Abstract
Restrictions on use of pesticides on recreational areas including golf courses are encouraged by EU legislation. Denmark has introduced legislation in 2013 and set an upper limit on how much pesticide can be used on golf courses. Weeds can impair on golf course quality and must be controlled, especially on fairways, and there is a demand for sustainable solutions.
The basic assumption in pesticide-free lawn maintenance is that the amount of weeds can be limited by stimulating the competitive ability of the turf grasses. Weeds are also presumed to be inhibited by mechanical maintenance such as vertical cutting, harrowing and topdressing.
For the past 15 years information about pesticide free weed control has been obtained, partly from scientific experiments, but even more from practical testing of different methods by experienced greenkeepers, mostly on Danish golf courses. This review paper will discuss findings from these experiments/knowledge collection cases in order to visualize the dilemmas of pesticide-free management of weeds on turf areas, primarily golf course fairways.
It is concluded that mechanical management of weeds is difficult and must be targeted and differentiated depending on the individual weed species.
The basic assumption in pesticide-free lawn maintenance is that the amount of weeds can be limited by stimulating the competitive ability of the turf grasses. Weeds are also presumed to be inhibited by mechanical maintenance such as vertical cutting, harrowing and topdressing.
For the past 15 years information about pesticide free weed control has been obtained, partly from scientific experiments, but even more from practical testing of different methods by experienced greenkeepers, mostly on Danish golf courses. This review paper will discuss findings from these experiments/knowledge collection cases in order to visualize the dilemmas of pesticide-free management of weeds on turf areas, primarily golf course fairways.
It is concluded that mechanical management of weeds is difficult and must be targeted and differentiated depending on the individual weed species.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | European Journal of Turfgrass Science |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 61-64 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2014 |
| Event | ETS Conference - Osnabrück, Germany Duration: 6 Jul 2014 → 9 Jul 2014 Conference number: 4 |
Conference
| Conference | ETS Conference |
|---|---|
| Number | 4 |
| Country/Territory | Germany |
| City | Osnabrück |
| Period | 06/07/2014 → 09/07/2014 |