Cover Story
Common Problems
of Mississippi Sports Fields By Mr. Michael Richard, Mississippi State University, Turfgrass Extension Associate
A
cross Mississippi, youth of all ages are enjoying America’s greatest past times. There’s no denying that sports are interwoven into the fabric of who we are as a nation. Some of my fondest memories as a child were made on the baseball, football, or soccer field. In my current role, I have the pleasure of visiting high school sports fields across Mississippi. The coaches and field managers I meet have a great passion for providing the best playing surface for their athletes. They juggle several job responsibilities and have limited budgets – making field maintenance a difficult task. In my travels, I
10 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Spring 2019
have noticed some common maintenance practices that are lacking or in need of correction.
Cultivation
Compacted soils may be the biggest constraint to proper turfgrass growth. Compaction occurs from excessive traffic that compresses soil particles, which restricts water and air movement through the soil profile. Turfgrass roots may be unable to penetrate the soil, which decreases turfgrass resilience to wear. Soil of our sports fields must be physically modified to relieve compaction, either modestly on a yearly basis,
or more aggressively on a less frequent basis. The most effective way to do this is through annual aerification and topdressing. Aerification involves removing or loosening soil to relieve compaction, which improves drainage and increases water and air infiltration to turfgrass roots. This is best accomplished with a hollow tine core-aerifier that pulls soil plugs (Figure 1). Core aerification is most effective in conjunction with sand topdressing. Applying 1/8 to 1/4 inch of coarse sand during or immediately after core removal will fill the holes and help alter soil structure (Figure 2). Sand topdressing
