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Principles of Turfgrass Nutrition: why
some nutrients are required as fertiliser
and others are not
Micah Woods
January 22, 2018
Chief Scientist
Asian Turfgrass Center
www.asianturfgrass.com
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Today’s schedule
• 13:30 to 15:00, set 1
• 15:00 to 15:30, coffee break
• 15:30 to 17:00, set 2
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Today’s key points
1. 17 essential elements
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Today’s key points
1. 17 essential elements
2. Our real objective – good grass
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Today’s key points
1. 17 essential elements
2. Our real objective – good grass
3. Nutrient deficiencies are avoidable disasters.
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Today’s key points
1. 17 essential elements
2. Our real objective – good grass
3. Nutrient deficiencies are avoidable disasters.
4. Easy 3 step process to prevent deficiencies
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17 essential elements
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Good grass – what’s it made of?
manilagrass, seashore paspalum, and bermudagrass, Thailand
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4 classifications of nutrients
• Primary nutrients
• Macronutrients
• Secondary nutrients
• Micronutrients
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4 classifications of nutrients
• Primary nutrients – never required as fertilizer
• Macronutrients – often required as fertilizer
• Secondary nutrients – sometimes required as fertilizer
• Micronutrients – rarely required as fertilizer
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Primary (or basic) nutrients
C Carbon
H Hydrogen
O Oxygen
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Macronutrients
N Nitrogen
K Potassium
P Phosphorus
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Secondary nutrients
Ca Calcium
Mg Magnesium
S Sulfur
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Micronutrients
Fe Iron
Mn Manganese
Cu Copper
Zn Zinc
B Boron
Mo Molybdenum
Cl Chlorine
Ni Nickel
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Our real objective – good grass
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Has enough nutrients
zoysiagrass, Japan
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Doesn’t have enough nutrients
bermudagrass, Vietnam
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Has enough nutrients
zoysiagrass, Japan
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Doesn’t have enough nutrients
zoysiagrass, Japan
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Has enough nutrients
bentgrass and ryegrass, USA
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Nutrient deficiencies are
avoidable disasters
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Penn A-1 creeping bentgrass, K deficiency
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I looked through my photo collection to
find pictures of other (non-nitrogen)
nutrient deficiencies. Then I made this
slide.
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Easy 3 step process to prevent
deficiencies
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Step 1: Healthy grass – and we only care
about healthy grass – has a known
nutrient concentration.
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Should we worry about micronutrients?
I don’t.
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Step 2: The amount of nitrogen supplied
to the grass controls growth and uptake of
the other nutrients
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“N supply was the primary determinant of turfgrass growth rate, plant
nutrient demand, and nutrient uptake. Nitrogen uptake accounted for
over 88% of uptake of all other nutrients. Uptake of P and K were
strongly related to tissue N content irrespective of soil test levels.”
Kussow et al., 2012
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“The fundamental principle of successful greenkeeping is the recognition
of the fact that the finest golfing grasses flourish on poor soil and that
more harm is done by over-, rather than underfertilizing.”
Alister MacKenzie
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Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland
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Kashima Stadium, Japan
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manilagrass putting green, Thailand
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seashore paspalum and bermudagrass, Thailand
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creeping bentgrass, PGA Catalunya
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Step 3: Either ensure that soil nutrient
levels remain high enough – MLSN works
exceptionally well for this – to produce
excellent turf conditions, or supply 100%
of what the grass uses.
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For more, please see
www.asianturfgrass.com or
@asianturfgrass on Twitter.
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