5/19/2020

With Spring in full swing, thoughts of renewal and growth permeate throughout almost the entire golf course industry. Unfortunately, that’s not exactly the case for the Desert Southwest golf community. As is the case in many other regions, Spring marks the beginning of transition from overseeded ryegrass back to bermudagrass in the Desert Southwest. However, the methods that the Desert Southwest community implements to achieve that transition are unique to all other regions. Removal of ryegrass here requires some of the most intense chemical and mechanical practices in the country. 

One of the most important factors in determining the proper timing for ryegrass removal is the soil temperature. If the soil temperature remains at a constant sixty-five degrees at four-inch depth, it’s safe to say that the underlying bermudagrass is beginning to actively grow. Once the soil temperature baseline has been reached, golf courses begin eliminating ryegrass with chemical applications and mechanical removal. There are several different types of herbicides on the market that can effectively remove ryegrass in about two to six weeks. Some of these herbicides even feature additional benefits, like being able to remove annual ryegrass and in some cases nutsedge grass varieties. There are also various mechanical and cultural practices that support the transition of ryegrass to bermudagrass. Lowering mowing heights is a key tool in opening the canopy of the ryegrass so that the bermudagrass can receive enough heat and light as it begins to recover from dormancy. This practice, along with verticutting and aerifying all areas of the course, will continue to stress the ryegrass and allow the transition back to bermudagrass. 

Although mechanical practices like these are significant in aiding the Desert Southwest golf community in transiting from ryegrass to bermudagrass, cultural practices—like irrigation management and fertilization—are equally important. Irrigation management involves understanding what percentage of an application of water will be detrimental to the ryegrass, but at the same time will still benefit the underlying bermudagrass. Characteristically, a twenty to thirty percent reduction of an application of water will inhibit ryegrass growth, while still promoting the bermudagrass growth. 

Proper fertilization practices will also have a significant effect on the Spring/Summer recovery of bermudagrass. Higher rates of soluble Nitrogen applied to bermudagrass during spring transition can have detrimental effects to the recovery of the bermudagrass. The finest and most practical method of applying a Nitrogen based fertilizer is through a controlled-release source. A controlled-release source of Nitrogen gives you an advantage over traditional commodity-based Nitrogen fertilizer sources. The advantage comes from predicting how the controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) will release at a specific facility using computer-based software. This is where the POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer technology from Harrell’s stands out against the rest of the CRFs on the market. With over thirty years of practical technology and experience behind POLYON® fertilizer, its predictability and reliability are second to none. Using the Harrell’s POLYGRAPH® software, your local Harrell’s sales representative can dial in a POLYON® fertilizer program for your specific golf property. As the Desert Southwest golf community is still in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, golf course superintendents and their staffs are being forced to innovate and adapt almost on a daily basis. POLYON® fertilizer can give you the peace of mind of knowing that your transitioning bermudagrass will receive the precise rate of Nitrogen for optimal recovery. Ask your Harrell’s representative to run a POLYGRAPH® for your facility today.