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Predicting Cool‐Season Turfgrass Response with Solvita Soil Tests, Part 1: Labile Amino‐Nitrogen Concentrations
Author(s) -
Moore David B.,
Guillard Karl,
Geng Xingyuan,
Morris Thomas F.,
Brinton William F.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2018.11.0706
Subject(s) - poa pratensis , lawn , agronomy , biology , randomized block design , fertilizer , soil water , urea , nitrogen , field experiment , human fertilization , zoology , ecology , poaceae , chemistry , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Current turfgrass fertilizer recommendations do not account for potential mineralizable N in the soil. The Solvita Soil Labile Amino‐Nitrogen (SLAN) test measures a labile fraction of soil N. This study was conducted across 9 yr (2008–2016) in Connecticut to determine if responses from predominately Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa pratensis L.) and tall fescue [ Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.] lawns are correlated to SLAN–N concentrations, and to determine the probability of turfgrass responses equaling or exceeding the response from benchmark urea rates in relation to SLAN–N concentrations. Randomized complete block design field experiments were set out with 23 rates of an organic fertilizer (0–2000 kg N ha −1 yr −1 ) and four different rates of urea (50, 100, 150, and 200 kg N ha −1 yr −1 ). Yearly spring soil samples were analyzed for SLAN–N concentrations, and turfgrass growth and quality responses were collected during the growing seasons. Turfgrass responded positively and linearly ( P < 0.001) to SLAN–N concentrations, but correlations were relatively weak to moderate. When spring soil SLAN–N concentrations were ≥158, 165, 198, and 217 mg kg −1 , there was a ≥90% probability that overall combined responses across species and measured variables would be equal to or greater than responses obtained from 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg urea N ha −1 yr −1 , respectively. The SLAN test has promise as an objective soil test to categorize the N fertilization response potential of turfgrass soils, and this would be helpful in guiding N fertilization.