Weed control on fairways

Summary

The hypothesis is that the grass in the treated fairways will become denser and that the weed population will be significantly reduced with the new maintenance plan. A denser grass population can lead to reduced use of herbicides. Results from the project can probably also be used to reduce consumption of fertiliser by placing it in the growth layer near the grass roots. 

At the beginning of the project in 2011, two golf courses participated, Sct Knud and Odense golf course, but after a year Odense golf club withdrew due to staff reductions. A football pitch in Nyborg was then enrolled in the project but it was also forced to withdraw due to construction work on the pitch. Thus, when the project ends, only results from St. Knud golf course will be available.

Due to weather problems some treatments could not be carried out at St. Knuds golf course in some years (2011-2013) and Green Service by Ole Vestergaard continued the treatment for another season (2014). Weed recording was therefore carried out in spring/early summer 2015, not in a digital manner but by direct weed counts on the fairways. A visual examination of the experiment at St. Knuds golf course in 2015 indicated that placement of fertiliser and fertiliser placement + overseeding in some of years created a denser grass sward. This is in line with the hypothesis. The denser sward was created because the existing grass was growing better, but also because new grass plants were introduced in the overseeding plots. Stripes of new grass (perennial ryegrass) could be seen in plots with
overseeding.

The weed counts in spring/early autumn 2015 did not demonstrate a clear effect of the different treatments in relation to weed occurrence, however. The highest amount of weeds appeared to be concentrated to particular parts of the experimental area, namely the area with most divots (landing area for tee shots).

 

FACTS
Category: Turfgrass
Status: Finished
Project period: April 2011 – December 2016

Fundings (kSEK)

 

2011

2012

2013

2014

Total

STERF

30

 

40

 

70

Other sources

58

44

44

44

190

Total

88

44

84

44

260

Project objectives

The purpose of the project is to test, over a four-year period, a new maintenance plan that involves fertiliser placement, more and deeper grass cuttings (turf slicing) and depth overseeding of fairways.

Project participants

Anne Mette Dahl Jensen

Researcher

Forest & Landscape, University of Copenhagen-LIFE, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 DK-Frederiksberg C. Denmark

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