Featured Golf Course

Twenty Valley Golf Club
"Applications of Mineral Builder at lower rates provided the same turf quality with a reduction in fungicide applications."
Steve Muys, Golf Course Superintendent: Twenty Valley Golf Club
Steve Muys, Superintendent
Steve Muys, Superintendent
(Click image to enlarge)
2010 Mineral Builder Field Study
Steve Muys
Mineral Builder 14-2-20
Examine the effects of mineral nutrition on the expression of dollar spot in golf course fairways.
The 2009 Mineral Builder Filed Study at Twenty Valley Golf Course was continued in 2010. Based on the information collected from soil tests and monitoring programs during 2009, a new formulation of mineral builder was provided for the 2010 field trial.

Mineral Builder 14-2-20

The 2010 program for fairways at Twenty Valley Golf Course included applications of Mineral Builder 14-2-20 on monthly intervals. The program was developed to include the supplemental potassium and calcium requirements. During the summer stress period, the rate of product was reduced from .50 lbs per month to .33 pounds every three weeks. The adjustment was based on the experience that Steve had developed while working with the product.

Mineral Builder 16-2-15 and 14-2-20 contain plant available calcium from Gypsum. Because of the high levels of magnesium and sodium in the soils at Twenty Valley Golf Club, supplemental applications of Gypsum lime have been applied in the fall of 2009 and 2010. Future Gypsum applications will be based on the nutritional trends of the soil monitoring program.

"Dollar spot flared up on the non trial areas with minimal pressure on trial areas"
Steve Muys, Aug 24th 2009
2009 Mineral Builder Field Study
Steve Muys
Mineral Builder 16-2-15
To study the effects of mineral nutrition on fall dollar spot expression in golf course fairways
Twenty Valley Golf Course was designed by renowned architect C.E. “Robbie” Robinson in 1960. The course gets its name from the 20 mile creek that carved out the valley and runs through the golf course. Golf Course Superintendent Steve Muys has been managing this beautiful property since 2000.

The Mineral Builder Filed Study was conducted on 10 acres of fairways at Twenty Valley Golf Club.

Applications of Mineral Builder 16-2-15 were applied at .50 lbs of actual nitrogen per 1,000 ft 2 on August 15th and Sept 15th, 2009

"Fall dollar spot flare up on most fairways with heavy pressure. Trial holes show suppression with less dollar spot and smaller spots" - Steve Muys Sept 25th 2009

More information about Mineral Builder Field Trials
An NDVI machine was used to measure turf response in the field and clinical tri

In 2008, Plant Science commissioned clinical research trials at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute (GTI) to study the effects of fertilizer on dollar spot expression. The trials compared traditional NPK blended fertilizers with a homogenous formulation of nutrients (Mineral Builder 16-2-15) designed to promote the plants natural ability to fight disease. Corresponding Field trials were set up at five Ontario golf courses to compare the results with the GTI and to collect feedback on the program from golf course superintendents.

The GTI reported a significant reduction in the percent of infection of dollar spot for the Mineral Builder treated plots. The results of the field trials were consistent with the GTI findings and prompted the continuation and expansion of Plant Science’s dollar spot expression research.

The purpose of Plant Sciences 2009 research program was to combine the effects of Mineral Builder 16-2-15 with a comprehensive approach to achieving and maintaining balanced fertility. Clinical research trials were set up at the GTI and Laval research stations. Field trials were set up at sixteen golf courses in Ontario and Quebec which included Twenty Valley Golf Course.

More Field Studies

Plant Science
Golf Ste. Rose