Nitrate Leaching and Turf Quality in Established 'Floratam' St. Augustinegrass and 'Empire' Zoysiagrass.

The article presents a study which examines turf response and nitrate (N) (NO₃-N) leaching to irrigation regime and nitrogen rate (NR) in Empire zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica) and Floratam St. Augustiengrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) in Citra, Florida from 2005-2007. Irrigation treatments comprised of 2.6 centimeter (cm) applied once weekly or 1.3 cm applied twice weekly. Turf quality (TQ) was above an acceptable level in St. Augustinegrass at all NRs in zoysiagrass and at all but the lowest NRs with the exception of the spring fertilizer cycle (SFC).