most playing surfaces will no doubt become unplayable. The shear effort of removing snow from a bowling green can be a mammoth task.

NEWS

PRO DEALERS OF THE YEAR 2023 REVEALED
Honours handed out last week

Professional Turf Machinery Dealer of the Year

In our first WEB ONLY story, the winners of the 2023 Dealer Of The Year Awards, organised by TurfPro's sister title Service Dealer, were announced and presented at a joyful awards ceremony, held last Thursday at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford upon Avon.

GMA ANNOUNCE THEIR AWARD WINNERS
'Grounds management heroes' named

In our next WEB ONLY story, the very best in the grounds management industry were celebrated at an event at the AMT Headingley Stadium last week.

CHEMICAL USE REDUCTION BILL BLOCKED
Bill now buried for good

EU lawmakers have rejected a proposal from the bloc’s executive arm to set legally binding targets.

On the 22nd of November 2023 EU lawmakers rejected a proposal from the bloc’s executive arm to set legally binding targets to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and a ban on all pesticide use in areas such public parks, playgrounds and schools.

After a series of amendments watered down the proposal of the EU's executive Commission, the bill was rejected in a 299 to 207 vote, with 121 abstentions. It buried the bill for good and any new proposal would need to start from scratch after June elections for members of the European Parliament.

The Independent said the vote came less than a week after the use of the controversial chemical herbicide glyphosate in the 27-nation bloc was extended for 10 more years.

The European Commission said last year that current rules limiting the use of pesticides were too weak and had not been applied consistently across the EU.
The EU’s main agricultural group, COPA-COGECA, welcomed the rejection of the bill and called for an improved dialogue between farmers and the 27-nation bloc's institutions.

TurfPro editor, Laurence Gale, said, "No doubt there will be many turf professionals and farmers who will be pleased with announcement.

"The important factor is that we as an industry continue to use pesticides in a professional manner and work collectively to reduce the use of pesticides and implement appropriate IPM strategies to combat the threat of weeds pest and diseases."

R&A TO TACKLE GOLF'S WATER SECURITY ISSUES
Alongside The Environment Partnership

Golf clubs to be offered consultancy on specific environmental concerns pertaining to water security, water sourcing and site water management.

The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service team has announced a collaboration with The Environment Partnership (TEP), extending their service offering to golf facilities in the UK and Ireland.

The partnership will see The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service and TEP collaborate to offer clubs consultancy on specific environmental concerns pertaining to water security, water sourcing and site water management.

The R&A say this partnership underlines their commitment to providing comprehensive sustainable agronomy solutions using best practice management to safeguard water security and surface performance.

“Joining forces with TEP will give R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service customers the opportunity to gain detailed insight from industry experts into the key issue of water security. Clients can have the confidence that The R&A will be on-hand to provide additional support and to ensure integration with best practice agronomy plans,” said Alistair Beggs, head of agronomy at The R&A.

Paul Woodham, from The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service, added, “Golf courses will need support when assessing the future implication of the changing climate and the anticipated constraints which will reduce access to water sources commonly used today. Golf needs to work proactively with water companies and agencies which safeguard the environment.”

TEP will develop an initial water security feasibility study in collaboration with the golf facility. This includes a review of existing water sources, how water is used across the site and current drainage infrastructure. This feasibility study then explores water sourcing and storage opportunities across the site, bringing these together into an initial masterplan that can be used as the basis for future integrated facility planning. The process includes input and support from The R&A Sustainable Agronomy Service team; ensuring clients have the opportunity to digest and understand the recommendations compatible with their facility..

"The opportunity to work with the sustainable agronomic expertise at The R&A, allows TEP to tailor water security advice so it is targeted to the specific needs of the golf industry. We are very excited about working alongside The R&A as partners on the vital issue of long-term water security of the sector”, comments Nicola Hancock, director at TEP.

To enquire about these services e-mail sustainableagronomy@randa.org

FUTUREPROOFING FAIRWAYS
At the birthplace of The Open Championship

Head greenkeeper has commenced a regime to help boost the hard fescue and sheep fescue populations on his course.

Prestwick Golf Club, the birthplace of The Open Championship, say they have commenced a regime using the new hard fescue J Sustain-Fairway mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed, in order to futureproof their fairways.

The 2nd green

Dave Edmondson is Prestwick’s head greenkeeper, supported in his role by a team of 10, but he says he considers himself merely ‘a guardian’ of the venue - rich in prestigious golfing history.

“I very much follow the Old Tom Morris approach to maintenance, working with nature and continuing the methodologies of my predecessors to run the course in a minimalist way,” says Dave. “We don’t use any pesticides, fungicides, hardly any fertilisers and very limited water.

“My pursuit of traditional greenkeeping techniques led me to have a conversation with our golf course consultant about our fairways, and specifically any mixtures which could help to boost the hard fescue and sheep fescue populations which are proven to thrive in low-input and links conditions. That’s where I discovered Johnsons J Sustain-Fairway.

"A chat with my DLF technical manager Stuart Yarwood made it clear that this mix would tick a lot of boxes, so we opted for this for our main annual fairway overseed.”

Sown at a rate of 7g/m2 in early September, germination was visible in just over two weeks, with the seedlings then under the stewardship of Dave to thrive and establish. “So far it’s been so good! The natural undulations here at Prestwick have often seen certain species struggle, particularly with coverage on the tops of the hillocks, so we’ve sown some additional J Sustain-Fairway here to help and, to date, it’s all working brilliantly.

“The hard and sheeps fescue like a nice, settled environment and that’s exactly what we can give them.” Dave adds, “If we can keep building those populations with top-rated cultivars, then we will be much better placed to withstand environmental challenges and safeguard the course for the future.”

PARTNERSHIP WITH JIMMY'S FARM ANNOUNCED
By tractor manufacturer

Manufacturer says the collaboration contributes to the 'Big Bear Rescue' initiative, the farm's most ambitious project yet.

Iseki UK & Ireland have announced their collaboration with Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park, at Wherstead near Ipswich, owned by television presenter and farmer, Jimmy Doherty.

The manufacturer has provided a TLE3410 HST tractor for use in multiple roles around the park.

The tractor with polar bear Ewa in the background

Iseki say the collaboration contributes to the 'Big Bear Rescue' initiative, the farm's most ambitious project yet, involving the rescue of polar bear Ewa, who has recently arrived safely at Jimmy's Farm following the closure of the overseas zoo where she was previously living. Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park has now become the largest polar bear reserve in Europe. Additionally, a European brown bear named Diego will be moving to Jimmy's Farm in May of next year.

Jimmy’s Farm is dedicated to promoting an understanding of the natural world and inspiring future generations to safeguard the planet. To tackle this, Jimmy’s Farm has established an official charity called Space for the Wild that plans to establish habitats, advocate for regenerative farming, and rescue and rehabilitate wildlife.

Stevie Sheppard, the park director, said, "The TLE3410 is a great tractor and very useful to us in the day-to-day operation of our farm. Amongst other jobs, it assists us in feeding Ewa the polar bear and the arctic wolves. The operators like it and find it easy and comfortable to operate."

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