Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
before tournaments tomake grass look greener. It is not unusual for the turf
to respond to such treatment within minutes, but under regular manage-
ment, foliar fertilizers are impractical andseldomused.Dissolvednutrients
must be applied often, and if solutions are too concentrated, considerable
leaf injury can result.
Turf Fertilizers
Most inorganic fertilizers dissolve quickly in the soil water and are
immediately available to plants for uptake. Plants absorb the majority
of nutrients from the soil solution in the form of simple, inorganic ions
(Table 5.4). Larger molecules can also be absorbed, but much more
slowly.
Organic fertilizers are more complex, require time to be broken down
into forms usable by plants, release their nutrients more slowly and
progressively meet the demand of the growing plants. An additional
benefit is that organic fertilizers add considerable quantities of organic
matter to the soil, therefore improving drainage, aeration, water-holding
capacity and ability of the soil to hold nutrients.
Many fertilizers are available in the market. Manufacturers offer a
wide variety of nutrients, various nutrient proportions, combinations of
organic and inorganic, various types of nutrient release, various formu-
lations, and so on. Basic information about each fertilizer is printed on its
Table 5.4. Forms in which essential mineral
elements are available to turf-grasses.
Element
Available forms
NH
4
,NO
3
Nitrogen
HPO
2
4
,H
2
PO
Phosphorus
K
þ
Potassium
SO
2
4
Sulphur
Ca
2
þ
Calcium
Mg
2
þ
Magnesium
Fe
2
þ
,Fe
3
þ
Iron
Mn
2
þ
Manganese
B(OH)
4
Boron
Cu
2
þ
Copper
Zn
2
þ
Zinc
MoO
4
Molybdenum
Cl
Chlorine
