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Copy link Vitalnova Blade increases turf quality traits for young plants
Lagan Valley Scientific, UK
Key Conclusions
- Two pot trials completed in different seasons using Lolium perenne and Poa annua in a 90:10 sand / soil mix.
- Vitalnova Blade significantly (P<0.05) increased chlorophyll content, root length and root mass over a 24-day period for
Poa annua turf. - Vitalnova Blade significantly (P<0.05) increased weight of clippings, chlorophyll content, leaf blade thickness and root dry
weight over a 30-day period for Lolium perenne turf.
Trial Details
Trial station
Lagan Valley Scientific, UK
Crop
Turf
Product
Vitalnova
Assessments
Clipping weight, chlorophyll content (SPAD 502 plus meter), root length and root mass, shoot width (Trial 2 only)
Treatments
An independent glasshouse trial was conducted in two parts by Lagan Valley Scientific (Dr Deborah Cox). The effect of a Vitalnova Blade application on turf quality traits of young Poa annua (Trial 1) and of young Lolium perenne (Trial 2) was examined as part of a larger trial examining effects on the soil microbiome. Fresh soil cores from a sports surface were mixed with sand to produce a 90:10 sand soil rootzone which was turfed with Poa annua (Trial 1) and seeded with Lolium perenne (Trial 2). Pots were given time to establish and then Vitalnova Blade was applied once at 20L/ha in 500L water, controls received a water application. Vitalnova Blade is a carbohydrate-based sports turf biostimulant designed to increase turf rooting and stimulate the soil microbiome. All pots were maintained for three weeks and assessments made in week 4 (day 24 in Trial 1; day 30 in Trial 2).
Image 1: Trial 2 Lolium perenne control pots vs Vitalnova Blade pots at day 7.
Treatments
An independent glasshouse trial was conducted in two parts by Lagan Valley Scientific (Dr Deborah Cox). The effect of a Vitalnova Blade application on turf quality traits of young Poa annua (Trial 1) and of young Lolium perenne (Trial 2) was examined as part of a larger trial examining effects on the soil microbiome. Fresh soil cores from a sports surface were mixed with sand to produce a 90:10 sand soil rootzone which was turfed with Poa annua (Trial 1) and seeded with Lolium perenne (Trial 2). Pots were given time to establish and then Vitalnova Blade was applied once at 20L/ha in 500L water, controls received a water application. Vitalnova Blade is a carbohydrate-based sports turf biostimulant designed to increase turf rooting and stimulate the soil microbiome. All pots were maintained for three weeks and assessments made in week 4 (day 24 in Trial 1; day 30 in Trial 2).
Image 1: Trial 2 Lolium perenne control pots vs Vitalnova Blade pots at day 7.
Results
Pots treated with a single application of Vitalnova Blade showed more vigorous growth with a clear difference in density, clipping growth and leaf width when compared with the control (Image 1). Vitalnova Blade does have an NPK nutrient content ( 5-6.5-3.5), which was not added to the control pots but at 20L/ha this would deliver only very low levels of nutrition over 4 weeks (1.36kg N/ha, 1.77kg P2O5/ha, 0.95kg K2O/ha).
The addition of Vitalnova Blade in both trials significantly (P<0.05) increased a number of measured quality traits for turf (Figure 1a, b, c and Figure 2 a, b, c, d). Chlorophyll (measured using SPAD) and root mass significantly increased with an application of Vitalnova Blade for both grass species tested. In the Lolium perenne trial there was also a significant increase in clipping yield and leaf width (Figure 2), which is clearly seen in image 1.
Figure 1a, b, c. Quality trait assessments for Poa annua trial. Error bars indicate standard error of the means. Different letters indicate significant difference between values.
Figure 2a, b, c, d. Quality trait assessments for Lolium perenne trial. Error bars indicate standard error of the means. Different letters indicate significant difference between values.
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