Agitation

The process of stirring or moving around with an aim being to ensure there is an even distribution of components. This can reduce the likelihood of individual parts of a mixture from settling out of a liquid. The agitation of pesticides or fertilisers within a liquid is often carried out to ensure an even distribution of the material prior to spraying.

  Agrichemical

Any chemical product, typically manufactured, that is used in the land-based industries, including grounds management.

Continue reading about this

  Agricultural Drought

Water is not adequately available to maintain good crop growth. Within a turf grass situation this would be where an unacceptable soil moisture deficit arises, causing undue stress on the turf grass plant. These types of droughts are typically short-term. They can be actively managed where artificial irrigation systems are available.

  Agrochemical

A term that is used interchangeably with Agrichemical.

  Agrostology

The scientific study of grasses.

  Air Movement

The flow of air over and through a surface. A turfgrass surface requires good air movement to help reduce and remove any surface moisture, such as dew, and to keep the regions in between the grass leaves well aerated and less liable to encourage disease attack.

  Aleurone Layer

An outer layer of protein cells (different species of the grass family can have one or more layers) which envelopes the endosperm of a grass seed and is located just below the seed coat, which itself sits inside the external layer, the pericarp.

  Allelopathy

The effects of chemical products exuded from the roots of a plant. The products are often beneficial, or have neutral impacts, to plants of the same species, but detrimental to other species by reducing the latter's competitive ability. The exuded chemicals might, for example, restrict overall nutrient availability within the soil producing conditions that are more favourable to the originating species than other species. In addition, the exudates may be taken up by other species effectively poisoning them, reducing their growth and development. Yorkshire fog grass has shown allelopathic

Continue reading about this

  Ameliorant

A material which is added to another to improve its condition. Sand can be an ameliorate to a soil improve its drainage characteristics. Organic matter can be an ameliorate to improve the moisture holding capacity and fertility of a soil.

  Ameliorate

To improve a material, such as a soil, by diluting a less suitable material with something more suitable. Diluting the composition of one material with another can help to improve drainage and growing conditions.