Slide 1
Slide 1 text
Grass and Soil for
Sports Turf in Thailand
Micah Woods
Chief Scientist | Asian Turfgrass Center
www.asianturfgrass.com
Slide 2
Slide 2 text
Today
• Grass varieties
• Grass management
• Soil
• Basic requirements
• Ideal requirements
Slide 3
Slide 3 text
Kashima Soccer Stadium
Slide 4
Slide 4 text
not like this
Slide 5
Slide 5 text
SCG Stadium
Slide 6
Slide 6 text
not like this
Slide 7
Slide 7 text
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
Slide 8
Slide 8 text
Grass varieties
Slide 9
Slide 9 text
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
Slide 10
Slide 10 text
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
Slide 11
Slide 11 text
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.
Slide 12
Slide 12 text
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
Slide 13
Slide 13 text
Surprising
result?
• Zoysia grew more
than Cynodon or
Paspalum
Slide 14
Slide 14 text
Use grasses with
rhizomes and
stolons
• Cynodon, Paspalum,
and Zoysia
Slide 15
Slide 15 text
Use grasses with
rhizomes and
stolons
• Polytrias indica: good
for lawns, not for
football. Stolons but no
rhizomes.
Slide 16
Slide 16 text
Use grasses with
rhizomes and
stolons
• Axonopus
compressus: no
rhizomes
Slide 17
Slide 17 text
Use grasses with
rhizomes and
stolons
• Axonopus
compressus: no
rhizomes
Slide 18
Slide 18 text
Grass management
Slide 19
Slide 19 text
Light
6 hours per day at minimum.
Slide 20
Slide 20 text
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
Slide 21
Slide 21 text
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.
Slide 22
Slide 22 text
Water
• Supply enough to
maintain grass
growth.
Slide 23
Slide 23 text
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.
Slide 24
Slide 24 text
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.
Slide 25
Slide 25 text
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.
Slide 26
Slide 26 text
Soil
Slide 27
Slide 27 text
Use a sand rootzone
• In Thailand's climate, a sand rootzone is required for a quality pitch.
Slide 28
Slide 28 text
Sand rootzone
with sub-drainage
• Standard method is
similar to golf green
construction
• Subdrainage
• Gravel layer
• 30 cm rootzone layer
Slide 29
Slide 29 text
At minimum
• 5 cm sand topdressing
layer over soil
• Drainage at 4 m
spacing
• Slit drains filled with
sand at 90 degree angle
Slide 30
Slide 30 text
Basic requirements
Slide 31
Slide 31 text
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?
Slide 32
Slide 32 text
Ideal requirements
Slide 33
Slide 33 text
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?
Slide 34
Slide 34 text
More information
www.asianturfgrass.com