Some important concepts you might have missed in or outside of the classroom.

By James H. Baird

Few would dispute that there are both an art and a science to growing high-quality turf. However, these days it seems that soil fertility and turfgrass nutrition practices are becoming less scientific and more illogical than artistic.

While science continues to move forward, it appears to me that most of the new theories or so-called advancements are professed by companies or individuals who stand to gain by selling their products or consultation services. Most turf managers won't hesitate to apply a new product if they believe that it won't hurt anything and could only help their situation. Unfortunately, applying the wrong nutrient or too much of a nutrient can result in deficiencies of other nutrients, greater potential for disease outbreak due to changes in soil acidity, or perhaps unfavorable changes in soil physical properties. Given today's uncertain economy and increased scrutiny over chemicals applied in the turfgrass environment, all turf managers need to re-evaluate their fertilization practices by using science as the foundation upon which personal experience and feel are built.

Click on link for full article from the USGA

http://www.usga.org/course_care/green_section_record/2007/sep_oct/Soil-Fertility-and-Turfgrass-Nutrition-101/