Is anyone using the Air2G2 Cancel The title field is required!

1. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   3/9/2017 6:03 AM

   If so how often and what is your take on the process and results. I'm still looking around trying to find alternatives.

   
   
   
   
2. Andrew Cross

   

   5 posts
   
   3/9/2017 8:03 AM

   We have used it a few times, I'm still unsure about it. Our superintendent's Dad sells them, so we've demoed it quite a bit. I think someone on twitter (of course I can't remember who now) took an istric sample before and after a treatment, I never did hear if he got his results back yet. But it is another tool in the arsenal, I'd be interested in the smaller handheld spike for LDS and the like.

   
   
   
   
3. Clay Putnam

   

   33 posts
   
   3/9/2017 12:03 PM

   I'm curious to know what quantifiable benefit people are experiencing with the use of the Air2G2. Emphasis on quantifiable. I can see this possibly being a benefit in compacted areas, but are there other applications that are of benefit?

   
   
   
   
4. Timothy Strano

   

   0 posts
   
   3/10/2017 1:03 AM

   I am the superintendent that ran an ISTRC test before and after an Air2G2 application. The results were impressive enough for me to purchase two of the machines. We use it on a monthly basis throughout the season and have had outstanding results.

   
   
   
   
5. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   3/10/2017 5:03 AM

   One thing that concerns me, and I might be wrong for thinking about it this way, is how it lifts the turf up with the air. My concern is the breaking off of the roots at the point it lifts the ground. I dont know if that is the case or not but its just a thought in the back of my head.
   
   I am actually looking for alternatives to core aerifications during our growing season. My desire is to pull cores once per year and use alternatives the other months in order to not disrupt play during our outside tournament seasons. While I have been sold on the Dryject process, it is so labor intensive for my club as well as very expensive to contract out. We simply cannot afford to go in that direction at this time.

   
   
   
   
6. Clay Putnam

   

   33 posts
   
   3/10/2017 7:03 AM

   Timothy Strano said: I am the superintendent that ran an ISTRC test before and after an Air2G2 application. The results were impressive enough for me to purchase two of the machines. We use it on a monthly basis throughout the season and have had outstanding results.

   
   
   Tim,
   
   Can you elaborate on the ISTRIC results, before and after use of the Air2G2? Where are you using the machine? What are you trying to accomplish with the use of the machine? What are the outstanding results you are seeing?
   
   Sorry for the 20 questions but curious to hear your comments.
   
   Thanks...

   
   
   
   
7. Keith Fellenstein

   

   0 posts
   
   3/10/2017 10:03 AM

   Its another tool in the arsenal. Primary benefits are compaction reduction increasing macropores and moving water through the profile (and immediate gas exchange). You can adjust pressure to prevent root shearing. The process is slow, so take that into consideration. How long the improvement to the profile lasts (and thus need to repeat) depends on many variables. It won't change the soil profile, and most likely will have little to no affect on thatch/organic breakdown. It will get oxygen into the soil. I see it more as a compliment to more traditional aerification. It may replace a spiking , needletine, or hydroject type process, but depending on the needs and goal of the aerification, it wouldn't normally target the same goals as a coring.

   
   
   
   
8. Simon Parkin

   

   0 posts
   
   3/13/2017 7:03 AM

   We purchased the machine to replace our deep tine aerification in the spring and fall. It does a great job of relieving compaction without the surface disruption of a soil reliever. You can adjust the amount of pressure on the tines to prevent heaving on the surface, but in the spring that is a good thing to promote new root growth and turf health. We have been really pleased with our machine and will either purchase a second unit or rent another from our local provider.

   
   
   
   
9. Timothy Walker

   

   0 posts
   
   3/13/2017 10:03 AM

   I have one for sale 52 hours from late 2013

   
   
   
   
10. Timothy Strano

    

    0 posts
    
    3/14/2017 2:03 AM

    Clay, the ISTRC showed an increase of pore space and a lower water percentage. In the five years prior to the Air2G2 using aggressive aeration, 3x a season @ 3/4, deep tine and double drill and fill the percentage of pore space never exceeded 11-13%, after an Air2G2 process pore space increased to above 20%. i will post exact numbers once I have the results in front of me. This was the only method to increase pore space to something even close to what is ideal.

    
    
    
    
11. Dennis Petruzzelli

    

    5 posts
    
    3/14/2017 2:03 PM

    I used the Air2G2 2x in the spring (about 30 days apart) on my weakest 4 bent/poa greens in Connecticut. 1 was a poorly constructed sand green and 3 others were push-ups amended with sand topdressing. In the three years of this process, these greens got significantly more stress tolerant and deeper rooted. It is DEFINITELY an excellent supplement to your core aeration program (we did coring spring and fall, with a solid "X" tining or venting just prior to July 4). Reasonably playable after treatment, although we did roll immediately after.
    
    Dennis Petruzzelli, CGCS
    Billy Casper Golf
    Danbury, CT

    
    
    
    
12. Edward Doda

    

    0 posts
    
    3/14/2017 5:03 PM

    Instead of Drill & Fill or Dryject could Air2G2 be used instead and complimented by regular hollow and solid tine plus regular topdressing? Would save us money mostly for cost of dried sand and labour for the two procedures. Push up greens with 30 years of sand topdressing.
    
    Ed Doda Barrie CC

    
    
    
    
13. Andrew Cross

    

    5 posts
    
    3/16/2017 6:03 AM

    Timothy Strano said: Clay, the ISTRC showed an increase of pore space and a lower water percentage. In the five years prior to the Air2G2 using aggressive aeration, 3x a season @ 3/4, deep tine and double drill and fill the percentage of pore space never exceeded 11-13%, after an Air2G2 process pore space increased to above 20%. i will post exact numbers once I have the results in front of me. This was the only method to increase pore space to something even close to what is ideal.

    
    
    You took this ISTRC how long after using Air2G2? When do you typically sample otherwise? Is it before or after your aggressive aerification? I'm asking because we pull our samples for ISTRC a few weeks before we aerify in the fall, and don't do it again until the next year. So if you took the Sample, ran Air2G2, took another sample did you see the significant gains in porosity? Then for comparison sake take a sample, your traditional aerification, take a sample again, no real results or not as good as the Air2G2?
    
    Also what depths do you go with on the Air2G2?

    
    
    
    
14. Mark Semm

    

    0 posts
    
    3/20/2017 1:03 PM

    We are contracting Air2G2 4 times this year.
    
    Specific aeration for us that targets pore space and compaction based on ISTRC reports.
    
    Below is a link to 2 files that helped make our decision to try it this year (files were too large to upload). We run ISTRC every Jan/Feb and based cultural practices from that info.
    
    Hope this helps!
    
    https://1drv.ms/f/s!AhbWituzPg_RhKxymcAZmXoYrY_dFQ

    
    
    
    
15. Sean Hogan

    

    0 posts
    
    3/21/2017 10:03 AM

    This will be our third season using the Air2G2 machine. We run the machine an average of four times a season targeting three things: pore space, moisture consistency across the green, and increased infiltration rates. Machine can be run anytime of year with no negative effects on your playability of your greens. The one Piece of measurable information that I have from last year is infiltration rate. I was seeing 20-25% increase at 7 days after the machine was run.

    
    
    
    
16. Michael Rogers

    

    2 posts
    
    3/21/2017 11:03 PM

    Hello, Does anybody have info as to how it affects plant available water, the amount of pore space between field capacity and the point where the soil attraction is greater than the root´s ability to extract the water?
    
    It sounds more for areas with heavy rain. We go 6 months many years without rain.
    
    Un saludo Michael
    
    Marbella Golf Country Club