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aury County Parks and Recreation in Columbia served as host for our TVSTMA Middle Tennessee Field Day on June 8. The primary topic of the meeting was a renovation that began on May 13, 2006, to Lindsey Nelson Stadium, a county-operated bermudagrass football field on native clay. Not unlike many municipal and high school fields, it receives heavy play, hosting about 50 football games each fall including pee wee, junior high, freshmen, junior varsity and varsity high school games, as well as spring soccer, a high school graduation and an 8,000-participant band competition in late September. Sound familiar? If it does, you know what kind of issues we face in keeping these facilities up to par. This renovation specifically addressed three key areas in maintaining the integrity of a highly pressured playing surface: grade, soil composition and irrigation. Inconsistent grade on fields at this level is common and results in weak turf and less-than-ideal playability, and in the worst cases, it increases the potential for player injury. Our subject field had typical high and low spots in what was otherwise a generally decent grade, with a strong turf that we hope to hold longer through the season. These inconsistencies, as usual, were most prominent in the areas of the hash marks, crown and sidelines, resulting in poor drainage that perpetuates the problems in these high-traffic areas. The ideal solution — strip, grade and sod or sprig — was not within budget for the project. We opted instead to top grade, a process in which material is added and then graded on the existing turf to fill low spots and remove high ones. The material added was about 200 tons of a mix consisting of 90% sand and 10% topsoil, which we felt would be best for a nativeclay field consistently topdressed with sand over the years. Most of the lowest areas could be corrected while holding the deepest coverage to less than 2". Grow-in has been aided by keeping the cover material loose through frequent aerification and watering, along with modified fertilization. The first fertilizer application contained a pre-emergent conducive to accelerated growth (for any weeds
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brought in along with the added material), followed by ammonium sulfate at one pound N per acre. Two supplemental liquid-fertilizer applications (the second of which contained growth regulator, as per our normal schedule) have produced excellent results. To further our effort to reduce wear by strengthening our turf, we added a calcined-clay product prior to the top grade for its ability to retain moisture and provide air to the roots. To get this product (which has the particle size of USGA sand) into the root zone, we began by pulling 4" cores and topdressing it between the hashes and on the sidelines. Later, when the turf was drier, a vibrating solid-tine aerifyer was used to get the calcined clay deeper. By getting the product as far as possible into the root zone, we are providing air in the areas of a nativesoil field where compaction is always an issue. Most importantly, this (along with subsequent aerifying) will provide a softer, safer playing surface. So far, we addressed moisture management through drainage by correcting grade and by amending the soil. Finally, the field’s irrigation system was modified. The old five big heads down the crown were converted to ten nearer the hashes, providing better, more efficient coverage. This was economically accomplished by simply removing the old heads, teeing off the line down the middle and putting in smaller heads, designed so as to remain with the existing control box. The lines to the new heads were pulled in with a vibratory plow to be less invasive and to avoid later trench indentations. The system is now more aesthetically pleasing and more efficient, but most importantly it is safer, without those huge heads right in the middle of the field, which served to remind me that safety is and should be our number-one priority. Thanks to all who attended and who understand the value of active membership and who exercise responsibility in their leadership roles!
Al Ray
TVSTMA President
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com