Nitrogen (N) is the main nutrient responsible for the green coloration of lawns but also stimulates the growth of the aerial portion of grass, thus increasing mowing expenses. Therefore, herbicides may be used as a growth regulator. The ideal herbicide will reduce lawn height

The use of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) that can solubilize phosphorus (P) has shown potential to improve nutrient availability in grass crops such as corn (Zea mays L.) This study was developed to investigate if inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus subtilis or Pseudomonas fluorescens associated with P 2 O 5 rates can improve phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) reflecting on greater corn development and yield. The field trial was set up in a Rhodic Hapludox under no-till system under Savannah conditions, in a completely randomized block design with four replicates. Treatments were tested in a full factorial design and included: (i) five P 2 O 5 rates (0 to 105 kg ha −1) and (ii) four PGPB seed inoculation (Control-without inoculation, A. brasilense, B. subtilis or P. fluorescens). Inoculation was found to increase grain yield by 39.5, 29.1, and 15.9% when B. subtilis was inoculated in the absence of P 2 O 5 rates and associated with 17.5 and 70 kg P 2 O 5 ha −1 and by 34.7% when A. brasilense was inoculated with application of 105 kg P 2 O 5 ha −1. In addition, inoculation with B. subtilis and A. brasilense were found to increase P uptake, benefiting productive components development, leading to an improved PUE, and greater corn grain yield. The results of this study showed positive improvements in P uptake as a result of B. subtilis and A. brasilense inoculation, with an increase of 100.5 and 54.6% on PUE, respectively; while the P. fluorescens inoculation were less evident. Further research should be conducted under biotic or/and abiotic conditions such as attack of pathogens and insects, drought, salinity, water flooding, low and high temperature to better understand the role of PGPB, inoculated alone or in combination as the co-inoculated method.

Os gramados são de grande importância para o meio ambiente, podendo ser utilizados para diversos fins, contudo, para que apresentem visual agradável é necessário que sejam muito bem cuidados tanto no momento da implantação como depois, na manutenção. Sendo assim, objetivou-se com o presente trabalho avaliar o estado nutricional de gramados ornamentais, analisando, em laboratório, as quantidades de macro e micronutrientes no solo e nas folhas da grama esmeralda (Zoysia japonica Steud.). O estudo foi conduzido na cidade de Ilha Solteira – SP, no mês de maio de 2016, em três lugares, sendo duas residências e uma instituição de ensino particular. Foram avaliados a necessidade de adubação, bem como o índice de conteúdo de clorofila (ICC) com um clorofilômetro manual e sua relação com os macro e micronutrientes foliares. Com base nos resultados obtidos, conclui-se que os gramados avaliados apresentaram boas condições nutricionais. Nestes, a adubação de manutenção nem sempre é necessária, caso os restos provenientes do corte da grama esmeralda não sejam retirados. O clorofilômetro pôde indicar, de forma mais rápida e prática, a necessidade de fertilização, podendo ser utilizado por empresas de manutenção paisagística para saber a hora certa de adubação.

Despite maintaining the green color in turfgrasses, nitrogen (N) fertilization affects shoot growth and, consequently, the frequency of cuts, the main factor in the costs of turfgrass maintenance. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate N fertilization and the use of glyphosate as a growth regulator in Esmeralda grass (Zoysia japonica Steud.). The experiment was conducted in the field, from August 2014 to July 2015, using a randomized block design in a 5 x 4 factorial scheme with four repetitions and 20 treatments, namely: control (without N), 15 g m-2 of N in soil without foliar N; 30 g m-2 of N in soil without foliar N; 15 g m-2 of N in soil with foliar N (1% urea in 200 L ha-1) and 30 g m-2 of N in soil with foliar N combined with glyphosate doses (0, 200, 400 and 600 g ha-1 active ingredient (a.i.)). The N doses were split into five applications along the year. The following variables were evaluated: height, leaf chlorophyll index and foliar accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Fertilization with 15 g m-2 of N in soil without foliar N application, split into five times along the year, was adequate for the turfgrass, while foliar fertilization did not promote benefits. The glyphosate dose of 400 g ha-1 a.i. was effective in reducing the growth of Esmeralda grass, without compromising its color and promoted less N, P and K accumulation in the leaves, reducing the height and dry matter production.

Potassium (K) is one of the most highly accumulating nutrients in Eucalyptus and, consequently, is heavily exported by the harvesting of wood. Moreover, its availability in the soil in most Brazilian plantation areas is very low, especially in the regions of the Cerrado biome, which has soils with low natural fertility and marked water deficits, implying a lack of nutrient supply and, consequently, a less efficient water use. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of K fertilization on Eucalyptus biomass yield, the addition of nutrients to the soil by leaf deposition, nutrient use efficiency, and soil K availability. The experiment was conducted with clone I144 (Eucalyptus urophylla) in the municipality of Três Lagoas/MS, in a Neossolo Quartzarênico Órtico (Entisol). The experimental design was a randomized block with four treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of four K doses (0, 90, 135, and 180 kg ha-1 of K 2 O) as KCl. Plant biomass production (leaves, branches, trunk, and bark), senescent leaf deposition, leaf nutrient concentrations, nutrient accumulation in the different plant compartments, nutrient use efficiency, addition of nutrients to the soil by leaf deposition, and soil K availability were evaluated. Potassium fertilization increased the biomass yield of Eucalyptus plants, senescent leaf K content, the transfer of K to the soil, the accumulation of K in the aerial plant parts, and the K content in the soil. However, it did not influence senescent leaf deposition yield or plant K use efficiency.