This project examines some important factors that can influence the success rate for reestablishing golf greens following winter kill. Work package 1 examines how phytotoxic metabolites, which can be produced during longlasting ice cover, affect the establishment of different green grass species used on golf greens. A field experiment was run at the NIBIO research facility at Apelsvoll in southern Norway in 2015 and 2016. Soil water extracts taken following ice encasement did not negatively affect germination of the various grass species tested in either of the years, compared with soil water extracts taken from an area that had been killed with glyphosate or saline water.
However, soil water taken from the area treated with glyphosate had a negative influence on root growth of all species in 2016. In both 2015 and 2016, there were significant effects of species and the two germination temperatures (day/night) 25/15 and 15/5 °C. Annual meadowgrass (Poa annua) germinated faster than the other species, particularly at the lower temperature. The slowest species to germinate was red fescue. In a second experiment, root growth of annual meadowgrass was also shown to be significantly faster than that of the other species. These results have implications for competition between seedlings on a
The resurgence in these problems has been attributed to increased use of microbiological products whereby fungi were introduced on golf greens to create greater microbial diversity, but we have no evidence for this. We also do not know exactly which organisms are involved. Therefore, in summer 2017 we intend to chart these problems on two Norwegian golf courses and test measures such as fertilisation, hand-spiking and application of wetting agents. We will then write a short article that can provide insights into these issues based on practical tests and reports from other countries (in practice the United States).
