Effect of nitrogen rates and mowing heights on color, density, uniformity, and chemical composition of creeping bentgrass cultivars in winter

Abstract

Abstract Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) is used on golf course putting greens in Japan, however, this turfgrass goes dormant and loses color in the winter. Two levels (0.8 and 9.6 gm2) of nitrogen (N) and two mowing heights (5 and 12 mm) were used to determine their effects on turf quality (color, uniformity, and density) and chemical composition of 12 cultivars of creeping bentgrass during the winter. High N rate or mowing height increased color of the plants significantly during the experiment, but high N rate was more effective than high mowing height. High N rate increased the levels of N, potassium (K), boron (B), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and magnesium (Mg), but reduced the levels of calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and copper (Cu) in the plant tissues. High mowing height resulted in an increase in K content, but reduction in N, P, S, Ca, and Mo levels, though the levels of other nutrients were not affected. The level of N of plants under low N rate was belo...