A GREENHOUSE STUDY COMPARING LOCAL SOIL AMENDMENTS WITH OVERSEAS PEATS AS AN ORGANIC SOURCE FOR ROOTZONE MIXES IN KOREA

摘要

Limited peat supplies and expensive importing costs to Korea have increased the need to replace overseas peat with domestic soil amendment.The objectives of this study were to evaluate turfgrass establishment performance in rootzone mixes by three local Korean organic amendments,to compare them with two imported standard peat sources and to provide basic data for further field experiments.Poa pratensis L.was established under greenhouse conditions from March to June in 2008 at the Sahmyook University,Seoul,Korea.Treatments were comprised of mixtures of five organic matter amendments and sand.These amendments were two imported peats of Berger Peat (OMA) and Premier Peat (OMD) with three local soil amendments such as Eco-Peat (OMB),G1- Soil (OMC) and Supersoil I (OME).Each organic amendment was mixed at five volume percentages of amendment to sand meeting United States Golf Association putting green rootzone specifications (10,20,30,40 and 50%; v/v).A randomized complete block design with six replications was used.Turfgrass groundcover and density significantly varied with organic soil amendment,its ratio to sand and time after seeding.Cumulative turfgrass density was variable,but a great change occurred between 3 and 5 weeks after seeding (WAS).Turfgrass density at 4 WAS ranged from 12% in OME 50 to 71% in OMC 30.At the end of study overall turfgrass groundcover ranged between 65 (OME 50) and 90% (OMC 40).Domestic OMC at 30% was considered to be the most effective due to higher turfgrass density and greater groundcover in P.pratensis L.Overseas OMD at 40% was also effective.Proper mixing rate may be depending on the kind of organic soil amendments.Additional field research is needed to determine the long-term benefits for these organic amendments including soil properties,turfgrass health and comparisons of other turfgrass species.However,this research indicates that local Korean organic amendments may perform as well as imported Canadian peat sources.