Modular turf evolves to the next levelM Un 'II f

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Inthe beginning there was sports turf. It was the firstand best sports field surface. Then came indoor stadi-ums and synthetic fields. Sports facility managers

searched for a way to combine the best of modern stadiumswith the benefits of real turf. Then came modular turf thatallowed a natural turf surface to be installed in most anystadium.

Trey Rogers, Ph.D., and the staff of the Robert W.Hancock Turf Research Station at Michigan StateUniversity (MSU) have been involved with modular turfsince its beginning. Rogers, professor of turf managementat Michigan State, was part of the team that installed thefirst high-profile modular turf field for the men's WorldCup Soccer matches at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1993.

World Cup rules specify that all matches must be playedon real grass. Using modular turf to install grass inside adomed stadium allowed Detroit to win a bid for a WorldCup match that it would otherwise have lost, making his-tory in the process.

Modular turf offers many advantages:• Transportability. Modular turf can be moved in and

out of any venue, in part or whole. Facilities can now func-tion with a turf field and hard surface floor, as needed fordifferent events. This allows for more event days per yearand supports multipurpose uses that would damage a tra-ditional turf field.

• Turf replacement. Modules containing worn or dam-aged turf can be removed and replaced with ones contain-ing mature turf ready for play.

• Re-sodding cost savings. Worn turf is removed, nur-tured back to health, and replaced rather than discarded.

• Mature sod ready for play at installation. Modularturf systems can be prepared before a facility is finished.When construction is complete, mature turf is installed,ready for play immediately.

• Quick conversion to natural turf. Modular turf can belaid directly on a synthetic sports surface allowing for afast conversion to natural turf.

While modular turf has been a dream for decades, itbecame a reality in 1993.

"For those of us involved, it changed our lives forever.We did something that had never been done before. We pio-neered something that will become the standard," saysRogers. "Moving turf in and out of a stadium will be com-mon in 10 years or so."

Now, Rogers and Mark Collins, farm manager at theHancock turf station, are taking this high-tech sports turfmanagement system to another level as part of a teamworking on a new modular turf system for SpartanStadium, where MSU plays Big 10 football.

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Mark Collins seeded the modular turf using two passes with theBrillion seeder at 90 degrees to each other. Broadcast seederswere used to fill in near the field edges where equipment couldnot drive. "We could really see the difference between seeding

with the Brillion seeder and broadcast," says Collins. "The seed-ing planted with the Brillion seeder popped up about a week

ahead of expectations. "

sports TURF• http://www.sportsturfon/ine.com

Modules are 46 in. square with channels 22 in. apart on all four sides. These channels canbe sealed to create a ventilation system that can draw air down through the turf, provide

oxygen to the root zone and provide drainage for irrigation and removal of carbon dioxide.

The new modular field will be thefirst to be seeded instead of sodded. Inall previous modular turf installa-

tions, the field was constructed andused for a sporting event in the sameyear, making sod the first choice

because it would provide a playablesurface faster.

The staff at MSU's nationally rec-ognized turfgrass management pro-gram have had the luxury of planning2 years in advance. The modular turfsystem is being constructed and seed-ed this year and will be installed in2002, in time for the first footballgame in September.

"Seeding is the number one choice.You get the turf you prefer and estab-lish it the way you want," says JohnHilson, project manager, ClarkCompanies, Delhi, N.Y., a construc-tion company that has worked onevery modular turf installation in theUnited States.

Hilson notes that seeded moduleswill not have soil layering issues thatare common to sod placed on top ofsoil in the modules. By seeding theturf into the modules, this trouble-some management issue is removedfrom the equation.

Since seeding into modules is new,Collins and his team had to deter-mine the best approach. First, there

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Channels in the base of modules run the length and width of the installation. These channelscan be sealed to provide a ventilation and irrigation network.

GreenTech ITM modules have channels 22 in. apart on all four sides. The channels allow mod-ules filled with growing turf to be moved via forklift. They also create a drainage network.

Irrigation water quickly drains through holes in the bottom of each module to prevent saturation.

the issue of seeding accurately into a90 percent sand and 10 percent siltand clay root zone. To solve that, theteam chose the Brillion Turfmaker IIseeder.

"We have worked with Brillionseeders at the research station foryears. They are known for accurateseed metering and for creating a qual-ity seed bed," says Collins. "We werevery confident that we would get ahigh quality stand."

Second, there was the challenge ofgetting seeding equipment onto andoff of the modules, which are 12 inch-es tall when installed. To solve thisproblem, the team built ramps thatallowed equipment to drive safely onand off the modules.

The first time the John Deere 5200tractor and the pull-type 12-footBrillion seeder were driven on themodules, the weight was too much,sinking the equipment into the sandy

24 August 2001

soil. A switch to low-pressure turftireson the tractor and a smaller 6-ft.,three-point-hitch-mounted TurfmakerJunior seeder allowed the equipmentto stay on the surface.

In addition, the unusually wetweather complicated the schedule,delaying the seeding date 2 weeks toMay 25, nearly a month later thanoptimum turf seeding time in centralMichigan. On seeding day, the weath-er was overcast and cool, and a finerain started to fall just as seedingbegan. After three hours, the processwas completed successfully.

"The seeder worked great in thesandy soil," says Collins. "We gotexcellent seed-to-soil contact whichshortened our germination time diia-mati cally. Seeding in the grooves fromthe seeder popped right up in 10days."

Collins seeded 93,000 sq. ft. at arate of 1.3 pounds per 1,000. TheBrillion seeder made two passes at 90degrees to each other and broadcastseeders were used to fill in near theotherwise unreachable field edges.

KY bluegrass planted"We studied all our options to

death," Rogers says. "In our situationKentucky bluegrass is the 'bestchoice." Color, cool tolerance, durabili-ty, and texture are important attrib-utes of Kentucky bluegrass, but mostimportant was rhizomitous growth torespond to traffic and abuse.

The two primary reasons for usingnine varieties of Kentucky bluegrasswere, 1) the diversity allows the turf tobetter cope with any pests or environ-mental challenges and, 2) the turfgrassgroup works with many seed compa-nies and wanted to include as manydifferent varieties as possible.

It's no surprise that an experi-enced team tackled this project giventhe new elements of seeding insteadof sodding the modular turf. Rogersworked with Hilson and the ClarkCompanies in the Silverdome in 1993,and they are using GreenTech ITMmodules. GreenTech designed andsupplied modules for Millennium soc-cer stadium in Cardiff, Wales; theNew York Giants football and NewYork/New Jersey MetroStars soccerfields in the Meadowlands, NJ; andjust announced it is installing its sys-tem in Lane Stadium at Virginia Techfor the upcoming football season.

sports TURF• http://www.sportsturfonline.com

"Our system allows you to trans-port turf in a self-contained livingenvironment," says Chris Scott, chiefexecutive officer of GreenTech, Inc.,Richmond, VA. "Our modules look likea combination flower pot and ware-house pallet."

The GreenTech modules are plas-tic, measure 46 in. square and havechannels every 22 in. on all foursides. Modules are installed on ablacktop surface with a l-percentgrade from field center to the side-lines. The channels allow modules tobe moved by forklift but they haveanother purpose.

The modular turf system at MSUwas seeded with a BrillionTurfMaker Junior, 6-ft., three-point-hitch-mounted seeder. The Brillionseeder is known for precise seedmetering and overall durability. Ninevarieties of Kentucky bluegrass wereseeded in four passes with a totalseeding rate of 1.3 pounds of seed per1,000 sq. ft.

When a modular field is installed,the channels provide a crosshatch

network of air ducts beneath thegrowing medium. One obvious benefitof the duct network is to drain wateraway. Irrigation water filters throughmodules, into the ducts and off thefield without any backup or satura-tion.

This network also can be sealedand used to circulate air under theturf.

"I can move air through the rootzone using one blower in one corner ofthe field," says Hilson. "This systemseals well enough to give me uniformpressure and uniform flow through-out."

He says using air for heating andcooling is more uniform than radiantheat. By controlling the turf tempera-ture, the growing season can beextended indefinitely. The air ductsalso provide the opportuni ty toremove carbon dioxide from the rootzone to promote better growth. Thesystem allows for supplemental oxy-gen or soil treatments like fumigantsor vapor fertilizers to be applied tothe field.

Thanks to favorable weather andfast germination, the modular turfinstallation at MSU shows an excel-lent stand. The turf will be main-tained at 1.25 to 1.5 inches through-out the growing season. Installationat Spartan Stadium is planned forJune 2002 for which sportsTURF willprovide a detailed report.

Richard Dunn from Charleston /Orwig, Inc., provided this story; theyrepresent Brillion Farm Equipment.

STMA • http://www.sportsturfmanager.com

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August 2001 25