Page 14 - GM Spring 2023

uFEATUREuSTEVE LOVEDAY, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, TARGET SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
Wetting
Different wetting agents are being applied to test plots at this University of Arkansas research project.
The world of wetting agents is vast
and oftentimes not completely understood. This article will bring clarity to wetting agent terminology and provide some guidance in choosing a wetting agent product that has the best potential at providing you with the results you’re looking for.
WHAT IS A WETTING AGENT?
First things first, what is a wetting agent, and do they work? A wetting agent is any material that changes
the physical characteristics of a liquid. These changes can be a reduction in surface tension, reducing contact angles, and creating an overall improvement in that liquid’s ability to penetrate a solid surface. So yes, wetting agents work, however the trick to choosing a wetting agent that will work for you is matching expectations with performance capabilities.
For example, if you were interested in applying a product that would provide your golf course
greens a better chance of making it from Friday afternoon to Monday morning without showing drastic signs of drought stress, you may not want to apply an anionic surfactant. Anionic surfactants are negatively charged and work to greatly reduce the surface tension of water. These surfactants are sometimes referred to as super soakers or super wetters, given their ability to drive water through a soil profile.
Here is where it gets tricky when deciding on what type of wetting
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