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Soil Redox Potential
By Lee Berndt Ph.D., CPAg, CCA-FL

Two things make great turf: genes and the environment.  From my perspective the job of a turf manager is to manipulate the turf environment to allow turfgrasses to express their traits to the best of their genetic potential.  Most people know this means, for example, aerifying with the proper tine at the right depth at the right time.  Consider that core aerifying changes the turf environment because it relieves soil compaction and allows air to enter into the soil, releases CO₂, and thus stimulates root development.  Coring also removes surface organic matter.  Most would agree that these are positive outcomes.  But core aerifying can also soften turf surfaces, something most superintendents don’t typically strive to do.  And it can be disruptive to golfers both physically and mentally.  It’s what I call a member unfriendly cultural practice.  The point is cultural practices have consequences, both good and bad.  And sometimes employing management strategies for their perceived positive impacts can hinder management objectives.

As an example, consider that certain nutrients are less available in soils having a high pH.  Lowering pH to a more favorable point makes these nutrients more available.  Applying elemental sulfur is a cultural practice that has been recommended for years for this purpose, and is frequently done.  Sulfur (S) lowers the pH of soil solution by reacting with available oxygen (O₂) to produce acidity (H⁺) per the following reaction:

S  +  O₂ +  H₂O  ? SO₄^2? +  H⁺

However, one consequence of applying sulfur to lower pH is depletion of soil oxygen, reducing the amount available for the respiration of plant roots and microbes.  This is because oxygen bonds to sulfur in a chemical reaction to produce the acid.  Reduced levels of oxygen can then have an impact, for example, on nutrient uptake because ion transport across root membranes is directly related to root respiration rate which is in turn directly related to oxygen concentration.  That sulfur can deplete soil oxygen is illustrated in Figure 1.  As sulfur is increased from zero to three pounds per 1,000 sf the pH of the soil is reduced from 7 to 4.5.  But note how soil redox potential is also reduced.  Redox potential is one way aeration status (aka oxygen content) can be measured.  Low values indicate lack of oxygen hence anaerobic conditions.

And because sulfur can lower redox potential it can also initiate development of the dreaded black layer.  Figure 2 shows redox potential is low in anaerobic soil having low levels of sulfur yet little sulfide (aka black layer) is produced.  Adding sulfur depresses redox potential and increases the level of sulfides.  Note that applying nitrate fertilizer with the sulfur keeps redox potential high and keeps the level of sulfides low.  This occurs because nitrate is an oxidizer; it increases redox potential.  In other words the addition of nitrate has the same general effect as adding oxygen.

Fertilizing with natural organic sources of N such as Milorganite or ammonia-based N carriers can also deplete soil oxygen and reduce redox potential.  This is because a process called nitrification takes place.  This is analogous to the sulfur reaction.  Nitrification is the conversion of ammonium (NH₄⁺) into nitrate (NO₃^?), just like sulfur (S) is converted into sulfate (SO₄^2?):

NH₄⁺ + O₂ ?  NO₃^? +  H⁺

Note that, as with the sulfur reaction, oxygen bonds to nitrogen.  As a result the level of oxygen is reduced.  It becomes tied up with creation of a new molecule.  This is called an oxidation reaction.  Incidentally, both processes contribute to lowing soil pH; these oxidation processes release H⁺ ions (aka acidity) directly to the environment.

Are there other oxidation-reaction related cultural practices being used?  The answer is yes.  Some turf managers have applied sugars like molasses to turf to stimulate microbial activity.  The sugars are oxidized by the microbial communities via respiration, which consumes oxygen.

C₆H₁₂O₆ + O₂ ?  CO₂ +  H₂O

And as the populations feed on the sugar they grow in size using more and more oxygen.

Does all of this mean that sulfur, ammonium fertilizers, and sugars should not be used?  No.  Manipulating pH of soil with sulfur and fertilizing it with materials like ammonium sulfate can be positive practices in the right circumstances.  Stimulating microbial activities can also be positive.  But be aware that if the soil tends to have a low redox potential to begin with then such practices would be contra indicated.

Keep in mind that organic matter is always oxidizing in soil consuming oxygen when it is available.  Soil can become more anaerobic and attain a lower redox potential when it gets saturated with water during prolonged rain events.  This is because water greatly restricts the rate of oxygen diffusion into soil.  And if soil then becomes compacted there is less air-filled pore space, which means a grater percentage of the pore space contains water further restricting the rate of oxygen diffusion.  And then if sulfur, ammonium, or sugar is applied the redox potential falls ever further and boom, the black layer happens, or maybe something even worse.  This is why avoiding the application of sulfur and fertilizing with nitrate-based N carriers, which increase redox potential, is a BMP for managing anaerobic soils and the black layer.

The redox potential of the soil is a highly important component of the turf environment that managers influence through their cultural regime every day whether they know it or not.  It’s a prime determinant of turfgrass health and quality, and something turf managers need to learn more about.  Having a better understanding of how each cultural practice can influence the various components of the turf environment can result in a better chance of successfully fulfilling management objectives.

SEE HOW YOU CAN INCREASE THE REDOX POTENTIAL OF YOUR SOIL

The budgeting constraints daily fee courses work under do not allow any room to try unfamiliar product lines, especially when they are a premium quality label. Surprisingly, the Geoponics guys that came by the course did not give up on earning my business when I repeatedly explained this to them. As a result, we were eventually able to work out a trial on the fairy ring issues I had on some of my MiniVerde greens.

I no longer face this problem, and I attribute that to the Agriox and Penterra treatments I have been making ever since. I found it especially helpful to time aerification around my applications since it really reduces the time it takes to heal over. We are now addressing the sodium issues that come along with using brackish irrigation water with the Detox product.

Originally I had been skeptical about the affordability of the Geoponics products to the point where I hadn’t really considered their cost effectiveness. Once I saw how much of an improvement the treated areas made, I took a closer look at the cost per acre. Five months later I have adopted the complete Grizzly Pro-Turf Program and am very happy with it, especially how affordable it turned out to be.

I had been using a granular based program, but now I have the convenience of easy application, the time and labor savings of not needing to water in, as well as the benefit of a more uniform and even feed over time. I put a high value on the technical backgrounds of the sales representatives I have been dealing with; they’re good people that I enjoy working with.

Scott Ryan
Eagle Lakes Golf Club
Naples, FL

When I was first introduced to the Geoponics line of products, I was skeptical. Every salesman comes into your office with the same story about how this is the best product ever, but you have to buy it before you find out it doesn’t work. So the way I look at it now, when you have a program in place, you don’t modify it unless you have an area where you’re looking to improve. Besides, it’s human nature to resist change.

But when it comes to moving water, I’ve always been willing to try something new. Our greens have gotten slow to drain due to clogging caused by some of the materials used when they were constructed. They aren’t very big greens anyway, so once you add 240 rounds a day, compaction becomes a real issue. When I explained the situation to my Geoponics sales representative, he asked me to try Penterra. I’ve been using it ever since, and now the water moves right through.

You can just tell it’s breaking everything up, and that’s especially important when you have the kind of heavy rains we get here. Before the greens would lock up and we’d start moving towards black layer, but not any more. When a storm is headed our way, I can put the Penterra out and not have to worry. On the other hand, when it gets to be dry and windy and we are looking to hold some moisture, we use Humawet instead. I used to have 2 guys out there hand watering all day, and now we just have to do a little touch up in spots.

We use the soil oxygen product Agriox as well. It’s an incredible product. You can see how it helps release tied up nutrients and gives you a nice even green. It’s been a complete night and day response from before I started using it, and now it’s an important part of my program. We used to fertilize every 10 days or so, but the grass doesn’t start looking as hungry as soon any more. Now we can get almost an extra week out of the same amount of material. I’ve run the numbers, and we save over $15,000 a season in labor and material, so the products really do pay for themselves.

I was looking to improve my tee boxes and decided to spray Carbotein. My clipping ratio from before spraying weekly to now is night and day. Visually it’s obvious because our divot recovery is much faster than before, and the turf is much more dense. I’ve actually had members ask what I do to make them “like carpets.” About once a month we use the Penterra on them, as well as on the fairways, just to loosen things up and get a flush. Before we started doing that we’d see signs of compaction when little brown spots would pop up, but they have all gone completely away.

The turf everywhere on the course looks uniform now, which is what you want to accomplish as a superintendent. I am very pleased with all the benefits we’ve seen, and glad that my owners and membership have noticed the improvements as well.

Francisco Navas, Superintendent
Cypress Woods Golf & Country Club
Naples, FL

Good morning! Let’s start out with an introduction. Please tell us your name and what you do here at Brunswick Plantation.
My name is Heather Watkins-Vaughan, and I have been here at the Brunswick Plantation Golf Resort for 10 years now. I’m in charge of the subdivision maintenance department, our developmental group, and all golf course landscaping.

Thank you so much for meeting with us here today. So how did you first learn about Geoponics as a company and about our products?
I first learned about the company through the golf course. They were doing a lot of renovations on the greens at the time, really switching things around out there, and a conservation easement was being added in the process. That caused a big change to the way we’d choose which products to buy, and has influenced everything from the types of fertilizer and other chemicals we use, to raising issues of aquatic safety and public opinion. The golf course superintendent started using a number of Geoponics products, and he was really seeing amazing results.

In addition to that, one of our main owners has a major construction firm, and they were doing site work where, in order to get the permits needed to continue developing, they had to have really good grass coverage. Well, there were areas where they had gone out and hydroseeded time and time again, using $15K to $25K worth of products, and absolutely nothing was happening. Then they started taking Carbotein, Humawet and some other Geoponics products out there, and it just exploded with growth. Rob was making grass grow on pure sugar sand and extreme slopes, places I have never seen grass grow in my life. Once I saw that, I had to try it.

I’m glad that we were able to come in and help out in a circumstance like that. Having had the opportunity to see the results of a number of Geoponics products, which did you decide to try first for yourself?
Carbotein was the first product I tried. That and Agriox. We’ve got a lot of flowers out here, over 17,000 at any given point in time, whether it’s fall or spring, and that’s a lot of money. We were going with the typical products that are out there, which are all salt carriers, and what we were noticing was an extreme sodium build up in the beds that was hurting my plants. We were spending copious amounts of money on calcium trying to eradicate that as a result.

Once we started checking out Carbotein and realized that beyond being organic and safe it also didn’t have the salt base, I simply had to give it a try. In doing so, we have easily saved 75% off of our fertilizer budget this year, and that’s on top of all the calcium I was having to put out.

No kidding! That’s a really large number. How is the product to use?
Carbotein is the easiest product I’ve used in my life. I don’t have to worry about any incompatibility issues when doing a tank mix or about the safety of my staff. I’ve had it on me, they’ve had it on them and it’s not an issue.

We are a very family-friendly operation here. There’s a large condominium aspect to what we do, the golf packages, as well as permanent housing, all of which means we have a lot of children running around. On a side note, that is one of the huge things I have to consider. I love that Carbotein is so safe, not only for my staff, but for everybody else around the property.

Once you decided to use Carbotein, how did you find it affected the way you were treating flower beds?
It has changed virtually everything. From tank mixing to the PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] that my employees were having to go out with; from the soil profile to the bottom line. It has impacted every single bit of it. It’s a product that you just don’t have to worry about even when children, guests or visitors are around.

How has it impacted the amount of time spent covering your areas?
The Carbotein gives us such good results that I can go out once every 4 to 5 weeks, whereas with the other product lines we were going out roughly every 7 to 10 days, and their results weren’t even close. It’s been a huge change: in hours and in the bottom line, in every way.

How are you determining your rates and frequency of applications?
My rep. That’s a very, very easy answer, and actually one of the things I like most about Geoponics. When you are making fertility applications in the landscaping field it is obviously very different than the treatments made within the golf course industry.Rates are going to be really exact when you are spraying turfgrass, but on flowers and shrubs, due to differences in size and density, leaf structure, whether they’re waxy or hairy, there’s just a huge range to how you put things out. Anything that I want to know, anything that I want to experiment with, I know they have already done it.

We started off at a low-moderate rate, saw what that did and loved the results. So we pushed it a little bit more the next time, and by pushing it a little bit harder we didn’t have to go out quite as fast. And because the product is so safe, even those times when we pushed the envelope, possibly adding a little more than I would have felt immediately comfortable with, the only thing we saw was an increase in the density of the plants, more vigor, more health, and more growth. So it has really worked out well.

That’s fantastic. We’re very glad to hear that you are having a good experience, and we really appreciate your business and willingness to work with us. You care for quite a few different types of plants, from flowers to shrubs and everything in between. Have you found there to be any liabilities working with a single product on such a broad range?
I have found that there are none at all. There is not a plant that I have treated with any single Geoponics product that has had a problem with it. Obviously, all plants have different growth patterns and growth rates, so we just don’t put as much product on anything we don’t want to have to prune quite as regularly.

The flowers that I have this year by far surpass any flower bed I’ve ever had in my life. The homeowners have been enthusiastic about the changes they’ve seen as well. Most of them are actually asking us what we are using because they want to get involved in this type of a program too.

That’s great to hear, and the flower bed there behind you really speaks volumes. I think it is important to note that we are currently in the middle of a period of record heat. What you would expect to see under these conditions, and do you think the soil you’ve cultivated with these products has positively impacted the stress resistance and tolerance of your plants?

It was 102 degrees out here yesterday with a heat index of 110, so it has definitely impacted it. Less than 2.5’ below the bed that I am standing in front of right now is pure concrete. (Unfortunately, they didn’t decide to put it here until after the slab was poured.) It is obviously extremely hydrophobic, with a horrible soil profile. Granted, I’m having to really push Penterra and Carbotein on this bed in order to get it to do this well, but at this time last year it was already dead.

In addition, given the fact that it doesn’t drain the way that it should, we’ve always had to put a lot of fungicides out here. Since we began using the Geoponics products though, for the first time ever, I have not put a drop of fungicide on any single bed on the property, which is huge.

Now that’s what we want to hear! It’s exactly that sort of proactive environmentalism that will allow us to together make a real difference for the good in the natural world. You mentioned a product named Penterra, which is a surfactant commonly used by our golf course customers, but not typically by landscapers. Tell us a little about what brought you to that product and about the results you’ve seen since starting to use it.
I’m using Penterra at one of our townhome facilities here. There are 12 buildings, and they have the worst soil profile you’ll ever see in your life: it is either extremely boggy wet, or it is hard as a rock. When we first did the landscaping there, we actually used pick axes to put in the plants, which should tell you how horrible it is. Since it’s pure gumbo clay, the hotter it gets, the more compacted the ground gets, to the point where water just pools on top of the grass and won’t soak down at all. I’ve put out repeated applications of gypsum to no avail; nothing has happened at all.

Then about four months ago we started going out with Penterra. The golf course superintendent, who comes out here and works with me, had told me it would cause the water to move through the soil profile better, and it has. That’s another area where I have not had to put a single fungicide out this year, and I’m hoping we’re not going to need a Fall application to renovate spring dead spot there next year either.

Aside from the Carbotein and Penterra, I understand that you use Agriox, our soil oxygen product. Can you tell us some about that?
I love the Agriox; it’s amazing. Out of the whole product line, I can honestly tell you that I have never, in my entire life, seen anything work the way Agriox does.

Due to the clay I’ve mentioned we have out here, nutrients get flat out choked up in the soil profile and are just not available to the plants. There have been situations in the past where every 5 to 7 days I was putting out products which would have absolutely no positive impact. I mean, you can put foliar applications on things all day long, but if your soil profile is poor, if you haven’t done anything to support the root system and microbial activity in the ground, then you’ve done nothing. It wasn’t until we started working with Geoponics that I realized how horrible the soil really was out here. I was throwing good money after bad, week after week, until I found Agriox.

Actually, I had quit fertilizing for around 3 weeks when I decided to give the Agriox a try, and literally in seven days I had 16” worth of growth in a bed that was flat out floundering. It had hollies that had never really sent out feeder roots since being planted over 8 years ago, so I was at the point of thinking another plant needed to be put into the site. But then we put the Agriox out. Instead of having to remove the bed, it’s now the healthiest I’ve got on the property. In fact, it’s still growing and doing really well.

Agriox has also saved us money on the back side in a way that it didn’t occur to me it would. There are over 85 units here which each hold between 4 to 10 people. As you can imagine, we’ve got an extreme traffic situation during the golf season. Unfortunately that means a lot of damage caused by vehicles. Because of that, we’ve always had to buy plants of the same size to replace the ones that have been damaged. For the first time since starting here, I don’t have to do that now. I know I can buy a plant that is a reasonable size, at a reasonable cost, put it in, and within 3 or 4 months I will have a plant that is as established as those around it.

Awesome. We’ve covered quite a bit today. I would just ask if there is anything you would like to add?
The biggest thing is that I really want y’all to continue pushing towards landscapers and not just towards golf course superintendents. The trend here [in the Myrtle Beach area] has always been that the golf courses get all the attention. It’s only really been over the last 10 or 12 years that the landscaping element of the golf courses, and of the subdivisions, has started to gain a presence and have a voice. Yet it’s still all too common that we get totally ignored. The vendors don’t come to see us; the reps don’t come talk to us. And so we don’t get any information.

Geoponics isn’t that way. If I hadn’t seen the results – if my sales representative hadn’t been half as nice as she is – I would never have tried the products, and I would’ve really missed out. So please continue pushing the line. Every landscaper on the beach could benefit from it.

You definitely don’t have to worry about that. Geoponics is committed to getting these Earth Chemistries in front of anyone in the Green Industry who is looking to work in concert with natural systems rather than against them. In closing, I’d just like to say that on the way in today I drove past one gorgeous planter after another. There is no way that anyone coming onto this property wouldn’t know that you are doing an incredible job.

Well, I appreciate everything your company is doing. Most importantly I appreciate that y’all are being so environmentally considerate with the product line that you sell.

We certainly appreciate your support as well, and are so grateful to have had the opportunity to help you do your job in a way that you feel more comfortable. Thank you again for speaking with us today.

Golf Course Superintendent, Chris Hughes of Silver Certified Audubon Signature Course The Old Corkscrew Golf Club discusses some of the benefits he has found with the Geoponics products.

Products Discussed: Penterra (Penterra.net), Humawet (Humawet.com), HydraHawk (HydraHawk.com), Carbotein (Carbotein.com), Grizzly Foliar Nutrients (GrizzlyFoliars.com)

What are some of the challenges that you face on your course as it relates to moisture management?

Well, being an Audubon Signature Course really helps you tune into a lot things. You have to put a lot of thought into what you are putting out, where it is going and how that is going to effect the environment.  It has a lot to do with planning. I mean, you just don’t go out and sling fertilizer wall to wall. We have our spray zones that we stick to.  Even on our greens we have Audubon boxes that are collection and filtration devices to minimizes the runoff into water and groundwater. We focus a lot on the utilization of water. For our specific situation, our course has a lot of undulations which can be a challenge in itself for managing water.  You have low areas, high areas, wet areas and dry areas which demand a lot of man hours and hand watering if you do not stay on top of it.  To off set that, we use wetting agent and surfactants. Here we are using Penterra, Humawet and HydraHawk.

Wow that sounds like a lot to manage! You had mentioned Penterra, Humawet and HydraHawk.  Has the use of these products helped you address some of these challenges and how do you use them?

Oh yes, they have helped a great deal!  For example, Humawet and Carbotein I mix together and use on the mounds.  Mainly on the greens. But if I have issues in the fairways and roughs, I will use it there as well. As we all know, a USGA certified greens consisist mostly of sand, some organic but not so much.  So I use these products to help keep moisture levels where they need to be and supplement plant nutrients with Carbotein.  We use the Penterra mainly on the fairways or on the greens if we have areas that tend to remain wet.  Penterra does a good job of keeping the water moving. HydraHawk we use to as a maintenance product in all areas, sometimes with foliars and sometimes alone. Just depends on what is going on with the golf course at any particular time.

Golfers come to play Old Corkscrew to test their skills to the limit, based on that knowledge, you like to keep your greens’ rolling speed lean and mean. You have been using the MEGAMAX, TERRAIN and KODIAK from the Grizzly Foliar line.  How have these helped you give your customers a putting surface that is true to their liking?

Well, it is a challenging golf course and very enjoyable all the way around.  All the native plants and nature here….it is just beautiful to be out here. It is a real experience for anyone! As far as the Grizzly products, when I first started in the business it seemed to be mostly granular based products.  Over the years and through researching different companies and pricing, foliar feeding seemed to be a good way to maintain the grass. Made good sense…Also, more recently, the strain that everyone has been feeling due to the economy, I would have to say that money was also a factor as well.  Looking at everything, MEGAMAX and TERRAIN fit my budget and they gave me what I was looking for. That being said, I was never looking for a flush of growth either just good uniform color and health.  As far as the green speeds, I definitely like to keep them lean and mean. With the use of these products I have not found myself lacking according to tissue analysis and soil samples. MEGAMAX does have a small amount of Nitrogen and quite a bit of minors and secondaries and will give you the color if you need it.  Same with the Terrain except it carries a little more Nitrogen.  If I need a little more Potassium I will use the KODIAK.  I more or less flip flop them based on my needs to maintain color and turf health and they have done a good job at that. It is like, well, going back to using Carbotein on my mounds or weaker areas, there is not a set time or anything, as I walk my greens and watch them, I give them what they are asking for.

Sounds like you are a man who knows exactly what he is looking for.  Based on the reputation, tournaments and awards Old Corkscrew has earned, you are doing a wonderful job of it. Our congratulations to you and the golf club!

I guess driving the course every day over the years you just know where your problem areas are and you try to address them accordingly and the Geoponics products have done a good job to help reduce the time needed to achieve what our customers are looking for at a price we can afford.

Geoponics.TV is a collection of videos to address Turf and Ornamental plant challenges