Managing Traffic Stress San Diego 2013 Dr. Jim Murphy Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey [email protected] Seminar Objective • To increase superintendents’ understanding of traffic stress and its management Web Resources • www.gcsaa.org • www.USGA.org • www.NTEP.org • www.lib.msu.edu/tgif/ This PowerPoint presentation at … www.turf.rutgers.edu under NEWS Survey Results 2010 2011 2013 n=39 n=27 n=20 • Ideas on Traffic Control 97% 96% 95% • Info on Cultural Practices 95% 100% 95% to Enhance Wear Tolerance and Recovery • Basic Physiology 59% 67% 55% • Disease Response 41% 37% 40% • Construction / 74% 70% 70% re-construction Ideas Managing Traffic Stress 1:00-1:45 Traffic Stresses 1:45-2:30 Traffic Routing and Control 2:30-3:00 Cultivation Break 3:15-3:40 Topdressing 3:40-3:55 Organic Matter 3:55-4:15 Soil Fertility / Nutrition 4:15-4:45 Biostimulants & PGRs 4:45-5:00 Closing Comments Traffic Four Potential Stresses • Wear • Compaction • Soil displacement • Divot Removal Wear Injury to a turfgrass resulting from pressure, tearing, and scuffing Affects aboveground plant parts – turfgrass leaves, stems and crowns Wear Amount of injury is a function of the type and intensity of traffic: • High pressure per unit area • Twisting, turning, and slippage • Straight line traffic less damaging than turning traffic • Repeated and concentrated traffic Repeated and unsustainable wear will … – thin the canopy – allowing weeds to invade and, – ultimately, expose soil. Exposed soil is NOT protected from compaction (compacted soil results). Tolerance to Wear Stress • Warm season species often better than cool season species • Vigorous, well adapted species and cultivars vs. less vigorous • Mature plants better than seedlings or young plants • Vigorous, active growth better than slow growing or dormant plants