Bowls International — November 2017

http://www.bowlsinternational.com November 2017 BOWLS INTERNATIONAL 55

off lots of beneficial fungi as well as the

pathogens.

This leaves perennial grass plants in

a compromised position as they rely on

symbiotic relationships with soil fungi to

thrive. Thatch breakdown and conversion

to humus is also performed largely by

beneficial soil fungi, so again it is better

to reduce fungicide use if you can.

Phosphite application is one way to

reduce disease pressure. A different

molecule to the more usual phosphate,

it is highly mobile and active within the

plant and translocates from treated leaves

to the roots via the phloem, where it has

been shown to provide some control over

root diseases

It does this by stimulating the plants’

own defence mechanisms, enabling the

plant to naturally control and resist some

common diseases.

Phosphite can actually increase the

efficacy of fungicide applications,

helping to minimise the use of chemicals

that can be harmful to other key parts of

the soil eco-system.

Removing dew with a switch or brush

and keeping the green clear of debris

will help a great deal in the reduction

of disease outbreaks and worm casts

generally.

Of around 50 species of earthworm we

have, all of them are very important to

soil health, but only three of them create

surface casts.

This is because they are surface feeders,

pulling down plant debris from the

surface and then depositing their waste

on the surface.

Keeping the surface clear of debris as

much as you can will help to minimise

them.

There are no worm killers remaining on

the market for turf use, so it is important

to keep up with aeration, thatch control

and compaction relief and keep the

surface clear of debris.

Localised Dry Patch (LDP) can have

a devastating effect on greens with large

brown patches appearing, apparently

overnight that simply won’t re-wet.

This is caused by the coating of sand

particles in the rootzone with a waxy,

organic substance left behind in some

cases by fungi related to the fairy ring

fungus.

Treatment with wetting agents is

of course a generally recommended

stop-gap in summer, but this is only part

of the answer and certainly isn’t a long

term cure.

The hydrophobic layer on the

sand particles is caused by organic

hydrophobins excreted by fungi that coat

the soil particles.

So, along with wetting agents, the

introduction of specialised bacteria

that have the ability to digest these

hydrophobins and outcompete the fungi

for nutrient can remove the cause of the

problem.

Applying these materials now, and at

intervals through the winter will help

your green to make the very best use of

all that lovely rain that is surely coming

its way through the winter months.

This will ensure that recovery begins in

earnest and gives you a fighting chance

to combat LDP next season.

MICROBES AND

BIO-STIMULANTS

As the majority of greens are now overly

sandy, soil microbial activity is generally

very low.

If thatch commonly builds up on the

surface of your green, it is dominated

by annual meadow grass (Poa annua),

you get problems with disease more then

you’d expect and/or you’ve been affected

by Localised Dry Patch this year, then

low microbial activity and a tendency

towards inert, lifeless soil are the likely

causes.

You can start to turn the tide on this by

concentrating some effort on building

a more lively soil environment using

Compost Tea to replace microbes and

bio-stimulants like liquid seaweed and

molasses to provide a source of food for

the micro-life in the soil.

Research has shown that an active

microbe population means healthy plants,

stable aggregates in the soil, reduced

leaching of nutrients, and increased

availability of a range of nutrients.

Studies have also shown that micro-

organisms – entirely naturally – produce

antibiotics and vitamins which are

actively absorbed by the plants.

Compost tea and natural bio-stimulants

can help you to improve the health of

your soil and turf.

Greenkeeping Tasks for Late Autumn and Winter

Above:

Mowing the

green

Below:

Localised dry

patch and moss

“Localised Dry Patch can have a

devastating effect on greens with

large brown patches appearing,

apparently overnight that simply

won’t re-wet. ”

54-55_BI_GREENCRAFT_Nov2017_cc.indd 55 12/10/2017 14:47