Nitrate Leaching in Overseeded Bermudagrass Fairways

Abstract

Maintaining high visual quality of turfgrass requires intensive management. Nitrogen fertilizer inputs in golf‐course turfgrass have raised some concerns regarding potential nitrate leaching into groundwater. This study investigated nitrate leaching from an overseeded bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt‐Davy) managed as a golf course fairway (mowing height in 1.3 cm). The study was conducted from 1994 to 1997, with two soil types (sandy loam and loamy sand), two irrigation regimes, and two N fertilization programs representing the typical resort‐turfgrass management practices in the semiarid southern California. Leachate was collected and its volume was measured from lysimeter assemblies each consisting of five metal cylinders. Results showed that the nitrate concentration and mass of the leachate from the loamy sand was lower than that from the sandy loam soil. The difference was attributed to N immobilization and clipping removal. The volume of leachate was greater in the loamy sand than in the sandy loam due to the higher water holding capacity of the latter. Average nitrate concentration of the leachate was lower than that of the irrigation water in five out of the six seasons, implying that if turfgrass is properly managed, it may provide an opportunity to mitigate nitrate loading to surface and ground waters, even when N application rate is high.

Leachability of some emerging contaminants in reclaimed municipal wastewater‐irrigated turf grass fields

“…In addition, other causes might have affected the outcomes. It was reported that the root density of turf grass grown in the loamy sand was significantly higher than that in the sandy loam soil [11]. The degradation of test chemicals would be higher in the loamy sand soil because of enhanced rhizospheric activities induced by the higher root density [28][29][30].…”

“…The field was constructed in 1991 and consisted of 24 plots (3.66 3 3.66 m) laid out in a 3-3 8-plot, side-by-side arrangement. Plots were separated by plywood from the surface down for approximately 1 m. The plots were equally divided and filled with either an Arlington fine sandy loam soil (70.3% sand, 19.4% silt, and 10.3% clay) with organic carbon content (f OC ) of 0.55% or a Hanford loamy sand soil (83.4% sand, 9.5% silt, and 7.1% clay) with a f OC of 0.44% [11]. Both soils were deemed to be suitable for golf courses and were conducive to water moving through the soil profile.…”

“…Each plot was equipped with four pop-up sprinklers situated at the corners and a separate timer; thus, the volume and scheduling of the water application could be individually controlled. Additional information regarding this experimental facility may be found in Wu et al [11] and Gan et al [13].…”

“…Many golf courses either are being irrigated with reclaimed municipal wastewater or soon will be [11]. According to the U.S.…”

Nitrogen budgets of urban lawns under three different management regimes in southern California

“…Therefore, at relatively low N fertilization rates, it is possible for young lawns established from sod, or lawns with high soil organic matter (SOM) in general, to have relatively high DON leaching losses. Many current studies of leaching N from lawns focused on inorganic N, especially NO 3 --N, since NO 3 --N is highly leachable and may be a threat to public health in groundwater (e.g., Amador et al 2007;Bowman et al 2006;Devitt et al 2008b;Frank et al 2006;Groffman et al 2009b;Guillard and Kopp 2004;Wu et al 2007). Future studies may verify the magnitudes of DON leaching from lawns under different management regimes.…”