6/8/2021 - By Dr. Jeff Atkinson

A recent article in our Growing Solutions for Golf eNewsletter focused on 10 tips for surviving summer stress. As seasons shift into the stressful summer months, it’s a good opportunity to consider if the products in your program align with the seasonal needs of your turf. Here are three products to consider to enhance your turf’s stress tolerance:

• Seaweed Extract: University research trials have demonstrated the stress tolerance enhancing effects of seaweed extract in turfgrass and other horticultural and agricultural crops. When applied, seaweed extracts enhance natural antioxidant production, resulting in turf which can better withstand environmental stress. A few Harrell’s products which include seaweed extract include:
• BioMAX® 4-0-0
• BioMAX® 7-0-7
• BioMAX® 12-0-6
• N30 Plus
• and our newest offering, Seaweed A+E

• Title Phyte® : Title Phyte® systemically enhances the ability of turf to withstand stress. The quality formulation of Title Phyte® is designed to be highly compatible with other plant nutritionals and protectants. Research has documented a turf quality enhancement of both warm and cool season turf by incorporating Title Phyte® as part of a stress management program.

•  Wetting Agents : Turf can withstand a lot of stress if adequate, even soil moisture is present. Summer temperatures, irrigation limitations, inconsistent soils, and unpredictable weather patterns all fight against achieving optimal moisture conditions throughout the season. Soil wetting agents are a superintendent’s cheat code for decreasing soil moisture fluctuations, created by these stressors. Harrell’s offers a full line of wetting agents which range from distribution agents, moisture holding agents, long term agents, and hose-end tablets.

No single program is appropriate for every property and no single product is appropriate for all stress conditions. I encourage you to speak with your Harrell’s rep to understand what might be best for your conditions and help mitigate stress throughout the growing season.

About Dr. Jeff Atkinson
Dr. Jeff Atkinson serves as Harrell’s Director of Agronomy for the Northern United States. In this role, Dr. Atkinson is responsible for the testing and development of proprietary products to expand Harrell’s portfolio and to provide technical support to our sales representatives and customers. Dr. Atkinson has experience in research and development across several disciplines of golf course agronomics. His work can be found in both industry and peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Atkinson has worked in the turf industry for 15 years and holds a bachelors, masters, and doctorate degree from Clemson University. His graduate research focused on the physiological effects of shade on putting green turf, herbicide efficacy and turfgrass tolerance, and biology of invasive species.