Laboratory Evaluation of Soil Mixtures for Sports Turf
1981
Taylor, D. H. | Blake, G. R.
The suitability of soil mixtures for sports turfgrass areas is often determined by measuring physical properties of laboratory-packed samples. The objectives of this study were (i) to establish a basis for choice of laboratory packing conditions for preparing test samples; and (ii) to determine whether physical properties of soil mixtures after in-situ settling on sports turfgrass areas were correlated to physical properties of the same mixtures packed and tested in the laboratory. Seven soil mixtures varying from 76 to 97% sand by weight were packed in the laboratory by applying impact energies of 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0 J/cm² to samples at water potentials of −30, −100, −330 mbar. Comparisons of Kₛₐₜ and bulk density of laboratory-packed samples with sustained infiltration rate and bulk density of mixtures after turf growth and compaction under greenhouse conditions indicated a packing combination of 3.0 J/cm² packing energy to a sample at −100 mbar water potential was equal or preferable to any other combination. Using this laboratory packing combination, Kₛₐₜ, bulk density, and air porosity at −30, −40, −60, and −100 mbar water potentials of undisturbed cores from golf greens were compared to corresponding properties on disturbed samples taken from the greens and packed in the laboratory. Laboratory-packed samples were not indicative of the properties of soil mixtures after settling in situ on greens. Sand content was a better measure of the physical qualities of soil mixtures in the field than were physical properties of laboratory-packed samples.
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