SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/765909
www.stma.org January 2017 | SportsTurf 43 PURCHASING AND LEASING OPTIONS AVAILABLE! 2016 COPA Install, Philadelphia 100,000 sq.ft. in 8 hrs PAULC@SIDEKICKUSA.COM WWW.SIDEKICKUSA.COM 630.669.0384 cell membranes. It's rare to visually diagnose a phosphorous deficiency in turf, which is another reason to periodically test your soil. "Some areas are now restricting phosphorous application due to water quality concerns," Miltner says. "In those areas, you need to test your soil for a phosphorous deficiency before you can apply it. Don't be fooled into thinking phosphorous is unnecessary or dangerous because its use may be restricted—it's still critical for turf health." Potassium regulates water content in cells, helps enzymes work and builds cell walls. Its role in building cell walls is what makes potassium an important factor in turf traffic tolerance—a must for sports fields that get used frequently. For this reason, some sports turf managers apply just as much potassium as they do nitrogen, or even more. But should they? "In many situations, it's not necessary to apply a high rate of potassium everywhere on the field," Miltner says. "Targeted potassium applications in high-traffic areas (between the hashes, goal mouths, outfielder positions) can give these areas the boost they need. If you do apply high potassium rates, consider using a sulfate of potash which has a lower salt index and less burn potential compared to a muriate of potash." ENHANCED EFFICIENCY Now that you know that controlled- or slow- release fertilizers deliver consistent nutrition, and you know what each of the primary fertilizer ingredients do, how do you select the blend that's best for your turf? Miltner says that because of varying conditions and environments, no one size fits all. However, the best fertilizers are those that aim to optimize nutrient performance and minimize nitrogen loss. "Look for blends containing controlled- release or slow-release fertilizers." Miltner explains. "These enhanced efficiency fertilizers, or EEFs, are formulated to support consistent plant growth with fewer applications, which saves time and money while boosting productivity. Because more nitrogen is available for plant uptake, sports turf managers can get the most from each fertilizer application. In other words, the turf gets more of the nutrients you're paying for." EEFs can be incorporated as components of any fertilizer blend. They differ from urea or ammonium sulfate because they offer increased nutrient uptake and less loss to the environment through volatilization, leaching and denitrification. In fact, Koch Turf & Ornamental has been conducting research over the past 6 years that shows these products result in up to 60 percent greater nitrogen uptake over urea. On any type of soil, these products have been found to offer more consistent nutrition with fewer applications, which can produce a positive ripple effects throughout an organization or business. "Because every sports field is different, there is no one fertilizer blend that can meet every field's needs," Miltner says. "Choosing a fertilizer depends on variables including location, turf species, soil conditions and more. However, there are a lot of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer technologies that turf managers should consider as an alternative to quick-release products. They bring increased value through consistent nutrition and growth and greater efficiency leading to better playability, tolerance to stress, and better plant health and viability throughout the season."