Project Number: 1932-12000-004-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 10, 2006
End Date: Aug 09, 2009

Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research project is to develop innovative technologies/management practices that overcome soil-based limitations to turf and amenity grass production, establishment, and use in a community based playing field context. Major components of this research effort include: (1) Develop a knowledge of best practices for construction of community playing fields; (2) Develop the requirements for constructed soils for use in building these playing fields; (3) Establish local experimental plots to develop standards for subsoil compaction in the construction of playing fields and test prospective constructed soils; and (4) Develop a knowledge base to be used in modeling constructed soils for use throughout the Appalachian region.

Approach:
The approach of this research will be to: (a) Establish one or more sites where experimental playing fields will be established using current best practices; (b) Conduct ASTM soil engineering test procedures on the sites to determine how different % compaction levels affect water retention characteristics and shear strength of soil samples; (c) Use these results to layout replicated field experiments to test the impact of compaction level on growth and development of sod and the quality of the playing surfaces; d) If appropriate, determination of irrigation effectiveness using rainwater catchments will also be undertaken with these fields; (e) Summarize these results for a bulletin that the industry can use for decision making and modelers can use in developing models for use in prescribing constructed soil recipes; and (f) Renovate the experimental playing fields with constructed soils developed based on the models. This is a multi-year project with each of the steps outlined above occurring sequentially. One of the sites will be in the Beckley, WV area to allow easy access from the Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center (AFSRC) laboratory. Where appropriate, input from independent commercial contractors will be encouraged so that standard operating practices in the area can be determined. The constructed soils development group (AFSRC) will participate throughout all stages of the project. A graduate student selected and supervised by the Virginia Tech cooperators will carry out field and laboratory research. The student will have equal access to Virginia Tech and AFSCR facilities and personnel. Successful completion of this research will result in one or more student theses, several brochures and one or more research and management models.