AQUA-ZORB 45

AQUA-ZORB 45 is a well-proven water management tool that will correct and prevent localised dry patch.

What

AQUA-ZORB 45 is a well-proven water management tool that will correct and prevent localised dry patch. In addition, the use of AQUA-ZORB 45 will:

Improve drainage
Alleviate compaction
Reduce quantity of irrigation required
Reduce the incidence of dew
Greatly improve the quality of the sward

When

AQUA-ZORB 45 is designed for use in a 4-6 week integrated turf management programme to control localised dry patch and maintain perfect playing conditions. It can be applied at any time of the year that requires improved drainage and water saving capabilities.

Where

AQUA-ZORB 45 can be used on all types of turf areas. AQUA-ZORB 45 can also be tank mixed with many products.

Why

Dry patch (hydrophobic soil) is the result of wax secretion by soil fungi. The wax coats soil particles, making them repel water. AQUA-ZORB 45 prevents dry patch and also improves turf quality and colour with a special formulation that reduces scorch without loss of effect.

How

AQUA-ZORB 45 should be applied at 20l/ha in only 200-400l water. It is not necessary to water-in AQUA-ZORB 45, but a brief irrigation cycle after application is recommended. This is to wash the product off the leaf blade and into the soil profile.

Apply using a pedestrian or tractor mounted boom sprayer with the correct nozzles calibrated for your output rate and target area. Always use an accurately calibrated applicator and ensure all required PPE is used. Read all labels for compatibility issues if mixing, always dispose of used containers correctly. Contact your Agrovista Amenity Adviser for further information.

A typical scanning electron microscope picture of a sand grain before application of AQUA-ZORB 45, showing the hydrophobic coating, and after, showing very little hydrophobic coating

Unique chemistry

AQUA-ZORB 45 does not contain any environmental oestrogens such as nonyl and alkyl phenols or alcohol ethoxylates but does contain very slowly biodegradable chemistry to ensure that AQUA-ZORB is not leached and quickly absorbed by the regular daily irrigation system like most other wetting agents.

Dry patch

Water is a very polar molecule; having two tiny, positively charged hydrogen atoms attached to a relatively large oxygen atom bearing two negative charges.

Water molecules act like bar magnets, pulling the oppositely charged end of an adjacent water molecule towards itself, building long chains that eventually form a spherical droplet. Water is attracted to charged surfaces such as soil and on contact the droplets will coalesce and spread over the surface; eventually soaking deep into the soil due to the attraction from soil particles lower down.

Dry patch (hydrophobic soil) is the result of wax secretion by soil fungi. The wax coats the soil particles, making the surface non-charged so that there is no attraction to water molecules. This causes the water to form droplets which are unable to travel through soil.

To get around the problem of dry patch in soils we can use a wetting agent that works by neutralising the polarity of water molecules which allows them to pass through wax coated soils.