BIOSTIMULATOR ENHANCEMENT OF KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS SOD

This study was conducted to determine if foliar-applied biostimulators could enhance harvestability and transplanting of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) sod. The systemic triazole fungicides propiconazole at 42 mg.m-2 and triadimefon at 150 mg.m-2 enhanced post-transplant rooting and sod strength of bluegrass. Propiconazole had the best sod enhancement effect, increasing sod tensile strength 23% and increasing transplant root lift strength 64% across three experiments. The synthetic cytokinin benzyladenine (BA) at 6 mg.m-2 and seaweed extract (SWE, a freeze-dried extract of the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum) at 0.3 ml product/m2 had little effect. The response to triadimefon was intermediate. Foliar applications of chelated Fe phosphate citrate at 112 mg.m-2 did not enhance sod strength or rooting of Kentucky bluegrass when applied either alone or in combination with the biostimulator materials. Chemical names used: 1-(2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-propyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-ylmethyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole (propiconazole); 1-(4-chlorophenoxy)-3,3-dimethyl-1H-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-butanone (triadimefon); 6-benzylaminopurine (BA, benzyladenine).