Pogo Turf Pro System Manual page 85

Canopy Temperature (Continued)
Turfgrass physiology is predominantly influenced and driven by the things we do to our turfgrass systems and the conditions we maintain. If we
maintain higher than optimal moisture in the top 2.2" (5.5 cm), we reduce air exchange, increase temperature, reduce vigor and see a great
decline in turfgrass performance. At the very least, we are NOT optimizing our turfgrass performance.
Canopy temperature is simply another variable measured by POGO that indicates the overall influences on turfgrass performance. You don't need
to understand all of the physiology of turfgrass systems to use the POGO properly. You simply should use it to find your optimal conditions and
drive your practices to them at all times. If you do, the physiology will take care of itself.
Remember that the POGO's sensor measures canopy temperature using a thermistor in the plate that rests on the surface when you insert the
POGO into the turf system. If you have left your POGO in the sunlight or on the dash of your cart, it is possible that the sensor tines have heated
up above the turf's actual temperature. Using the holder as described earlier will insulate the sensor in between zones so that this phenomenon
does not occur. It is a good practice to insert the POGO in the ground and conduct your setup procedure or visual analysis routine of the area (i.e.
cut the hole and set the pin on a putting green) briefly before sampling the zone with the POGO. This allows the POGO's sensor to acclimate to
the turf's temperature and indicate the actual conditions being measured. The sensor is sensitive to the small fluctuations in temperature from
sample to sample, but larger variations from zone to zone need several seconds or even half a minute to acclimate to the turf's temperature in
some cases.
Note that if you opt to use the POGO Turf Pro cloud system, one of the key indicators measured included POGO Degree Days which are actual
zone specific growing degree days measured with the POGO. These are proving to be much more precise than ambient degree days alone while
indicating many things before they occur such as seedhead emergence, weed emergence, root stresses, leaf stresses, disease likelihood, poor
vigor, and many other things. Be sure to check it out and register at www.pogoturfpro.com/register.