Dry down – Coming soon

I'm going to be brave here and predict a dry down soon!!!

There is no denying that since September weather conditions have been shocking for turf managers but it will turn at some point and it's more likely than not we'll soon be talking about how to manage turf under drought stress.

Just a quick blog to highlight the key period to get wetting agents down.

To get the best out of any wetting agent then the soil profile needs to have good even moisture for the surfactant to spread through.

It also needs water to push the surfactant into the profile. Waiting too long can result in less than optimum returns on your investment. On greens and tee's where you have the tools to manage moisture content, this is less critical.

The above graph shows the last 5 years of dry down (rainfall minus Evapotranspiration accumulated from the 1st January.) It's quite clear when you look at this that 2020 has been a difficult year. but you can also see that we're only a few weeks away from the point that ET really starts to ramp up. Mid March to Early April is pretty consistently the period things start changing. That's only 2 - 3 weeks away - just hang on a few more weeks!

Longer days, drying April winds and warmer temperatures all contribute to this. A successful wetting agent program on non-irrigated areas starts when the soil profile is damp. Not miss the opportunity to maximise your program.

Whilst it doesn't feel like it at the moment - drying conditions will come - don't miss that chance.

Check out 2018's blog on a dry April........

Another blog on Spring drying out.......

Another blog on Spring dry down........

Click here For more information about Qualibra, Syngenta's Wetting Agent

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