ISHS Acta Horticulturae 783: II International Conference on Turfgrass Science and Management for Sports Fields
EVALUATION OF SAND-SOIL-COMPOST ROOT ZONES DEVELOPED FOR ATHLETIC FIELDS |
| Authors: | C.C. Follis, S.H. Anderson, B.S. Fresenburg, E.H. Ervin |
| Keywords: | infiltration, playability, shock attenuation, surface hardness, surface traction, turfgrass quality |
| Abstract:
Athletic fields for sports such as USA football and soccer need to provide quality turfgrass to maximize playing conditions and provide a safe surface. An experiment was conducted to compare playability for a range of root zone treatments. Root zone treatments included a range of sand-soil mixes (0, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 100% soil by volume), a sand-soil-compost mix (20% soil, 5% compost), and sand-organic matter mixes (10% peat; 15% compost). Traction, assessed with a shear unit, and shock attenuation (playability or surface hardness) were within expected ranges for most treatments. Infiltration rates were higher for the 90% sand-10% peat and 100% sand treatments (26.7 cm/hr average) compared to the other treatments; however, the sand-soil (10%) treatment was similar (20.7 cm/hr average) and only about 22% lower. Recommendations from this study suggest that appropriate playability of athletic fields can occur with sand-soil mixes. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
