FieldScience
10 years later:
Q&A with Vanini and Sorochan on
using crumb rubber on natural turf
TEN YEARS after we published an article on their research into using crumb rubber
on natural turf fields, and nearly 20 years after their original research at Michigan State,
SportsTurf spoke with J. Tim Vanini, PhD, founder and president of New Dimensions
Turfgrass, and Dr. John Sorochan, associate professor turfgrass science, University of
Tennessee, regarding their current thoughts on the practice.
SportsTurf: Under what circumstances would you advise
turf managers to try using
crumb rubber on natural grass?
Vanini: You want to use
crumb rubber in high traffic situations. You can make the case
for a whole field application because for example soccer field
complexes where they move
around are used length-wise and
width-wise. We have observed a
benefit to the plant through the
use of less water as the crumb
rubber serves as a "mulch" at the
surface to help retain water.
16 SportsTurf | June 2013
Sorochan: Native soil athletic fields often drain poorly
because they are high silt and
clay, so when it rains you can
tear up the field. Like adding 2
inches of sand on top of a field
will help drain excess moisture,
as Alex Kowalewski's studies
showed, adding ½ to ¾ inch
of crumb rubber helps take
away moisture from a field's surface. Even ¼ inch can help.
Vanini: Last year I partnered
with Liberty Tire on a program
that gave several schools 1 ton
of crumb rubber to work with;
we learned that, for cool-season
turf at least, the crumb rubber
depth had to be a minimum of
25% of the mowing height to
protect the crown tissue of the
plants. And it's important you
have 100% turf coverage on a
field before using crumb rubber—it won't resurrect your
grass on a cool-season field.
When budgets are getting
less, consider that crumb rubber
use can stabilize your field's surface and make it not too hard or
too soft, i.e., more consistent
playing surface, improved traction,etc.
ST: How expensive is using
crumb rubber and where do you
buy it?
Vanini: Right now the cost is
approximately $.25 a pound.
But the cost of freight plays a
role in the overall cost; it depends from where the product is
When budgets are getting less,
consider that crumb rubber use can stabilize your field's
surface and make it not too hard or too soft.
www.sportsturfonline.com
