Early season recovery nutrition on golf greens trial #2

A trial to determine the effect of spring fertiliser to optimise the quality of golf putting surfaces in the spring.

Leeds
2015

Key Conclusions

Despite the cold spring conditions, all fertiliser treatments initiated a turf response; Cold Start, applied once, and Invigorator, applied twice, led to recovery within 9 days. Cold Start promoting significantly more growth than others, whereas the Potassium Nitrate formulation was the least effective.

 

Summary:

  • The fertiliser treatments all initiated a turf response despite the cold spring conditions
  • The amount of Nitrogen was equalised with different application rates and frequency (Cold Start was applied once whilst the others were applied twice)
  • The Cold Start and Invigorator plots had recovered through the heavy early season top dressing within 9 days
  • The Cold Start initiated significantly more growth than the other fertiliser treatments
  • The Potassium Nitrate formulation was found to be the least effective of the fertilisers applied

Objective

To review the performance of various fine turf spring fertilisers applied in very early spring .

Trial Details

Trial station

Leeds

Product

Greenmaster Pro-Lite

Assessments

Turf colour and quality

Treatments

Treatment NoProduct
1Control
2Greenmaster Pro-Lite Cold Start
3Potassium Nitrate 15-0-43
4Greenmaster Pro-Lite Invigorator

 

All treatments applied to supply 33 Kg of N during the course of the trial.

 

Heavy dressing

 

“Heavy” top dressing (2 kg/m2) was applied to each plot 6 days after fertiliser application.

 

 

9 days after Heavy top dressing “Heavy” top dressing disappeared in Cold Start and Invigorator plots but still affecting liquids and untreated.

Treatments

Treatment NoProduct
1Control
2Greenmaster Pro-Lite Cold Start
3Potassium Nitrate 15-0-43
4Greenmaster Pro-Lite Invigorator

 

All treatments applied to supply 33 Kg of N during the course of the trial.

 

Heavy dressing

 

“Heavy” top dressing (2 kg/m2) was applied to each plot 6 days after fertiliser application.

 

 

9 days after Heavy top dressing “Heavy” top dressing disappeared in Cold Start and Invigorator plots but still affecting liquids and untreated.

Results

Grass height

 

Greenmaster Pro-Lite Cold Start produced a significantly better growth response than the Potassium Nitrate formulation.

 

Grass height – 15 days after treatment

 

Turf quality

 

Greenmaster Pro-Lite Cold Start produced the strongest colour response and lasted for the 8 week duration of the trial

Turf quality

 

Growth rate

 

27 days after treatment

 

Related trials

Early season recovery #1
STRI, Bingley, 2013
Early season recovery #3
Harrogate, 2016
Golf green establishment
NIBIO institute