Review of a professor lecture: Soils Physical Properties for Turfgrass Management

I have been thinking for quite a while on what I was going to write about in my new turfgrass blog. One of the required topics that have been assigned is to write about a Turf Club speaker, guest lecture, or professor lecture.

In this case I would like to talk about one of the many interesting lectures that we have this semester. Dr. Mcnitt, head of the four-year program is our soils professor this semester. He, as a speaker is laud and clear and does not go around the bushes when giving us lecture.

It is important to recognize that soil properties is one of the most important aspects of a healthy turfgrass or at least it is one subject that if a superintendent is lucky enough to have the right soil for the specific golf course, he will have more hours of sleep than the usual.

One of his first lectures has been sort of a review of what Dr. Schlossberg tough us in our first semester. We have reviewed:
Soil physics, such as, drainage, compaction, hydrology or percolation rate, macro pores and micro pores.
Soil chemistry, such as CEC (cat ion exchange capacity) and nutrient
Soil biology, microbiological organisms, such as, Fungi, nematodes and macro biological beings as earthworms, ants and any living creature that could affect our turfgrass.

Since the title of this class refers to the physical properties of soil, Dr. Mcnitt has focused the lecture on soil components from its physical standpoint. These components are four and they are:

1. Mineral matter, such as gravel, sand, silt and clay, from coarse to finer structures
2. Soil water solution
3. Soil air, which has near 100% humidity levels and it is very high in CO2
4. Organic matter, organisms that were alive and now are dead.

So, I am very glad that we had a previews class on this subject our last semester with Dr. Schlossberg. Even though, our general impression was that we did not learn much in that class, I am pretty sure that now we all are quite happy to have it under our belt.

It was also interesting listening to Dr. Mcnitt emphasizing on the importance of having good communication skills. It is always a characteristic that all major and most valuable superintendents tend to have as one of their professional skills.