JOHN FORREST
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PHOTOS: JOHN FORREST
Managing wear on community sports fields is critical and the key is cooperation and collaboration between those who maintain them and the sporting clubs that use them
team effort
Juggling the demands of turf playing surfaces and end users is always difficult. John Forrest looks at measures put in place at Rosalie Park in Perth to improve its management and performance ahead of this winter season.
W
eather variability plays a big part in the presentation of active sports playing fields and as all turf managers know any well-laid plans can go awry especially when rain falls on days of high use. Rosalie Park in the City of Subiaco in Perth, is a ground that has many sports played on it and in recent years has had several upgrades to assist with the management of heavy use. Among these include a new irrigation system and the addition of new floodlights which have helped in managing the quality and use of the grounds. Rosalie has nine active playing surfaces, equating to 57,368m2 of playing surface, with the majority of use being soccer along with AFL, touch rugby and lacrosse. Over the last three years Rosalie Park has been monitored to ascertain if any improvements had been occurring through annual management practices. This has included soil, tissue and water analysis, infiltration rates (mm/hr) and thatch and mat depth. Sampling takes place at the end of summer (late February/early March) and at the end of the winter sports season in September. Data collected supplies information on the influence of the water quality on the soil and plant health. One sample is taken at the start of the irrigation season and hopefully after some flushing winter rainfall has occurred. 54
The second sampling is conducted after the irrigation season when salt accumulation and bicarbonate influence is at their highest, in particular sodium and chloride which can impact not only turf but other vegetation, such as garden beds, that are irrigated. These results can assist with determining appropriate plantings for the future. Water pH is generally neutral to alkaline which affects the availability of some micronutrients and once again impacts both
grass species and vegetation. Yellowing of new leaves have been observed on turf and other species of plants including tree species such as the iconic Western Australian Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata). Soil testing also gives insight to organic matter accumulation and sodium levels that can impact on surface quality and recovery. Information collected on a biannual program assists in making decisions on renovation programs and how they are working.
Like many local government curators, Rosalie Park’s Tony Kelly and Nel Hughes have the challenging task of maintaining their playing surfaces at optimum condition while dealing with the demands of increased ground usage
AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 24.3