SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/369217
www.stma.org September 2014 | SportsTurf 11 tant tool for improving plant health and should be used as often as possible. Deep Drilling/Drill-anD-fill Deep drill and drill-and-fill machines use a series of drill bits arranged in a grid to penetrate the soil to a depth of 10-12 inches. In many cases, this equipment allows turf managers to penetrate compacted layers that might exist deeper in the profile to improve subsurface drainage. Drill-and-fill machines have the added benefit of allowing turfgrass managers the option of filling the holes back with a soil amendment of their choice. In poorly drained soils and soils that with abrupt changes in soil texture within the profile it is common to fill the holes back with a coarse sand to improve infiltration rates. The primary disadvantage of these systems, if it is to be considered one, is that they are very slow taking 12 or more hours to cover an acre. HigH pressure water injection These systems use high-pressure water that is directed through small-diameter nozzles in short bursts as the unit travels across the field. These short bursts of water can penetrate the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches depending on soil conditions. In at least one case, the equipment is designed to facilitate back-filling the holes with sand or other soil amendments. The primary benefit of high-pressure water injection systems is that they cause (almost) no visible dam- age to the playing surface and can be used all season long while the fields are active. Regardless of which piece of equipment you plan to use, it is a good idea to make sure that the field is not too wet or dry before implementing your cultivation practices. Irrigate the field 12 to 24 hours before you plan to begin your work to ensure adequate soil moisture for proper penetration by the cultivation equipment while minimizing the risk of additional compaction developing as a result of your efforts. No one piece of equipment will address each and every soil management issue that you might come across while managing your fields. It is my opinion that at a bare minimum, you should have ready access to a slicer and cam-driven core-aerator complete with sets of both hollow core and solid tines to use regularly for managing soil compaction on your fields. ■ Dr. Jason Kruse is an associate professor of turfgrass science in the Environmental Horticulture department at the University of Florida and serves as Undergraduate Coordinator for the Plant Science degree program.