Biological products can make a difference in assisting a turf maintenance or nutrition program. Ted Miller, product manager for AQUA-AID Solutions, explains how to use Worm Power Turf effectively to build healthy roots.

What exactly is Worm Power Turf?
Worm Power Turf is a vermicomposted liquid fertilizer. It’s made strictly from our own OMRI-listed vermicompost, which is produced on site in our facility, and water, which are the only two ingredients in Worm Power Turf. This sets it apart from a lot of other vermicompost products, and we refer to our product as a liquid extract. You’ll hear in the industry, the jargon is compost tea. For us, we view that as kind of a pejorative.

With other teas and products like it, the big goal seems to be that if billions of microbes are a good thing, then trillions are better. So people want microbial blooms in their products. In our opinion, that’s really not the important thing. The numbers aren’t important. The important thing is the broad spectrum of colonies that we achieve, and the viability of those colonies once they hit the soil.

How does it work?
What the liquid really is, is a vector for thousands of microbial communities that will essentially colonize the root zone of any plant they’re applied to. They have a particularly beneficial effect on turf, in that it creates very strong root systems without any undue top growth. That’s really been one of the things that’s been a boon to golf course superintendents. It doesn’t do them any good to have a good root system, but then have to go out and double their labor costs by mowing twice as much as they used to. It’s really an effective tool in terms of solely focusing on the increased root mass and increased development that helps promote a stronger plant, but not overly vigorous growth.

These benefits accrue to the soil through our product, but really, these benefits come from the worm. But why not just use compost? After the composting process, you have achieved a level of microbial inoculation that is specific to the high temperature ranges that occur in composting, what we call thermophilic microbes that operate above 120 degrees. Worms, however, live in the rhizosphere of the plant, and all the microbes that are both in the worm and on the worm, the same are imparted to the vermicompost. Those are the microbes are the ones that live and thrive in the middle temperature ranges, the mesophilic microbial communities. Once our product goes into the soil, those are in an environment that they’re able to thrive.

What kinds of rates are effective?
The most effective application rates that we’ve gotten, is 5 gallons of Worm Power Turf per acre per month. Whether it be greens or fairways or tees, if you’re going to do that, the application rate breaks down to two things: Either 8 ounces every two weeks, or 16 ounces every four weeks. Really, which way the superintendent chooses to do it is dependent on a couple of different factors. The effectiveness of our product for thatch reduction is more clearly visible when you do the 16-ounce rate every four weeks. At the same time, if what they’re really after is increased root mass and density, then we’ve found that 8 ounces every two weeks will promote better root development than 16 ounces every four weeks will. Both are effective rates, and certainly outperform other applications and any control in testing.

Can it be mixed with other products?
We’ve had great success when it’s being mixed with surfactants, especially with the notion that the material is supposed to work in the root zone. Anything that helps with that soil penetration is fantastic. We’re seeing great results with a number of AQUA-AID products tank-mixed with Worm Power Turf. There’s also work that’s been done with NC State. One of our early recommendations was not to tank-mix with fungicides. That becomes a labor issue for superintendents, if it requires another pass. Over multiple facilities throughout the US over the past two years, Agronomic programs have mixed fungicides with Worm Power and have seen zero negative effect … this real-world research along with the statistical counts we have proven thru university research in multiple trials … we are confident that Worm Power Turf can be mixed with any products that have to be incorporated into a soil-drench program.

What should superintendents keep in mind when using it?
In the summer of 2015, I was responsible for traveling to golf courses in our course trials, and interestingly, as I was following up with them, I heard, “I’m not seeing anything. Nothing’s happening.” And I knew why they were saying that, because they weren’t looking below the surface. Anyone who tries this, if they don’t do a cup cut and pull some plugs, they’re not going to see what’s happening. Look below the surface and you’ll find the benefits. Don’t think you’re going to see it manifest itself in a physical plant response above the surface. The top growth is not going to change a lot. You’ll find that the top growth responds over time by being more drought-tolerant and standing up to traffic better and things like that, but you just don’t get that visible response on the top growth.

The main thing is that you want it to be used as a soil spray. It can be effective as a foliar application, but it works in the root zone. We want it working in the soil.

Watch the root zone. That’s where you’re going to see the benefits, and over time you’ll realize the benefits of a healthier root zone. Don’t expect to see a growth explosion right under your eyes. Get a cup cutter out there and start taking some cuts, you’ll see the benefits pretty quickly.

About the Author
Kyle Brown is a Canton, Ohio-based golf and agronomics writer.

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“I had no vertical movement of water and the surfaces would puddle with even a two-minute syringe cycle on the greens,” Surette said.

He brought an effective weapon with him from his previous course – AQUA-AID.

“I have been using PBS150 and OARS for several years now,” Surette said. “OARS, I have been using basically since its infancy and always have had outstanding results with the product performing just as I was expecting. My localized dry spot issues have always been easy to manage and the surfaces remain firm and fast with water moving where I want it to go.

“I started using PBS150 at my past two courses as a tool to manage irrigation efficacy on fairways and tees,” he continued. “The previous courses I was at, the irrigation systems were marginal at best with one being single row quick coupler and the other being single row automatic. The course with the single quick couplers, we relied heavily on a night/morning watering crew and anything we could use to help us be more efficient was key. The PBS150 applications we used allowed us to make the most of the watering we were able to do as well as allowed us to even skip a few watering days in the heat/stress of the summer.”

According to Surette, he’s used OARS on greens and PBS150 on fairways, and is now liking the new formulation of OARS in the OARS PS.

“It has helped me be able to push the limits of my greens further than previously without having to worry about stress and high traffic,” he said, adding that his course does between 31,000 and 35,000 rounds per year. “Prior to my use of OARS at this property, the other surfactants that the prior superintendent was using were just not cutting it. The black layer on the greens was out of this world. As soon as I stepped in and made two applications of OARS, the black layer was nearly gone, and after treating the moss and algae, we are virtually free of problems, as well as keeping the surface dry, has given us a lot better results and a longer duration of our fungicide applications.

“Although we have had a very wet spring, I have noticed already with my PBS150 application on fairways that they are taking and retaining moisture in the sub soil much better than previously and the high spots are not drying out nearly as quickly,” Surette added. “It is even performing well despite the fact that we have a major thatch issue in the bentgrass fairways.”

For Surette, the outcome far outweighs the investment.

“I couldn’t put an exact number to the return on investment, but between limiting hand-watering duties, increasing the efficacy of our fungicide program and drastically improving the turf quality, it easily pays for itself hands down,” he said.

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What makes the AQUA-AID Solutions surfactant technology so unique, and the significance of the multi-branched technology?
Randy Petrea:

AQUA-AID Solutions offers a patented premium line of surfactants to enable the superintendent to manage water requirements with respect to soil, available water, weather and plant health.

Aqua-Aid premium surfactants include: OARS PS (Penetration) — Organic Acid Redistributing System plus a hexa-functional multi-branched penetrant molecule; OARS HS (Hydration) — Organic Acid Redistributing System plus an octa-functional multi-branched hydrating molecule; and PBS 150 — Polyfunctional patented multi-branched surfactant.

As for multibranched regenerating wetting agents, these molecules differ from the traditional linear copolymer molecules in that they are much higher in molecular weight and have multiple interactive sites, such that each branch is essentially a wetting agent in itself. Branching, coupled with higher molecule weight, not only increases the interaction between the wetting agent and the soil, but also affects the biodegradation profile. As one branch is removed via biodegradation, a new lower molecular weight surface active species is regenerated to continue to manage the water in the soil profile. The use of these molecules on turfgrass was patented in 2005 by Milliken & Co. Examples of these compounds are found in PBS-150 and the OARS product line.

Many superintendents associate surfactants with moving moisture through the soil profile. However, it seems it’s really more about hydration. Please expand on that?

Hydration can be equated to uniform water management. Depending on the design of the surfactant system, both penetration of water into the soil and uniform water retention (hydration) within the soil can be achieved. For soils that are very hydrophobic, a strongly penetrating surfactant may be required to achieve the proper level of hydration. Both water penetration and hydration are a result of the surfactant molecule attachment onto the soil particles, which then interact with rain or applied water, to achieve the desired moisture content. Different areas on a golf course, while receiving the same amount of moisture, may require different levels of hydration for optimum conditions and plant health.

A unique feature of AQUA-AID surfactant chemistries is that they can be combined to achieve the individual grower’s requirements to maintain the optimum level of hydration. As mentioned previously, some areas may need more moisture penetration whereas other areas may need to retain more moisture. AQUA-AID’s Dial-In approach allows for those adjustments.

OARS HS/PS is paired with an organic acid redistribution system. Why is this important for turf health?

Humic substance redistribution molecules – This class of wetting aids were patented by Milliken and Company and introduced to the Turf industry by AQUA-AID in 2003. These molecules allow water penetration through the soil profile by disrupting the hydrophobic supramolecular humic associations, most prevalent in the top 1-2 centimeters of the soil, that lead to localized dry spots. Reduction in size of the large hydrophobic associations into smaller more soluble conformations result in increased water penetration and allows for redistribution of these “smaller compounds” from the surface, where they cause water management issues, through the soil profile where they may be beneficial to moisture control. Better moisture control is directly proportional to improved plant health. Examples of these compounds are found in the OARS® product line.

Summer turf stress is on every superintendent’s mind right now. How does a surfactant like PBS150 help improve stress tolerance?

PBS-150 helps improve stress tolerance by providing a more uniform, hydrated soil profile versus standard linear copolymers. This is due to molecular build and the increased number of moisture interactive sites in PBS-150. More water interactive sites in the molecule provide a more uniform moisture profile which leads to a better distribution of water soluble nutrients and chemistries applied. This uniformity reduces run-off and leads to maximum use of the inputs typically applied to achieve premium growing/playing conditions.

Compared to other surfactants, are the AQUA-AID products applied any differently? Are any special procedures or precautions involved with their use?

All AQUA-AID surfactants are safe to apply at label rates. The unique chemistries of OARS HS/PS and PBS150 allow less total ounces to be applied over a growing season to achieve the same or greater efficacy than linear surfactants.

Can you tell me a little about the return on investment (ROI) in using surfactants like OARS HS/PS and PBS150?

ROI using OARS HS/PS and PBS-150 is not only achieved with a reduction in water usage, as much as 40 percent as measured in university research, but also with a reduction in other associated costs. Reduction in water required leads to less electricity for fewer irrigation cycles, less labor for hand watering, less applied nutrients, quicker recovery and a drier surface for fast firm greens.

Article originally posted on Golf Course Industry

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