Improvement of growth and quality of tifway sod by actosol and biofertilizers

Abstract EN

A field experiment was carried out at the golf greens of the 6th October City, Giza, Egypt during 2006 and 2007 seasons to examine the effect of dressing with actosol (a humic acid NPK liquid fertilizer) at 20 ml/L.

as a foliar spray, nitrobien or biogien (biofertilizers containing Azotobacter chroococcxatt^ and Azospirillum sp.., respectively) at 50 g/m2 for each as a soil drench, and the combined treatments between 20ml/L actosol and 50 g/m2 of either nitrobien or biogien on growth, density, chemical composition and quality of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers * C.

transvaalensis Burtt-Davy hybrid Tifway cultivated in beds (100x100* 30 cm) filled with a mixture of "sand and loam (1:1, v/v).

Experimental results indicated that all fertilization treatments significantly increased plant height (cm), density (%), number of plants/m2, as well as herb fresh and dry weights (g) in both seasons with the superiority of the combination between actosol (20 ml/L.) and biogien (50 g/m2) followed by the other combination of 20 ml/L actosol + 50g/m2 nitrobien.

A similar trend was also gained concerning the content of chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids (mg/g F.W.) in the leaves, as well as the percentages of total carbohydrates and potassium in the herb..

However, the highest percent of nitrogen in the two seasons was recorded by plants fertilized with nitrobien alone at the rate of 50 g/m2 , but for phosphorus, this was found due to the two combined treatments and also to spraying with actosol alone at the level of 20 ml/L.

From the previously stated results, it could be concluded that spraying Tifway bermudagrass turf with actosol at 20 ml/L level after each cut plus inoculation with either biogien or nitrobien at the rate of 50g/m2 is the best way for obtaining good growth and high quality.

Key words: Tifway turf, Cynodon dactylon * C.

transvaalensis, humic acid, actosol, biofertilizers, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, vegetative growth, chemical composition.