Demand-driven fertilization. Part II: Influence of demand-driven fertilization on shoot nitrogen concentration, growth rate, fructan storage and playing quality of golf turf

Abstract

The ability of demand-driven fertilization, based on the growth potential provided by solar radiation and temperature, to regulate golf turf characteristics such as growth rate, leaf nitrogen (N) concentration, carbohydrate storage and playing quality was investigated in a 2-year field experiment at Landvik, Norway. Three N regimes (100, 60 and 40% of the estimated N requirement for maximum growth) were applied on a sand-based green with a turf cover consisting of creeping bentgrass, colonial bentgrass, velvet bentgrass, slender creeping red fescue or chewings fescue. In the 100% treatment, this corresponded to 3 (creeping bentgrass), 2.1 (colonial and velvet bentgrass) and 1.5 (chewings and slender creeping red fescue) kg N 100 m⁻² yr⁻¹. The weekly liquid fertilizer dose basically followed the potential growth curve provided by solar radiation and temperature from early April to late October. The turf was exposed to artificial wear and daily maintenance followed conventional standards. Growth, leaf N concentration, carbohydrate storage in clippings, green appearance and playing quality were determined once per month. The results indicated that solar radiation and temperature can successfully be used as driving variables when quantifying turf fertilizer requirements from early spring to late autumn. The desired leaf N concentration, i.e. growth rate, and the resulting effects on fructan content and playing quality can be achieved by raising or lowering the seasonal fertilizer curve. A leaf N level of 3.1–3.5% was indicated as the lower limit for producing healthy-looking turf with high playing quality.

Keywords:

• Bentgrass
• ball roll
• carbohydrate storage
• fescue
• leaf morphology
• leaf nitrogen concentration
• nutrient proportions

Acknowledgements

Trond Olav Pettersen, Catrine Djurberg, Inger Juremalm and Börje Ericson are gratefully acknowledged for daily care of the experimental plots, sample preparation and nutrient and carbohydrate analyses. The investigation was financially supported by grants from the Scandinavian Turfgrass and Environmental Research Foundation (STERF) and the Departments of Urban and Rural Development and Soil and Environment at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Niblick Golf Design is gratefully acknowledged for financing construction of the experimental green.