yet it is now well known that many types play vital roles in nutrient cycling in the soil and uptake into the plant.
The role of bacteria
Bacteria play a vital role in breaking down and recycling organic matter to release nutrients back into the soil. In artificial growing conditions or sterile soils this process is greatly reduced due to the reduction in favourable conditions for bacteria, so any cultural procedures (such as aeration) or amendments that enhance beneficial bacterial will increase the benefits from fertiliser application. A good example of this came from trials investigating bacterial complexes to improve major nutrient uptake. Rooting zones that are inoculated to
increase natural microbial activity are generally understood to provide greater ability for the plants, to not only root more successfully but also as a secondary benefit to result in more robust and resistant plants. In future years it is almost certain that
the role of bacteria, both in improving nutrient content in soils and assisting plants in mineral uptake, will be more fully exploited. However, it is already clear that nurturing microbial activity and adding specific bacterial complexes in the soil produce far more nutrient efficient plants. Additionally, it is almost certain that bacteria strains or complexes will take increasingly important roles in combating soil-borne diseases that are currently allowed to become far more virulent than in natural conditions, due to lack of competition from “beneficial” bacteria.
Fungi that assist plants to root
Although fungi have, in the past, been better known for causing plant disease, there are also fungi that are both antagonistic to pathogens as well as others that work symbiotically with plant roots. The former group are currently under research and likely to be exploited as bio- fungicides in future years. The latter group of symbiotic fungi (mycorrhiza) can be used strategically to establish grass and aid recovery, especially in soils that are nutrient poor.
By influencing the growth habit of grass,
mycorrhiza specifically assist a plant in enhanced rooting, resulting in:
1. Improved water uptake and water use efficiency
2. More efficient nutrient adsorption (especially nitrogen and phosphate)
3. Greater grass tolerance to saline and
polluted soils
Whilst the addition of mycorrhiza is not going to assist in a situation where plenty of nutrient or water is made available, it's application is a very valuable tool at times of recovering from rooting problems or particularly when growing in new seed or turf.
As the pictures below illustrate, at least
where sand-based greens are concerned a mycorrhiza inoculate demonstrates itself as a cost effective investment. This is true for not only the establishment of the grass but also its ability to take up greater amounts of the fertiliser that is applied to the soil, before it is lost through the soil profile.
It is not usual for comparisons to be made to treated and untreated turf, due to uniformity, but the pictures illustrate differences in roots when seed is sown in sand-based trays to demonstrate the ability of the mycorrhiza to stimulate greater rooting. Unlike bacteria, which are more sensitive to extremes of pH, the performance of mycorrhiza fungi is more closely related to the ability of the plant to grow. Therefore, if the conditions are right for grass growth, then mycorrhiza will be able to form an association with the roots, provided it is placed in the rooting zone of the grass plant, either at establishment or at aeration.
Optimising conditions for efficient fertiliser use
It is always going to be necessary to put the playing conditions of any sports turf as the number one priority. However, without jeopardising that priority and by using good cultural practices with strategic applications, biological activities can be maximised for financial advantage, especially since organic-based products have not recently risen in price to the same degree as mineral fertilisers. For the greatest activity bacteria require a consistent food source, water and oxygen. In a sterile, sand-based, often acidic and anaerobic golf green, these conditions will work against bacterial activity and, therefore, make nutrient use efficiency poor. To improve these conditions might seem to go against what has, by some, been recommended in the past to reduce disease incidence but, if conditions inhibit bacterial activity then, inevitably, input levels for this turf will continue to stay at a high level and ‘sustainable golf ’ will never be attainable, even given the variation in definitions of ‘sustainable golf ’!
On the other hand, mycorrhiza fungi populations are less easy to maintain in sports turf, owing to the continuous cutting of the grass. However, their strategic introduction at crucial times of reconstruction, over-seeding and renovation are not dependant on specific conditions, so long as inoculants are placed in the rooting zone of the grass. Contrary to popular concern, the occasional application of fungicide does not necessarily decrease mycorrhiza fungi, because not all fungicides are active against mycorrhiza, the target parts of the plants for application are different and they are most often applied at different times of the seasons.
Conclusion and proposals
Whilst mineral fertiliser prices have remained relatively low over recent years little attention has been paid to the efficient use of nutrients. Now, it is not only possible, but also extremely desirable, to get more out of turf grass by making sure that the plant nutrients applied in fertilisers are used more efficiently. To achieve this goal does not require the turf manager to make major changes in most inputs or activities, but by bearing in mind more natural biological processes and encouraging these where possible. Therefore, without radically changing the regime that has worked successfully in the past, you can bear in mind two simple ideas:
1. Always provide appropriate conditions to encourage a healthy, useful microbial soil life (e.g. aeration, available organic matter, minimise low pH applications, addition of microbes)
2. Integrate biological activity products with standard inputs to improve efficiency (i.e. don’t be afraid to mix and match inputs in a rational manner)
A final comment to the sceptics; biological activities have evolved naturally to the advantage of both plants and animals over millennia, though only since the late 1940s have synthetic products dominated agronomic inputs. Therefore, which approach should be considered as a ‘fad’? The two approaches are not mutually exclusive, but can both be used to benefit each other, so why not ‘integrate to accumulate’!
For further agronomic and technical advice, or information on availability of appropriate biological products, contact Hugh Frost of Novozymes Biologicals on 07710 461 359
No granular mycorrhiza inoculant added to root zone
Granular mycorrhiza inoculant added to sand-based root zone 101
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132