Golf course turf, particularly the greens, are about as near perfect turf as you can find. To achieve the lush, green turf, golf courses spend a lot of time and money. This independent trial was performed by Turfgrass Disease Solutions, LLC — http://turfgrassdiseasesolutions.com — comparing SumaGrow treatments with an 80% reduction in fertilizer to the normal golf course treatments. In this situation, a tie could certainly be considered a win due to the savings in both time and money, however, SumaGrow actually performed better than the standard golf course treatment.
The purpose of the trial was to evaluate color and quality response to treatments of SumaGrow. In addition to the “untreated control ” area there were three other treatments:
- SumaGrow (in the report called ReeCourse) Only – (2 gallon per acre initial treatment with 1 gallon per acre monthly thereafter).
- SumaGrow (2 gallon per acre initial treatment with 1 gallon per acre monthly thereafter) plus a chemical fertilizer application at 0.05 pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet (this is an 80% reduction in chemical fertilizer to the full treatment below).
- Chemical Fertilizer Only at 0.25 pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet alone (standard fertilizer was 28-8-18 as was used in the above treatment)
The trial period was five months running from June – November. Treatments were applied in June, July, August, and September with additional data gathered in October and November. Treatments were replicated five times in a randomized block design.
Results:
The overall result was a clear increase in quality and color when SumaGrow was applied and compared to the untreated control.
When SumaGrow only was applied and when SumaGrow plus the chemical fertilizer was applied, the results were similar quality and color levels (i.e. there was no statistical difference) as the full treatment of the chemical fertilizer alone on random rating dates. SumaGrow with the fertilizer at 0.05 pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet (80% reduction in chemical fertilizer) improved the color on all of the rating dates during the scheduled application program.
SumaGrow Golf Conclusions:
SumaGrow only or SumaGrow plus a chemical fertilizer (at an 80% reduced amount) generated similar results to that of the full chemical fertilizer alone treatment. Why is this significant? This means that use of SumaGrow can replace or significantly reduce the need for chemical-based fertilizer, thus reducing both treatment costs and chemical use, as well as application time.
The turf saw no injury or stress from the application of SumaGrow during the trial period. Therefore, the product is not an agronomic risk to the turf.
SumaGrow plays an important role in reducing a golf course’s dependence on chemical-based fertilizer while maintaining the course’s color and quality expectations. Golf course superintendents and management companies understand the need to implement “green” initiatives and “sustainability” practices in order to reduce the chemical footprint on the property and what runs off into waterways. SumaGrow is an all-natural soil microbial products that help address and support these efforts.
Here is the complete report:
Turfgrass Disease Solutions Report on SumaGrow (ReeCourse)
sumagrow.info 