Effect Of Fertilization On Cool-Season Turfgrass Growth And Tall Fescue Resistance To Cold And Drought

A field trial was carried out to study the effect of fertilization on several cool-season turfgrass growth in Wuhan region, and a greenhouse experimentation was conducted to study the influence of nutrition condition on tall fescue growth and resistance. The main results are as follows:1. There were significant differences on planting turf quality among different turfgrass cultivars in Wuhan. Caddieshack, Medalist Gold and Accent were the best cool-season turfgrass varieties in the region. Cutter, Taya and Arid 3 were next suitable varieties. Crossfire II, White clover and Barlin were also the selected varieties in cool season.2. Turfgrass seedling velocity was an important index for turf building. Poa pratensis L. demanded more N and P than Lolium perenne L. and Festuca arundinacea Schreb, Trifolium repens L. needs P and K than other turf grass. Improper base fertilizer could reduce seedling percentage, but had no negative effect on seedling velocity. Balanced fertilization fasted turf forming velocity, improved turf quality, increased leaf chlorophyll. In order to reduce shear frequency after turf building, a small amount and more times fertilization method should be adopted.3. Reasonable nutrition management improved turf grass initial stage growth significantly which enhanced turf quality during cold winter. There was no obvious effect on cold-resistance characteristics for organic manure based on NPK fertilizer but enhanced drought-resistance characteristics remarkably. N fertilization did not exert an influence on grass initial stage growth but increase drought-resistance on paddy soil. In comparison with that on yellow-brown soil paddy soil, N had marketable effect on turf growth and quality throughout its life. P was limit element for turfgrass growth and resistance both on paddy soil and on yellow brown soil. K element affected turfgrass neither growth nor resistance on the two soils, higher PK application promoted turfgrass resistance ability of planted on yellow brown soil.4. Compared with K₂SO₄, KC1 had negative effect on turfgrass seedling percentage, and increased plant K concentration. K₂SO₄ increased plant S concentration and decreased N concentration which significantly enhanced turfgrass drought-resistanceability. P application led to N and K content decrease. The interaction of nutrients had the same tendency on the two different soils.5. Although tall fescue belongs to cool-season turfgrass, low temperature was limit factor of turf quality in Wuhan region. Reasonable nutrition management was one of the effective measures to improve turf cold-resistance ability and turfgrass quality.6. Mechanism of turfgrass adapting to low temperature and drought tolerance was different. There was negative relationship between Pro content and MDA content or EL under low temperature. Reasonable nutrition management had higher Pro content concomitant with fewer MDA accumulation and lower EL which indicated turf received slighter harmful during cold season. The above results were in accordance with turfgrass growth and green degree, which illuminated that Pro, MAD and EL are suitable indexes reflect turf cold-resistance ability objectively. High or low Pro content couldn't reflect osmolytes capacity during drought tolerance, the time of Pro accumulated rapidly show drought tolerance aggravating, there was positive relation between accumulation peak value and intensity of drought tolerance, higher peak value showed more serious drought tolerance intensity. MDA content could show the harmful degree of turfgrass to drought tolerance.7. Yellow Brown Soil could ensure seedling percentage and enhance turf drought-resistance ability, but turf growth and cold-resistance ability was inferior to that on paddy soil. The difference could be reduced by reasonable fertilization. However, lower seedling percentage and drought-resistance ability on paddy soil was difficult to be reversed by fertilization measure. The research result showed that yellow brown soil can be adapted to plant turf well in Wuhan region. With rational fertilization, good quality turf could be built under serious high temperature and drought in summer on yellow brown soil instead of cultivation soil in farm land.