Which practice helps ensure uniform water distribution in a compacted turf soil with poor infiltration?

• A. Apply a wetting agent to reduce repellency and promote infiltration
• B. Increase fertilizer rate
• C. Increase mowing frequency
• D. Use only standing water

Answer: (A)

When a turf area sits on compacted soil with poor infiltration, the main issue is water movement through a hydrophobic or crusted surface. A wetting agent is the best choice because it lowers the surface tension between water and soil particles and helps overcome repellency, allowing water to spread more evenly across the soil surface and into the root zone. This leads to uniform moisture distribution and more efficient irrigation, so dry spots are reduced and the turf can recover consistently.

Increasing fertilizer rate doesn’t change how water enters the soil and can create other problems if irrigation is uneven. Increasing mowing frequency affects turf height and vigor but not soil infiltration. Relying on standing water signals drainage problems and will not improve distribution; it can promote disease and oxygen stress in the root zone.