Phosphorus Fertilization and Mycorrhizal Inoculation for Establishing Sand-Based Putting Greens.

Mycorrhizae are increasingly being promoted as a tool to reduce nutrient and water applications for turfgrass, yet very little scientific information exists regarding their performance.  Our objective was to determine the effect of mycorrhizal fungal inoculation on establishment of creeping and velvet bentgrass sand-based putting greens, and the effect of phosphorus on mycorrhizal fungal colonization of turfgrass roots.  A field study was conducted in Madison, WI on a 80:20 sand:peat root zone in Madison, WI.  The experimental design was a randomized strip-split plot with three replications.  Two bentgrass species, velvet (Agrostis canina L.) and creeping bentgrass (A. stolonifera L.), and four pre-plant P levels (0, 48, 96, and 192 kg ha^-1) were stripped across each other.  Fungal inoculum served as a sub-plot treatment.  Data were collected on turf cover and mycorrhizal colonization.