What the heck happened on 15 South?





I just stepped in from looking at a catastrophic event that occurred on #15 South green.  Our operator was out rolling a clean-up pass on the green with our Smithco roller when a hydraulic hose underneath ruptured.  During a clean-up pass, the operator is looking forward, so it is very difficult to notice the oil spraying from the hose onto the turf.  Had the operator been making his back-and-forth passes, he likely would have noticed the leak after a single pass.  Unfortunately, this was not the case!

 

 

 Smithco Roller

 

 

As superintendents, we often discuss ideas on how to limit the extent of damage from petroleum products on turf.  There has been research conducted on hydraulic fluid spills and turfgrass, dating back to the late 70s, with little to no solutions to limit the damage.  There was research that evaluated treatments such as activated charcoal, calcined clay, and a detergent and water solution.  It was reported that activated charcoal will absorb oil from spills but will not increase breakdown, resulting in an unsightly, messy black residue within the damaged turf. Calcined clay had no impact and detergent was the only treatment found to increase recovery in an overseeding application.  However, the detergent actually dispersed the oil, causing injury over a greater area of the green.  So, if the plan is to re-sod the area, using detergent will only increase the amount of area to be replaced.  As a turfgrass manager, it is sometimes difficult to sit on our hands and do nothing, but that is in fact what needs to be done to limit the extent of the damage!

                                         

 It has been speculated that the primary cause of damage from hydraulic fluid on turf is not from the oil itself, but from the heat of the fluid when it is at operating temperature.  These temperatures can range from 160 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is disastrous on actively growing turf.  The next question needs to be, “What is the best way to fix the damage?”  We have already decided that due to the sheer square feet that are affected by this spill, re-sodding the green will be our next move.  It seems that in most cases, the turf injury is greatest one week after the spill.  So, by waiting a week to assess the damage, we should be able to decide how much turf to remove in order to re-sod.  Luckily, we have two nursery greens from which we can harvest sod as this repair will be a large one!  Also by waiting a week, we can make it through the upcoming hot weather without worrying about freshly-laid green sod.

                                                

Hydraulic oil spills have a disastrous effect on poa annua and bentgrass golf greens.  And without laying new sod, recovery can take from four weeks to  two months or longer.  If the leak were small or just a fine line running across a green, we may be able to utilize a different approach.  However, with the long-term health and playability of the course in mind, we will be spending many hours removing, regarding, and replacing the sod from #15 green.

Thank You,

Mike Turner, Director of Agronomy