Abstract
Soil health and sustainable management practices have garnered much interest within the turfgrass industry. Among the many practices that enhance soil health and sustainability are applying soil additives to enhance soil biological activity and reducing nitrogen (N) inputs—complimentary practices. A two-year study was conducted to investigate if reduced N fertilizer rates applied with humic substances could provide comparable turfgrass quality as full N rates, and whether humic fertilizers would increase biological aspects of soil health (i.e., microbial biomass and activity). Treatments included synthetic fertilizer with black gypsum (SFBG), poly-coated humic-coated urea (PCHCU; two rates), urea + humic dispersing granules (HDG; two rates), urea, stabilized nitrogen, HDG, and a nontreated control. Reduced rates of N with humic substances maintained turfgrass quality and cover, and reduced clipping biomass compared to full N rates. There were no differences in soil physical and chemical properties besides soil sulfur (S) concentration. SFBG resulted in the highest soil S concentration. Fertilizer treatments had minimal effect on microbial biomass and other plant-available nutrients. However, PCHCU (full rate) increased potentially mineralizable carbon (PMC) and N (PMN) by 68% and 59%, respectively, compared to the nontreated control. Meanwhile SFBG and stabilized nitrogen also increased PMC and PMN by 77% and 50%, and 65% and 59%, respectively. Overall, applications of reduced N fertilizer rates with the addition of humic substances could be incorporated into a more sustainable and environmentally friendly turfgrass fertilizer program.
Highlights
Increasing interest in soil health has led to greater appreciation of soils as a vital resource key to productivity, human health, and sustainability [1]
On two weeks after initial treatment (WAIT) in 2019, there were no differences in visual quality between the treatments
Reduced rates of N fertilizer applied with humic substances provided equivalent turfgrass quality and percent cover relative to full N rates, which could allow for a more sustainable fertilizer program
Summary
Increasing interest in soil health has led to greater appreciation of soils as a vital resource key to productivity, human health, and sustainability [1]. Doran [1] defines soil health (or quality) as the capacity of a living soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystems, to sustain productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and promote biological health. Chemical, and biological indicators as well as emergent processes and properties [2]. Chemical indicators include soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), nutrient analysis, organic matter (SOM), pH, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) [3,4]. Physical and chemical soil properties generally have a slow response to management changes, which can make it more difficult to detect changes after changes in soil management [2,5]. Common biological soil health indicators include microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN), soil respiration, N mineralization, and soil enzymes [3,4,5]
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