(Press-News.org) EAST LANSING, MI—The practice of "topdressing" athletic fields with sand has been used by turfgrass professionals for years. Topdressing is essential to maintaining safe and healthy turf, and using porous sand allows the turfgrass system to retain the necessary pore space for adequate drainage, even in heavy foot traffic.
While sand-based athletic fields may be preferred by schools and municipalities, conversion to a sand-based system is expensive. Complete renovation is often cost-prohibitive and renders the field temporarily unusable. Because of these drawbacks, complete field renovation is not an option for locations with high use requirements and limited budgets. An alternative method to complete field restoration requires installing drain tiles into athletic fields, followed by applications of sand topdressing. The method is more cost-effective than complete restoration, but if cumulative topdressing rates exceed root system development, surface stability may be compromised.
In a study published in HortTechnology, Alexander R. Kowalewski and colleagues evaluated the effects of cumulative topdressing (over a compacted sandy loam soil) on the fall wear tolerance and surface shear strength of a kentucky bluegrass–perennial ryegrass stand. "The initial hypothesis of our research was that topdressing would increase turfgrass wear tolerance characteristics and surface shear strength; however, high amounts of cumulative topdressing applications would reduce these characteristics", said Kowalewski.
A well-graded, high-sand-content root zone (90.0% sand, 7.0% silt, and 3.0% clay) was topdressed at a 0.25-inch depth [2.0 lb/ft2 (dry weight)] per application, providing cumulative topdressing depths of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 inches applied from mid-July to mid-August. A traffic simulator was used for two traffic applications per week from mid-October to early November. In the following year, topdressing applications and traffic were repeated on the same experimental plots. A total topdressing depth of 1.0 inch applied over a 2-year period provided the optimum results—a combination of turfgrass cover, shoot density, and divot resistance.
Results of the experiments suggested that the 0.5-inch topdressing depth applied over a 5-week period in the summer will provide improved shoot density and surface shear strength in the subsequent fall. The research also indicated that topdressing rates as thick as 4.0 inches accumulated over a 2-year period will provide increased shoot density, but will diminish surface shear strength. The outcomes support previous findings suggesting that overall turfgrass strength will increase as a turfgrass system matures.
INFORMATION:
The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortTechnology electronic journal web site: http://horttech.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/20/5/867
Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application. More information at ashs.org
Optimal topdressing applications for athletic fields determined
Sand-based applications compared for shear strength, turfgrass density
2011-06-23
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Angioplasty with stents may be safe in long-term for low-risk heart patients
2011-06-23
Heart bypass surgery is considered the gold standard for most patients with left main coronary artery disease, one of the most serious types of heart disease and one that affects thousands.
But a new UCLA study reports favorable long-term outcomes for lower-risk patients with this condition who underwent angioplasty with medication-coated stents, rather than bypass surgery.
A more minimally invasive procedure than surgery, angioplasty is performed by snaking a tiny wire up through an artery in the groin to the blocked area of the heart. The clogged artery is cleaned ...
Slowing the spread of drug-resistant diseases is goal of new research area
2011-06-23
In the war between drugs and drug-resistant diseases, is the current strategy for medicating patients giving many drug-resistant diseases a big competitive advantage?, asks a research paper that will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper argues for new research efforts to discover effective ways for managing the evolution and slowing the spread of drug-resistant disease organisms. The ultimate goal of this new research effort is to develop a new science-based model for drug-resistance management that will inform treatment guidelines ...
Salamon & Seaber Tests Confirm that URALCHEM's Methods of Fertilizer Analysis Compare with Those of EC Regulation Methods
2011-06-23
URALCHEM, OJSC announces the successful completion of round robin tests of the company's fertilizer carried out by Salamon & Seaber, one of the leading UK analytical laboratories, with the participation of URALCHEM specialists. The main objective of the product sample analysis was to compare the results obtained by applying the methods used in URALCHEM laboratories for quality control to those used by Salamon & Seaber. The test results have proved that the methods certified by Rosstandard (the Russian Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology) for the ...
Artificial light quality affects herbivore preference for seedlings
2011-06-23
OSAKA, JAPAN—In horticultural production, growers often depend on systems that use artificial light to produce high-quality transplants. Although the systems are efficient, fluorescent lamps can produce plants with shorter shoots than those grown under natural light. Studies have indicated that this reduced shoot elongation is due to the high red:far red ratio of typical commercial fluorescent lamps, which emit little far red irradiation.
In natural environments a reduction in the red:far red (R:FR) ratio resulting from the absorption of red light by neighboring vegetation ...
Early-season strawberry tested in high elevation conditions
2011-06-23
LOGAN, UT—In response to increased awareness generated by the expanding local foods movement, demand for fresh strawberries has increased throughout the United States. The fresh market strawberry industry in the U.S. flourishes in California and Florida—states with ideal weather conditions and long growing seasons. Even with challenging growing conditions, small-scale strawberry production operations succeed in other areas of the country, particularly near urban areas where local produce commands premium prices at market.
Ideal growing conditions for strawberries occur ...
Anelli Xavier Announces Albany, New York, Office Location
2011-06-23
Tom Anelli, known as The DWI Guy, and his team of drunk driving defense attorneys at Anelli Xavier announce the opening of their Albany, New York, law office at the following address:
Anelli Xavier, PC
90 Swan Street
Albany, NY 10027
Map and directions
While the law firm continues to represent clients throughout the state of New York, this expansion allows the firm's attorneys more flexibility in meeting with its Albany DWI clients.
The law firm also upgraded and moved its Syracuse location to:
Anelli Xavier, PC
269 W. Jefferson Street, 2nd Floor
Syracuse, ...
Researchers clock the speed of brain signals
2011-06-23
NEW YORK (June 22, 2011) -- Two studies featuring research from Weill Cornell Medical College have uncovered surprising details about the complex process that leads to the flow of neurotransmitters between brain neurons -- a dance of chemical messages so delicate that missteps often lead to neurological dysfunction.
A recent Nature Neuroscience study led by Dr. Timothy Ryan, professor of biochemistry at Weill Cornell Medical College, demonstrates that individual neurons somehow control the speed by which they recycle synaptic vesicles that store neurotransmitters before ...
Fungicides may not increase corn yields unless disease develops
2011-06-23
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Unless a corn crop is at risk of developing fungal diseases, a Purdue University study shows that farmers would be smart to skip fungicide treatments that promise increased yields.
Kiersten Wise, an assistant professor of botany and plant pathology, said fungicides used in fields where conditions were optimal for fungal diseases improved yields and paid for themselves. In fields where fungal diseases are unlikely to develop, however, applying a fungicide is likely a waste of money.
"About five years ago, we never used fungicides in hybrid corn. ...
Toronto Estate Planning Explained
2011-06-23
Preparing your estate plan
Creating your estate plan will require an estate lawyer who will help you to prepare a structured agreement detailing the passing of your worldly goods to your intended beneficiaries.
Your estate plan should provide a clear outline of your intended objectives for the transfer of your estate. The intention of the process is to provide a semblance of clarity to proceedings while preventing costly potential problems such as executor disputes.
The documented agreement should contain a detailed breakdown of your liabilities as well as your ...
Researchers identify components of speech recognition pathway in humans
2011-06-23
Washington, D.C. — Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have defined, for the first time, three different processing stages that a human brain needs to identify sounds such as speech — and discovered that they are the same as ones identified in non-human primates.
In the June 22 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers say their discovery — made possible with the help of 13 human volunteers who spent time in a functional MRI machine — could potentially offer important insights into what can go wrong when someone has difficulty speaking, ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
[Press-News.org] Optimal topdressing applications for athletic fields determinedSand-based applications compared for shear strength, turfgrass density