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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/113699
Irrigation&Drainage | By Brian McDougal and Amy J. Fouty, CSFM To water or not to water, that is the question ODAY, WE LIVE IN A WORLD POWERED BY TECHNOLOGY. It's hard to imagine how people survived without the technology we take for granted every day. Our cell phones, computers, and laptops, what we would do without them? Even the advances in technology within the turfgrass industry have improved dramatically from just 10 years ago. Technological improvements in our equipment, genetically improved turfgrass species, chemicals, fertilizers, and improved irrigation systems. Just think what the future may hold for our industry. One piece of technology growing in popularity in the turfgrass industry is the use of T soil moisture sensors. This type of technology has caught our attention in regards to improving our Environmental Stewardship of our areas, maintenance practices, playability of our varsity athletic fields, and communication between administrators, coaches, and staff at Michigan State University. Through field testing with Toro Turf Guard wireless sensors and daily use of Spectrum Technologies' TDR (time domain reflectometry), this technology is improving the management of our irrigation applications and consistency of the playability of our fields. Our approach to using the sensors and TDR is establishing optimum moisture content in correlation to our fields playing conditions, during the varsity seasons and off seasons. Through constant monitoring over the years, specific moisture percentages have been established for each of our fields. Daily readings with the TDR tell us if we need to adjust our irrigation for an event or upcoming weather conditions. This technology takes the guess work out of the age old question of "to water or not to water"? We are able to teach students and staff to access the readings online or take field readings to assist in hand watering, irrigation set up, etc. The first year we used the TDR in Spartan Stadium we reduced our irrigation by onethird. This in turn will reduce the expense of inputs such as fertilizer, chemical applications, and labor. We also have shared this data with administrators and coaches as a tool to communicate field conditions through the four seasons and what expectations are for safety concerns and playability. In spring 2010, 175 points of data were collected with our TDR at 5-yard spacings to determine distribution uniformity of Spartan Stadiums soil moisture content. With the assistance of software provided by Spectrum Technologies, the data was used to develop a visual representation of Spartan Stadium's moisture content following irrigation. With a 1% crown, the driest part of the field is down the middle, and then increases in moisture content as you get to the edge of The first year we used the TDR in Spartan Stadium we reduced our irrigation by one-third. Continued from page 45 32 SportsTurf | March 2013 www.sportsturfonline.com