SEED SUPPLIERS
Pitchcare Classifieds SOIL ANALYSIS
Cricket Renovation Seed Mixes CR1 & CR2 WASP coated seed also available 24 hour delivery
Hurrells Specialist Seeds, Beverley Road Cranswick Driffield East Yorkshire YO25 9PF Tel: 01377 271400 Fax: 01377 271500 Email:
nick@hmseeds.com
Smeared earthworm casts smothering grass and sealing the soil surface
specific management programme to be developed. This may mean that there is a range of different management strategies in place for pitches under the council’s control. Depending on the site, there are a number of management strategies that can significantly improve the winter performance of a field. For example:
IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT
- Irrigation enables the field to have a complete turf cover to start the winter season
- However, correct irrigation management, specifically drying down the profile in autumn is essential to provide capacity to “store” the early winter rains, i.e. a soil profile that is saturated from irrigation in the autumn has no such capacity, and the field rapidly fails with the lightest of rains
SURFACE ACIDIFICATION
- Use of acidic fertilisers and/or a sulphur programme can, on certain soils, create firmer, more stable surfaces
EARTHWORM CONTROL
- Although the chemical options are now limited, there is little question that reducing earthworm numbers can provide greater surface stability and improved winter performance. This is particularly important where ryegrass is the dominant grass species present
GRASS DENSITY
- This is often taken for granted but is paramount for
protecting the soil surface and maintaining infiltration. Management programmes, particularly fertilising, reseeding and usage control, are essential to establish and preserve turf density. The key goal is to establish a complete and, ideally, perennial grass cover before the winter season commences
NITROGEN FERTILISER
- programmes to promote turf recovery and density. The key is to match nitrogen programmes to playing intensity, and maintain recovery before significant cover loss (wear occurs)
SOIL AERATION PROGRAMMES
- Correct selection for the soil type and intended purpose is
www.hmseeds.com Mole plough lines
critical, for example; - Promoting infiltration
- Allowing water to bypass surface layers to a free draining subgrade layers
- Encouraging lateral water movement to installed drains or outfalls
- Addressing localised hollows can make a big difference to improving the quality and availability of fields during winter. Not only is ponding avoided or reduced, but these low areas are the first part of a field to ‘collapse’ when the winter conditions occur
Targeted venue closure
It is common practice for a standard maintenance programme to be adopted across all venues regardless of soil type, playing intensity, grass type etc. Where the approach taken is not based around the specific site features and particularly the soil type, the full potential of a soil is unlikely to be realised.
Expectations
Interestingly, the sportsfield industry is facing the issues that the golf industry has dealt with for many years, namely that the general playing public increasingly expect the same elite playing conditions seen at international stadiums and on television. Where the budget and other ‘drivers’ (reduced risk of closure, increased use capacity, etc.) are present, then playing quality comparable to our elite sporting surfaces is achievable on club grounds. However, where investment is unavailable, it doesn’t preclude traditional soil based fields being fit for their intended use. They can still meet the requirements of the game, but may not be as good as the ‘Rolls Royce option’. This is one of the compromises that is generally inevitable with lower investment in development and maintenance. To summarise, unusually wet winters are a ‘nightmare’ for administrators and turf managers. Where barriers prevent or delay the long term upgrading solutions, then a site specific management solution(s) needs to be developed that will optimise the winter performance of the fields, given the available level of resources.
GOLF COURSE & SPORTSGROUND CONSTRUCTION
RENOVATION & MAINTENANCE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS LAND DRAINAGE SCHEMES WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Tel.01722 716361
www.mjabbott.co.uk
SPORTS TURF CONTRACTORS
www.pitchcare.com
A2LA Accredited & USGA Approved physical soil testing laboratory for the analysis of construction materials for the sportsturf industry
Contact ETL on 01786 449195 email:
europeanturf@aol.com www.etl-ltd.com
SPECIALISTS IN TURF MANAGEMENT
DESIGN • CONSTRUCTION IRRIGATION • MAINTENANCE
info@avonmore-associates.co.uk t: 01789 293439
www.avonmore-associates.co.uk
the pitch of performance
Football, Hockey Multi-Sports, Cricket, Tennis & Bowls
Design and construction of synthetic and natural sports surfaces and facilities
Tel: 01474 364320
www.activeleisurecontracts.co.uk
email:
info@agripower.co.uk www.agripower.co.uk
Tel: 01494 866776
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 2012 PC 145
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