Football / Rugby
Introduction No longer can we use the phrase Winter Pitch Maintenance when referring to Football, Hockey, Lacrosse and Rugby. This booklet will cover the maintenance of all Football grounds: Soccer, Rugby League and Rugby Union. Rugby League becoming a summer game has brought with it a number of changes in pitch maintenance requiring careful thought as to the type of machinery needed for maintenance operations, particularly where aeration and the relief of compaction are concerned. To assess the need for machinery to carry out a range of maintenance operations we have to consider a number of factors: 1)Soil type 2)Volume of play 3)Total area of maintenance 4)Out of season use, i.e. cricket outfield 5)Time allocation 6)Staff allocation and skills level Each of the above factors, and others, will play a key part in the selection of machinery. Surface Requirements All football disciplines require a surface where either the ball can run evenly at pace across the surface without deviation or bounce (as in soccer) or where the players can run at pace without fear of leg joints, ligament or ankle injuries from an uneven or unstable surface. For both rugby disciplines the surface also needs to be impact absorbing and have something of a cushioning effect when players hit the ground, to prevent serious injury. This can be achieved either by turfgrass length or by allowing a little thatch to remain in the surface. With the summer game of Rugby League, this may also be achieved by a level of moisture remaining in the soil profile. Turfgrass length plays a major part in the success and suitability of the surface for the chosen sport. The surface needs to have a healthy, vigorous grass cover able to withstand heavy wear and tear, be able to recover quickly from the shearing effect of studded boots and be able to resist the onset of disease infestation. It is not intended within this booklet to enter into detail regarding suitable turfgrass characteristics for various sports surfaces, but reference to publications such as Turfgrass Seed by the Sports Turf Research Institute should fulfil most requirements. Playing Surface Provision Although construction is a separate topic, there are operations which can reasonably be considered to be within the capabilities of in-house groundstaff with, in certain circumstances, the aid of hired specialist machinery.
Materials would range from suitable sands (0.125mm to 2.0mm) to improve surface drainage through heavy clay or silty soils; loams to improve moisture and nutrient retention on very free draining sandy or chalky soils; peat (or peat substitutes) to aid moisture retention on sands or free draining light open textured loamy soils. After top-dressing always work dressing into the surface by the use of a towed brush, Osca oscillating brush, Zig-Zag Brush, lute, Dragmat or chain harrow. It is absolutely essential that top-dressings are evenly distributed and fully integrated into the turfgrass sward and not allowed to smother surface vegetation which will kill it and allow weed and possibly moss infestations.
Autumn (Early Season) Now is an ideal time to look out for, and treat, moss, disease and earthworm infestations. NOTE: When spraying operations are finished at the end of the spraying season, ensure all spraying equipment is thoroughly decontaminated, properly maintained and inspected for the replacement of worn or damaged parts. Order replacements NOW. Do not wait until the Spring when you may need the equipment urgently. Ensure your sprayer is properly prepared and stored for the Winter. Spraying equipment can be expensive so give considerable thought to what type of sprayer will fulfil your every need whether it be for pedestrian use or tractor mounted or trailed for larger areas. NOTE: Whether considering pedestrian applicators or tractor mounted applicators ensure that your staff are fully trained and hold a Certificate of Competence for chemical application. Drainage Another important consideration at this time is the effectiveness of the drainage system, both the removal of surface water through the rootzone and topsoil and the removal of soil water into the drainage system. Alternatively it may be that as a result of a number of seasons play the surface over slit drainage has become smeared and there is the need to re-establish the surface link to the under-drainage by the introduction of additional surface slits filled with sand by top-dressing. Timing of these operations is vital if undue surface disturbance is to be avoided or indeed interruption of play is to be minimised. SISIS Mole Ploughs are available and fitted with a variable pressure frame and sprung rollers, they have the advantage of causing minimal surface damage. Preparation Preparation for the winter games should start as early as possible without, where applicable, interfering with completion of the cricket season, particularly where the cricket outfield is also used for winter sports. This may involve the application of an Autumn/Winter fertilizer to include Iron to toughen the grass plant and give some disease resistance to encourage turfgrass growth both top growth and particularly root growth. Irrigation will be required to assist the introduction of the fertilizer into soil solution and subsequent availability to the turfgrass plant, and at this time of year to prevent the possibility of scorch.
Setting out and marking of pitches should commence at the end of the cricket season (or a little earlier if possible) using the 3:4:5 method to ensure accuracy. Erection of goal posts and Rugby posts should be left as late as possible for ease of overall mowing operations and over-marking of pitches. NOTE: Never be tempted to break the law by the indiscriminate use of chemical additives with your marking compounds to maintain pitch markings. There are various compounds available which ensure a level of permanency, but regular over-marking is preferable to the unlawful use of chemicals which can threaten the health of players and public alike, or indeed the environment as a whole. Winter (Playing Season) As the season progresses into the winter months, and the soil becomes ever more cold, wet and compacted, the turfgrass will begin to suffer unless regular maintenance to keep the surface open and free draining is continued. Indeed the longer that optimum growing conditions can be maintained, the better and longer lasting will be the playing surface. As soils get colder and wetter, the turfgrass plants growth rate slows too. The plant never stops growing, but it can slow down its growth rate considerably, resulting in the reduction of nutrient and moisture uptake as well as the ability to resist stress factors, i.e. wear and tear, cold, frost damage and disease infestation. Therefore the longer we can aid the plants resistance to these factors the healthier the sward remains, and this is achieved by scarification, regular aeration and spiking. Scarification carried out at the end of the Summer removes a lot of the debris accumulated during the Spring and Summer months. Most of this debris comprises dead and decaying grass cuttings, stolons and rhizomes, particularly where a higher proportion of the creeping grasses are established within the sward.
This allows easier penetration of surface water, fertilizers and an increase in gaseous exchange potential which increases bacterial activity vital to the natural control of thatch build-up, decomposition of organic matter and humus and the release of soil available nutrients. Where large amounts of thatch are removed from the sward, this inevitably has to be cleared from the surface. This often has to be achieved by hand raking, but it can be removed far more quickly and effectively using the SISIS Litamisa or Litamina behind a SISIS 321 tractor. Aeration falls into two main categories. Firstly there is surface aeration, i.e. scarification and secondly, sub-surface aeration, i.e. spiking. It is important at this stage to define aeration and spiking to accurately select the appropriate equipment to achieve the intended aim. Aeration is a process by which air from the soil is replaced by air from the atmosphere. This is termed gaseous exchange and occurs principally in the rootzone where Carbon Dioxide is produced by soil organisms and roots. There is a wide range of equipment available to carry out this important task, from pedestrian operated to tractor mounted or trailed units in a variety of widths and capable of achieving various depths. An ideal SISIS unit for use on winter pitches is the Multi-Tiner attaining depths of 75mm-100mm.
Spiking is a method of cultivation where the soil surface is punctured with a variety of aerating tines each designed to undertake a number of functions or for a specific purpose. The aim of spiking is to get air, water and applied nutrients down into the soil horizon beyond 100mm and to encourage deeper rooting of the turfgrass plants. Deeper rooting gives increased access to moisture and nutrient reserves as well as improved anchorage and wear resistance.
NOTE: A word of warning when using slitters on heavy soils. As a rule of thumb, never use slitters after Christmas as the slits are prone to open up as the drier and warmer weather approaches. This is due to the fact that on heavy soils the two surfaces within the slits are polished and do not key together again when the slits close. This can result in severe cracking later on and it is far better to use solid tines if possible. Larger areas (multi pitch areas for example) suffering severe compaction as a result of regular or extended use may need to consider more intense remedial operations. This may involve the use of sub-soiling equipment. Again, as in the Autumn, timing of these operations is vital if under-surface disturbance is to be avoided or indeed interruption of play is to be minimised. (See notes on Drainage) Spring (Late Season) Now is the time to consider and prepare for the end of season renovations. Ensure the required materials, in sufficient quantities, are available together with relevant equipment, machinery and of course man-power. If equipment and machinery have been hired (this should have been done either in the Autumn or certainly at the beginning of the year at the latest), now is the time to check and make sure there are no last minute problems. This is again the time to be on the look out for pest and disease infestation and to consider remedial treatment, where necessary, for moss and earthworm infestations. It is also the time to order herbicides or to ensure sufficient stocks are in store ready for late Spring and Summer herbicide applications. Do not leave herbicide applications too late into the Summer or into the Autumn. Catch weeds before they have a chance to set seed at the completion of their life cycles. Renovations This is an extremely important time of the year when nothing must be allowed to delay pitch renovations and the preparation of areas for Summer activities, particularly where Winter sports have been played on cricket outfields. It is essential to complete renovations while there is still plenty of moisture in the soil and while there is time to complete over-seeding of worn areas and the re-establishment of a dense turfgrass sward. If a good aeration programme has been carried out throughout the playing season then there should be no need for extensive spiking operations. However, if this has not been the case then a thorough programme of spiking and deep spiking operations should be implemented to relieve surface and deep compaction problems. This work is paramount to the establishment of a healthy soil where maximum root growth, improved soil air supply is achieved (to assist the breakdown of thatch) and the overall improvement of soil structure results. These operations should incorporate, where necessary, any remedial work to surface levels and the subsequent preparation of the surface for seed-bed establishment. Surface cultivation is necessary to key applied top-dressings into existing soils and to maintain capillary movement of moisture through from the surface into the soil horizons. Surfaces can be renovated in a number of ways depending on the degree of wear that has occurred throughout the playing season. Light scarification operations may be employed to remove dead and decaying material prior to the application of top-dressings. Surfaces can be prepared with a SISIS rake mounted on the 3-point linkage of compact tractors or on to various frames including the Single Play, Twinplay or the Quadraplay universal frame attached to the 32-1 Tractor. Where extensive remedial work is necessary then it is likely that a loam top-dressing would be required prior to re-seeding. Where the damage is only light then a lime-free sand top-dressing can be applied to the surface and worked in after over-seeding. (See "Playing Surface Provision" for suitable equipment.) Generally the surfaces can be adequately renovated and seeded in one operation using any of the SISIS range of seeders.
Where surfaces have been extensively cultivated prior to seeding then the SISIS Variseeder or Tilth n Seed can be used for larger areas, while the pedestrian controlled Auto-Seeder can be used for smaller areas. Where any seeding operations take place it is infinitely better to make two or three passes in different directions at adjusted application rates to ensure even distribution and growth pattern. To ensure successful establishment of the new seed an application of a Spring/Summer fertilizer should be considered on a little and often basis (rather than one heavy application in the spring) utilising for example an 11 : 6 : 9 formulation or even an Autumn/Winter fertilizer if you want to get the turfgrass growing from early Spring when soil temperatures permit. Summer Traditionally much of the Summer work is dictated by the sports played on the surface. A considerable amount of the work will involve mowing with, when soil conditions allow, aeration to relieve compaction (if and when necessary) and to keep the surface open and the turfgrass sward growing vigorously and in a healthy condition. Mowing pitches used for the Summer game, mainly involves the use of cylinder mowers where the cuttings are boxed off. This will result in a depletion of soil nutrients and will require occasional monitoring by soil sampling and testing. As previously mentioned the Summer is a time to maintain control of any weed infestation by the controlled and recorded use of selective herbicides. Rugby League For the summer game of Rugby League, it is essential that the turfgrass is maintained in a healthy condition. This invariably requires a level of irrigation to maintain soil moisture content as ground conditions can be significantly different, particularly without adequate irrigation. Relieving surface compaction is a must, therefore a SISIS spiker such as the Javelin with Aer-Aid System is an essential piece of equipment for summer use. No responsibility is accepted by SISIS for the information contained in this article. SISIS machinery is designed, patented and manufactured in UK Copyright SISIS EQUIPMENT (Macclesfield) LTD. SISIS equipment is used at many of the world's top sporting venues, including St.Andrews, Turnberry, Wimbledon, Ascot, Guards Polo Club, Parc de Prince in Paris, King Fahd Stadium, Saudi Arabia, Pebble Beach in the USA. Some of the most popular machinery recommended by SISIS for the maintenance of football and rugby pitches:
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