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/45791
ST: What were your growing issues before using the system? Shemesh: Before we started using the system we had multiple shade re- lated problems, we still do now but they have decreased significantly. On the first day of spring and fall the best part of our field sees between 3.5 and 4 hours of natural light on a sunny day. The en- tire south end 18 yd box including the top arc is in complete shadow all day. On the first day of summer the best part of the field receives about 5.5 to 6 hours of natural light. There is still an area in the south 6 yd goalie box in complete shadow. On the first day of winter more than half of the field is in complete darkness. So as you can imagine we experience limited rooting, slow growth, cooler soil temperatures, excessive wetness and in- creased disease potential. In 2009 we did a full midseason resod at the end of July and another resod of the south 18 yard box before playoffs because of the poor turf quality. ST: How much work is involved in setting up and using the system? Shemesh: There is some work in- volved with setting up the grow light system. We own 3 large rigs which takes two people about one hour to get in place and turn on. The greater the dis- tance becomes between the lights and power source means more cabling and setup time. The lights require close monitoring along with the area of treat- ment. The lights generate some heat which can cause ET rates to go up. We also keep track of the amount of natural PAR light our field gets and turn off the lights during the day if the treatment area receives adequate sunlight. ST: How has system performed? Shemesh: The system had per- formed very well and we are still learn- ing how to utilize the lights for the maximum benefit of the field. We have not exchanged any sod so far this year and do not plan on doing so. The south end of our field which has received the most hours of artificial lighting has the highest turf density compared to other parts. ■ About the manufacturer of SGL THE SGL CONCEPT is for growing grass under any condi- tion in any stadium, even during winter, by controlling all growth factors such as light, temperature, CO2, water, air and nourishment. The use of assimilation lighting is an im- portant factor in SGL Concept. The idea for the SGL Concept came from Nico van Vu- uren. As a successful grower of roses van Vuuren has lots of experience with growing plants. Following a theoretical investigation to see what were the possibilities to opti- mize grass growth van Vuuren wondered why companies didn't put time into assimilation lighting tests. During the months with lower natural light intensities turf will even show negative growth. On the one hand this is caused by the fading light intensity and on the other caused by the partly or fully closed construction of today's stadium, which results in a very large temperature difference be- tween inner and outer temperature. At first it was thought that the problem with natural grass could be solved by just applying assimilation light- ing. But it soon appeared that for a real success, a combi- nation of all the growth factors is needed. It's the goal of SGL to provide a high quality pitch throughout the whole year. Achieving this goal needs more than just turning on the lamps. You have to combine a lot of different expertise such as knowledge about the soil, grass seeds, grass growth, growth techniques, lighting and stadium con- struction, the company says. Turf Enhancement • Absorbs 12x its weight in water • 95% of water and water-soluble nutrients available to plant • SAVES UP TO 66% WATER • Longevity 5-7 years subsurface • 40 lbs per 1000 sq. ft. for Topdressing, Aeration, Overseeding, New Sod Day 1 Day 4 "Ready Play's technology is amazing. It has helped me speed up the germination of my grass seed, resulting in a stronger, denser grass, while using a lot less water." -Chad Huss, Head Groundskeeper, Oakland A's Papago Park Spring Training Facilities Day 7 Further advice on the rates of application or installation can be obtained by contacting AquaSmart™ 1-855-384-9844 | www.ReadyPlaySports.com Sold through Ewing Irrigation A Division of: TM www.stma.org SportsTurf 35