“The Field “Within The Field”
Objectives
• Topdressing – Site‐specific topdressing programs • Aerification
– Schedule
– Benefits
– Pitchfork Challenge
• Fertility/Seeding
Ryan Adams
Iowa State University
Turfgrass Extension Specialist
– Increased Seeding Rates and Fertility
– “Don’t Be Bare”
• Communication
Traffic Strategies
• Understand your “Traffic Scenario”
• Manage the “field within the field” by concentrating resources
• “Don’t be bare”
“Don’t be bare”
• Develop a “field rotation /traffic spreading plan”
• Assess Field to “regulate traffic”
Manage the “Field within the Field”
7128 sq. ft.
2826 sq. ft.
7128 sq. ft.
Concentrate Resources!
“A” High
Traffic:
17,082
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Topdressing Program Goals
• Organic matter management
• Thatch dilution
• Internal drainage
Internal drainage
• Turf growth
• Consistency and smoothness
Biggest Obstacles
• Material handling, delivery, and application
What is the optimal depth and f
frequency interval?
l?
To Each its Own!
• All sports turf managers have their own approach to topdressing rates, frequency, and materials. 2
Prism Gauge and Depths
• 1/16, 1/8, or 1/4 does it matter?
– Dependent on your own agronomical goals
Application
• Rotary spreaders vs. conveyor/spinning topdressers
History and Future
• A sports field doesn’t lie to the amount of topdressing or type of sand used – Reduced time and ease has changed frequency
• Topdressing is growing the field for the future
What is the event threshold between sand‐based or capped and native soil fields?
Only takes 1! 3
Manage the “Field within the Field”
Topdressing Cost
• USGA Sports Turf Sand 90/10: $31.40 per ton
• Class 2 USGA Sports Turf Sand: $13.50 per ton
• Mason sand: $12.00 per ton
Freight: $4.03/mile and $0.24 center for fuel
– Moving 25 tons of sand 100 miles = $427 Freight ($427) plus sand ($337) = $764
Concentrate Resources!
Only Topdressing High Traffic
Sand needed for Surface Application (ton/1000 sq. ft.)
+1/8”
+1/4”
+1/2”
0.56
1.12
2.24
Topdress High Traffic Area
• Freight ($427) plus sand ($243) = $670.00
– 18 tons/16,560 leaves ¼” on the surface
– 7 tons left over for next application
*Assume sand weights 1.45 ton/cu. yd. and there is 100% efficiency on subsequent passes with aerifier.
• Football: 16,560 sq. ft. at ¼ inch of sand:
• 1.12 tons/1000 or 18.55 tons/16,560
• Football: 60,000 sq. ft. at 1/8 inch of sand:
• 0.56 tons/1000 or 33 tons/60,000
Aerification
• 25 tons from next load + 7 left over = 32 tons
– Could surface apply 1/8” to entire field – 0.56 tons/1000 or 33 tons/60,000
Beat it UP! Methodology
Anytime the field starts to look good in the off‐season, Aerify, verticut, topdress!
Prepare it for battle during the offseason, so it can take the wear during the season.
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Aerify “A” 3x = 1 “B”
Manage the “Field within the Field”
Core‐Aeration Schedule
• May: Immediately after the last soccer game hollow core, topdress with 1/4‐ to 3/8‐inch of sand or compost
• August: The field should be solid tined or August: The field should be solid tined or
hollow cored near the first of August in preparation for the football season • November: Immediately after the last football game hollow core, topdress with 1/4‐ to 3/8‐
inch of sand or compost
Concentrate Resources!
Spacing and Field Coverage
• Optimal: Most guys in the industry shoot for 25‐35% of the soil’s surface area each year
– Dependent on spacing
• A 3/4” coring tine with 6” spacing that penetrates 3” /
g
p
g
p
removes about 1.2% of soil volume
• The same tine spaced 2” apart removed 10% of the soil volume in the same 3” profile
• Benefits increase when tine space closer and deeper. If have 6” spacing go in multiple directions
Core Aerifier Cost Analysis
• Contracted: 2cents/sq. ft.
– High Traffic Area = $320
– Entire Field = $1200 • In‐house: Core or 2‐3inch solid tine:3 hours
– Up front cost: $25,000‐40,000
– About $250‐400 per aerification or $100/hr.
• Labor, equipment replacement (unit), gas, and replacement tines
In House Cost
– In‐house: Core or 2‐3inch solid tine:3 hours
– $10 an hour for employee = $30 + equipment, gas and replacement tines
• Replace tines every 10‐15 acres (once year if aerify > 6)
• = 24 tines
– Mid Grade: ½ Top Eject: $4.71 or side eject $8.67 = $110 – 210
– High Grade: ½ Top: $12.04 or side eject $13.27 = $290 ‐ 530
» Carbide Tip
– ½ Solid $5.58 = $140
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How far does that 25tons go?
Amount of sand required and area impacted for various coring and topdressing programs.
Core Holes Tine Spacing per diamet
in.
sq. ft. er in.
2
36
0.5
0 75
0.75
3
16
0.5
0.75
4
9
0.5
0.75
Tin Sand needed to fill holes % area Number of passes with aerifier to depth + surface (ton/1000 sq. removed impact a given area of field
in.
ft.)
each pass
3
8
3
8
3
8
3
8
3
8
3
8
+1/8”
+1/4”
+1/2”
1.22
1.76
2 04
2.04
4.51
0.85
1.34
1.22
2.32
0.72
0.99
0.93
1.55
1.78
2.87
2 60
2.60
5.08
1.41
1.9
1.78
2.87
1.28
1.55
1.49
2.10
2.89
4.00
3 72
3.72
6.19
2.53
2.93
2.89
4.00
2.40
2.68
2.61
3.22
5.0
50% removed
10
25% removed
5
10% removed
2
11
5
2
1
2.2
22
11
5
5.0
10
5
2
1.3
40
20
8
3.0
18
9
4
*Assume sand weights 1.45 ton/cu. yd. and there is 100% efficiency on subsequent passes with aerifier.
Topdress/Aerify High Traffic Area
• Freight plus sand = $764.50
– 23,349 tons or 1 truck load/16,560 fills aerification holes with 1/4inch of sand on 3 foot spacing ½ tines. – Effects 2.2% of field
• Football: 16,560 sq. ft. at ¼ inch of sand:
– 1.41 tons/1000 or 23.35 tons/16,560
Core Holes Tine Tin Spacing per Spacing
per
diameter depth
diameter
depth in.
sq. ft.
in.
in.
3
16
0.5
3
Sand needed to fill holes + surface
holes + surface (ton/1000 sq. ft.)
+1/8”
+1/4”
+1/2”
0.85
1.41
2.53
% area Number of passes with aerifier to removed
removed impact a given area of field
each pass
2.2
50% removed
22
25% removed
11
10% removed
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A truck load of sand will fill High Traffic area “A” for a football or soccer field.
Entire Field
• 60,000 sq. ft. and 1.41/ton/1000 = 84.6 ton
• Freight plus sand = $764.50 X 4 Trucks = $3058
• About $250‐400 per aerification with in‐house
• About $250‐400 per aerification with in‐house Approximately $1000‐$1200 per application
= $3300 to $3500 is 3X as much!
Deep Tine Aerification
• Vertidrain/Floyd McKay
– Up to 16” – Increased deep rooting
– More effect on fine
More effect on fine‐
textured soils
– Mark subsurface lines – Helps issues > 4”
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Aerification Injury
• Under conditions conducive to good growing, about 7‐14 days after coring, you will see white roots in holes. – Roots sign turf is responding to the improved Roots sign turf is responding to the improved
oxygen, moisture, and nutrient uptake
– Topdressing to fill coring holes increases coring benefits by maintaining the openings to the soil surface and promoting water/gas exchange
Benefits of Aeration
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduces soil compaction
Improved air exchange between the soil and atmosphere
Increases water infiltration
Reduced runoff
Si l d
Stimulated root growth within the holes, often deeper into h i hi h h l
f
d
i
the soil
Breaking up of soil layers
Thatch control (better conditions for microbes and breakdown)
Improved wetting of dry soils and drying of wet soils
Improved fertilizer uptake
Pitchfork Challenge
• Once a week
open exposed soil up
• Add seed by Add seed by
hand • Topdress/Fert
Seed Cost Analysis
• Cost of seed: 10 sq. ft. requires 45g of seed at 10#/1000 sq. ft. – Can seed that area 500 times with 50# bag
– 50lb. bag of a 50
50lb bag of a 50‐50
50 Mix: $2.25 X 50 Mix: $2 25 X 50 = $112
$112
– $0.22 cents per seeding or week
• It takes 5 minutes a week! TRY IT!
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Fertilizer Cost Analysis
• Cost of fertilizer: 10 sq. ft. requires 5g of urea (46‐0‐0) at 0.5#N/1000 • Urea
Urea $16.00 for 50lb. bag $16 00 for 50lb bag
= $0.0032 per application (Not even a cent –means its free right?)
Topdressing
Sand needed for Surface Application (ton/1000 sq. ft.)
+1/8”
+1/4”
+1/2”
0.56
1.12
2.24
*Assume sand weights 1.45 ton/cu. yd. and there is 100% efficiency on subsequent passes with aerifier.
• For 10 sq. ft. need 0.0112 tons or 22.4 lbs. of topdressing
– 1 gallon of beach sand is 12.76 pounds
– Need two gallons or approximately half bucket
Pitchfork Challenge
• Once a week
open exposed soil up
• Add seed by Add seed by
hand • Topdress/Fert
Seeding
• It takes 5 minutes a week! TRY IT!
High Traffic Area Seeding
High Quality Bluegrass: $3.50 per pound 50‐50 Blue/Rye: $2.25 per pound
• 66.24lbs/app KB: $230/app
66.24lbs/app KB: $230/app
• 165.60 lbs/app 50‐50: $372/app
• For comparison the entire field
– 240lbs/app KB: $840/app – Can seed High Traffic area 4X for $920
ISU Research
• “Don’t be bare” higher than normal seeding rate work where turf is a necessity
• Multiple Seeding Options: Slit Seeder, Drop Spreader, Aerification holes, and Verticutting grooves all increase seed germination and influence timing • Increased fertility = Reduced bare ground time
• When turnover is an issue (Increase fertilizer and seeding rates) 8
Use All Tools Available
Seeded 9‐4‐08 Total N applied in Sept. and Oct. 10 lb N/M
8 lb N/M
6 lb N/M
“Don’t be Bare Strategy”
• Philosophy – “Do not allow areas of the field to go bare for more than 24 hours”
4 lb N/M
2 lb N/M
• Instead of waiting to re‐establish once or twice per stead o a t g to e estab s o ce o t ce pe
year, use multiple (6 to 10) seedings. There is no bad time to seed. – Entire field 5 times: 240lbs/app KB: $840/app X 5 = $4200
– High Traffic Areas 10 times: 66.24lbs/app KB: $230/app X 10 = $2300
– Both 4lb./1000 rates
“Don’t be Bare Strategy”
Continually ask yourself these questions
• Is my turf density maximized?
• 100% living grass cover or are there bare spots?
• What is my thatch/mat status?
• Can seed, sod, or plugs planted today make my field better tomorrow ... next season?
• If yes then get busy renovating … if you don’t know then try it.
Grass Re‐Establishment Strategy • Seed often and at higher rates… some dies but some also survives. You are not wasting $. • Seedlings that survive in the fall are the building blocks for the beginning of next season (mid‐Aug). It takes 12‐18 months to develop beneficial mat after seeding. • Seed anytime the soil is exposed or you anticipate heavy traffic and loss of turf cover.
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Grass Re‐Establishment Strategy • Seeding strategies
– Pre‐germinated divot mix – Seed before game and “cleat‐in” seed
– Dormant seeding
Dormant seeding
– Multiple layer seeding, broadcast+spike, drill, core/topdress/seed/drag – Seed more often... 6 to 10 times per year
Multiple Seeding
• Seed several times per year
• Combine different seeding techniques “Think vertical layer establishment”
SEED INTO AERIFIER HOLES
DRILL SEED
BROADCAST SEED AND
TOPDRESS
Nitrogen Fertilizer Strategy
Nitrogen/Potassium
“Turf Cover vs Wear Tolerance”
“Turf Cover vs Wear Tolerance”
• The nitrogen to potassium ratio is very important for traffic tolerance. The lowest N/K ratio should be at least 3‐1,
be at least 3
1, with a 1
with a 1‐1
1 ratio in high traffic ratio in high traffic
areas being optimal. • Thin turf with less than 100% turf cover
– Your first priority should be to force growth and achieve 100% turf cover. – 0.5 to 1.0 lbs N/M/15‐20 days until 100% turf cover
– Reduce N or stop applications if high temperature and disease pressure cause turf decline.
• After 100% turf cover occurs then
– Reduce N and water to harden turf and increase traffic tolerance.
• At least 2.0 lbs. /1000 sq. ft. of potassium, each year. Communication
Law of the Minimum (1862)
Justun Von Liebig
• Growth is proportional to the amount of the most limiting nutrient • If the deficient nutrient is supplied, yields may be If the deficient nutrient is supplied yields may be
improved to the point that some other nutrient is needed in greater quantity. • Most commonly Nitrogen or Phosphorus in most soils. •
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•
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Coaches, Players, and Parents
Administration
The Band
Employees
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• Explain what you DO! And the Importance! • Poor communication = Single biggest factor leading to turf decline
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• If you fall behind, good luck catching up!
p
Questions?
• Stay ahead and be proactive.
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