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/726375
FIELD SCIENCE 10 SportsTurf | October 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com Athlete Perception of Field Quality and Injury Risk. Qualitative research (i.e. interviews) is a way to understand social phenomena in a natural setting by focusing on the experiences and views of the participants, which cannot be explained with quantitative research (e.g. anything measurable). Recognizing athletes' experiences, views, and opinions on field properties may be fundamental in the development of natural turfgrass sports field research and management. This study involves conducting "walking interviews" (with men and women rugby and ultimate Frisbee athletes) to obtain site-specific opinions of surface properties (e.g. ground cover, surface hardness, traction, etc.) and how changes within the field influence playability and safety. All interviews take place on the actual fields and locations of participant responses are geo-referenced and compared to maps of field properties. This research is currently ongoing and will be completed in the fall of 2016. Effect of Irrigation Timing and Dry down on Surface Hardness and Soil Compaction. Athletic turf managers often debate whether to reduce or even avoid irrigation practices prior to sporting events. The length of dry down following irrigation may have a significant impact on surface hardness and soil compaction, which can affect field performance and player safety. Results from this research are currently being evaluated and submitted for publication. Effect of Site Specific Cultivation on Soil Compaction and Rooting Characteristics. Cultural practices are often conducted over entire sports fields without taking into consideration the spatial variability of soil characteristics. Site-specific cultivation focuses on heavily compacted regions of athletic fields in an attempt to increase turfgrass rooting and create more uniform soil structure. This research is currently being conducted over multiple years. Long-term Effects of Open Spoon Aerification on Soil Compaction of Athletic Fields. Although deemed less effective than vertically operated hollow tine aerifiers, 47% of sports turf managers surveyed in 2013 (total of 218) in the United States indicated using open spoon aerification as a form of cultivation used on their fields. In situ evaluation of aerification regimes may provide the most applicable results; therefore, our research evaluated the 2-year effect of open spoon aerification timing and frequency on soil compaction, surface hardness, turfgrass vigor, and root mass of community level sports fields. Results from this research have been submitted for publication in an academic journal. Advances in Thick-cut Sod Production. Sports fields are often resurfaced with thick-cut sod in order to reduce establishment time before play can be resumed. Currently only a few hybrid bermudagrass cultivars are being grown for thick-cut sod production. Upcoming research in our group will investigate sod production of additional bermudagrass cultivars/ turfgrass species, alternative establishment methods, and enhanced installation techniques. Compiled by Gerald Henry, PhD, Associate Professor - Environmental Turfgrass Science Athletic Association Endowed Professor. Other members of the environmental turfgrass science team include: Graduate Research Assistant Chase Straw; Graduate Research Assistant Rebecca Grubbs; and Research Associate Kevin Tucker. Rutgers University T hese sports field and grounds research projects are based at Rutgers University's horticultural farm No. 2, North Brunswick, NJ. 2011 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) Kentucky bluegrass Test. The 2011 NTEP Kentucky bluegrass Test was seeded in October 2011 to assess the tolerance of entries to wear applied with the Rutgers Wear Simulator (RWS) and trampling caused by the Cady Traffic Simulator (CTS). Machine passes were applied in separate RWS and CTS strips to all entries during three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn) during 2012-16. Plots were visually evaluated at the conclusion of each season and images of each plot were captured and subjected to digital image analysis of green cover. Analysis of digital images and visual ratings indicated that the RWS caused more damage to Kentucky bluegrass compared to the CTS in each season during 2015. Digital image analysis was unable to differentiate between CTS-treated and non- trafficked Kentucky bluegrass at the conclusion of spring, summer, and autumn 2015 This research quantifies the strengths and weaknesses of machines used to apply traffic to turfgrass so that varieties can be better evaluated for use on highly trafficked turfs such as sports fields. For complete study results, see www.ntep.org 2012 NTEP Tall Fescue Test. The 2012 NTEP Tall Fescue Test was established to assess entry response to the combined stresses applied by the RWS and CTS. Previous research at Rutgers determined that combining the RWS and CTS was an effective strategy to apply to traffic stress to turfgrass. Machine passes were applied to entries during spring, summer, and autumn. Plots were evaluated similar to the 2011 NTEP Kentucky bluegrass Test. Analysis of digital images (green cover) provided confounding results compared to visual assessments generated by experienced human evaluators during 2015. Visual ratings tended to provide more differences among entries compared to digital image analysis. Subtle differences in turf density, undetectable by digital image analysis, were the source of discrepancies between visual and digital analysis. Tall fescue entry responses to traffic can be found at www.ntep.org and in the Rutgers Turfgrass Proceedings (http://turf.rutgers.edu/ research/reports/). Performance of cool-season seed blends and mixtures under low maintenance. There is an increasing demand for