Blog – Sports Turf Consultant | Independent turf agronomist

In reality the use of salicylic acid for plants has several benefits. In 1933, salicylic acid (SA) was first proposed to develop acquired immunity after disease infection. However, most of our knowledge about plant immune signalling has mainly been recent after it was found that salicylic acid (SA) is defence signal derived from within the plant. So what is this novel plant biostimulant?

SA show that it affects several plant processes.

Abiotic stresses: SA impacts on several abiotic stresses including cold tolerance, temperature extremes, drought tolerance, tolerance to UV radiation, and soil salinity tolerance. It also
Induces resistance to disease stress.

Foliar applications of SA affect several aspects of plant growth and development¹ ² ³.

For instance, it affects:

The germinaton of seeds;
The growth of plants;
Root development;
Photosynthesis;
Plant respiration and
the Krebs cycle.

Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR)

Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) is a long-lasting and broad-spectrum defence mechanism that occurs when a pathogen infects turfgrass. Consequently, after infection, the pathogen triggers the salicylic acid pathway. Next, This induces defence response genes in the plant and then results in PR protein production.

Above all, salicylic acid plays a beneficial role in turfgrass management as it is a plant hormone that helps regulate various physiological processes in plants, including turfgrass.

Here are a few key roles of salicylic acid in turfgrass:

Disease resistance using salicylic acid for plants:

In short, this occurs as a result of salicylic acid boosting the plant’s immune system. It enhances the plant’s resistance to several diseases, in particular fungi or bacteria. It activates defence mechanisms within the plant, making it less susceptible to infections. For example, foliar applications of salicylic acid cause systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants, and provide protection against various biotic stresses.⁴

Fungal diseases:

Salicylic acid enhances turfgrass resistance against turfgrass diseases such as dollar spot (caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) and brown patch (caused by Rhizoctonia solani). It activates defence responses within the plant, including the production of antimicrobial compounds and reinforcement of cell walls, consequently, making it more difficult for fungi to infect the turfgrass.

In fact, It has been shown to be effective against grey leaf spot on turf type perennial ryegrass, giving a significant decrease in disease⁵.

Bacterial diseases:

Salicylic acid also helps turfgrass combat bacterial diseases like bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) and bacterial leaf blight (Xanthomonas spp.). A series of growth chamber studies pre-treating plants with SA reduces disease symptoms of bacterial wilt in both creeping bentgrass ‘Penn-A4’ and ‘Tyee’.

SA application reduced disease in both cultivars under both optimal and high temperature treatments. Moreover, at both 23 °C and 35 °C, disease severity in plants with SA was less than in control plants.⁶

To sum up, it achieves this by stimulating the plant’s immune system to produce defence-related proteins, enzymes, and chemicals that can inhibit bacterial growth and limit disease progression.

Viral diseases:

While salicylic acid doesn’t directly target viruses, it can indirectly enhance turfgrass resistance to them. By activating systemic acquired resistance (SAR), salicylic acid helps the plant produce antiviral proteins that hinder the spread and replication of viruses.

Nematode resistance using salicylic acid for plants:

Salicylic acid increases turfgrass resistance against nematode infestations. Nematodes are microscopic worms that can damage turfgrass roots, leading to stunted growth and decline. Salicylic acid induces defence mechanisms in the plant, such as the release of nematode-repellent chemicals, which deter nematode feeding⁷ ⁸

Insect effects

Research has even shown it repels certain insects such as thrips⁹, caterpillars¹⁰, and indirect effects on mite mortality¹¹.¹²

Stress tolerance using salicylic acid for plants:

Turfgrass often faces environmental stressors, such as drought, heat, or cold. Salicylic acid helps the plant cope with these stresses by regulating various stress-responsive genes and biochemical pathways. It improves the resilience of turfgrass, therefore allowing it to withstand adverse conditions more effectively.

Growth regulation:

Salicylic acid influences the growth and development of turfgrass. It promotes root growth, leading to a healthier and more robust root system. Additionally, it can regulate shoot growth, helping to maintain a balanced growth pattern and overall turf quality.

Photosynthesis and chlorophyll production:

Finally, salicylic acid also enhances photosynthesis, which is crucial for the production of energy and the maintenance of turfgrass health. It can increase chlorophyll content, leading to greener and more vibrant turf.

The role of salicylic acid content by certain abiotic and biotic factors¹³ (credits: Rossi et al. 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.05.004).

Salicylic acid on plants – cool season turf

Cool-season turf is highly susceptible to temperature extremes and as a result, this can have major impacts on growth. Significantly, research shows that salicylic acid increases heat tolerance on both kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, and increases turfgrass quality.¹⁴

In a 2019 growth chamber study¹⁵, salicylic acid at 3.5g/L mM, 7g/L, and 1.4g/L plus pigment improved the colour of creeping bentgrass under heat and mild drought stress at 42 and 56 d after initial treatment.

The results suggest that salicylic acid and pigment block UV-B radiation and protect plant photosynthetic function from UV-B injury
The results indicated a synergy between SA and the pigment for turf quality improvement under heat and mild drought stress conditions.

Vertmax Duo: A premium turf colourant containing salicylic acid

Why Vertmax Duo?

Vertmax Duo turf pigment is the only product on the market containing 200g/L of salicylic acid. This means that one application gives an immediate colour response together with all the potential benefits listed above. It is also the only product on the market that contains adjuvants and stickers to help longevity and uptake.

Increases in disease resistance;
Increased in tolerance to stresses like heat and drought;
non staining if used as per label;
Increases in root growth;
Extensively researched over two years before market launch and
Higher quality playing surfaces.

In summary, given these points, please feel free to check out more information on Vertmax Duo or contact us directly. To put it another way, why prevent your playing surface from being at its best?

Vertmax Duo label

Vertmax Duo presentation

References

1Hayat Q, Hayat S, Irfan M, Ahmad A. Effect of exogenous salicylic acid under changing environment: A review. Environ Exp Bot. 2009;68:14–25. doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2009.08.005.
2Khan MIR, Fatma M, Per TS, Anjum NA, Khan NA (2015) Salicylic acid-induced abiotic stress tolerance and underlying mechanisms in plants. Front Plant Sci 6:462.
3Malamy, J., Hennig, J., and Klessig, D. F. (1992). Temperature-dependent induction of salicylic acid and its conjugates during the resistance response to tobacco mosaic virus infection. Plant Cell 4, 359. doi: 10.1105/tpc.4.3.359
4Yang Y, Shah J, Klessig DF. 1997. Signal perception and transduction in plant defence responses. Genes ant1 Develop 11:1621-39.
5Rahman A, Kuldau GA, Uddin W. Induction of salicylic acid-mediated defence response in perennial ryegrass against infection by Magnaporthe oryzae. Phytopathology. 2014 Jun;104(6):614-23.
6Sha Liu, Joseph Vargas, Emily Merewitz, Jasmonic and salicylic acid effects on bacterial etiolation and decline disease of creeping bentgrass, Crop Protection Volume 109, July 2018, Pages 9-16
7Molinari S, Salicylic acid as an elicitor of resistance to root-knot nematodes in Tomato, ISHS Acta Horticulturae 789: XV Meeting of the EUCARPIA Tomato Working Group
8El-Sherif, A.G.;* Gad, S. B.; **Khalil, A.M. & ***Mohamedy, Rabab H.E. 2015. Impact of Four Organic Acids on Meloidogyne Incognita Infecting Tomato Plants under Greenhouse Conditions, Global Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Health Sciences, Vol.4(2):94-100
9O. Ozinger, Effects of methy salicylate, methyl jasmonate and Cis-Jasmone on thrips Tabaci Lindeman, 2012,University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna Division of Plant Protection
10Iversonlo A, Inverson L, and Eshita S, The Effects of Surface-Applied Jasmonic and Salicylic Acids on Caterpillar Growth and Damage to Tomato Plants, OHIO J SCI 101 (5):S)O-94, 2001
11Homayoonzadeh M, Moeini P, Khalil Talebi K, Allahyari H,Torabi E, Michaud JP, Physiological responses of plants and mites to salicylic acid improve the efficacy of spirodiclofen for controlling Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) on greenhouse tomatoes, Exp Appl Acarol. 2020 Nov;82(3):319-333
12Vilela de Resende JT, Rafael Matos R, Zeffa DM, Constantino LV, Alves SM, Ventura MU, Resende NCV, Youssef K, Relationship between salicylic acid and resistance to mite in strawberry, Folia Hort. 33(1) (2021): 107–119
13Rossi CAM 1, Marchetta EJR, Kim JH, Castroverde CDM, Molecular regulation of the salicylic acid hormone pathway in plants under changing environmental conditions, Trends in Biochemical Sciences, Volume 48, Issue 8, August 2023, Pages 699-712
14Larkindale, J, and Huang, B. (2004). Thermotolerance and antioxidant systems in Agrostis stolonifera: involvement of salicylic acid, abscisic acid, calcium, hydrogen peroxide, and ethylene. J. Plant Physiol. 161, 405–413.
15Zhang X and Goatley M, Evaluating the effects of salicylic acid and pigment sources, 2019 https://issuu.com/leadingedgepubs/docs/va-turfgrass-2019-jan-feb/s/10135194

I love off the cuff marketing statements such as “the turf management
practice that does most damage to soil microbes, is synthetic fertilisation”.

When it’s taken into account that statements such as these are often made by companies that are promoting their own range of biologically enhanced fertilisers in direct competition to these “bad boys” one does tend to be a touch cynical. These same companies also conveniently fail to mention the
impact of fungicides that they supply on soil microbial populations. But why let that get in the way of a good story!

A USGA spec golf green for example, is not a natural environment and in reality it can be best described as a hydroponic medium which supports turfgrass roots. The key aim, of growing grass whilst maintaining a freely
draining rooting medium and a firm surface, hardly mimics the requirements of for example a cereal farmer.

As a result of this, it’s a fair call to say that the demands on a sports surface differ significantly. The requirements for pesticides and other inputs can vary dramatically compared to a production system. Whilst a
farmer might use manure on a paddock this approach isn’t generally recommended on a golf green and how many farmers spray weekly as part of a management program?

If you are intending to go down the pathway of reducing synthetic inputs it can only be an all or nothing approach. You can’t simply stop using synthetic fertilisers and switch to biological inputs and expect the same results if you carry on with your usual practices such as fungicide applications.

There’s a good chance that any fungicide applied will kill the microbial “goodies” such as VAM or trichoderma you are trying to encourage. Sort of defeats the purpose really.

There appears to have been very little work done on using biological products in intensively managed turf situations, with the majority of trial work tends to have been carried out in isolation of other inputs which is hardly a realistic scenario. Factors such as irrigation regime, pesticide inputs and even wear are seldom taken into consideration, when in reality we all know these can play a dramatic role on how a surface performs.

With the drive to reduce inputs many golf course superintendents are for example using annual N levels of less than 1kg/100m2 already which hardly constitutes massive amounts of fertiliser in anyones book.

In the case of pesticide use, fungicides dominate. For example triazole fungicides including propiconazole, tebuconazole, tetraconazole, triadimenol, triadimefon, and triticonazole show toxicity to a wide range of
non target organisms. I would be intrigued to know how many turf managers go down the biological route but continue to use these as they are cheap with no thought to their impacts on the biologicals they are trying to promote?

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Salicylic acid for plants.