Response of Warm Season Turf Grasses to Combined Cold and Salinity Stress under Foliar Applying Organic and Inorganic Amendments

Abstract

Turfgrasses are considered an important part of the landscape and ecological system of golf courses, sports fields, parks, and home lawns. Turfgrass species are affected by many abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, salinity, cold, heat, waterlogging, and heavy metals) and biotic stresses (mainly diseases and pests). In the current study, seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Sw.) and Tifway bermudagrass (Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt Davy × C. Dactylon) were selected because they are popular turfgrasses frequently used for outdoor lawns and sport fields. The effect of the combined stress from both soil salinity and cold on these warm season grasses was investigated. Some selected organic and inorganic amendments (i.e., humic acid, ferrous sulphate, and silicon) were applied as foliar sprays five times during the winter season from late October to March. This was repeated over two years in field trials involving salt-affected soils. The physiological and chemical parameters of the plants, including plant height; fresh and dry weight per plot; total chlorophyll content; and nitrogen, phosphorus, iron, and potassium content, were measured. The results showed that all the studied amendments improved the growth of seashore paspalum and Tifway bermudagrass during this period compared to the control, with a greater improvement observed when using ferrous sulphate and humic acid compared to silicon. For seashore paspalum, the highest chlorophyll content in April was recorded after the application of ferrous sulphate at a level of 1000 ppm. The current research indicates that when grown on salt-affected soils, these amendments can be used in warm-season grasses to maintain turf quality during cold periods of the year. Further research is needed to examine any negative long-term effects of these amendments and to explain their mechanisms.

Effects of Supplemental Potassium on the Growth, Photosynthetic Characteristics, and Ion Content of Zoysia matrella under Salt Stress

“…The accumulation of salt ions in plants can affect ion homeostasis, destroy biomembranes and subcellular organelles, and alter starch metabolism, leading to abnormal growth [37][38][39]. Plants are subjected to salt stress during their growth and development, and mineral nutrition supplementation can reduce the damage of salt to crops [40,41]. Among various nutrients, the promoting effect of K on plant growth, development, and physiology under salt stress has been fully confirmed [38,40].…”

Assessment of turf quality in Paspalum vaginatum Sw. accessions of Sumatra, Java, and Bali (Indonesia) with clay and amended sand growing media

“…Turfgrass management as a whole can help native grass adaptability to become more dominant and take on many climate and ecosystem changes (Toledo et al 2014). Taher et al (2023) reported that, in general, the leaf color and uniformity of paspalum grass are not much different when grown in various clay media but are significant by fertilizers and nutrients. The greener color is produced from grass chlorophyll, reflecting green light (Cao et al 2018).…”

Sorghum Densification with Changes in Plant Spacing Arrangement: Productivity and Qualitative Characteristics of Silage Material

“…The Brazilian cattle herd's diet is based on pasture formed with forage grasses. Despite the dry mass production potential, these grasses present seasonal production [1][2][3].…”