Grass and soil for sports turf in Thailand

This is a presentation I gave for a seminar at Bangkok Thonburi University in July 2018. I explained, for Thailand's climate, how I would work with grasses and soils to achieve these goals:

- Suitable gradient and free from dips and hollows​
- Well drained​
- Good grass cover of desirable grass species​
- Firm and stable to give good playing characteristics​

Those are some of the "main characteristics of the playing surface that need to be achieved," taken directly from FIFA's "Manager's Guide to Natural Grass Football Pitches."

Transcript

1. Grass and Soil for Sports Turf in Thailand Micah Woods Chief Scientist | Asian Turfgrass Center www.asianturfgrass.com
2. Today • Grass varieties • Grass management • Soil • Basic requirements • Ideal requirements
3. Kashima Soccer Stadium
4. not like this
5. SCG Stadium
6. not like this
7. Goal • Suitable gradient and free from dips and hollows • Well drained • Good grass cover of desirable grass species • Firm and stable to give good playing characteristics • Appropriate pitch markings with a good visual appearance
8. Grass varieties
9. Bermudagrass Cynodon dactylon • The standard grass for sports fields in hot and sunny climates • Grows rapidly when conditions are good • Does not grow well in shade • Does not grow well in wet soils
10. Seashore paspalum Paspalum vaginatum • Grows better than Cynodon in shade and in wet soils • Requires regular irrigation • Susceptible to diseases and insects • Best grass for use with saline irrigation water
11. Manilagrass Zoysia matrella • Best all-around grass for Thailand conditions. It grows everywhere. • `Nuwan noi' variety grows more rapidly than bermudagrass or seashore paspalum in Thailand conditions. • Excellent resistance to traffic.
12. Experiment at TISTR • Cynodon, Paspalum, and Zoysia • Sand rootzone • 15 mm cutting height • 1 g N/sq. meter/week • 0.5, 1, and 2 g K/sq. meter/week
13. Surprising result? • Zoysia grew more than Cynodon or Paspalum
14. Use grasses with rhizomes and stolons • Cynodon, Paspalum, and Zoysia
15. Use grasses with rhizomes and stolons • Polytrias indica: good for lawns, not for football. Stolons but no rhizomes.
16. Use grasses with rhizomes and stolons • Axonopus compressus: no rhizomes
17. Use grasses with rhizomes and stolons • Axonopus compressus: no rhizomes
18. Grass management
19. Light 6 hours per day at minimum.
20. Air in the soil • at least 25% of the soil volume should be air space • Easiest to achieve with a sand rootzone • Manage compaction and organic matter
21. Air in soil • Easy way to check. • After 25 mm of rain or irrigation, can you squeeze water from the soil? If so, too much organic matter and not enough air space.
22. Water • Supply enough to maintain grass growth.
23. Fertilizer • Supply enough to produce the desired growth rate. • Probably about 1 g N/sq. meter/week as a starting point. • Soil test to find out what the soil can supply.
24. Insects, diseases, and weeds • First, maintain a dense stand of healthy turf. • Second, control as necessary. • With healthy turf in a well-drained soil, weeds and diseases will be a minor problem on football pitches in Thailand.
25. Mowing • Mow with sharp mower blades. • Cut at appropriate height, usually from 20 to 35 mm. • Mow frequently enough to remove no more than 33% of the leaf at one time.
26. Soil
27. Use a sand rootzone • In Thailand's climate, a sand rootzone is required for a quality pitch.
28. Sand rootzone with sub-drainage • Standard method is similar to golf green construction • Subdrainage • Gravel layer • 30 cm rootzone layer
29. At minimum • 5 cm sand topdressing layer over soil • Drainage at 4 m spacing • Slit drains filled with sand at 90 degree angle
30. Basic requirements
31. Basic • Drainage • 5 cm sand layer • Mow 3x per week • Ability to supply irrigation • Sprayer for use as necessary in weed, insect, and disease management • 6 week break at end of season for field renovation and regrowth • Resod areas as necessary • Others?
32. Ideal requirements
33. Ideal • In addition to basic: • 30 cm sand rootzone • Irrigation system • Use growth regulators • 10 week break for renovation and repair • Mowing more than 3x per week • More frequent aeration and verticutting • Others?
34. More information www.asianturfgrass.com