TURFGRASS AND TRAFFIC
usually the cause of poor-performing athletic fields . Avoid excessive early spring N fertilization , and remember that late fall N fertilization is sport dependent . Football fields will require late-season feeding while softball or baseball fields may not , due to their reduced use in the fall months . When overseeding , be sure to apply a phosphorus fertilizer if allowed in your location . Potassium fertilization is also important because of its role in stress tolerance . Conduct a soil test to measure pH , and add iron or magnesium fertility if pH is excessively high or low , respectively . No matter the exact fertility needs , a combination of slow-release and quick-release N sources is the best approach . Spoon feeding is also a recommended practice to boost traffic stress recovery , especially on sand-based fields . If improving cation exchange capacity or soil structure is a concern , consider utilizing a fertilizer product with a humate component .
Ideal leaf tensile strength is achieved through proper irrigation . Water is needed for growth , and without irrigation the turf is more likely to suffer traffic injury ; recovery after traffic will also be minimal . Amounts vary greatly due to region and seasonal weather . It is also worth mentioning that field safety is improved through irrigation by reducing soil surface hardness and allowing the turf to function as a cushioning surface for athlete falls .
MOWING Mowing places physical and physiological stress on the turfgrass — much like that of traffic . On creeping bentgrass , activity of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes is reduced by mowing and double mowing . This suggests that excessive mowing frequency should be avoided if possible , while of course observing the 1 / 3 rule . While mowing height is often determined by the game requirements or coaching staff during the playing season , off-season mowing height should be slightly increased to help with root growth and carbohydrate storage . Both elements are critical to sustain plant health and support traffic stress recovery .
Like mowing stress , traffic stress has also been shown to reduce the activity levels of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes in trafficked KBG athletic fields . Traffic resulted in decreased activity of three key scavenging enzymes for various timeframes after a traffic event . These results suggest that cumulative traffic stress increases the time required for antioxidant enzyme activity to return to baseline levels . While there are no proven products to counteract these declines , this shows that major traffic events are best spaced apart by 12 to 36 hours if allowed . Think along the lines of no morning practice on a field that will also host that evening ’ s JV or varsity game .
Athletic fields must receive and tolerate traffic . Implementing sound and consistent cultural practices will ensure your turfgrass is prepared for whichever cleats and creatures come its way . SFM
Ben Pease , Ph . D ., is the turfgrass agronomist for The Andersons , Inc . He received his undergraduate and Masters degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison , and his Ph . D . from Iowa State University . Pease has spent time as an assistant golf course superintendent , a lawn care operator , and as a turfgrass research scientist .
REFERENCES
Brosnan , J . T ., J . S . Ebdon , and W . M . Dest . 2005 . Characteristics of diverse wear tolerant genotypes of Kentucky bluegrass . Crop Sci . 45:1917-1926 .
Christians , N . E ., A . J . Patton , and Q . D . Law . 2017 . Fundamentals of turfgrass management . 5th ed . John Wiley & Sons , Hoboken , NJ .
Dickson , K . H ., J . C . Sorochan , J . T . Brosnan , J . C . Stier , J . M . Zobel , and A . W . Thoms . 2017 . Crumb rubber depth is more important than particle size for improving bermudagrass traffic tolerance . Crop Sci . 57:2837-2842 .
Goddard , M . J . R ., J . C . Sorochan , J . S . McElroy , D . E . Karcher , and J . W . Landreth . 2008 . The effects of crumb rubber topdressing on hybrid Kentucky bluegrass and bermudagrass athletic fields in the transition zone . Crop Sci . 48:2003-2009 .
Kowalewski , A . R ., J . C . Dunne , J . N . Rogers , III , and J . R . Crum . 2011 . Heavy sand and crumb rubber topdressing improves Kentucky bluegrass wear tolerance . App . Turfgrass Sci . 9:1-10 .
Kowalewski , A . R ., J . N . Rogers , III , J . R . Crum and J . C . Dunne . 2010 . Sand topdressing applications improve shear strength and turfgrass density on trafficked athletic fields . Hort Tech . 20:867-872 .
Park , B . S ., J . A . Murphy , W . A . Meyer , S . A . Bonos , J . den Haan , D . A . Smith , and T . J . Lawson . 2005 . Performance of Kentucky bluegrass within phenotypic classifications as affected by traffic . Int . Turfgrass Soc . Res . J . 10:618-626 .
Pease , B . W ., A . W . Thoms , R . Arora , and N . E . Christians . 2021 . Antioxidant enzyme responses of Kentucky bluegrass to simulated athletic traffic stress . Int . Turfgrass Soc . Res . J . https :// doi . org / 10.1002 / its2.59 .
Spring , C . A ., J . A . Wheater , and S . W . Baker . 2007 . Fertilizer , sand topdressing , and aeration programmes for football pitches . I . Performance characteristics under simulated wear . J . of Turfgrass and Sports Surface Sci . 83:40-55 .
Thoms , A . W ., J . T . Brosnan , and J . C . Sorochan . 2016 . Root zone construction affects hybrid bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon x C . transvaalensis ) responses to simulated traffic . Procedia Engineering 147:824-829 .
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