Minimum Level of Sustainable Nutrition

Nutritional guidelines for turf grass surfaces to maintain good turf quality, but which do not reflect conditions which can impact on the grass plant, such as disease susceptibility or carrying capacity. These provide a useful starting point for a fertiliser programme but would need to be adapted to meet the needs of each specific turf situation. It is usually referred to by its acronym of MLSN.

  Molasses

A thick black syrup sugar substance which is a by-product of the processing of sugar beet and sugar cane, which is diluted and applied to turf as a source of carbohydrates to stimulate soil microorganisms, with one aim being to improve the quality of the soil ecology.

  Molybdenum

A micronutrient, which is represented by the chemical symbol Mb. Molybdenum is involved with the process of reducing Nitrate to Nitrite within a plant, and also involved with nitrogen fixing soil bacteria, as part of the nitrogenase enzyme. Deficiency results in interveinal chlorosis. Legumes, e.g. clovers, have a high molybdenum requirement to aid fixing nitrogen, so supplementary applications might theoretically be needed where micro-clover swards are being managed, but for most turfgrass situation there is unlikely to be a need for any supplementary addition.

  Muriate of Potash

See Potassium Chloride.

  Nickel

A micronutrient, which is represented by the chemical symbol Ni. Nickel is involved with the process of cereal grain production and germination, and whilst not relevant to the maintenance aspect of turfgrasses, it is considered an essential element for higher plants.

  Nitrapyrin

A nitrification inhibitor to the bacteria nitrosomonas which reduces nitrite NO2 emissions of soil. This can be included within some fertiliser products to create a slow release nitrogen fertiliser.

  Nitro-Chalk

An inorganic fertiliser supplying between 15.5% and 28% of nitrogen, depending upon the actual composition of the fertiliser. It is a mixture of ammonium nitrate and chalk (which is technically calcium carbonate). It produces an alkaline reaction on a turf surface and overuse can encourage earthworm activity, as well as weed and annual meadow grass invasion. A common nitro-chalk fertiliser will supply 20.5% of nitrogen and is relatively quick acting.

  Nitrogen

A major plant nutrient which is represented by the chemical symbol N. It is the major element in the atmosphere at about 78% by volume; but this is unavailable to plants in this form. It is a component of many plant constituents, including amino acids, proteins, nucleic acid (DNA), the chlorophyll molecule, being involved in photosynthesis. Nitrogen forms the highest percentage of any plant nutrient (excluding carbon, hydrogen and oxygen) within a turfgrass leaf, with a typical dry matter mid-range concentration being around 3%. Nitrogen is the main nutrient that is applied to a turf s

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  Nitrogen Fixation

The process by which atmospheric nitrogen is transformed, by the action of nitrogen fixing bacteria such as Rhizobium or Azotobacter, into ammonia or other molecules. This makes the atmospheric nitrogen available to plants and other living organisms. Nitrogen fixed within this process complements nitrogen made available through the different process of nitrification.

  NPK

Letters which are commonly used to refer to the Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) content within a fertiliser. A percentage figure will be given for each nutrient to indicate how much is present within the fertiliser. Sometimes a fertiliser might also be referred to just three figures which relate to the NPK ratio; for example, 15:5:10; meaning the fertiliser contains 15% Nitrogen, 5% Phosphorus (as the oxide Phosphate though) and 10% Potassium (as the oxide Potash though). See Fertiliser Labelling as this explains the difference between the letters for the oxides and the elements which appear on a fertiliser product.