EVALUATION OF SAND-SOIL-COMPOST ROOT ZONES DEVELOPED FOR ATHLETIC FIELDS

Athletic fields for sports such as USA football and soccer need to provide quality turfgrass to maximize playing conditions and provide a safe surface. An experiment was conducted to compare playability for a range of root zone treatments. Root zone treatments included a range of sand-soil mixes (0, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 100% soil by volume), a sand-soil-compost mix (20% soil, 5% compost), and sand-organic matter mixes (10% peat; 15% compost). Traction, assessed with a shear unit, and shock attenuation (playability or surface hardness) were within expected ranges for most treatments. Infiltration rates were higher for the 90% sand-10% peat and 100% sand treatments (26.7 cm/hr average) compared to the other treatments; however, the sand-soil (10%) treatment was similar (20.7 cm/hr average) and only about 22% lower. Recommendations from this study suggest that appropriate playability of athletic fields can occur with sand-soil mixes.