Sand-based turfgrass root zones have limited nutrient retention and water-holding capacity. Peat moss oft en is used to off set these defi ciencies, but peat moss decomposes. Biochar is a co-product of several biofuel production processes used to produce bio-oil. Biochar is stable and could have similar water and nutrient retention impacts as peat moss when mixed in sand-based turfgrass root zones. Th e objective of this research was to evaluate the effi cacy of biochar as a sand-based root zone amendment. Water retention, water infi ltration, creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) rooting depth, and nutrient evaluation experiments were conducted on six sand and biochar root zone mixtures. At fi eld capacity, sand-based media containing 25% (v/v) biochar retained 260 and 370% more water compared to media containing 5% biochar and a pure sand control, respectively. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K sat ) of the root zones decreased as biochar concentrations increased. Th e rooting depth of bentgrass was reduced up to 46% at biochar concentrations >10%. Extracted pore water electrical conductivity and dissolved total organic carbon increased as biochar concentrations increased. Nitrogen leaching was reduced as biochar concentrations increased. According to the results, biochar may improve water storage, reduce overall water use, and decrease N fertilizer applications in sand-based turfgrass ecosystems.

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Iowa State researchers are helping an Iowa company, Ajinomoto Heartland Lysine, LLC, study the effects of amino acid containing fertilizer on turfgrass growth and stress tolerance. The fertilizer, marketed as AJIFOL GreenNcrease, was found to increase shoot density of creeping bentgrass in an initial study conducted in late summer 2008. Several amino acid containing fertilizers were compared with urea and an untreated control as foliar applied nutrients to Penncross creeping bentgrass maintained at both green height (0.16 in.) and fairway height (0.40 in.).

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