| Traffic is a significant force at play on turfgrasses, especially on sports fields and golf courses. Previous studies have characterized the effect of traffic in the morning at 0700 HR and 0900 HR on golf course greens when the turfgrass canopy temperature is below freezing (0?C) (Baldwin et al., 2008). This study was performed to determine the effect, if any, of traffic at 0800 HR on a 'Crenshaw' creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) putting green when the turfgrass canopy temperature was below freezing. The study was also initiated to determine if afternoon traffic at 0300 HR on the same day as the morning traffic had an impact on the turfgrass playability, performance, and health.;In addition, potassium (K) is a required plant nutrient that is often applied to turfgrasses, especially creeping bentgrass, in order to help the plant tolerate stresses. It has been suggested that fall K fertilization can aid in creeping bentgrass winter traffic tolerance, but research on the subject is limited and inconsistent. This experiment was also conducted to investigate the performance of creeping bentgrass under varying K fertilization levels in conjunction with different morning and afternoon traffic levels when the turfgrass was grown in the transition zone of the southeastern United States.;A two year repeated field experiment was conducted from 1 October 2014 and 2015 to 30 April 2015 and 2016 to investigate the effect fall-applied supplemental K fertilization, morning traffic (when the turfgrass canopy temperature was below freezing), and afternoon traffic (applied the same day as the morning traffic) had on visual turfgrass quality, shoot chlorophyll , normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), ball roll, surface firmness, soil volumetric water content, soil bulk density, soil organic matter levels, soil K concentration, and tissue K concentration of 'Crenshaw' creeping bentgrass. Treatments consisted of three supplemental K rates (0, 3.66, and 7.33 g m-2 yr-1), three morning traffic rates (0, 4, and 8 passes with a modified water-filled push turfgrass roller that weighed 74.84 kg and applied a force of 1.34 kg cm-2), and two afternoon traffic rates (0 and 6 passes with the same roller).;Overall, traffic treatments, especially those applied in the morning at 0800 HR, had a significant impact on creeping bentgrass health and appearance. Supplemental K did not show any significant effect on turfgrass health. Even with the damage that occurred in the colder winter months, the turfgrass had recovered to acceptable quality by the spring-time months when temperatures warmed. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.). |
