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Copy link Coated versus slow release #2
STRI, Bingley 2023
Key Conclusions
A comparison of three fertiliser types, each supplying 250kg N/ha from two applications over 16 weeks clearly demonstrated different turf responses. By day 28 the eqo.s coated nitrogen fertiliser was providing significantly greater turf colour and turf quality, and following the second application a clear difference was apparent right through until week 16.
The trial clearly illustrates the advantage to turf managers in terms of turf quality and colour provided by selecting a coated controlled release fertiliser such as eqo.s over slow release and inhibited nitrogen fertiliser types.
Objective
To compare the performance of eqo.s coated controlled release fertiliser against slow release forms of nitrogen (two applications).
Trial Details
Trial station
STRI, Bingley
Assessments
Mean turf quality, mean turf colour and mean NDVI.
Treatments
Three fertiliser technologies were compared (table one), applied twice, once at the trial start (June 5th) and again at week six (July 18th), to provide a total application rate of 250 kg N /ha (the additional nutrients present in the 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| eqo.s | Coated controlled release fertiliser | 32-0-0 | 39.0 x 2 | 250 |
| SRF | Slow release fertiliser containing Methylene urea and Isobutylidene diurea | 20-5-8 | 62.5 x 2 | 250 |
| Inhibited | Urea containing DCD nitrification inhibitor | 46-0-0 | 27.0 x 2 | 250 |
Treatments
Three fertiliser technologies were compared (table one), applied twice, once at the trial start (June 5th) and again at week six (July 18th), to provide a total application rate of 250 kg N /ha (the additional nutrients present in the 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| eqo.s | Coated controlled release fertiliser | 32-0-0 | 39.0 x 2 | 250 |
| SRF | Slow release fertiliser containing Methylene urea and Isobutylidene diurea | 20-5-8 | 62.5 x 2 | 250 |
| Inhibited | Urea containing DCD nitrification inhibitor | 46-0-0 | 27.0 x 2 | 250 |
Results
One month after first application, eqo.s treated plots showed a significantly (p<0.01) greater mean turf colour which remained at week six.
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.
Four weeks after the second treatment application in week eight eqo.s treated plots showed significantly greater (p<0.01) mean turf colour which lasted until the end of the trial week 16. Mean turf quality followed a similar trend (figure 2), with a similar response from all three treatments up to week four.
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.
Following this the eqo.s treatment showed a significantly (p<0.01) higher mean turf quality value at week four and week six. Following the second treatment application at week eight eqo.s treated plots showed a significantly greater mean turf quality from week 12 right through to the end of the trial at week 16. NDVI results showed similar responses (data not shown). The differential turf response was clearly visible at week 12 from drone images taken of the trial (image 1) and by week 15 only the eqo.s plots were clearly showing better visual turf colour than the control.
Image 1: Drone image from week 6 of a section of the summer fertiliser trial, STRI.
Related trials
Turf response longevity trial
UK, 2022Reduced nitrogen loss
Bangor University, 2024Coated versus slow release #1
STRI, Bingley, 2023
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