Revisiting water management in turfgrass soils
Water is often taken for granted until there is too little or too much of it, or its quality compromises turfgrass health or changes the properties of the soil and rootzone. This class focuses on new research that provides further insight into the behaviour of water in soils – around and into roots, at interfaces between the roots, root hairs and soil particles – and how infiltration and access to water changes and is compromised over time. We will examine how water repellency develops in the rhizosphere (the root‑soil interface) within weeks and not years, thus modifying the soil microbiome, impacting soil health parameters and plant root access to and transport of nutrients.
Turfgrass managers will be updated on: the implications of these recent discoveries particularly relating to rhizosphere processes; the ramifications to long‑accepted sustainable turfgrass management practices; and a review of what soil surfactant products and programmes can and cannot do to improve turfgrass function and surface performance. Management practices to maximise turfgrass and soil health will be linked to strategies for water utilisation, optimisation and delivery in the rootzone.
Learning outcomes:
- Understand fundamental processes of water delivery and transport into and through the rootzone
- Appreciate the rhizosphere as a critical environment for turf productivity
- Gain insights into rhizosphere processes and strategies to optimise turfgrass access to water and nutrients, and effects on plant and soil health
- Differentiate between surfactant classes and their impacts on plants, microbes, and soils
- Clarify what surfactants can and cannot do in managing soil water and water repellency
Presented by:
Cost: Member rate £80, Non‑member rate £160