Verti-D
The effects of using the Drain on the hidden
habitat at the root zone
MOST of us take for granted the quality of the air we breathe and that the oxygen within it is critical to the maintenance of life on this planet. We are all well aware of the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and almost daily we see news items on the consequences that elevated CO2
fewer people realise is that oxygen and CO2
will have for global climate. What far are also
critical to life in the soil. Scientists have long regarded the soil as a “black box” in which it was best not to peer too closely. However, modern analytical techniques have opened up this world and have enabled us to understand the processes that govern life in the soil. The predominant life forms in soil are microbes; bacteria and fungi that break down dead plant and animal material and recycle the nutrients therein, making these nutrients available to plants. All of these beneficial microbes also require oxygen to grow and a build up of CO2
is detrimental to
them too. Without soil microbes, life above ground would not be able to exist.
However, soil is a physical structure, consisting of aggregates, with air or water-filled spaces between them in which most of the microbes live. Any soil can become compacted by pressure imposed by human feet or machinery, meaning that the spaces between the aggregates become fewer, gaseous exchange with the atmosphere is reduced and oxygen content decreased. If this happens, the microbial population will suffer and, subsequently, the above
ground community will too. In sports turf, compaction is a
frequent occurrence and machines such as the Verti-Drain®
to leave. No have been
developed to open up (aerate) a compacted soil, to allow oxygen and water to enter it and CO2
previous study has ever asked about the consequences of aeration for the microbial community. This unique project examined how aeration can affect soil microbes, using cutting-edge analytical techniques. The results make interesting reading and are probably the first example of how
microbiology can be used to inform engineering practises.
A hidden world beneath the surface
That grey zone where the worlds of turfgrass cultivation and microbiology intersect is an intriguing region about which swirls a confusing amalgamation of facts, half-truths, and downright speculation. It is on this subject, the science behind cultivation practices, that this article will focus, in an attempt to alleviate the ambiguity underlying much of what we “know” about
Beneath the SURFACE
Based on research undertaken by Royal Holloway, University of London
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