SOIL pH
OPEN-ALL® is the key to normalisation of soil pH and pH is the key for enabling plants to consume fertiliser and nutrients. It is a numerical measure of the acidity (sour) or alkalinity (sweet) level of the soil. A pH of 7.0 is considered neutral, or a balanced acid-base soil condition. When the pH is at the proper level, nourishment available in the soil is unlocked, ready to give the plant the necessary vitality to produce, multiply and resist disease. If the pH is too high or too low, this nourishment is locked out. Fertiliser applications are therefore wasted as a result. To ensure that proper pH level in the soil is maintained, an OPEN-ALL® treatment should be done before adding fertilisers and nutrients.
INSECT INFESTATIONS
OPEN-ALL® will greatly decrease the amount and severity of insect infestations as the grass is healthier and therefore more resistant to insect damage. There are also humic acids present after applying OPEN-ALL® that discourage most species of insects. Following the use of liquid organic fertiliser (5-1-1), insects are seldom a problem as the lipids present in the fertiliser will close the respiration channels of the insect after coming in contact with the fertiliser treated grass. In rare cases, where insecticide treatment is necessary, a lower amount can be used with equal effectiveness.
GOLF COURSE CONSTRUCTION
The use of OPEN-ALL® will greatly reduce the costs necessary for golf course construction and immensely improve the quality of the finished course. It is an enormous tool for the Contractors and Developers of courses in helping to meet all design specifications at reduced cost.
TRAFFIC COMPACTION
Traffic patterns cause compaction to occur where golfers have repeatedly walked over the same area with golf shoes and where golf carts have compacted the soil. This causes the soil to harden and kills the grass in these areas. Because of the unique features of OPEN-ALL®, this compaction does not occur as rapidly and the grass is allowed to breathe and continue to stay green and healthy.
REACTION OF A HIT BALL
Another concern of golfers is how the ball will react when coming into contact with the ground. A ball hit onto a green that has been treated with OPEN-ALL® will not bounce and be off target. It will react more natural and the golfer will really appreciate the course and will want to continue to play at that same course as he knows how it plays. / GREEN REPLACEMENT
As Green Keepers throughout the world know, certain greens need to be replaced every few years. After treating with OPEN-ALL®, many greens can be saved and need not be replaced. This is because of the extensive use of these areas and the requirement to keep grass short but green and lush. One of the problems which develops is the dense formation of sand and soil particles which cause the green to harden. Also, organic material filters into the green base to cause clogging of the percolation pathways. OPEN-ALL® treatment will clear these passages, allowing water to percolate normally.
One treatment of OPEN-ALL® returned the green to its normal state in a matter of months. Some improvement will be observed within days under normal treatment conditions. At this point, it is not known how many times a green can be renewed with the OPEN-ALL® treatment and there are indications that most greens life can be extended for an indefinite period of time. As green replacement is a costly and time consuming operation, any savings here can keep the golf course from spending money that is needed elsewhere and can keep the green open without having to shut down for replacement, which can be disruptive, from a player and a revenue point of view.
FERTILISER UTILISATION
The continued use of chemical fertilisers adds salts to the soil and continued use will ruin the soil as it moves into an alkali state. This is speeded up if the irrigation water also has a high mineral content. It is therefore recommended that chemical fertilisers be eliminated as far as possible. Fertilisers with an organic base for stimulated greens and fairway grasses should best be used. This will also add to the beauty and pleasure of the golf course.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
The cost of the OPEN-ALL® treatment can he recovered in less than one year. However, OPEN-ALL® will continue to perform its job for several years in the future. This makes the OPEN-ALL® treatment cost effective. / GOLF COURSE BEAUTIFICATION
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MAINTENANCE
OPEN-ALL® is a registered trademark of Deutrel Ind. Inc.
Registration number (Act 36 of 1947) ……………………..
SOIL DOCTOR
GREEN FINGER IN EVERY BOTTLE
• Achieves water savings
• Achieves fertiliser savings
• Improves water percolation
• Eliminates ponding of water
• Breaks down salts and reduces salinity
• Facilitates take-up of nutrients by the plant
• Relieves soil compaction
• Promotes root growth
• Achieves natural hit ball reaction
• Can avoid green replacement
• Environmentally safe
• Cost effective solution
INTRODUCTION
Managers of Golf Courses can reduce watering requirements by up to 40% and reduce total fertiliser requirements, whilst at the same time improving the appearance and quality of Greens and Fairways. Regenerate the soil with OPEN-ALL® soil structure and conditioner in preparation for organic fertiliser application for lush greens and fairways.
SOIL STRUCTURE
OPEN-ALL® treatment improves soil structure by eliminating alkali top crust, reducing compacted heavy use areas, revival of essentially dead greens and improves good greens and fairways. Treatment affects soil structure or groups of soil particles. Soil structure has an important influence on plant growth as it affects moisture relationships, aeration, heat transfer and mechanical impedance of root growth. Good seedbed preparation is related to moisture and heat transfer which is important in seed germination. A good porous structure is needed for infiltration of water and air exchanges between the atmosphere and the soil, microorganism activity for nutrient generation and availability to plants. OPEN-ALL® treatment will provide all these benefits without the mechanical rupturing of the soil, even in hard compact areas. Also, OPEN-ALL® treatment after seed bed preparation by mechanical means will ensure continued aeration of soil for long periods.
WATER
Water is a specialised universal solvent that performs multiple functions with results that cannot be provided by any other solvent media. Water carries all the nutrients to the plant roots by capillary action. It is necessary to maintain conditions for proper aeration for microbial and other plant and animal life in soil. Water has a pronounced effect on all environmental conditions in the soil. However, the spaces in soil must first be provided before water can penetrate the soil or be maintained in a capillary active state. OPEN-ALL® treatment provides the proper conditions for water penetration and regenerates the spaces continuously for lasting water penetration and retention. This is the basis for both water and nutrient conservation in highly active soils, where rapid growth is required.
Water carries and distributes mineral nutrients from the soil and organic fertilisers into die plant, which develops the structural material and other plant components necessary for growth, appearance and reproduction by flowering. / WATER contd…
Evaporation from leaves, known as transpiration, prevents overheating by direct sunlight and creates the suction that causes water and selected nutrients to move from the soil, into the roots, and through the plant to replace the water so lost.
Only a small proportion of the water passing through a plant is retained for cellular functions. The osmotic process of water absorption allows the water to be pressurised to give die plant its firm shape. As the soil becomes dehydrated by water removal by roots and evaporation to the atmosphere, the suction required to absorb water from the roots increases and finally the osmotic pressure is not sufficient to obtain any more water from the dehydrated soil. At this point, the plant wilts and if water is not supplied rapidly, will die or go dormant as a result of dehydration.
Because of the importance of OPEN-ALL® treatment on water retention by the soil, the treatment ensures economical use of irrigation water. Based on the cost effectiveness with irrigation and improved plant growth and survival, operators in arid and semi-arid or irrigated areas can improve their economic base significantly following OPEN-ALL® treatment.
WATER PENETRATION
One of the most important factors that affect plant growth is water penetration. Slow water penetration and puddling means that the amount of water retained by the soil during a normal irrigation cycle is less than the plants need. Plants become stressed and growth is reduced because roots remain only in the surface soil which dehydrates quickly. Water will form small ponds on the surface reducing the soil aeration needed, or water run-off resulting in water loss. Salt accumulates from chemical fertiliser and minerals in the water on the surface as the water puddles evaporate. This will cause soil crusting at surface which gradually increases in depth. The soil becomes impermeable to water, becomes hard and dense, shows the lack of organic matter and bare spots which increase as the season progresses. OPEN-ALL® treatment will reverse this problem and plant life will return to normal with excellent percolation. Bare spots will be gradually replaced with lush green grasses. / SOIL MICRO-ORGANISMS
Soil micro-organisms are essential for the breakdown of soil nutrients for plant growth in addition to adding organic matter to the soil as plant wastes break down. A healthy and well balanced soil will have about 4 billion bacteria, 1 million fungi, 22 million actinomycetes, and 300,000 algae per gram. These organisms are responsible for digesting, assimilating and making available nutrients from the air, water and soil for plant use. Soils which are considered worn out will have a low microorganism count. Soil organisms will gradually release nutrients from organic fertiliser, such that nutrients in the fertilisers become essentially 100% available to plant growth over a period of time. Although micro-organisms do assimilate some nutrients from chemical fertiliser, a large loss occurs due to the atmosphere and leaching due to the high solubility in water. OPEN-ALL® treatment and organic fertilisers are important to ensure that soil microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi are available. These friendly bacteria and fungi, for example, prevent the leaching of calcium into the soil, which in itself makes it unnecessary to continually add large quantities of lime to the soil.
NITROGEN
OPEN-ALL® treatment provides nitrogen fixation (nitrogen combined with hydrogen or oxygen which forms ammonia (NH3) or nitrate (NO3) or assists with the reaction to unite nitrogen with organic nutrients in the soil to form amino acid, organic amines and protein). Organic nitrogen compounds comprise 40-50% of the dry matter of protoplasm which is the living substance of plant cells. Nitrogen may come from the air and OPEN-ALL® provides the necessary aeration to draw nitrogen (20% in air) into the soil to form nitrates, and other organic compounds including those fixed in the microorganism structure which become plant nutrients as their life cycle is completed. Other nitrogen compounds must be provided by fertiliser. Organic fertilisers are the most efficient compounds for plant food as described above. Since OPEN-ALL® treatment of the soil improves microbial activity, the entire soil life process is stimulated.
OPEN-ALL® contains a unique blend of Elements, Minerals, Trace Minerals, Digestive and Metabolic Enzymes and Amino Acids, including Sulphur, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Iron, Boron, Manganese, Copper and Zinc.