JOHN MASCARO ’ S PHOTO QUIZ
ANSWER
From page 17
This circle of thatch on top of the 419 bermudagrass high school multipurpose sports fi eld was caused by irrigation system failure . It can also be known of as the “ circle of life ” or the Latin term Incorrectus irrigationous . It is caused by extreme low pressure in the irrigation system where the head pops up , sprays out a stream of water about 15 feet in diameter and makes this circle of green . The irrigation stream also digs into the turf a bit , forcing thatch to come to the surface in this distinct circle . Irrigation systems often go unchecked when a municipality ’ s labor is stretched too thin or if distances between schools are too great and proper labor is not hired to cover the distances . In this instance , the area experienced a couple weeks of no rainfall , and this sand-based athletic fi eld ’ s irrigation system went unchecked . As you can tell , the one green area is the area inside the sprinkler ’ s reach where the irrigation was watering the turf . The remainder of the fi eld was quite toasty with several of these green circles to show the low pressure that was affecting the system . Preventative maintenance and checking irrigation systems when rainfall in plentiful goes a long way in avoiding situations like this .
Photo from John Mascaro ’ s collection
John Mascaro is president of Turf-Tec International
If you would like to submit a photograph for John Mascaro ’ s Photo Quiz , please send a high-resolution digital photo to John Mascaro via email at john @ turf-tec . com . If your photograph is selected , you will receive full credit . All photos submitted will become property of SportsField Management magazine and the Sports Field Management Association . sportsfieldmanagementonline . com December 2024 | SportsField Management
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