Effect of hydrogel on the turf grass species
growing under drought stress
Anna Hadam
As the supply of urban lawn grass‘ irrigation is expensive and laborious it is important to find other methods which are effective
against the water deficiency. The aim of the study was therefore the assessment of hydrogels‘ influence on the the most common
grass species (Festuca rubra, Festuca ovina, Lollium perenne) which were cultivated under controlled drought stress. Results
indicated that this watersorbent increased the germination, growth and dry matter content of tested species. It was therefore
concluded that using hydrogels on grasslands seems to be reasonable in accordance to the water deficiency problems.
Key words: watersorbent, drought, Festuca rubra, Festuca ovina, Lollium perenne.
Introduction
Lawn grasses are the most common green areas near the
road sides which play an important role in landfill
landscaping and shaping the microclimate conditions.
Unfortuantely many stresses, espesially drought, decrease
their growth and condition what causes that some special
cultivation is needed. As traditional irrigation is expensive
and laborious other methods, effective against the water
deficiency, have to be found. One of the solution may
be using the watersorbents, called hydrogels.
Since these substances are able to absorb the huge
amount of water, they increase the watercapicity of soil,
decrease evapotransporation and allow to mitigate the
drought stress.
The aim of the study was the preliminary assessment
of grassess‘ germination, growth and dry matter content
under drought stress conditions with and without
hydrogel’s additive. Conducted experiment was part of the
longterm studies assessing effectiveness of hydrogels under
several stressess, common in the near roads areas.
Materials and methods
The study was conducted in a greenhouse of the Warsaw
University of the Life Science, from June to October
2009.
Three grass species: Festuca rubra, Festuca ovina and
Lollium perenne were grown in pots (12 cm diameter)
containing sand, peat and garden mould (in proportion
1:1:1). To half of the pots the Hydrogel „BASF“ was
added, in the amount required by the manufacturer
(2g /L of soil).
Number of seeds planted per pot dependend on the:
seedling emergence and seedling purity of each grass
species [1]. There were at least 72 pots, with 24 pots
assigned to each species.
At the begining of the study all seedlings were fully
watered. Only after 5 days the plants were subjected to
the three levels of the water regime, differing in the
frequence of watering (per 2, 7 and 14 days), but the
amount of water was everywhere the same (75 mL/ pot).
Each regime was replicated three times.
During experiment grass were mowing once a week
to 5 cm lenght.
The temperature and air humidity in the greenhouse
were measured everyday by the termohygrometer EPI
8703.
Effectiveness of hydrogel was assessed on the basis of
the grass species reactions such as: germination index,
turfs height and dry matter content.
Results of three replications were subjected to
Duncan‘s test for the analysis of variance (ANOVA) with
statistical significance set at p = 0.05.
Natural Sciences
Department of Environmental Protection, University of the Life Science in Warsaw,
0-608-072-333, e-mail: [email protected]
3
Anna Hadam
Results and disscussion
It is commonly known that drought can decrease the
germintaion of seedlings [2–4]. Mangol and Sheley [5]
reported however, that additive of hydrogel increases the
seedlings emergence of wheatgrass, similar results were
given also for lettuce, trifolium and reygrass [6].
Results, presented in this paper, indicated that,
influence of hydrogel on germination index was depended
on the tested species.
The best germination of Festuca rubra was observed in
pots with hydrogel watered optimally (per 2 days), but
with increasing of the drought period, number of ger-
minated seeds decreased (Fig. 1). Nevertheless even during
7-days water deficiency, number of germinated seeds in
pots with hydrogel was still significant greater than in pots
without hydrogel. Only with 14-days drought, germination
of Festuca rubra did not dependent on hydrogels’ additive
— number of seeds germinated in pots with hydrogel
were comparable with those in a control pots.
Seeds of Festuca ovina germinated independently on
a hydrogel presence. In both pots with and without
hydrogel number of germinated seeds significantly
decreased with duration of the drought stress (Fig. 2).
Hydrogel increased however the germination of Lollium
perenne. Only when watering was optimal (per 2-days)
number of seedlings in pots with hydrogel were comparable
with a control, but under drought stress (7-days and 14days period) germination index in pots with hydrogel was
significantly greater than in control (Fig. 3).
Above differences in results between each species may
be associated with their genetic responce to avoid drought
Figs. 1–3. Influence of hydrogel on germination of Festuca
rubra, Festuca ovina and Lollium perenne.
Figs. 4–6. Influence of hydrogel on early growth of Festuca
rubra, Festuca ovina and Lollium perenne.
Culture conditions
During all experiment the temperature was maintained
between 24.9 and 29.0°C, while the air humidity was
ranged from 32.5 to 45.0%.
Effect on germination
4
Effect of hydrogel on the turf grass species growing under drought stress
[7, 8], Festuca rubra especially and Lollium perenne are
known as the most resistance turf grasses in acccordance
to the water deficiency [9].
Effect on the turfs hight
Effect on the dry matter content
In compare to the control, hydrogel significantly
increased the dry matter content of: all species watered
Natural Sciences
A number of reports on plants’ reaction on the drought
stress show, that there are several common responces in
their early growth [10–12]. One of the first of them is
the decreasing of the shoot lenght [13], but hydrogel is
known to inhibit this decreasing [14].
Nevertheless in the early stage (26th of June) hydrogel
influenced on Festuca rubra only (Fig. 4). Until 7-days
drought was conducted seedlings of this species cultivated
with hydrogel were significantly higher than in a control
pots even those watered per 2 days. Only 14-days water
deficiency significantly decreased growth of F. rubra in
all pots — with and without hydrogel. It can be therefore
seen that not only hydrogel additive but also species
influenced again on the drought stress reaction.
Hydrogel did not affected the early growth of Festuca
ovina and Lollium perenne. Turfs height of these species
decreased with the period of a drought stress, as well in
control pots as in pots with the hydrogel (Figs. 5 and 6).
It was however observed that, the longer experiment
was conducted, the influence of hydrogel on grasses was
getting stronger (Figs. 7–9.). Despite there was no
significant difference in case of pots watered optimally,
during 7-days drought hydrogel increased growth of all
species. It was also observed that in compare with
a control pots F. rubra seedlings growed also better with
hydrogel during 14-days stress.
At the end of the study (1st of October) hydrogel
increased turfs height of all species and in all water
conditions (Figs. 10–12).
Figs. 7–9. Influence of hydrogel on growth of Festuca rubra,
Festuca ovina and Lollium perenne.
Figs. 10–12. Influence of hydrogel on growth of Festuca
rubra, Festuca ovina and Lollium perenne.
5
Anna Hadam
optimally or exposed to 7-days drought (Figs. 13–15)
and F. rubra during 14-days drought period. Similar
results were reported in the studies on hydrogel and turf
grassess conducted by Breś [15], who suggested that this
phenomena can be associated with the nutirent
ingriedients in hydrogels.
would be therefore useful to study also the varieties of
each species.
It can be preliminary concluded that using hydrogels
on grasslands seems to be reasonable in accordance to
the water deficiency problems. Nevertheless to confirm
it’s real effectiveness also the field study are needed.
References
Figs. 13–15. Influence of hydrogel on dry matter of Festuca
rubra, Festuca ovina and Lollium perenne.
Conclusions
Hydrogel „BASF“ influenced postively on germination,
growth and dry matter content of tested grass species
cultivated under controlled drought stress. It should be
however pointed, that during short period of water
deficiency (until 7-days) it’s effectivness was better than
during 14-days stress.
Longer — term studies (conducted for several weeks)
seems to be better in evaluation of hydrogels‘ effectiveness
under drought conditions than only a monthly study.
Despite effectivenes of hydrogel, difference between
grass species (genetic ability) were also significant in
resistance to the drought stress. In further studies it
6
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