Leaf Morphology of Creeping Bentgrass and Annual Bluegrass in Relation to Uptake of Foliar Nitrogen.

There has been an increase in foliar fertilization in low cut turfgrass such as golf course putting greens.  The impact of these practices on the competition between annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass is not yet determined.  Previously presented evidence showed that creeping bentgrass shows a decrease in growth when fertilized exclusively with foliar urea while annual bluegrass did not show a similar decrease.  In order to explain differences in performance under foliar fertilization in the two species, leaf morphology was characterized with both light and electron microscopy.  Results from the microscopy show that AB may have an advantage in the absorption of foliar fertilizers through polar pathways (ectodesmata) associated with barb-like wax structures covering the margins and veins.  Stomate counts and wax morphology show that both species are similar in wax structures and stomate number.