Agrium Advanced Technologies announced the agronomic results of the Spread it & Forget it “School Year” program, a turf fertility program designed to offer schools green, healthy grass throughout the entire school year with just one fall fertilizer application.
“Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Maryland and the University of Tennessee found that just one application of Spread it & Forget it controlled-release fertilizer delivered equivalent or superior turf response compared to a more traditional fertilization program,” said Dr. Eric Miltner, Turf Agronomist, Agrium Advanced Technologies. “The data returned consistently demonstrated that over both a six- and nine-month period, or the length of a typical school year, Spread it & Forget it outperformed multiple applications of conventional fertilizers.”
Spread it & Forget it and polymer-coated, sulfur-coated urea (PCSCU)/urea blends were applied to appropriate regional turf species in each location during fall months (September-November). The study used a single application of Spread it & Forget it and four applications of the fertilizer blend.
Spread it & Forget it applications in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest and Mid-Atlantic regions yielded superior visual quality during spring green-up compared to the traditional program and unfertilized turf. In Knoxville, Tenn. – one of the more challenging places to maintain high-quality turfgrass due to varying weather patterns – provided superior color in the fall, winter and spring.
The research results demonstrate the value of the Spread it & Forget it School Year program that will allow elementary, middle and high schools, as well as post-secondary institutions, to achieve superior color and quality. With one application, Spread it & Forget it will provide economic, environmental and efficiency benefits to schools using the program, helping them maintain their turf, reducing the number of applications and service calls, while saving on materials and fuel.
“The Spread it & Forget it School Year program will allow schools to move from multiple fertilizer applications per season to just one,” said Miltner. “The advanced proprietary coating on Spread it & Forget it gradually meters nutrients directly to the turf, cutting the amount of nitrogen used, and it will help maintain a healthy, dense turf in high-traffic areas and sports fields where the kids play every day.”