Sports Tur f
How Does
Soil Water Content Impact Bermudagrass Athletic Fields By Kyley Dickson, Ph.D. and John C. Sorochan, Ph.D.
M
any athletic fields in the U.S. are built with native soils in contrast to constructed sand root zones such as those developed according to the United States Golf Association (USGA; USGA Green Section Staff, 2007). Native soils high in silt and clay tend to have greater soil water contents and slower water infiltration rates compared to constructed sand root zones (Pitt et al., 2008). The decreased water infiltration rates of cohesive soils (i.e., non-sand soils) are potentially problematic when precipitation occurs prior to athletic events. It has been reported that cohesive soil athletic fields with high soil water 8
content tend to lose green turfgrass cover faster than those with lower soil water content (Rogers, 1988; Carrow et al., 2001). Constructed sand root zones are used on many U.S. collegiate and professional football fields. Sand root zones are preferred because of consistent air-filled porosity, rapid drainage, and compaction resistance, which help avoid rain delays or cancellations (Bingaman and Kohnke, 1970; Bigelow and Soldat, 2013; Brockhoff et al., 2010). While multiple types of constructed sand root zones exist, the USGA specification is the most common for high-end athletic fields because it provides acceptable stability and optimal
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/March 2019 Email TTA at: info@ttaonline.org
drainage (Bigelow and Soldat, 2013). However, sand root zones may not be used on all athletic fields due to high construction costs (STMA, 2008). The objective of this research was to determine the impact of soil water content on the performance of hybrid bermudagrass on cohesive soil (silt loam) and non-cohesive (USGA specification) root zone when subjected to traffic. Two field studies were conducted from 2014–2015 at the University of Tennessee Center for Athletic Field Safety (Knoxville, TN) to determine soil water content impact on compaction and loss of green turfgrass cover on ‘Tifway’ hybrid bermudagrass
