1. Turfgrass Growth and Water Use in Gypsum-Treated Ultisols M.J. Schlossberg Penn State University

3. Turfgrass and the SE US Bermudagrass and Tall Fescue dominate the landscape of the US Southern Piedmont (GA, AL, and the Carolinas)

6. Turfgrass and the SE US Interestingly: Bermudagrass and Tall Fescue are the two turfgrasses recognized for generating the most deeply-extending root systems of ALL turfgrass species.

8. Turf-type tall fescue roots GypsumControl 0-3.5 ” 3.6-7 ” 7-11 ” Soil chemical or soil physical problem?

9. Treatment Options??? Lime –Agricultural grade limestone is an effective ameliorant of soil acidity –Commonly incorporated at establishment for production of cotton, soybean, corn, peanuts, etc. –INCORPORATE is the key word, effective treatment of soil acidity with lime requires tillage into the soil profile

10. How Do Turf Managers Like Incorporating Lime?

11. They don’t. Turfgrasses are perennial in nature and establishment is not only uncommon, but dreaded! So how can managers ameliorate the effects of acidity without plowing the lawn?

12. Gypsum Many attributes: –More soluble than agricultural lime –Doesn’t require tillage or coring –Doesn’t raise pH of the surface soil This can cause soil structure and turf disease problems –Provides sulfate (SO 4 ), the plant essential nutrient form of sulfur

13. Hydroponic experiment

14. Tall fescue root growth in Al solutions

15. Fescue columns (33cm) ZnO 2 paint

16. Tall fescue root growth column study a a a bb bb cc

17. Greenhouse Experiment Objectives 1. Construct columns which represent soil profiles indigenous to the SE US. 2. Analyze leachate to confirm calcium sulfate penetration of subsoil, displacement of Al, and/or other soil chemistry alterations. 3. Use installed instrumentation to monitor water extraction from acidic subsoil by roots, by depth. 4. Simulate drought periods repetitively; mimicking rain patterns, while promoting deep rooting in columns 5. Analyze columns to assess root architecture and calcium saturation of CEC by soil depth.

19. Experimental Design Acidic B Horizon Clay pHw(1:1) 4.9 Exch. Acid 3.9 meq/100g Mehlich III (M3) exchangeable: Phosphorus (P) 2.0 lbs/A Potassium (K) 0.04 meq Magnesium (Mg) 0.25 meq Calcium (Ca) 0.65 meq Total CEC: 4.84 meq 54 cm 8 cm

20. Acidic B Horizon Clay pHw(1:1) 4.9 Exch. Acid 3.9 meq/100g Mehlich III (M3) exchangeable: Phosphorus (P) 2.0 lbs/A Potassium (K) 0.04 meq Magnesium (Mg) 0.25 meq Calcium (Ca) 0.65 meq Total CEC: 4.84 meq Experimental Design

22. Treatments (5): Synthetic/FGD Gypsum (Southern Co.) Tech. Grade Gypsum (CaSO 42H 2 O) Calcium Chloride (CaCl 22H 2 O) Calcitic Lime (100% CCE) Control 90 columns total; 60 Bermudagrass (‘Princess’ or ‘Sultan’) and 30 turf-type Tall Fescue ‘Rebel’ Half of each instrumented for real-time soil moisture, three replications of six Experimental Design

23. The Southern Co. SynGyp, is generated by a ‘wet’ spray-dryer scrubbing process, and contains 23.3% Ca by mass (+/- 0.65), and has a calcium carbonate equivalency of 2.7% (+/- 0.14). Trace element and heavy metal analysis show few impurities Experimental Design

24. The Southern Co. SynGyp is 23.3% Ca by mass (+/- 0.65), and has a calcium carbonate equivalency of 2.7% (+/- 0.14). Trace element and heavy metal analysis show few impurities Application Rates Treatmentlbs/Acre (Ca) Lime 4,332 (1,735) FGD and TG Gypsum13,796 (3,224) CaCl 2 11,825 (3,224) Experimental Design

25. The Southern Co. SynGyp is 23.3% Ca by mass (+/- 0.65), and has a calcium carbonate equivalency of 2.7% (+/- 0.14). Trace element and heavy metal analysis show few impurities Application Rates Treatment Mg/ha (Ca) Lime 4.86 (1.94) FGD and TG Gypsum 15.46 (3.61) CaCl 2 13.25 (3.61) Experimental Design

27. Cultural Methods TF columns mowed every 9±3 days @ 3” height No signs/symptoms of pest activity observed over the 2-year study, hence no pesticides were applied (tall fescue is good like that) When >half the TF columns showed stunted growth & leaf firing, all were irrigated with 4” in 1” pulses over 24 hours (every 20-35 days) Post-estab: ¼ lb N & K 2 O / 1000 ft 2 / month

28. Cultural Methods Bermudagrass columns mowed every 7±3 days @ 1.4” height Insect activity was chemically controlled when necessary When >half the bermuda columns showed stunted growth/dormancy, all were irrigated with 4” in 1” pulses over 24 hours (every 30-50 days) Post-estab: ¾ lb N & K 2 O / 1000 ft 2 / month

29. Leachate chemistry and composition

30. Solute transport through 54 cm of red clay, by time after treatment

31. Aluminum concentration in leachate, by time after treatment

32. Calcium concentration in leachate, by time after treatment

33. Sulfur concentration in leachate, by time after treatment

34. Magnesium concentration in leachate, by time after treatment

35. Potassium concentration in leachate, by time after treatment

36. Soil nutrient levels by depth

40. Leaf/shoot biomass production (generally analogous with quality/vigor)

44. Turfgrass water use by soil depth

45. Tall Fescue H 2 O-use by depth over (14) 10-35 d dry down periods cm water / day

46. Turfgrass nutrient concentration and uptake

51. Visual quality or percent green coverage

52. Princess Bermudagrass Overlay Representing Turf (60 days after planting, DAP) Of the 3.8 x 10 6 pixels in this image, 881,598 are green, exactly 23.2 %

53. Princess BermudagrassSultan Bermudagrass 300 DAP

54. Princess Bermudagrass % Green Cover

56. a a a b b b

57. % Green Cover by Treatment of Bermudagrasses in Drought Stress Princess and Sultan % Green Cover Gypsums v. Control+9.0 % Lime +7.2 % All others+21.6% FGD v. Control+6.0 % All others+17.2%

58. Turfgrass root growth by soil depth

59. Tall Fescue root length in the 38 –62 soil depths

60. Greenhouse Study Summary Gypsum trts effectively penetrated 60 cm of clay soil 1 year after a ~7 ton/A application Differences between mined & synthetic gyp were slight, allowing pooled analysis Benefits to TF were stark: enhanced growth, total & deep water uptake, deep roots, and leaf S; compared to both Lime and Con trts (with no resulting base cation deficiencies) Benefits to bermudagrass include: enhanced growth & color response under drought conditions (deeper roots?)

61. Griffin field experiment

62. Turf Bermuda Zoysia Bentgrass Treatments Control Lime Gypsum (low and high) Lime + gypsum (low and high)

63. TDR soil moisture meter rods

64. Soil profile beneath zoysia

66. Turf field demonstrations usace.army.mil/

67. Lane Creek – Athens, GA Piedmont region Heavy red clay Acidic soil Bermudagrass

68. The Farm – Dalton, GA Ridge and Valley Yellow clay Neutral soil Zoysiagrass

69. Waterfall – Clayton, GA Blue Ridge Mtns Rocky, thin soil Acidic Bentgrass

70. Grand Hotel – Mobile Bay Coastal Plain Sandy soil Close to neutral Bermudagrass

71. Musgrove – Jasper, AL Ridge and Valley Yellow clay Acidic soil Bermudagrass

72. Chateau Elan – Buford, GA Piedmont region Heavy red clay Acidic soil Bermudagrass

73. UGA soccer fields – Athens Piedmont region Heavy red clay Acidic soil Bermudagrass

74. Taqueta Falls – Lookout Mtn. Ridge and Valley Yellow clay Acidic soil Bermudagrass

75. Grapevine research Chateau Elan

76. Full Size Pilot Study, Apr 04 East Lake G.C., Atlanta GA

79. Root sampling

80. Control Gypsum Treatment Effect of Gypsum Addition on Root Growth at East Lake Golf Club Gypsum treatment = 4 tons/acre, April 11, 2005 Samples collected May 19, 2006

81. Summary Large (>5 ton) gypsum apps to turfgrass did not induce salt or phytotoxic injury More significant advantages of gypsum applications are associated with turfgrasses poorly adapted to weathered, acid soils Continuing turfgrass root analysis should demonstrate advantages of increased Ca:Al ratio in acid subsoils Leaf Ca and S were not always correlated to root length and water use benefits

82. Acknowledgements Lamar Larrimore, Southern Company Dr. Bill Miller, University of Georgia Dr. John Kruse, University of Georgia Dr. Malcom Sumner, University of Georgia Michael Wolfe, Southern Company