Damages by Oligochaeta in the Varadero Golf Club: a limitation for the playability of golf as a tourist product
Palabras clave:
tourism, golf field, Oligochaeta, turfgrass damage, pestsResumen
Tourism is a key to the development of the Cuban economy, Varadero is positioned as a preferred destination for international tourism, and the Golf Club complements the sun and beach destination. The objective of this work was to report the attack of Oligochaeta as a limitation for the golf play in the Varadero Club. Earthworms were collected using a cup cutter, green and soil samples were analyzed to determine density of species (ind.m-2) and biomass (g.m-2). Damages on greens and turf maintenance equipment were also evaluated. A high density (322 indiv.m 2) and biomass (4.4 g .m 2) of Oligochaeta species belonging to Megascolecidae and Glossoscolecidae families, associated on greens were found. They provoked chlorosis, casts on surface which disrupted the green aesthetic, caused surface softening, issue with the ball roll and playability. Damages on cutting machines were also observed with limitations on the maintenance course in the Varadero Golf Field. It is recommended to evaluate the soil conditions and the turfgrass management practices that may increase the populations of earthworms to decrease economic damage on the touristic activity.
Citas
Anderson, J. M. & Ingranm, J. S. I., Eds. Tropical soil biology and fertility: A handbook of methods. 2nd ed. Wallingford, UK: CAB International, 1993.
Aspe, NM. The geographic distribution of the genera in the Pheretima complex in eastern Asia and the Pacific region. Kaiyo Monthly (Japan) 48: 39-45, 2016.
Blakemore, RJ. A new earthworm genus (Oligochaeta, Megadrili, Megascolecidae) from Japan. Bull. Nat. Mus.Nat.Sci Ser A 36 (4): 95-100, 2010.
Cabrera Dávila, G; A. A. Socarrás; E. Gutiérrez Cubría; T. Tcherva; C. A. Martínez Muñoz y A. Lozada Piña. Fauna del suelo. Pp. 254-283. En: Diversidad biológica de Cuba: métodos de inventario, monitoreo y colecciones biológicas (C. A. Mancina y D. D. Cruz, Eds.). Editorial AMA, La Habana,502 pp, 2017.
Carr Golf, 2024. How to Tackle Golf Course Earthworm Casting. Available in: https://www.carrgolf.services.com [ 01/05/2025 ]
Carson, Teresa. Jumping worms on golf courses. GCSAA. Available in: https://gcmonline.com/course/environment/news/jumping-worms-golf-course. [01/05/2025]
Espinosa, M; Gutiérrez, JE; Sánchez, Yudiht; Contino, Diana. Proposal of Strategic Actions for the Adequate Management of Leisure Establishments: Varadero Golf Club, Cuba, UH no. 295: 1-9, 2022.
Fernández, A. Propuesta de acciones ambientales para el Varadero Golf. Tesis en opción al título de máster en Gestión Turística. Facultad de Turismo. Universidad de la Habana, Cuba, 92 pp
García, Y; W. Ramírez y S. Sánchez. Efecto de diferentes usos de la tierra en la composición y la abundancia de la macrofauna edáfica en la provincia Matanzas. Pastos y Forrajes 37 (3): 313-321, 2014.
Hamilton, G; Patty Sweeney and Karl Danneberger. Summary of Management Practices That Influence Green Speed. Pennsylvania State University, 2025
Joshi, RC; Aspe NM; Cope AE. Field Guide: Earthworms in Heirloom Rice Fields of the Philippine Cordillera and Their Integrated Management. Los Baños, (Philippines) International Rice Research Institute. Available in: http://www.irri.org. [10/09/2024]
Karcher, D., T. Nikolai y R. Calhoun. 2001. La percepción de los golfistas sobre la velocidad de los campos varía. Gestión de Campos de Golf 69 (3):57-60.
LADEVI. Turismo de Golf: Un segmento vigoroso y con gran proyección. Informe Especial, La Agencia de Viaje. Availabe in: www.ladevi.info/informe-especial-a2259 [05/05/2025]
Marrero, L; Isandra Rodríguez, Jenny Jiménez, R. Maspon, Rosa M. Baños, María Cristina Mayorga-Martínez, María de los Ángeles Martínez-Rivero, Roberto León-Betancourt y A. de Armas. Insectos rizófagos asociados a poáceas cespitosas. Pastos y Forrajes, 39 (3): 125-131, 2016.
Mexican Caribbean Golf. Cancun Golf, 2018. Availabe in: http://www.cancungolf.org.html [25/5/2018].
McCay, T; George Brown; Mac A. Callaham Jr.; Chih-Han Chang; Andrea Dávalos; Annise Dobson; Josef H. Görres; Bradley M. Herrick; Samuel W. James; Marie R. Johnston; Damhnait McHugh; Tanya Minteer; Jean-David Moore; Maryam Nouri-Aiin; Marta Novo; Jaime Ortiz-Pachar; Rebecca A. Pinder; Justin B. Richardson; Bruce A. Snyder; Katalin Szlavecz. Tools for monitoring and study of peregrine pheretimoid earthworms (Megascolecidae). Pedobiologia Journal of Soil Ecology, Volume 83: 1-11, 2020.
O`Farrill, H. Las plagas comunes del césped de los campos de golf de Puerto Rico. Identificación y Manejo Integrado. Universidad de Puerto Rico, 128 pp , 2007.
Pettit, E. Living with the enemy. Available at www.IrishGolfer.ie/41. Consultated: 05.05.2025
Potter, D.A., Redmond, C.T., and Williams, D.W. 2011. The worm turns: Earthworm cast reduction on golf courses. Golf Course Management. Sept. pp. 86-96.
Reizl PJ; Nonillon M. Aspe; Wilbert A. Aureo; Rochelyn Y. Parba; Carlo D. Capunhag and Charina I. Narido. Earthworm diversity and populations in different habitats of Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape, Philippines. Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology, Volume 15 Issue 1: 1-11, 2021.
Sánchez, Saray y Marta Hernández. Comportamiento de comunidades de lombrices de tierra en dos sistemas ganaderos. Pastos y Forrajes, Vol. 34, No. 3, julio-septiembre, 359-366, 2011
Schread, JC. Habits and control of the oriental earthworm. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven. Bulletin 556;13 pp, 1952
Tripadvisor. Varadero Golf Club. Available in: www.tripadvisor.com/ImproveListing-d271360.htm. [04/04/2025]
UNWTO. Panorama del turismo internacional. Edición 2019. Available in: www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284421237. [04/04/2025]
USGA. New Rules of Golf for 2019. Available in: www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/images/rules/rules-modernization/golf-new-rules. [04/04/2025]
USGA. Managing Earthworm Casts on Golf Courses. United States Golf Association, USGA. Green Section Record Volume 60, Issue 18, 2022.
Descargas
Publicado
Cómo citar
Número
Sección
Licencia
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 4.0.
