Progress 11/30/15 to 09/30/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this research includes homeowners, landscape operators, golf course superintendents, Master Gardeners, the State of New Mexico Environmental Department and fellow researchers. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate student completed his Master's of Science degree with this project. He has since successfully moved into the turfgrass industry and started his professional career in the lawn care industry. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been distributed to the New Mexico golf course industry through presentations and newsletter articles. Indirectly the fertilizer recommendations by Scotts Company's WaterSmart program has encouraged homeowners across the country to maintain their lawns. Research journal articles are in development and will likely be submitted in early 2021. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Universal protocols were developed to determine the appropriate amount of fertilizer needed to maintain an acceptable quality turfgrass while reducing the amount of irrigation needed. These protocols were provided to the turfgrass industry and through an industry cooperator to homeowners across the country. The Scotts Company sells WaterSmart fertilizer to homeowners across the country that recommends turfgrass managers apply modest amounts of fertilizer to maintain the health of their turfgrass stands to reduce water use and reduce disease, insect and weed pests. These recommendations were partially based on the research conducted at New Mexico State University.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this research includes homeowners, landscape operators, golf course superintendents, Master Gardeners, the State of New Mexico Environmental Department and fellow researchers. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One undergraduate student worker and one graduate student were trained during this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been presented to the Rio Grande Golf Course Superintendents Association, a co-sponsor of the research. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Strive towards completion of research and dissemination of research.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Graduate student thesis is nearing completion. Thesis should produce two peer-reviewed journal articles and at least one trade journal article.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for this research includes homeowners, landscape operators, golf course superintendents, Master Gardeners, the State of New Mexico Environmental Department and fellow researchers. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate student and undergraduate student workers are support with USDA funds and funds from outside grants awarded. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been shared with the Rio Grande Golf Course Superintendents Association, and other New Mexican residents interested in landscape water use. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Research will continue. Decision making tools will be developed for turfgrass and landscape industries.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Several outside grants have been awarded to support a graduate student and student workers. Funds to support consumable tools and materials to support the research efforts were also acquired from outside grant support.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this research is the NM and regional turfgrass industries, including golf course superintendents, home owners, home lawn care operators, atheltic field managers and other urban landscape stake-holders. In this reporting period, outreach service through home owner contacts to faculty have been made that directly or indirectly present the results of this research effort. Changes/Problems:Previous years' experiments have focused on the type of water applied and the amount of supplemental nitrogen required to maintain acceptable turfgrass quality. Because of the changes in expertise of the students, we have shifted the next phase to evaluate the interaction of turfgrass water status and herbicide use. These changes are within the original scope of the project as they investigate turfgrass management changes to reduce water use while maintaining a utility turfgrass stand. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In addition to submission of the key findings manuscript above, one graduate student completed his thesis and graduated. His thesis work entitled Using graywater for residential landscapes will be submitted for publication in 2018. The graduate student's work had been partially supported through NIFA funds in previous years. In addition, three undergraduate students have been trained through the efforts of these experiments. One of those students has decided to pursue his graduate degree on the project and is now enrolled as a graduate student. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentations have been made to the golf course superintendents association in the region (Rio Grande Golf Course Superintendents Association). More presentations will be made by PI and graduate student as the next phase of experimentation progresses. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The project is moving onto another phase of the experiment where we will be investigating the interaction of turfgrass water status and herbicide use. Both efficacy and non-desired injury will be targeted. The recently enrolled graduate student will be trained and will lead the field experiment and a complementary greenhouse experiment.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The goal has been partially achieved through this experimentation. We were able to identify the minimum required irrigation amount to maintain acceptable turfgrass quality for four turfgrass species and we were able to determine that nitrogen fertilization is needed at recommended levels to achieve reduced irrigation without loss of acceptable turfgrass quality.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Goss, Ryan M. "Quality-Based Field Research Indicates Fertilization Reduces Irrigation Requirements of Four Turfgrass Species." International Turfgrass Society Research Journal 13.1 (2017): 761-767.
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Progress 11/30/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this research is the NM and regional turfgrass industries, including golf course superintendents, home owners, home lawn care operators, atheltic field managers and other urban landscape stake-holders. In this reporting period,outreach service through home owner contactsto facultyhave been made that directly or indirectly present the results of this research effort. Changes/Problems:The research area will be expanded in 2017 to offer more treatment comparisions. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In addition to submission of the key findings manuscript above, one graduate student completed his thesis and graduated. His thesis work entitled Using graywater for residential landscapes will be submitted for publication in 2017. The graduate student's work had been partially supported through NIFA funds in previous years. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Additional field research plots will be installed to increase the number of treatments including fertilizer amount, fertilizer source, soil wetting agents, and plant growth regulators. In addition, results will be discussed with various interest groups including the NM and regional turfgrass industries, home owners and home lawn care operators.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
As part of the continuing research for reducing turfgrass water use, one journal article has been tentatively accepted upon revision highlighting the key results of previous years' work. The abstract below highlights the key findings. The turfgrass industry must respond to increased scrutiny of water use by implementing best management practices that conserve water. Cultural practices, particularly fertilization, may reduce turfgrass water requirements. The fertilization response of two cool-season species (Poa pratensis and Schedonorus phoenix) and two warm-season species (Cynodon dactylon and Bouteloua dactyloides) was assessed under varying simulated drought conditions at Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. During the two-year experiment, treated grasses were fertilized with 39 kg N ha-1 and subjected to a moisture gradient using linear gradient irrigation systems. End of season turfgrass quality was visually assessed (rating of 6 or higher considered acceptable). Fertilized turfgrass swards maintained acceptable turfgrass quality with lower irrigation rates than swards receiving no fertilization. During year 1, unfertilized P. pratensis and S. phoenix required 114% evapotranspiration (ET) irrigation replacement to maintain acceptable quality compared to only 70% ET irrigation replacement when fertilized. In year 2, all four turfgrass species required 71% ET irrigation replacement to maintain acceptable quality when not fertilized, compared to only 50% ET irrigation replacement when fertilized. In year 2, P. pratensis required 85%, S. phoenix required 75%, C. dactylon required 55%, and B. dactyloides required 27% ET irrigation replacement amounts to maintain acceptable quality. During year 2, the amount of irrigation required to maintain 100% turfgrass cover were 65% potential ET for P. pratensis, 52% for S. phoenix, 31% for C. dactylon and 11% for B. dactyloides. The proper use of fertilizer can increase turfgrass quality, plant growth and canopy growth to reduce soil evaporation. The impact of increased growth and quality may supersede any increases in plant water-use and transpiration. The additional growth and transpiration rates expected with nitrogen fertilization does not appear to limit the ability of these turfgrass to tolerate lower irrigation amounts.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Goss, R. M. In Process. Quality-based, field research indicates fertilization reduces irrigation requirements of four turfgrass species.. International Turfgrass Research Journal, 13.
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