Inter‐ and Intra‐Stolon Movement of Fertilizer Nutrients in St. Augustinegrass as Affected by Moisture Stress

Single stolons from Floratine St. Augustinegrass plants were rooted in successive pots of Arredonda fine sand or Red Bay fine sandy loam resulting in a mother plant and several daughter plants in series. Movement of phosphorus and calcium in each stolon or series of plants was measured by placement of P 32 and Ca 45 in a pot near the middle of a series. Phosphorus moved out from the treated pot in both directions but was greater in the direction of increased moisture stress in pots whether towards the growing tip or back towards the mother plant. The amount and distance of Ca movement was much less than that of P; however, moisture stress effects were similar. Calcium moved farther and in larger concentration when the soil was low in Ca than when it was high. When two stolons were grown so that they had roots in one common pot P 32 placed in the pot next to the common pot in one stolon moved to the second stolon and the movement was greater when the second stolon was under moisture stress. Similar studies with Ca 45 showed only very little transfer of activity from one stolon to the other regardless of the moisture condition. When water was withheld from a pot the stolon continued to transfer water and nutrients to the growing top although there appeared to be no further root growth.