Considering The Environment

August 19'

Considering The Environment

In the turf industry, especially winter sports pitches, many of us are guilty of not putting the environment first when managing our turf. The pressures of producing an aesthetically pleasing pitch on a sand dominant rootzone leads to excess inputs.

It has been a consideration of mine for some time about how we manage our pitches, the amount of fungicides used, over watering, over feeding and the amount of leaching which can occur. Are we doing the right thing? probably not. but are we doing what we need to? probably. 

The expectation for presentation nowadays is high and the improvements in technology over the last fifteen years or so has meant that it is possible to produce a pitch with both high percentages of grass coverage and pitch stability all year round. This comes at a cost. 

The cost is both financial and environmental. Pitch lights are both expensive to buy and run, using a lot of electricity, with many clubs limiting how long they are allowed to be on the pitch. But the lights allow year round growth (requiring more nutrient input), increased turf density during the winter and turf recovery after play, which is a massive benefit for us seeing the pitch through the difficult winter period.

Most professional football clubs now have some form of constructed/reinforced pitches made up of a sand dominate rootzone which has high infiltration and drainage rates. Moving moisture through the soil reduces the chances of water logging and fixtures being lost, costing a lot of money and inconvenience for the clubs involved.

From the environmental point of view, with increased drainage through the pitch, leading to more irrigation being applied and higher inputs of nutrients due to more nutrients being leached and not taken up by the plant, are we doing the right thing? what is going to happen in the future if nutrient and chemical leaching is monitored and restricted? This could force a rethink in pitch construction in the future so the management of the pitch can change to fit in to possible fertiliser input restrictions, whilst still getting the pitch performance required. As technology is moving forward, we are seeing UV machines controlling disease, there are interesting times ahead and I'm sure this will become a hot topic in the next few years.

There are a few things which we are putting in place at Ipswich Town. Firstly, we have moved over to using a cleaner diesel in the ride on mowers and the tractors. This lowers the emissions because it burns natural gas rather than diesel oil. It also reduces noise which improves the environment for those living around us.

Over the last couple of years, we have made a conscious effort to reduce fungicide application. As a rule, we do not apply fungicides as a preventative, and will only apply at first signs of disease if we feel we need to. 

Not all pitches which have an outbreak will be treated due to the costs involved and a move towards making a nutrient application instead has been our first consideration. I am a strong believer that in winter pitches, in most cases, playing on a pitch which holds too much water in the surface can do more damage than an outbreak of fusarium will cause. Although of course neither is desirable...

Sharpening a bottom blade

We keep the mower blades sharp to cut the leaf cleaner to help prevent disease outbreak and make the water and fertiliser work more efficiently by not having the use the plants energy to repair damaged leaves. Along with other cultural methods, it doesn't mean we won't suffer from disease but if we can limit the amount and deal with it as quickly as we can, which ever way we do it.