Water Sources and the Growth of Lolium multiflorum (Annual Ryegrass) (Year 4)

Overview

Objectives/Goals This year I will take my previous mixture of 50% Colorado, 30% Reclaimed, 20% Aquifer and compare it to mixtures used currently by golf course superintendents. I will look for the most effective water mixture; effectivity will be determined by cost per gallon, algae inhibition, reduced fertilizer usage, and reduced aquifer consumption. Methods/Materials Materials: Aquifer Water, Reclaimed Water, Colorado River Water; Water Absorbent Beads; Lolium multiflorum seeds. Survey distributed to Golf Course Superintendents regarding water sources and practices. Seed Germination & Growth Methods: Prepare absorbent beads; add applicable water mixtures. Place 10 seeds at the bottom of each via. Record seed germination and growth. Results The most effective mixture for seed germination and grass growth was 50% Colorado, 30% Reclaimed, 20% Aquifer. 11 Golf Courses Superintendent responded to the survey. The average responses were: 43% use Aquifer water in their bodies of water, 57% use Canal water in their bodies of water. 17% do not use the same water used in ponds and lakes to irrigate their landscapes, while 83% do. The average amount of money spent annually on fertilizer is $118,000. The average amount of money spent annually on water is $84,333. Conclusions/Discussion The mixture of 50% Colorado, 30% Reclaimed, 20% Aquifer, yields better results when considering Algae inhibition and Aquifer consumption. The higher concentration of Reclaimed water discourages biological growth. Due to the filtration process, Reclaimed water makes an ideal counteractive agent to the algae growth. Additionally, the low percentage of Aquifer water reduces aquifer consumption. The high amounts of Colorado water will encourage Lolium multiflorum, a type of plant that grows with much less requirements than algae, to grow without the necessary use of fertilizer.

Competition history

• CSEF 2015 Plant Biology · Entry S1813

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

Related projects

Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.

Browse more like this

• All Plant Sciences projects
• CSEF Plant Sciences projects
• Every CSEF 2015 project