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/575944
thatch is much more durable. Asking about the amount of thatch might prove worthwhile," he said. Minnick also suggested that inquiring about the sod's shear strength, (the stability of the turfgrass root system to provide ath- letes with footing and a more true and consistent playing surface) is important. "With a shear vane, a sports field manager can measure and record the sheer strength of the sod. Research at Penn State on sod is taking into consideration the shear strength in reference to nitrogen inputs," he said. He further suggested that weeds need to be addressed. "Time and time again, we see weed issues brought in with a sod layer. If there are weeds there when herbicides aren't being used, the sports field manager will want to know because they will need to be more aggressive on a pre-emergent program. Just because the sod appears to be weed-free, we have to take into account the weed seed bed," says Minnick. "The soil type from which the sod was harvested is impor- tant too. Yes, I have soil low on my list and I would expect many people will have soil inquiries near the top, but our data and the results we've seen from our clients would suggest that any sod is going to have layering issues without aggressive aeration. Having a matching soil type, especially focusing on sand, does not help as much as we originally thought. Sandy soils with more fines end up having more stability issues than native soil sod on top of sand. No matter what, all soil types require aeration." Minnick concludes, "I honestly can't immediately think of more than these six issues. With the standard of sod quality we are attempting to create, new turfgrass varieties, mowing height, thatch, shear strength and soil are our primary focus. Nitrogen inputs verse potassium and micronutrient inputs are questions, but if the growth is weak from excess nitrogen or needed micronutrients, we will see that in shear strength testing. Infiltration rate changes with aeration and soil type. Mowing height, thatch, weeds, shear strength and soil type are really the biggest problems we see over and over again! And then the lack of aeration after the sod is laid. That is the single biggest issue over all: after care." Joe Traficano, sales manager for West Coast Turf 's Arizona operation in Scottsdale, had a difficult time limiting his suggested questions to just ten. After some editing he proposed the following: 1. What is the current mowing height? 2. How many pounds per acre of ryegrass seed did you overseed the Bermuda with? 3. How much sand, silt, and clay content is in the growing medium? 4. Can you provide washed sod? 5. Can we contract grow and have our own nursery on the farm? 6. When was the last time you fertilized it and are you using any turf growth regulators? 7. What are doing you to control poa? 8. Can you apply a fungicide prior to installation? 9. Can I come out to see them harvest my grass? 10. What depth or thickness will the grass be? www.stma.org October 2015 | SportsTurf 17