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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #298935
Title: Evaluation of core cultivation practices to reduce ecological risk of pesticides in runoff from turf

Author
item Rice, Pamela
item HORGAN, BRIAN - University Of Minnesota
item Hamlin, Jennifer

Submitted to: Trade Journal Publication
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2013
Publication Date: 5/1/2013
Citation: Rice, P.J., Horgan, B.P., Rittenhouse, J.L. 2013. Evaluation of core cultivation practices to reduce ecological risk of pesticides in runoff from turf. Hole Notes. 46(4)34-46.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pesticides associated with the turfgrass industry have been detected in storm runoff and surface waters of urban watersheds; raising concern of their potential environmental effects and a desire to reduce their transport to non-target locations. Runoff studies were conducted to compare the effectiveness of solid tine versus hollow tine core cultivation to reduce the quantity of pesticides transported with runoff from creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) turf managed as a golf course fairway. The concentration of pesticides anticipated in a surface water receiving the runoff were calculated using data from this study and runoff volumes and pond dimensions recorded from a local golf course. Surface water concentrations were compared with levels known to be harmful to aquatic organisms. Key observations of the study were: 1) runoff volumes were less from turf managed with hollow tine compared to solid tine core cultivation, 2) greater quantities of pesticides were transported off-site with runoff from turf managed with solid tines, 3) concentrations of pesticides in a pond receiving runoff from turf managed with solid tines exceeded levels harmful to eight of nineteen aquatic organisms evaluated, and 4) replacing solid tine with hollow tine core cultivation reduced surface water pesticide concentrations to levels below harmful concentrations for most of these organisms.