THE NEED FOR SPECIFYING TWO- OR THREE-STEP SEEDING AND FERTILIZATION PRACTICES FOR ESTABLISHING SOD ON HIGHWAYS

THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED FOR ESTABLISHING PLANT COVER QUICKLY ALONG NEWLY CONSTRUCTED HIGHWAYS. SUCH A SOD COVER SHOULD BE WELL ESTABLISHED SO AS TO REQUIRE A MINIMUM OF MAINTENANCE AFTER THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN COMPLETED. MANY MILES OF NEW SEEDLINGS ALONG HIGHWAYS TURNED OVER TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS FOR MAINTENANCE HAVE NOT DEVELOPED A WELL-ESTABLISHED TURF READY TO BE TURNED OVER TO MAINTENANCE CREWS. THE ONE-SHOT FERTILIZATION AND SEEDING PRACTICES NOW SPECIFIED OFTEN RESULT IN FAILURES BECAUSE ONE OR MORE OF THE FACTORS NECESSARY FOR GERMINATION, EMERGENCE, AND SEEDLING GROWTH IS ADVERSE. ALSO, MANY NEWLY ESTABLISHED SEEDLINGS SOON BEGIN TO DEGENERATE BECAUSE OF LOW SOIL PHOSPHOROUS AND AVAILABLE NITROGEN. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT SPECIFICATIONS BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE SEVERAL-STEP SEEDING-FERTILIZER PROCEDURES TO ASSURE BETTER STANDS AND SOD ESTABLISHMENT AND LOWER MAINTENANCE COSTS. SEVERAL-STEP SEEDING PROCEDURES, BASED ON GRASS-LEGUME SOD ESTABLISHMENT ALONG HIGHWAYS AND OBSERVATIONS OF PRESENT PRACTICES ARE RECOMMENDED. SLOWLY AVAILABLE SOURCES OF NITROGEN SUCH AS UREAFORMALDEHYDE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN INITIAL SEEDINGS TO PROVIDE AVAILABLE NITROGEN TO PROLONG PLANT GROWTH, ESPECIALLY IN ONE-STEP SEEDINGS. RESEARCH FINDINGS FOR OBTAINING EFFECTIVE GRASS STANDS ALONG HIGHWAYS ARE SUMMARIZED. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1968/246/246-004.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Roadside Development and presented at the 47th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Blaser, R E
  • Woodruff, J M
• Publication Date: 1968

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 44-49
• Monograph Title: Roadside development
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 246
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fertilization (Horticulture); Grasses; Maintenance management; Nitrogen; Planting; Plants; Roadside improvement; Specifications
• Uncontrolled Terms: Maintenance costs; Sod
• Old TRIS Terms: Establishing; Fertilization; Plant cover
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00204747
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jan 31 1994 12:00AM