Clarification on Drought

I received some input from a blog reader that made me realize I did a poor job of explaining my concerns over the lack of winter moisture. I appreciate any and all feedback to my posts. In fact, the reason this site was created was to open the lines of communication between the golfer and our department. Keep them coming! Thanks for the input and I hope this clears up any confusion.

Comment from the reader:

"Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center, housed at the University of Nebraska-­Lincoln, said the dry winter is not yet something to fret over, for several reasons:

• Winter is the driest time of year, he said, so when less-than-normal moisture falls, the deficits aren't that large.
• The soil is frozen, so any snow that melts now can't be absorbed anyway.  
• Last fall, rain and some snow replenished dry soil with moisture before the ground froze. That water is still locked up in the ground, he said, and will be available for growing plants at spring thaw.

 And those cracks appearing in yards and parks? They aren't a sign that the ground is parched, he said. The cracks are formed because the soil was wet when it froze. If the soil were dry, he said, it wouldn't be cracking.

Of greater concern would be a lack of rain during the growing season, Fuchs said. For now, there are no discernible clues in climate patterns about whether spring and early summer will be rainy, he said."

First and foremost everything the reader mentioned above is absolutely true. However, it does not relate directly to where our concern lies. It is important to understand that we aren't as interested in moisture deep within the soil profile as we are with moisture that is available to above ground parts of the plant (leaves and crowns). This makes the inability for snow melt to penetrate frozen soils somewhat irrelevant in regards to preventing winter desiccation. What snow and winter hand-watering does do is provide moisture directly to the above ground parts of the plant that lose it due to evapotranspiration. If the crown of the plant dies, then the entire plant dies. Snow cover also helps cover the plant protecting it from desiccation that is exacerbated by dry winter winds.

As for the crack in the ground what was stated is true but not complete. I spoke with Brian Fuchs and I was told that a portion of his interview was omitted by the OWH in which he mentioned cracks in the ground are caused by both wet and dry soils. It has found that in turfgrass settings, especially sand based putting greens, the cracks in the ground can very easily be attributed to dry soil conditions. With the lack of moisture, high winds, and periods of warmth we have experienced this winter the upper few inches of the soil profile could very well be under drought stress. He mentioned turfgrass and winter wheat crops have had a very difficult winter and winter kill is expected throughout Nebraska.

It is always important to understand that most widely published articles are going to be generic in their  information. They will speak to broad generalizations, not site specific information. There are countless micro climates and soil types through out the state and each one will react differently.

I included an article from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that may clear things up further. Again thanks for the input I really enjoy this stuff.

Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension education programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Warm winter with no snow cover could increase desiccation damage
January 17, 2014  The warm and windy weather with rare snow cover so far this winter is increasing the chance for desiccation damage in cool-season turf on lawns, sports turf, and golf courses. Desiccation occurs when the roots cannot supply enough water to the dormant/semi-dormant plant to keep up with the amount of water lost through the leaves and crowns. Any environmental factor that increases water loss will increase desiccation damage. The recent warm temperatures increase evaporation from the plant and soil surface, and water loss is magnified by high winds. Desiccation injury is usually greatest on exposed or elevated sites (Fig. 1), with high sand concentrations (low water holding capacity) in the soil profile, and/or areas where surface runoff is great. Winter desiccation injury to turfgrass is common in Nebraska and the north central US when snow cover is not maintained throughout the winter. Over the long term, windbreaks can help to slow the wind across an area and encourage longer snow cover. In the short term, a wide variety of turf covers, from fabrics to snow fences to late-season topdressing can help prevent desiccation. Rainfall late into the fall helps reduce desiccation damage (not with this year’s dry fall in Nebraska and the North Central states). Winter irrigation where feasible can help maintain plant and soil moisture and also minimize damage from desiccation. As we stand now in Jan. 2014, we would recommend irrigation if possible to help reduce potential damage on exposed greens, and perhaps on tees or other high value turf like sports fields.

For more information on the complexities of winterkill, refer to the March 8, 2011 Turf iNfo at http://turf.unl.edu/pdfctarticles/march%20winterkill.pdf
Zac Reicher, Professor, Turfgrass Science, zreicher2@unl.edu  Bill Kreuser, Assistant Professor and Turfgrass Extension Specialist, wkreuser2@unl.edu

Winter Desiccation Damage