The Effects of Establishment Methods and Fertilization Practices on Nitrate Leaching from Turfgrass

Abstract

A lysimeter study was conducted at the Ohio State University Turfgrass Research Center, Columbus, to investigate NO3‐N leaching losses from fertilized turfgrass. Nitrogen fertilizer treatments were applied to ‘Baron’ Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) seeded and sodded turf established on a Miamian silt loam (fine, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludalf). Treatments included two N sources, urea and resin‐coated urea (RCU); and Two fertilization programs, one that emphasize spring and summer applications (SSF) and the second program that included a late season application (LSF). Both the SSF‐ and LSF‐fertilization programs received 218.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1. The NO3‐N leachate concentrations from seeded turfgrass exceeded those from sodded turf for the first 3 mon. As the turf matured, NO3‐N losses from sod exceeded NO3‐N from the seeded plots. Leachate concentrations were 1.1 and 3.5 mg NO3‐N L−1 for seed and sod turf, respectively, from April 1990 through March 1991. Less rooting in the sodded plots resulted in greater N loss. Annual NO3‐N losses were not affected by N source. During the winter of 1991, significantly (P = 0.05) higher percolate NO3‐N concentrations were recorded from urea‐treated plots (3.66 mg NO3‐N L−1) vs. RCU (2.10 mg NO3‐N L−1), however. Similarly, N programs did not result in annual differences in percolate concentration, but differed during the winter of 1991. Concentrations were 3.37 and 2.39 mg NO3‐N L−1 for LSF and SSF, respectively. The NO3‐N leaching losses from all treatments exceeded the maximum concentration limit (MCL) early in the study. These high concentrations were caused by soil disturbance during establishment. During the 2nd yr, NO3‐N leaching results were more representative of typical turfgrass situations with mean annual flow‐weighted NO3‐N concentrations well below the MCL. Different N sources and fertilizer programs did not result in greater NO3‐N percolate losses compared to unfertilized turfgrass plots.

Nitrate Leaching from Kentucky Bluegrass Soil Columns Predicted with Anion Exchange Membranes

“…Also, our percolate concentration results are similar to those presented by Geron et al (1993) for the fi rst year after seeding of Kentucky bluegrass for a comparable N application rate. In general, though, our percolate NO 3 -N concentrations are notably higher than other fi eld studies, which reported mean concentrations up to 4.6 mg L −1 for up to 244 kg N ha −1 yr −1 applied (Morton et al, 1988;Geron et al, 1993;Miltner et al, 1996;Guillard and Kopp, 2004;Mangiafi co and Guillard, 2006a). Because our fl ow-weighted average for percolate NO 3 -N concentration was greater than 3 mg NO 3 -N L −1 for our 0 N application treatment, our percolate NO 3 -N concentration results may be elevated relative to some studies due to differences in N mineralization potential of the soil.…”

“…For example, Geron et al (1993) found seasonal effects on NO 3 -N leaching from Kentucky bluegrass turf to be greater than effects of fertilizer program or N source; our greenhouse study could not accurately mimic seasonal changes. The ability of AEMs to predict soil NO 3 -N leaching should be examined under fi eld conditions to assess the robustness of the technique to variations in soil moisture and precipitation events and under a variety of climates, turf species, and soil types.…”

Does N fertiliser regime influence N leaching and quality of different-aged turfgrass (Pennisetum clandestinum) stands?

“…1). Other researchers have also reported elevated N leaching during the establishment of turfgrass, and for up to 7 months Engelsjord and Singh 1997;Geron et al 1993;Snyder and Cisar 2000). At the end of one year, and when well established, N losses were relatively low (3-15 kg N ha −1 yr −1 , Table 2) from both turfgrass ages in the present study, and within the range of values reported from other studies investigating N leaching from established turfgrass (0-69 kg N ha −1 yr −1 ) ( Frank et al 2006).…”

Suburban Groundwater Quality as Influenced by Turfgrass and Septic Sources, Delmarva Peninsula, USA

“…In contrast, the geochemical signature of groundwater beneath turfgrass in residential lawns has not been determined in this region. Furthermore, studies of nitrate loss from turfgrass management often involve controlled field experiments with vadose-zone monitoring (e.g., Easton and Petrovic, 2004;Frank et al, 2006;Frank, 2008;Geron et al, 1993;Guertal and Howe, 2012;Guillard and Kopp, 2004;Mangiafico and Guillard, 2006;Morton et al, 1988). Survey data, however, suggest that actual suburban fertilizer usage may not be well represented by controlled studies and can be highly variable (Law et al, 2004).…”