Rob Golembiewski
Assistant Professor of Horticulture
Oregon State University
When golf course superintendents talk about using peat in putting greens mixes and topdressings, it is often simply about end results, not so much about the how or why. When Dr. Rob Golembiewski talks on the subject, he explains the why… specifically why the inclusion of DAKOTA Organic Soil & Plant Enhancer in sand mixes provides better results.
Dr. Golembiewski, who has been involved in many areas of the turfgrass industry,is an assistant professor of horticulture at Oregon State University. His resume includes a B.S. degree in crop and soil science and a masters in botany and plant pathology, both from Michigan State University, and a Ph. D in agronomy from The Ohio State University. He has experience in the turfgrass industry on the business side, in the area of research, and in the classroom.
His current appointment at Oregon State — he was named the “outstanding new professor by the College of Agricultural Science in 2009 — has him teaching 70 percent of the time and working in extension the remaining 30 percent. In the extension area, he oversees an 8-acre turf research facility through a fulltime technician and three graduate students.
There are five attributes of DAKOTA, he says, that are very unique when compared to other peats. Recently Dr. Golembiewski discussed those five properties of peats in a webinar he presented for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).
The five major properties of peats, he says, include the percent organic matter content, the percent fiber content, the electro conductivity (EC) of the material, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the material, and its pH. “When you look at each of those five categories, DAKOTA is the only natural organic that meets or exceeds by far the minimal desired attributes of each category.
“Consider the pH factor where DAKOTA is neutral or slightly below neutral. If you are adding DAKOTA into a turf system, you know that you aren’t going to have a negative impact like other peats that tend to be more acidic with pH’s ranging from 3.9-5.1.And with the high CEC, nutrient retention is phenomenal which translates into more efficient use of fertilizers applied to the turf system,” Golembiewski says.
“The golf courses and organizations that have spent the extra money to include DAKOTA into their greens mix or athletic field profiles have seen fabulous results. And the individuals that topdress with DAKOTA on their golf courses and athletic fields continue to seethe same benefits.
“Using their product,” he says, “results in the efficient use of nutrients and water. DAKOTA is something that I definitely believe in. When I visit with people, I try to educate them because the facts speak for themselves. The thing that turfgrass managers need to realize is that there is a big disparity in the quality of peat materials. I try to encourage end-users to do their homework instead of just accepting all peats as being equal. After all, is a Ferrari just a car?”
Assistant Professor of Horticulture
Oregon State University
When golf course superintendents talk about using peat in putting greens mixes and topdressings, it is often simply about end results, not so much about the how or why. When Dr. Rob Golembiewski talks on the subject, he explains the why… specifically why the inclusion of DAKOTA Organic Soil & Plant Enhancer in sand mixes provides better results.
Dr. Golembiewski, who has been involved in many areas of the turfgrass industry,is an assistant professor of horticulture at Oregon State University. His resume includes a B.S. degree in crop and soil science and a masters in botany and plant pathology, both from Michigan State University, and a Ph. D in agronomy from The Ohio State University. He has experience in the turfgrass industry on the business side, in the area of research, and in the classroom.
His current appointment at Oregon State — he was named the “outstanding new professor by the College of Agricultural Science in 2009 — has him teaching 70 percent of the time and working in extension the remaining 30 percent. In the extension area, he oversees an 8-acre turf research facility through a fulltime technician and three graduate students.
There are five attributes of DAKOTA, he says, that are very unique when compared to other peats. Recently Dr. Golembiewski discussed those five properties of peats in a webinar he presented for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).
The five major properties of peats, he says, include the percent organic matter content, the percent fiber content, the electro conductivity (EC) of the material, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the material, and its pH. “When you look at each of those five categories, DAKOTA is the only natural organic that meets or exceeds by far the minimal desired attributes of each category.
“Consider the pH factor where DAKOTA is neutral or slightly below neutral. If you are adding DAKOTA into a turf system, you know that you aren’t going to have a negative impact like other peats that tend to be more acidic with pH’s ranging from 3.9-5.1.And with the high CEC, nutrient retention is phenomenal which translates into more efficient use of fertilizers applied to the turf system,” Golembiewski says.
“The golf courses and organizations that have spent the extra money to include DAKOTA into their greens mix or athletic field profiles have seen fabulous results. And the individuals that topdress with DAKOTA on their golf courses and athletic fields continue to seethe same benefits.
“Using their product,” he says, “results in the efficient use of nutrients and water. DAKOTA is something that I definitely believe in. When I visit with people, I try to educate them because the facts speak for themselves. The thing that turfgrass managers need to realize is that there is a big disparity in the quality of peat materials. I try to encourage end-users to do their homework instead of just accepting all peats as being equal. After all, is a Ferrari just a car?”
Oregon State Turf Research Facility
