Features
Agronomy
Aeration, fertility study expected to provide key data on compaction
October 19, 2010 By Mike Jiggens
A two-year aeration and fertility study on two Ontario high school
sports fields is expected to provide important data to measure the
practices’ impact on soil compaction.
The study, which began in August and will continue through November 2012, was initiated by Gord Dol, president of Dol Turf Restoration Ltd. of Bond Head, Ont., and involves the assistance of David Smith, president of DCS Agronomic Services of Gravenhurst, Ont.
“He (Dol) wanted to have the opportunity to primarily measure the impact on soil compaction with various aeration methods,” said Ken Pavely, general manager of Dol Turf Restoration.
Two Simcoe County high school fields are the target of the study. One—Banting Memorial High School in Alliston—is an existing field which has undergone several years of heavy use. The other—Bradford District High School—is a new field constructed in the fall of 2009 by Dol Turf Restoration.
In a proposal to the Simcoe County District School Board, Pavely noted that maintaining sports turf, particularly on school fields, is among the most challenging of all turf environments.
“School fields typically face issues with compaction, play when wet or waterlogged, physical damage from extreme sports such as football or rugby, weeds, and concentrated use down the middle,” he stated in Dol’s proposal to the school board. “While there is data to show cultural practices such as aeration, overseeding, fertility, topdressing, irrigation and mowing are essential to maintain reasonable school turf, little has been done to verify how these relate to school field environments.
“For example, there are numerous kinds/methods of aeration, yet the measurable effects of each of these methods on compaction, infiltration, etc. is not known. This project would look at each method and, through sophisticated data collection, ascertain which is most effective. From that, specifications for maintenance programs can be developed with the confidence of knowing that the board is getting the biggest bang for its buck.
“The Simcoe County District School Board would be seen as a leader in this area of facility maintenance.”
Dol worked with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs turfgrass extension specialist Pam Charbonneau and the University of Guelph’s Dr. Ken Carey to ensure the data collected from the study was of good enough quality that it can be considered valuable research.
Compaction readings from both fields were taken at the outset of the study. Pavely said the Bradford field, even though it’s a new Category 2 field root zone, is extremely hard.
“That’s not unusual for a new construction,” he said. “Golf greens are the same when they’re newly constructed. They’re hard as a rock and don’t hold the ball.”
Compaction readings at Banting were “much more in line with what they should be.”
Pavely said once Dol’s various aeration machines are put to work, another set of readings will be taken, “and we’ll see what comes of it.”
Randomized plots five yards in width with three replications each will be studied with a focus on the middle length of each field where the most wear is traditionally realized.
The trials are being overlaid with a fertility study in which various sources of slow-release nitrogen will be used. Schools often have two applications per year, but the trial plots will be subjected to upwards of three and four applications.
Pavely said the study will give education officials a better understanding of what is involved in sports turf maintenance.
“It’s sort of like having a car engine,” he said. “Without nitrogen, you don’t have any oil.”
Banting has been on a regular maintenance program with three annual fertilizer applications, some aeration and one overseeding.
“The goal is to get some awareness as well, to take the data we get from this and spread it across the land with school officials, and visually demonstrate how important it is to have some fundamental maintenance practices that pay off.”
Pavely said he has seen many “nasty” high school sports fields in his travels, noting one in particular at the western edge of Ontario is so compacted that it has led to a number of athletic injuries. He said a basic maintenance program will cost less than $6,000, but some schools claim they can’t find the money to budget for it.
All materials and labour associated with the layout, design, application, monitoring, evaluations and reporting of the research is being covered by the research team.
The intention of the study is to involve school board officials and representatives of the schools themselves in all aspects of the trials.
Pavely said the research team will continually monitor the stress level in the function of the plants themselves.
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