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/56877
From the Sidelines Eric Schroder Editor eschroder@m2media360.com 717-805-4197 Perfecting infield skins an art and science T HE REPORT beginning on page 8 this month is an attempt to provide you with rec- ommendations for creating the best infield skin surface possible. One expert told me at the STMA Conference in January, "There's no class offered on infield skins," and others agreed that there's no real standard for infield mixes either, beyond a basic one from the American Society for Testing and Materials. We asked a number of respected professionals in the industry to answer these questions: What should the standard for infield mix be? What adjustments from your standard can be made for skins being managed on low budgets? What questions should readers ask of their material suppli- ers to help get the best results? Several of our experts prefaced their responses with some general comments that I thought worthy of sharing. Norm Hummel, PhD, a soils consultant and test lab owner, has more than 35 years in the in- dustry. He wrote, "Having served on the ASTM committee that wrote the current guidelines for infields, I can tell you that it can be quite contentious. Anything you write is likely to stir up a hornet's nest . . . I have been testing infield mixes for years; hundreds from around the country. Through tying in my testing experience with personal observations in the field as well as feedback from end users, I have come up with these guidelines." Dave Dwizlewski, a consultant with Gail Materials, Corona, CA, wrote, "I have been for years talking about specific particle size distribution for sand, silt and clay. I first refereed that the differences between silt plus clay should not exceed 10% and I was saying this over 10 years ago. I believe Grant McKnight of Natural Sand coined the phrase silt to clay ratio which you hear about quite often . . . it's a better way to describe the idea then what I stated at a 10% difference. When I worked as a consultant at Soil & Plant Lab we used to consult for the local horse race tracks where similar requirements, primarily for sand distribution, were studied. Silt plus clay was required but at lower percentages for race tracks; however the same variance in par- ticles was also true as it is with infield mixes. The true grandfather about a lot of this philosophy is Oris A Matkin, the founder of Soil & Plant Lab." And finally, from Jim Hermann, CSFM, an athletic field consultant from New Jersey: "In- fields are like Christmas trees; they all look good from the road." I trust reading what the experts have to say about infield skin mixes will aid you in improving your fields. Facebook Green Media, publisher of this and other magazines in the Green Industry, including Arbor Age, Landscape and Irrigation, and Outdoor Power Equipment recently introduced GreenMedia- Mags, the official Green Media Facebook page. On the new fan page, which is regularly updated by our staff, you can find the latest Green Industry news, content, photos and commentary. Top- ics will cover all aspects of the Green Industry. You can interact with our editorial staff, as well as other professionals from throughout the Green Industry. The fan page is a great way to provide feedback, share ideas, and follow industry trends. Simply "Like" our Facebook page to start inter- acting with the Green Media community. Search for the GreenMediaMags page from your profile, or go directly to the following link: www.Facebook.com/GreenMediaMags and become a "fan." SportsTurf (ISSN 1061-687X) (USPS 000-292) (Reg. U.S. Pat. & T.M. Off.) is published monthly by m2media360, a Bev-Al Communications company at 1030 W. Higgins Road, Suite 230, Park Ridge, IL 60068. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sportsturf, PO Box 4290, Port Jervis, NY 12771. For subscription information and re- quests, call Subscription Services at (845) 856-2229. Sub- scription rates: 1 year, $40 US & Poss.; 2 years, $65 US & Poss.; 1 year, $65 Canada/Foreign Surface, 1 year, $130 Air- mail. All subscriptions are payable in advance in US funds. Send payments to Sportsturf, PO Box 4290, Port Jervis, NY 12771. Phone: (845) 856-2229. Fax: (845) 856-5822. Single copies or back issues, $8 each US/Canada; $12 For- eign. Periodicals postage paid at Park Ridge, IL and addi- tional mailing offices. COPYRIGHT 2012, SportsTurf. Material may not be reproduced or photocopied in any form without the written permission of the publisher. SportsTurfTu 1030 W. Higgins Road Suite 230 Park Ridge, IL 60068 Phone 847-720-5600 Fax 847-720-5601 The Official Publication Of The Sports Turf Managers Association President: James Michael Goatley, Jr., Ph.D. Immediate Past President: Troy Smith, CSFM President-Elect: Martin K. Kaufman, CSFM Secretary/Treasurer: David Pinsonneault, CSFM, CPRP Vice-President Commercial: Rene Asprion Professional Facilities: Allen Johnson, CSFM Academic: Jeffrey Fowler Parks & Recreation: Debra Kneeshaw Higher Education: Jeffrey Salmond, CSFM K-12: Michael Tarantino, CSFM Commercial: James Graff At Large: Jay Warnick, CSFM At Large: Ron Hostick, CSFM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Kim Heck STMA Office 805 New Hampshire Suite E Lawrence, Ks 66044 Phone 800-323-3875 Fax 800-366-0391 Email STMAinfo@STMA.org www.STMA.org Editorial EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Charles Forman EDITOR Eric Schroder TECHNICAL EDITOR Dr. James Brosnan ART DIRECTOR Brian Snook PRODUCTION MANAGER Karen Kalinyak EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Richard Brandes STMA Editorial Communications Committee Jim Cornelius, CSFM, Jason Henderson, PhD, Paul Hollis, Clayton Hubbs, Joshua McPherson, CSFM, Brad Park, David Schlotthauer, & Grant Spear 6 SportsTurf | March 2012 www.sportsturfonline.com