Creeping bentgrass is an important cool-season turfgrass species widely used for golf course putting greens, however it experiences summer stress and quality decline in the U.S. transition zone and other regions with similar climates. Silicon (Si) may improve abiotic stress of creeping bentgrass, but mechanism of its impact on plant drought and heat tolerance has not well understood. The objectives of this study were to investigate physiological mechanism of Si on tolerance to drought and heat stress in creeping bentgrass under growth chamber and field conditions. The five treatments from two Si products (Potassium silicate at 0.95 and 1.91 mL m-2, and Ortho-Si at 0.16 and 0.32 mL m-2) were applied biweekly to creeping bentgrass, and treated grass was subjected to heat and drought stress for 56 days and also the treatments were applied to creeping bentgrass putting green in the field conditions. Turfgrass quality, physiological parameters and root growth characteristics were evaluated biweekly. Deficit irrigation was applied to induce drought stress in June and July in the field plots. Foliar application of the Si products improved turf quality, photochemical efficiency, leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid content, antioxidant enzyme activity and endogenous Si content. The Si treatments at the high rates also improved root biomass, length, surface area, volume, and root viability when compared to the control. The results from the field study confirmed the findings in the growth chamber study. The exogenous Si may improve drought and heat tolerance by enhancing root growth and viability, Si uptake by roots, and up-regulation of antioxidant activity, protecting photosynthetic function. The results of this study suggest that foliar application of Si products may be considered as an effective approach to improve turf quality and physiological fitness of creeping bentgrass during the summer months in the U.S. transition zone and other regions with similar climate.
