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/43432
fine-textured soils will exhibit: more rapid accumulation of total soluble salt; much less susceptibility to soil structure deterioration by sodium; and are much easier to leach salts. Sand provide greater friction, especially when wet, than a heavier soil; however, fine- textured soils provide more root stability against divoting or tearing. A mat layer of 0.25 to 0.50 inch on a sand field will aid root stability. Careful selection of the sand used for construction and topdressing is im- portant so as not to use a well-rounded sand shape, especially if the particle size range in narrow, since the sand may not stabilize; thereby, resulting in susceptible to divoting and tearing. Whether a sand or fine-textured field, accumulation of excessive surface or- ganic matter should be avoided to minimize divot, tear, and slippage actions—and on a sand field may enhance development of hy- drophobic areas. Any soil factor that leads to excessive soil moisture at the surface will increase wear in- jury and divoting. Common situations fos- tering excessive surface moisture are: a) low inherent water infiltration and percolation rates typical of many fine-textured soil types; b) compacted soil surface; c) poor surface drainage where water collects in depressions within field areas; d) any subsurface layer that impedes water drainage. These condi- tions are primarily on fine-textured soils and remediation practices include combinations of good surface and subsurface cultivation programs, surface drainage by proper con- touring, tile drainage, sand-slitting, and sand-capping directly or over time by top- dressing with sand. Topdressing is important on both sand and fine-textured sports fields to enhance wear tolerance. On sand fields, topdressing can control the nature of the surface organic matter by producing a good mat that inte- grates into the underlying soil and is a good rooting media. For fine-textured soils, espe- cially those prone to soil compaction and with poor drainage, topdressing is essential to build up a surface high-sand layer (ideally of > 3.0 inch) so that the surface does not com- pact nor easily waterlog. Heavy topdressing should be avoided during high use periods since it leaves considerable sand around the upper crown and stem tissues which, com- bined with the brushing and drag-matting needed for integration causes considerable abrasive wear. Fewer problems are apparent with lighter, more frequent dressings. A key distinction of recreational turf- grasses compared to other turf sites is the traffic stresses on these living entities. Wear stress can be in various forms from abra- sion, scuffing, tearing, pressure, and divot- ing depending on nature of the traffic. There is no silver bullet in management of wear stress, rather success depends on using a holistic, BMP approach that includes traf- fic control measures, fostering plant condi- tions to maximize wear tolerance and recovery, and addressing any soil factors that impact the degree of wear stress. Suc- cessful maintenance of traffic stresses (wear and soil compaction) ultimately impact the athlete's performance and safety via footing, traction, and stability. Dr. Robert N. Carrow is with the Crop & Soil Sciences Department, University of Geor- gia/Griffin Campus. ■ www.stma.org SportsTurf 15