Monday, 7 November 2005 - 1:15 PM
65-2

Enhanced Bermudagrass Putting Green Turf Quality by Using a Combination of Foliar Fertilization and Plant Growth Regulator.

Haibo Liu, L.B. McCarty, Christian Baldwin, Frederick Totten, Steven Long, and Jim Thackston. Clemson University, Department of Horticulture, E-143 P&A Bldg., Clemson, SC 29631-0319

For highly maintained turf areas such as golf putting greens, variable formulas of liquid fertilizers are regularly used. However, documentation on field comparisons between foliar liquid fertilizers and granular fertilizers on bermudagrass putting greens is lacking. A two year study was conduced at Clemson, South Carolina on a 'TifEagle' bermudagrass (C. dactylon (L.) Pers. X C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy) putting green to evaluate granular and liquid foliar fertilizers with different combinations in rates and ratios with or without trinexapac-ethyl (0 or 0.025 kg a.i. ha-1). The foliar liquid fertilizers were also applied in a.m. vs. p.m. in comparison of foliar absorption efficiency. Turf quality, clipping yield, nutrient status of clippings, and root mass were evaluated for two growing seasons. The turf quality responsded positively to both the foliar liquid fertilizer and grandular fertilizer rate. With the same rate of nitrogen input, turf treated with foliar liquid fertilizers showed better turf quality than the one treated with granular fertilizers. Trinexapac-ethyl improved turf quality and slightly increased the root mass. No differences were found on turf quality and fertilizer use efficiency among foliar liquid fertilizers applied in a.m. vs. p.m.

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