EFFECTS OF PRE-PLANTING INCORPORATION OR POSTPLANTING TOP-DRESSING OF ORGANIC AMENDMENTS ON BERMUDAGRASS FOR TOLERANCE TO BELONOLAIMUS LONGICAUDATUS

The addition of organic amendments can improve several aspects of the soil environment, thereby improving tolerance to plant-parasitic nematodes and, in some cases, suppressing plant-parasitic nematodes. Two organic amendments commonly used in golf and sports turf in the United States are locally produced composts and Canadian sphagnum peat moss (CSPM). Two field trials were conducted to evaluate the impacts of these organic amendments on turf health and suppression of sting nematode, Belonolaimus longicaudatus, on bermudagrass athletic turf. One trial evaluated the effects of pre-planting incorporation of either compost or CSPM with soil to create a 20:80 amendment:soil mixture in the turf root zone. Another trial evaluated two kinds of compost blended with sand top-dressed onto the surface of established turf. Both trials evaluated effects on population density of B. longicaudatus, and on turf percent green cover. Pre-planting incorporation of organic amendments suppressed B. longicaudatus but topdressing did not. Addition of composts by either pre-planting incorporation or blending with top-dressing improved turf percent green cover and, therefore, enhanced tolerance to B. longicaudatus.