Growth of Creeping Bentgrass by Application of Compound Fertilizer Containing Microbe

Abstract

Superintendents have been used microbial fertilizers to improve turfgrass growth and quality and to decrease turfgrass diseases in golf course. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of compound fertilizer containing microbe (MF) on the growth and quality of creeping bentgrass with turf color index (TCI), chlorophyll index (ChI), root length, turfgrass density, clipping yield and nutrient content. Treatments were designed as follows; non-fertilizer (NF), compound fertilizer (21-17- 17; CF) as control, compound fertilizer (14-6-17) containing microbe. In pot experiment, TCI and ChI of creeping bentgrass in MF plot were similar to those in CF. But clipping dry weight of MF plot increased by 39.1% compared to that of CF plot. At field experiment applied with MF treatment, TCI, ChI, root length, and nutrient content and uptake of creeping bentgrass were similar to those with CF treatment, but turfgrass density with MF higher about 7.9-15.8% than with CF. These results indicated that the application of MF improved growth and quality of creeping bentgrass by enhancing clipping yield and shoot number.