Study: Amino acids externally applied to turfgrass foliage rapidly absorbed, stable for plant metabolism

The collective findings of a study conducted by Purdue University and EnP Investments, LLC., provide evidence that amino acids exogenously applied to turfgrass foliage can be rapidly absorbed and serve as stable sources of precursor molecules to be integrated into the metabolism of the plant.

The data also suggests that intact amino acids are taken up by turfgrass foliage rather than being mineralized into other transportable forms of nitrogen.

“We’ve always said that our goal is to move the science forward in our industry,” EnP president George C. Murray said. “This is accomplished by doing research like this that helps us to better understand how we can effectuate metabolic changes in plants through an exogenous foliar application of specific amino acids.” 

According to the study, the research was carried out as a result of the trend of amino acids emerging in many foliarly-applied products marketed to golf course superintendents and sports turf managers with claims of enhanced growth, greening and increased resistance to stress. Despite the substantial sales of such products from a variety of companies in the turfgrass market, there have been limited studies on the uptake by and the fate of amino acids in turfgrass foliage.

“The research you see here is just the beginning of a long line of research on this subject,” Murray said. “This investment in new research demonstrates our dedication and our commitment to our customers and to the industry at large.”

“Exploratory Study on the Foliar Incorporation and Stability of Isotopically Labeled Amino Acids Applied to Turfgrass” was published on March 5, 2020, and is available in abstract, HTML, and PDF forms.