Microbial Biostimulants For Heat Stressed Bentgrass

Golf course turf looks effortless until summer heat hits and then the science shows up fast. We sit down with Chiara Ammaturo to unpack what happens when creeping bentgrass faces heat stress and why “just add a product” is never the full story.

We walk through her ASHS published research on microbial inoculants and biostimulants, including a fungal treatment, a bacterial treatment, and a combined approach. Along the way we talk turfgrass quality, pigment content, and soil health metrics like respiration, moisture, and enzymes, because the real action is often below the surface in the rhizosphere. Chiara also shares an important research lesson: when greenhouse results were not significant, the team investigated root tissues and found the endophytes were not colonizing as expected. That kind of honest troubleshooting is exactly how horticulture research moves forward.

Then things get even more practical. A seed coating approach shows a meaningful improvement in germination under high temperature conditions, and Chiara explains how formulation details like powder particle size and adhesion can influence outcomes, especially with tiny bentgrass seeds. We also zoom out to sustainability in agriculture as more than chemistry reduction, tying it to people, ethics, and long term resilience.

Chiara’s story spans Italy, a dual degree master’s at the University of Padova and the University of Georgia, and a new PhD chapter in Spain, with plenty of candid advice for anyone considering an international graduate program. If you enjoy conversations about climate change, turfgrass management, soil microbiome science, and sustainable agriculture careers, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Read the published reserach here: Evaluating the Use of Microbial Inoculants in Ameliorating Heat Stress in Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera)

https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/60/12/article-p2346.xml?isSearch=true

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On LinkedIn find Sam Humphrey at linkedin.com/in/samson-humphrey. Curt Rom is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curt-rom-611085134/. Lena Wilson is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wilson-2531a5141/.

Thank you for listening!

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