Sean Lanphere – Superintendent, Latah Creek GC
We chatted with Sean Lanphere, Superintendent at Latah Creek GC in Spokane WA about his experience in adding Aquritin 19 and Defend to his greens program in 2022. As a first time user of a silica-based product and a trial user of Aquaritin 19, he was quickly convinced of the benefits.
When, where and what
At the Latah Creek Golf Course in Spokane WA, we used either Aquaritin 19 or Defend every 2 weeks starting in late March 2022 through our last greens spray in mid-October. Our goal was to provide roughly 0.10 lb. N per thousand square feet every 2 weeks, although that varied based on course conditions and weather. While Aquaritin 19 was not used as a stand-alone product, it was the sole source of N for one of the two sprays per month. When we used the Defend in our subsequent monthly spray, our N source was a mix of 50/50 slow release 28-0-0 and UAN.“
What we saw
Up until the use of the Aquaritin products we hadn’t used any silica products on the golf course. In doing some research it appeared that the addition of a silica-based product could improve a broad range of agronomic challenges. Now while we can’t say for certain that it was directly due to the use of Aquaritin, we did notice a quite a few encouraging improvements as noted below:
Green up
Once the weather was conducive to growth, we noticed a quick green up within a matter of hours on the greens.
Ball roll
We saw the ball roll on greens match or exceed past years’ performance.
Growth
No surge in growth following application.
Decrease in biotic stress
disease and insect damage were reduced as compared to previous years.
Decrease in abiotic stress
Most greens seemed to have much better wear tolerance, whether from the mowers or foot traffic. In the past, during times of high afternoon heat, the turf leaves would lose their rigidity, not so much last season.
I may be forgetting a few more things that we saw this past season, but we are very encouraged going forward using Aquaritin 19 and Defend. Not only does it work, but it is also a great value, doesn’t take up space in the shed, it’s easy to add to the tank, and best of all, we reduce our use of the 2.5-gallon jugs which end up in the dumpster.
If you’re an Aquaritin user, we’d love to hear your experiences with the product. A quick review is always helpful.
If you’re a first time user, register here for a free trial of Aquaritin 19. We’ll send you 2 bottles enough for 4 applications on 3 acres of greens.