Biosolid
An organic material fertiliser that has been produced from treated and recovered sewage. It is typically applied as a granule or pellet, especially as part of soil preparation for seeding or turfing.
Blended Fertiliser
A fertiliser created by the dry mixing of several fertilisers; with no chemical reaction such as would occur within a manufactured compound. More commonly this is referred to as a mixture.
Boron
An essential micronutrient, which is represented by the chemical symbol B. Boron is involved with the overall health and functioning of a plant, including cell division and being a component of cell walls, thereby aiding plant structure, although it isn’t a component of enzymes. It also aids seed development.
Boron deficiency has been identified as reducing leaf expansion and cell division (for both roots and shoots) thereby inhibiting growth. It can produce a wilted or distorted appearance to a leaf and it might also contribute to the disruption of cell wall structure. A visual symptom of
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Calcium
An essential major plant nutrient, which is represented by the chemical symbol Ca. It typically forms the third 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 1%.
There is usually an adequate amount of calcium within most soils, although very acidic soils make calcium relatively unavailable to a plant. Calcium is a major constituent of cell walls, in particular the middle lamella, and is involved with regulation of solute concentration in cells (osmoregulation), cell div
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Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN)
This is a mixture of ammonium nitrate and calcium carbonate, or magnesium carbonate where magnesium is also required within the fertiliser product. A CAN fertiliser typically has a content of from 21%-27% nitrogen and 8% calcium.
Calcium Nitrate
An inorganic source of nitrogen, which produces a soft, weed and disease prone surface. It contains 15.5% nitrogen and 19% Calcium.
Chelate
A compound material made from an inorganic nutrient, especially a metal such as iron, which is enclosed by a synthetic material such as EDTA (Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid). The application of micro-nutrients in the form of chelates prevents these metals from otherwise being locked up at high (alkaline) pH, which would normally occur if just applied in their elemental form.
Chlorine
A micronutrient, which is represented by the chemical symbol Cl. It typically forms the highest percentage of the micro-nutrients within a turfgrass leaf, especially within a vacuole, with a typical dry matter mid-range concentration being around 0.01%.
Chlorine is involved with ensuring a plant is adequately turgid, is involved water regulation via stomatal opening and closing, as well as root uptake via osmosis, and helps to balance internal solute pH. It is also involved in the light-dependent stage of photosynthesis (PSII, Photosystem II).
A lack of the element contributes to the wi
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Coated Fertiliser
A fertiliser granule which has had a coating applied which aims to control the solubility of the fertiliser. The breakdown of the coating might be influenced by moisture, temperature, soil acidity or soil microbial activity.
Cobalt
This is classed as a micro-nutrient in the Fertilisers Regulations 1991, although this is actually only a requirement for legume crops and therefore of little interest to turfcare.