Greenside APR 2015 Low Res

Feature
Five Basic Considerations
When Planning a Fertiliser Programme
Planning a
fertiliser program?
Then there are
five basic things
to remember
according
to Headland
Amenity’s Andy
Russell, who says
that if you ‘Fail to
measure, then you
should plan to fail’.
1 The starting point when putting together a
fertiliser program is a soil test to measure
the available nutrients in the soil. This
will provide an understanding of the
existent nutrient status and also serve as
a benchmark to compare future results.
Without this, we have little idea whether
the existing nutrients will be sufficient to
maintain the plant going forwards. A soil
test will highlight any nutrient deficiencies
or indeed excesses which can then be
taken into consideration when planning
fertiliser inputs. A quality soil test will
also report, amongst others, organic
matter content, cation exchange capacity
(CEC), salt concentrations and pH. For
consistent results, tests should be carried
out at around the same time of year, but
frequency will depend on the soil type in
use.
2 When planning a fertiliser program it is
important to keep it flexible. The growth
and development of grasses is hugely
influenced by the weather and, as we
know, the weather is hugely unreliable.
This means that the program produced
for a ‘given’ set of conditions will have to
adapt to accommodate weather extremes
or fluctuations. The key is to have a good
understanding of how each product
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works and why it is suitable under certain
conditions.
3 Next, a strategic fertiliser program does not
just take account of soil nutrient status and
the needs of the grass plant going forwards.
It also takes into account any management
practices and practical elements that have
an impact on the day-to-day running of the
facility. Many clubs will hold an important
tournament or event and will structure the
program to make sure the turf is looking its
absolute best at this point in the year. Solid
fertiliser products can be undesirable during
the summer months as they may be easily
seen within the sward if they don’t break
down rapidly, interfering with the playing
surface. Liquid or soluble products might
be more suitable during this period and
can be applied rapidly and unobtrusively.
A fertiliser program should also consider
the application of products around planned
aeration to ensure the turf is not stressed
before the operation ensuring rapid and
strong recovery post-maintenance.
4 With seemingly milder autumn and winter
periods, plant nutrition through this time
of year is key. Low rates of nitrogen can
be applied where soil temperatures allow
and growth is occurring. In addition,
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applications of plant protectant nutrients
(e.g. potassium, calcium) can help to
strengthen the plant and minimise stress.
Recent STRI research shows tailored
nutrient input during autumn can help to
manage disease during its most prevalent
period. Without addressing turf nutrition,
plants in warm winters can stress, weaken
and lose colour making it more susceptible
to disease and slower to respond in the
spring.
5 Last but not least, the potential cost of
any fertiliser regime must be established
at an early stage and emphasis should
be placed on getting the best possible
results for the best cost. Fertiliser bag
prices must be carefully compared as the
amount in each can vary. Another cost
implication will result from the application
rate used. High analysis products often
have the advantage of being applied at
lower rates (where granule size allows)
– thus providing better value. Soluble
fertilisers can be extremely cost-effective
in comparison with some liquids, however
they carry an increased time/labour
element in preparation. Clubs who can
purchase materials ahead, and for the
whole season, can reduce unit costs where
cash flow allows.