Case Study: Soil Surfactant Field Research On Bentgrass
With many soil surfactants on the market today, there is a need for new technology. Ag-Stone, LLC has developed a new soil surfactant not based on the industry standard. Because the Ag-Stone product is ‘new’ technology, Ag-Stone 15 was compared to a soil surfactant currently being used on a Bentgrass green. The two products were evaluated for soil moisture and nutrient uptake performance. Will Ag-Stone 15 perform the same, better, or worse than a soil surfactant currently being sold in the golf course industry? Will Ag-Stone 15 have better performance in soil moisture and nutrient uptake?
Method:
A Bentgrass green was selected at a prominent Upstate South Carolina golf course. The green was divided into two sections. Ag-Stone 15 was applied at 6 oz. /M on one side and a product the golf course was currently using applied at 6 oz. /M on the other side. Both products were applied using a golf course sprayer and applied by the assistant superintendent. Soil moisture readings were taken on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the morning and the afternoon. Soil and tissue samples were taken from each side of the green for analysis.
Results:
From 8/6/14 through 9/8/14, Ag-Stone 15 outperformed a leading soil surfactant in soil moisture on a Bentgrass green.
One month after the application of fertilizer, Ag-Stone 15 showed more N, P, K uptake by the Bentgrass than the competitive product.
Conclusion:
After many months of field evaluation and observation, the Ag-Stone 15 outperformed a leading soil surfactant in soil moisture and nutrient uptake. Based on moisture readings, Ag-Stone 15 averaged 1-1.5 % more moisture in the soil as compared to the competitive product. Based on the plant tissue analysis, Ag-Stone 15 showed an increase in nutrient uptake as compared to the competitive product.