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From BioCycle Journal of Composting &Organics Recycling August 2001, Page 29 |
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IMPACT ON TURFGRASS
FAIRWAYS AND GREENS BROADEN BASE FOR COMPOST DEMAND
Georgia company produces a biosolids compost that is increasingly used on leading golf courses in the Atlanta region.
Wayne King, Sr.
CONSTRUCTION of the SummerGrove Golf Course in Newnan, Georgia, 40 miles south of Atlanta, got underway in the fall of 1997. SummerGrove is a Signature program member with Audubon International, which heavily influenced the planning and construction of the golf course, particularly with wetlands construction, water management and turf care. In keeping with this environmental awareness, biosolids compost from Erth Products LLC in Peachtree, Georgia was used in turf establishment.
More than 2,400 cubic yards (cy) were applied on the fairways and the soil was seeded with Emerald Zoysia. Specifications for the greens mix called for a 90/10 mixture of sand and compost. This mixture was professionally blended and tested by two U.S. Golf Association (USGA) certified laboratories. Over 3,400 cy of the biosolids compost sized to one-quarter-inch were mixed with a USGA approved sand to produce 13,636 tons of greens mix for the 18 hole course. This material was blended offsite and shipped May through September of 1998.
The 90/10 compost mix met USGA physical property recommendations. The capillary porosity tested at 16.7 determined at 30 cm tension and the percentage of organic matter tested at 1.72. Annual monitoring by the International Sports Turf Research Center in Kansas, a laboratory and consulting firm, shows excellent physical properties across the board, e.g, an increase in the infiltration rate from 1999 to 2001, with very good water holding capacity (see sidebar). The interesting point was that the compost mix met recommendations using less material than a comparable peat mix and had a higher percentage of organic matter by weight. It was later documented by Auburn University that “if differences in water holding capacity, infiltration and nutrient status are accounted for during construction and grow-in, putting greens constructed with alternative organic matter sources such as examined here are a viable alternative to reed sedge peat.” (See accompanying report by Elizabeth Guertal in this issue.)
Research has demonstrated that organic matter in the form of compost enhances the activity of soil microbes, which was a major consideration early on in the selection of compost over peat for use in the golf course greens application. Other important considerations were the benefits that compost offered in reducing thatch buildup, soil compaction, and the reduction of nitrate and pesticide movement.
About this same time, several articles were written about the potential benefits of compost in disease suppression. One article in particular mentioned that laboratory tests showed that microorganisms fostered by compost combat fungal disease. This data helped to kick start the growing market for application on golf courses.
More recently, ERTH Products shipped its compost to Houston, Texas to be used in the newly renovated golf greens at the Palmer Signature Course in the Woodlands. The Woodland Club system is the home of three major signature courses (Palmer, Player and Nicklaus) and has a 27-year history with the PGA tour. This follows the use of compost at other high profile courses such as the Ocean course on Kiawah Island (home of the Ryder Cup) and Augusta (GA) National (home of the Masters Tournament).
ERTH Products is continuing to invest in research and was recently selected to participate with Clemson University in a proposed three-year project to study compost as a viable peat substitute in golf green construction and for a readily available organic matter source for pre and postconstruction of golf course fairways and sports fields. The potential benefits and deliverables mentioned would benefit the turfgrass industry and the environment by establishing best management practices for use of composted materials in various capacities within the industry.
The research, to be directed by L.B . McCarty of Clemson, will be designed to emphasize these areas: Use of high quality composted biosolids as a peat substitute in golf green construction; Use of compost as a topdressing material for sand greens; Compost use as a preplant soil amendment in clay-based and sand-based golf course fairways and/or sports fields; Effects on disease occurrence and nematode levels; and Effects of product on soil microbial populations. Dr. McCarty is Professor of Turfgrass Science and Management in Clemson University’s Department of Horticulture.
Wayne King, Sr. manages ERTH Products, LLC, based in Peachtree City, Georgia, which now services over 29 golf courses in the region with its composted products. King also serves as president of the Georgia Composting Association.
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