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Copy link Coated versus slow release #1
STRI, Bingley 2023
Key Conclusions
The STRI’s independent summer trial in Bingley, UK, found that eqo.s controlled-release nitrogen significantly enhanced turf quality, colour, and NDVI over 14 weeks, outperforming other nitrogen fertilisers from 28 to 84 days at the same application rate.
Objective
To compare the performance of eqo.s coated controlled release fertiliser against slow release forms of nitrogen.
Trial Details
Trial station
STRI, Bingley
Assessments
Mean turf quality, mean turf colour and mean NDVI from 28 days through to 84 days.
Treatments
A Lolium perenne sward over a high sand percentage rootzone was maintained as a professional sports pitch for the trial over 14 weeks during the summer 2023.
Three fertiliser technologies were compared (table one), applied once at the trial start at a rate of 110 kg/ha (the additional nutrients present in the slow-release fertiliser (SRF) product were not equalised).
The treatments were replicated four times in 1m x 1m plots following a randomised complete block design, as part of a larger fertiliser trial.
Visual assessments of turf quality and turf colour on a 1-10 scale, alongside NDVI readings by handheld meter were made fortnightly through the trial between June and October.
| Treatments | Nitrogen type | Analysis | Rate (g/m2) | Total N applied (kg/ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eqo.s | Coated controlled release fertiliser | 32-0-0 | 34.5 | 110 |
| SRF | Slow release fertiliser containing Methylene urea and Isobutylidene diurea | 20-5-8 | 55.0 | 110 |
| Inhibited | Urea containing DCD nitrification inhibitor | 46-0-0 | 24.0 | 110 |
Treatments
A Lolium perenne sward over a high sand percentage rootzone was maintained as a professional sports pitch for the trial over 14 weeks during the summer 2023.
Three fertiliser technologies were compared (table one), applied once at the trial start at a rate of 110 kg/ha (the additional nutrients present in the slow-release fertiliser (SRF) product were not equalised).
The treatments were replicated four times in 1m x 1m plots following a randomised complete block design, as part of a larger fertiliser trial.
Visual assessments of turf quality and turf colour on a 1-10 scale, alongside NDVI readings by handheld meter were made fortnightly through the trial between June and October.
| Treatments | Nitrogen type | Analysis | Rate (g/m2) | Total N applied (kg/ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eqo.s | Coated controlled release fertiliser | 32-0-0 | 34.5 | 110 |
| SRF | Slow release fertiliser containing Methylene urea and Isobutylidene diurea | 20-5-8 | 55.0 | 110 |
| Inhibited | Urea containing DCD nitrification inhibitor | 46-0-0 | 24.0 | 110 |
Results
Initial response in mean turf colour was strongest for the Inhibited N (figure 1), but by day 14 all three fertilisers provided an equal turf response.
Figure 1. Mean Turf Visual Colour (1-10). Error bars indicates standard error of the mean. Treatment points sharing a letter indicate no significant difference.
By day 28 turf response was significantly (p<0.01) better for eqo.s treated turf. This significantly greater response remained for eqo.s until week 12. Mean turf quality followed a similar trend (figure 2), with inhibited N providing a stronger response at day 7 which equalled out by day 14.
Figure 2. Mean Turf Visual Quality (1-10). Error bars indicate standard error of the mean. Treatment points sharing a letter indicate no significant difference.
At day 28 the eqo.s N treatment showed a significantly higher quality value right through to week 12. NDVI results showed similar responses (data not shown). The differential turf response was clearly visible at week 6 from drone images taken of the trial (image 1).
Image 1: Drone image from week 6 of a section of the summer fertiliser trial, STRI.
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