Utilizing Iron In Turfgrass Management

D r. George Wallace a researcher from UCLA, writing in HortScience called the 1980s the decade for advancement in our knowledge of iron (Fe) and plant nutrition. He states: "More progress was perhaps made in the 1980s on understanding and management of Fe chlorosis in plants than during the previous 150 years since it became known that Fe deficiency was involved in the chlorosis." Iron is used in a broad range of applications by turfgrass managers including treating iron deficiencies and using it to enhance color. Although much of the research to which Dr. Wallace was referring was conducted on species other than turfgrasses, his statement emphasizes the importance of understanding soil-plantiron relationships. His conclusion was based on the significant advances that scientists made during this time in understanding iron uptake mechanisms and how iron deficiences influence plants. The purpose of this article is to review some of the basic information on iron, look at one of the discoveries made during the 1980s, and present some of the published research studies that have been conducted with iron on turfgrasses. Additional information on the use of iron can be found in popular magazines and in the proceedings of turfgrass conferences. Iron is one of the 16 elements required for plant growth. It is classified as a micronutrient, which means that it is needed in a relatively small amount by the plant. Iron functions in various physiological roles. For instance, it is a component of proteins and enzymes involved in respiration, nitrogen metabolism and in the synthesis of chlorophyll, even though it is not a part of the chlorophyll molecule. Yust (1982) and Harivandi (1987) have