Sports Turf Agronomy Advice - June 2024
We head into June after another period of unsettled weather. We were fortunate in May to have some periods of good weather; it was just unfortunate that in-between we had heavy showers which set many turf managers back because ground conditions weren’t suitable or it intensified growth to the point where it was difficult to keep up with.
I think there will be many who haven’t required any use of their irrigation systems yet, and June last year was pretty much a month of drought. When comparing last May to this May, there has been more growth. GP, GDD and the Max and Min temperatures are all higher this year, which has meant that there has been good recovery where needed from maintenance work or regaining coverage from thinned swards.
An overview of the average weather figures for May are listed below. It has been a better month all-round, although the rainfall figure has still been high, which has meant that some areas have remained wet and not fully dried out. The Max and Min temperatures have been good and added with the moisture that has been available, growth has been strong. This is reflected in the GP which has remained above 80% throughout the whole of May with GDD tracking at above 95 per week too.
Click here if you want to review weather data in your region for May. To keep up to date with the weather throughout June visit https://academy.agrovista.co.uk/category/weather
The forecast prediction for June looks more favourable again, so building on the improvement we have had through May. Temperatures are predicted to be high teens and early twenties, which are excellent growing conditions for grasses in our environment. Furthermore, there are some showers forecast, but not for long periods, which will be welcomed for those who are completing renovations on sport pitches. For those managing fine turf, it should mean that the drought conditions won’t be making an appearance this month, unless in some localised isolated areas.
That said, it doesn’t downplay the important role that wetting agents can have as part of a summer stress management strategy. Even with sufficient rainfall, it is important that what is falling is going into the profile, consistently and evenly distributed. Without treatment, areas can become hydrophobic, which can be from various causes. It is easy for this to go undetected at first as the symptoms are not always visible, however once observed you are then in the territory of curative treatments to rectify the issue, where the plant has been weakened and the damage has already been done.
Although there is some expense in using preventative applications, this is the best way to ensure that localised dry patch does not occur; there will be similar, if not more, expense trying to rectify and recover to return to ideal conditions. This does not necessarily have to be a calendar approach of repeated applications but ensuring that there is enough ingredient in the ground for treatment is crucial; the skill of the turf manager is knowing how often application is required given your own site and specific conditions. Utilising information from weather systems will allow for the most informed decisions to be made; ET rates will allow you to calculate how many mm of irrigation are needed to replace daily losses. Agronomic tools, such as moisture meters, can provide the information required to make the most of hand watering selected areas that require any additional water input; while those areas that have adequate amounts don’t get more than is needed and any negative agronomic impact is avoided.
Disease management can become a key focus for many as we get into June, and Anthracnose is a major disease of concern as we move into summer, especially on the back of the spring stress the plant has been under. The disease is triggered by stress factors such as low fertility, compaction, drought etc. Therefore, ensuring there is adequate fertility and soil moisture are ways to lessen the impact of these fungal pathogens by mitigating, where possible, any plant weakness which would allow easy entry.
The key with this disease is to be aware of any historic outbreaks and time any maintenance or inputs in advance to reduce the likelihood of a further outbreak this year. For turf managers in the southern part of the UK, Dollar spot is now becoming increasingly prevalent. The fungus prefers cool, wet conditions and activity is at its highest when night temperatures are between (10-21°C) and the relative humidity is above 90%.
Like other diseases, extended periods of leaf wetness, which can be either from the humidity, morning dew or irrigation use, only allow further development of the disease. Furthermore, as with Anthracnose, low nitrogen levels can leave the plant more susceptible. Managing conditions in a proactive way to avoid creating conditions which are conducive for disease development will help to reduce the risk of an outbreak of both diseases; however, sometimes the climatic conditions create a perfect storm and, regardless of all the things that have been put in place, an outbreak is still likely. In these circumstances, a preventative fungicide can be applied ahead of high-pressure periods to reduce any infection to a minimum.
June brings the longest day and it’s felt like a long road to get here. Hopefully, there’s a long summer to follow that we can enjoy and get the most out of our surfaces.
Tom Wood
B.Sc (Hons) | BASIS | FACTs