2018 ASHS Annual Conference

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of compost tea applications on overall turf quality and soil microbial activity. Two 60 ft² bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) study sites were included in the study. Each site was divided into a 30 ft² control and a 30 ft² treatment area. One study site received artificial irrigation while the other did not. Compost tea was created using an industrial-sized compost tea brewer (Erath Earth, Dublin, TX). The compost tea recipe included water, air, finished compost, ammonium nitrate and molasses and was applied to study sites within two hours of brewing. The study utilized the soil drench method of application where each treatment area received twelve gallons of compost tea applied by hand. Both study areas were maintained normally by landscape maintenance crews which included regular mowing but no fertilizer applications. Fifteen soil samples and turf quality observations were first drawn for pretest data and then taken after each of three additional seasonal test periods over the course of one year for each of the four locations (irrigated and non-irrigated control and treatment sites). A point intercept method was used to sample plots randomly. Evaluations of turfgrass were based on The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program’s guidelines for turfgrass evaluation and included measuring color, turf density, overall density, percent living and texture. Soil samples were drawn and analyzed for microbial activity using tetrazolium tests. Results presented provide evidence on the value of compost tea to overall turf quality and beneficial soil microbial populations.