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
10 SportsTurf | September 2014 www.sportsturfonline.com Field Science There are a number of different types of equipment available that can be incorporated into an aerification program and depending on your spe- cific circumstances you might find that you need to use more than one on a regular basis. Core aerifiCation This is arguably one of the most well-known and least appreciated approaches to maintaining high qual- ity playing fields. Core aerification removes cores of soil from the profile to a depth of 4-6 inches using hollow- tines (photo 3, on page 8). There are two primary types of core-aerification: drum type and cam driven. Both come in various sizes ranging from small walk-behind units to self-propelled rider-operated units and larger trac- tor mounted units that attach to the three-point hitch. Drum-type aera- tors are less expensive and require less maintenance when compared to the cam-driven unites. However, the cam- driven units have an advantage in that they cause minimal surface disruption while achieving deeper tine penetration. The cam-driven units are also capable of much closer spacing of the holes which allows for more aggressive management of compacted soils (photo 4). Tine diameters for core aerators range from ¼ to ¾ inch in diameter. Larger tines will remove more soil and will have the largest impact on alleviating compac- tion. It is important to note that using large diameter tines on athletic fields, particularly at close spacing, is not recommended during times of active use due to the risk of reduced footing stability for the athletes. Solid-tine Cultivation Also known as pencil-tining, solid-tine cultivation is an impor- tant management tool for use during the playing season in lieu of core aerification. Using the same c am-driven equipment that is used for core-aerification, solid-tine cultivation involves the use of small diameter (1/4-inch) tines set to penetrate the soil in a very closely-spaced pattern. By using solid tines on your high-traffic areas during the season you can improve root health by temporarily reliv- ing compaction while causing minimal disruption to the surface. Solid-tine aerification is not a replacement for core aerification in your overall management program. deep-tine Cultivation This approach to compaction management uses large diameter tines (3/4-inch) that penetrate the soil to a depth of 8-1 inches. Many manufacturers design their deep-tine cultivators in such a way that they cause fracturing (shattering) of compacted layers in the soil profile upon entry/exit of the tines. This is a great tool to use two or three times a year on fields receiving extensive use. SliCing/Spiking This process involves the use of narrow elongated blades mounted to a drum and rolled across the surface of the field (photo 5). This causes minimal damage to the surface, stimu- lates plant growth and improves gas exchange with the rootzone. While this will not improve soil compaction it is a very impor- (Photo 4) Surface view of field following core-aerification. Note the holes where soil cores have been brought to the surface to alleviate soil compaction. (Photo 5) Slicer mounted to the front of a utility vehicle.