Syringing Effects on the Canopy Temperatures of Bentgrass Greens¹

Abstract

Abstract Syringing of fine turf, particularly bentgrass golf greens, is practiced throughout the USA. The literature indicates that this procedure offers some potential to moderate turfgrass canopy temperature. The practical utility of syringing from canopy temperature reduction under the warm, humid conditions of the southeastern USA was examined in this study. A ‘Penncross’ creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis palustris Huds.) green constructed to U.S. Golf Association (USGA) specifications and located in Raleigh, NC was subjected to eight rates of water applications (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.7, 1.4, 2.7, 4.1, and 5.5 mm) as syringing treatments at one of two times (1100 or 1300 h) during the day. Green soil construction consisted of mixing 9 parts sand with 1 part of a Typic Hapludult Clayey, kaolinitic, thermic (Cecil gravelly sandy loam) soil and 1 part peat. The objective of a second study was to evaluate canopy temperature changes following a syringing treatment of 2.7 mm of water applied as single or multiple applications. In the absence of wilt, bentgrass canopy temperatures were not significantly altered 1 h after syringing regardless of the water volume or timing of the syringing application. Therefore, in the absence of wilt, the routine syringing of bentgrass greens must be reevaluated given the substantial economic cost of this procedure, particularly for labor and water.