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Six things to get right for top
quality turf in Thailand
Micah Woods
5 August 2019
Chief Scientist
Asian Turfgrass Center
www.asianturfgrass.com
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Six things to get right
1. Mowing
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Six things to get right
1. Mowing
2. Fertilizer
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Six things to get right
1. Mowing
2. Fertilizer
3. Growth rate
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Six things to get right
1. Mowing
2. Fertilizer
3. Growth rate
4. Soil water content
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Six things to get right
1. Mowing
2. Fertilizer
3. Growth rate
4. Soil water content
5. Grass
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Six things to get right
1. Mowing
2. Fertilizer
3. Growth rate
4. Soil water content
5. Grass
6. Measure results
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Mowing
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Riding (golf course type) mowers
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Pedestrian mowers, USA
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Pedestrian mowers, Iceland
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Google search for “mow football pitch”
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• Mower adjustment
• Mower type (reel, rotary, or both?)
• Cut 1
3
of leaf blade length
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Fertilizer
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Optimum nutrient supply
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Optimum nutrient supply
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• about 1 g N/m2/week, then adjust
• P and K to meet grass requirements
• pH from 5.5 to 7.5
• Fe for enhanced colour
• annual testing of soil nutrient content & pH
• annual testing of irrigation water quality
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Growth rate
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• mowing, fertilizer, & pitch performance are
linked to growth rate
• growth rate too rapid means unnecessary
work & reduced traffic tolerance
• growth rate too slow means insufficient
traffic recovery
• starting point recommendation: 30
mL/m2/day
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Soil water content
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• Ideally have (and use) a soil moisture
meter
• Maintain soil water at about 20%
volumetric water content (VWC)
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Think about rootzone depth
• A 30 cm rootzone with 50% pore space and
25% VWC has space for 75 mm of rain
• A 15 cm rootzone with 50% pore space and
25% VWC has space for 37.5 mm of rain
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Seashore paspalum in a sand rootzone
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Grass
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• these rhizomatous and stoloniferous
grasses can be used in Thailand
• bermudagrass
• manilagrass
• seashore paspalum
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Measure results
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Six things to get right
1. Mowing
2. Fertilizer
3. Growth rate
4. Soil water content
5. Grass
6. Measure results
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More info at the ATC website:
www.asianturfgrass.com