Abstract
The identification of minimal N requirements for sustaining turfgrass quality and functionality became necessary to reduce N fertilization inputs and avoid potential environmental impacts in the European Union. A two year study was conducted at Padova University in Legnaro, northeastern Italy to investigate the performance of four tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.) cultivars (‘Lexington’, ‘Rhambler SRP’, ‘Rhizing star’, and ‘Thunderstruck’) fertilized twice per year at either 75 or 150 kg N ha−1 year−1. Turfgrass was evaluated every two weeks for turfgrass visual quality, percent green cover (PGR) as well as dark green color index (DGCI) through digital image analysis and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). ‘Rhizing star’ was the only cultivar that showed poor adaptation to the environment, achieving acceptable turfgrass quality (6.0 or higher) only during June and July 2019. Turf fertilized at 150 kg N ha−1 year−1 generally showed higher performance than 75 kg N ha−1 year−1, however, the increase in turfgrass quality was mostly negligible and detected only during the winter months. Results suggest that well adapted tall fescue cultivars could be fertilized at 75 kg N ha−1 year−1 in Northern Italy.
Highlights
Agronomy 2021, 11, 193. https://Northern Italy, with its mild winters and hot and dry summers, is considered a transition zone where both cool- and warm-season turfgrass species can be grown successfully [1]
The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term performance of four tall fescue cultivars currently commercialized in the local turf market fertilized at either 75 or 150 kg N ha−1 year−1 using a controlledrelease fertilizer to minimize both management and environmental costs
Tall fescue cultivars in this study seem to have the same N requirements, since cultivar effect never interacted with N rate (Table 2)
Summary
Agronomy 2021, 11, 193. https://Northern Italy, with its mild winters and hot and dry summers, is considered a transition zone where both cool- and warm-season turfgrass species can be grown successfully [1]. Dumort.) is one of the most commonly used grasses in the region thanks to its high tolerance to warm temperatures and drought avoidance due to its ability to use water deep in the soil profile, and its shade and salinity tolerance [4,5,6,7,8,9]. It can be successfully used in heavily trafficked turf areas due to its high wear tolerance similar to perennial ryegrass [10]. Grossi et al [15], investigating timing of fall N fertilization in Italy, concluded that a single application of 100 kg N ha−1 through a quick release
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