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/73468
A sideline drainage system handles excess water from the stands. Both systems channel into the storm sewer system. This system has proved it can handle even the worst rains, draining the turf flawlessly during a home game September 12, 2008, the second-raini- est day in Chicago history, when 6.64 inches of rain dumped on the city. Streets flooded and many fans could not get to the stadium at all, but the field performed at its expected level of excellence. • Other activities: Dinners on the 50-yard line, football summer camps, graduations, and commercial video and photo shoots. CHALLENGES Northwestern's Ryan Field is known as the "Wrigley Field of College Football" and is a historic gem among college stadiums. To enhance its beauty, 900 purple and white mums designed to be in full bloom for Homecoming are planted each year at the north end. In 2005, Ryan Field was re-sodded and Ryan Field Equipment List • 2011 John Deere Gator • 2011 Verti-Drain (leased) • 2010 Toro 3500 Sidewinder Rotary Mower • 1998 Cushman Boom Sprayer • 1996 Toro Topdresser • 1996 John Deere 955 Tractor • John Deere AerCore 1500 • 1996 Goossen Sweeper by the fall of 2007, 50% of the field was covered with poa annua grass. "Our media department distributed a press release ex- plaining what poa annua is because media kept saying the field was diseased," wrote Supervisor of Grounds Randy Stoneberg in his award application. "Even Coach Pat Fitzgerald was quoted as saying his field had acne because of the pimple effect on TV." In the spring of 2008, NU sprayed Roundup on the poa annua and killed al- most half of the field before overseeding with a ryegrass and bluegrass mix. Dead spots did not grow back as fast as needed, so in the fall of 2008 agronomist Tim Van Loo, CSFM, began a poa annua "Game Plan" before he moved on to a position at Iowa State. That game plan has been con- tinued by Stoneberg and expanded to other fields with great success. The game plan is composed of three steps, beginning with the application of se- lective herbicide Prograss during very spe- cific times in November, December and March for best results. This process leaves the poa looking dead in the spring. While some will survive, the goal is to reduce the amount each year. This goal has been sur- passed with tremendous results. The second step is to overseed with rye- grass and Kentucky bluegrass. Ryegrass can be seeded 2-3 weeks after the final Prograss application while Kentucky bluegrass can be seeded 6 weeks after that date. The third step deals with any poa that comes back. First, a plant growth regulator called Trimmit is applied to slow the growth rate of poa annua and allow the Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass to have a competitive advantage. This keeps remain- ing poa spots smaller and easier to kill the following year. ■ www.stma.org SportsTurf 29