Nitrogen Losses from Warm-Season Turfgrasses during Establishment.

A greenhouse study was conducted at New Mexico State University to investigate N-losses from several warm-season turfgrasses during establishment. Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) cv. ‘Princess77’ , buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Natt.) Eng.] cv. ‘SWI 2000', and a wild type of inland saltgrass [Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene] were established from seed and irrigated with tailored water (treated effluent adjusted for 15 ppm NO₃-N content). Control columns were irrigated with potable water and calcium nitrate, a granular quick release fertilizer, was added in quantities needed to match the total N applied to containers irrigated with tailored water.

Results indicated that water quality did not affect establishment for the 3 grasses. At the end of the investigative period (73 days after seeding) bermudagrass and buffalograss reached 82% and 77% coverage, respectively. Inland saltgrass reached 54% coverage, which was significantly less than bermudagrass and buffalograss. Nitrate-N in the leachate showed a great variability between replications and across sampling dates. There was no clear trend as to treatment differences immediately after seeding and during the first four weeks. After four weeks, Nitrate-N did not differ between grasses and water qualities and did not exceed the threshold of 10 ppm.