Water is the most abundant and precious naturally-occurring chemical compound on Earth. In both solid and liquid forms, water covers nearly 71% of our planet’s surface and is the most significant ingredient of every living thing. Sounds pretty plentiful right?
Well, not so fast. The vast majority of Earth’s water (96%) is contained within the oceans and therefore unsuitable for terrestrial plants due to its salinity. Fresh ground water is just a fraction of 1% of total water volume. So the water naturally available for plant life to support cell structure, photosynthesize and transport nutrients is in fact, rare and precious.
Many golf course superintendents and other turf professionals proudly serve as environmental stewards and are embracing soil surfactant technologies and other conservation practices as a cornerstone of sound agronomic programs. A recent SportsField Management survey reported that 86% of industry participants are taking proactive measures to reduce water usage. Nearly half (45%) of all those surveyed classified their actions as “trying to save as much water as possible.”
Whether the challenge is natural water shortages, uniform water distribution, irrigation efficiency, improving the efficacy of fertilizers and plant protectants, mitigation of water-related costs or government-mandated water conservation, there are solutions available. Surfactants like Dispatch by Aquatrols can reduce the amount of water runoff and evaporation by as much as 25% over the course of a season by helping to overcome soil repellency.
But conservation solutions come in many forms. Proper irrigation scheduling and programming improves efficiency. New technologies allow for more pinpoint tracking of water resources. Installing mulch in shrubs and flower beds reduces drainage losses.
It all amounts to more sustainable management of this important resource. For more information on best practices, contact your local distributor, visit aquatrols.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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