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Grass and Soil for Sports Turf in Thailand Micah Woods Chief Scientist | Asian Turfgrass Center www.asianturfgrass.com

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Today • Grass varieties • Grass management • Soil • Basic requirements • Ideal requirements

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Kashima Soccer Stadium

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not like this

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SCG Stadium

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not like this

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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

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Grass varieties

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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Surprising result? • Zoysia grew more than Cynodon or Paspalum

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Use grasses with rhizomes and stolons • Cynodon, Paspalum, and Zoysia

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Use grasses with rhizomes and stolons • Polytrias indica: good for lawns, not for football. Stolons but no rhizomes.

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Use grasses with rhizomes and stolons • Axonopus compressus: no rhizomes

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Use grasses with rhizomes and stolons • Axonopus compressus: no rhizomes

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Grass management

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Light 6 hours per day at minimum.

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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

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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.

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Water • Supply enough to maintain grass growth.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Soil

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Use a sand rootzone • In Thailand's climate, a sand rootzone is required for a quality pitch.

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Sand rootzone with sub-drainage • Standard method is similar to golf green construction • Subdrainage • Gravel layer • 30 cm rootzone layer

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At minimum • 5 cm sand topdressing layer over soil • Drainage at 4 m spacing • Slit drains filled with sand at 90 degree angle

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Basic requirements

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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?

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Ideal requirements

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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?

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More information www.asianturfgrass.com