Carbon Dioxide Flux of Newly-Sodded and Established Bermudagrass Fertilized By Slow-Release and Soluble Fertilizers.

Many turf managers utilize products to enhance turf quality and may influence photosynthesis. The specific magnitude of influence on long-term turf health is unknown because the normal photosynthetic rate of bermudagrass in south Florida has not been reported. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the photosynthesis of Tifway 419 bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy) grown on native or constructed soils and fertilized with either controlled-release or soluble nitrogen (N). This study was initiated in June 2016 at the University of Florida Ft. Lauderdale research and education center. Treatments were arranged in a split-split plot design with soil type as whole-plots, N source as sub-plots, and N rates as sub-sub plots. Nitrogen was applied in two-month cycles at rates of 0, 49, 147, 245, 343 kg ha^-1 yr^-1 using polymer-coated urea or granular urea. Turf quality and reflectance were recorded weekly, before and after harvest, and photosynthesis was measured every two weeks. This study will continue through June 2018.