By Mary Helen Sprecher
Ask anyone about the most important ingredient in the success of a sports field, and responses might include maintenance, amount of use and proper fertilization. However, if your irrigation practices (and/or systems) are not up to par, the result will be problems that impact every other aspect of your field management.
Conduct an audit
One key to identifying irrigation problems is to conduct an irrigation audit. An important component of an effective field audit is to involve user groups. Athletes will be the first to tell you if the fields are muddy, slippery or dusty. And since they are on all areas of your fields, their input is worth a listen. The more of an open dialogue you can create, the better off you’ll be.
Another key component of any irrigation audit is a boots-on-the-ground approach. Get out there and walk your fields; then climb up in your bleachers and look down. Are your fields uniformly lush and green? If not, there could be several factors contributing to that. The tricky part is that some will signify improper irrigation, and some will not.
According to the SFMA, irrigation audits should be conducted regularly by field staff or outside contractors to assess the system function, ensuring that the irrigation system works reliably and cost effectively. For more information about irrigation best practices, see the SFMA BMP guide (https://www.sportsfieldmanagement.org/knowledge_center/bmps/). The Irrigation Association has also published irrigation audit guidelines (see https://irrigation.org/IA/Resources/Technical-Resources/).
Too much water
Yes, water is life but too much water can have the opposite effect. Here are some signs that your field is getting too much H20:
- The grass is wilting and/or yellowing: The fact that the grass is not standing up and holding its lush, green color does not always mean it needs more water. In many cases, it may need less. Too much water will oversaturate the root system, meaning the grass will not get the nutrients it needs from the soil.
- Thatch: While thatch itself is a problem, it can also attract insects.
- Field feels hard underfoot: It sounds contradictory, but a field that gets too wet will compress and the soil will become compacted and hard, something that may be more evident as you go through a dry spell.
- Weeds: If you have noticed far more weeds, too much water is usually the culprit. Weeds are moisture-loving plants and they’re opportunistic.
- Increased indicators of disease: Fields that are overwatered are more susceptible to disease, particularly fungus, as evidenced by brown spots on grass blades and discolored areas that keep expanding in size – as well as a variety of other symptoms.
- Puddles, wet ruts: If there is standing water on your field, it is a sure sign your soil is getting more water than it can handle.
Obviously, overwatering is an issue that can be corrected. How much water the field does need, however, may be a question you want to ask a local agronomist, who can give suggestions, based on the type of soil, the type of turfgrass and the weather – as well as the amount of use your fields get. (Remember that weather fluctuates, and your irrigation system may need to be recalibrated periodically in order to contribute to optimum field health.) Something else that can help is aerating the soil to reduce compaction, enhance drainage and stimulate root growth.
Too little water
Symptoms your field isn’t getting the water it needs include:
- A dry and crumbly top layer of the soil (or patches of soil)
- Brownish color
- Inability to spring back: If grass remains flattened following use, it could be a sign more watering is needed
- Slow growth
Other essential factors to consider
How much water is a critical question when it comes to field health, but it’s not the only one. When you water is essential. Watering a field right before a game can be detrimental. Sports field builders will tell you to use “the rule of six” – water a field six, 12 or 18 hours prior to a game in order to have optimum grass health and playability for athletes. The skinned areas of baseball and softball fields may need water closer to the start of a game to keep dust down; however, in the course of watering the skinned areas, your grounds crew should ascertain that water does not fall on the grass itself.
Irrigation should not trespass outside the field. If your system is spraying water onto bleachers, dugouts or any areas outside your fence, it’s not working efficiently. Water should be falling on the playing area and nowhere else. Spend time redirecting the sprinkler heads and replacing or repairing any that are broken and/or malfunctioning.
In some cases, for example, a field’s color change can signify a need for more fertilizer, or it can be a symptom of fatigue following a period of heavy use. If the ground is saturated from too much rain (rather than from mechanical irrigation), surface and subsurface drainage options can help move water off the field and into areas such as water retention ponds.
Mary Helen Sprecher wrote this article on behalf of the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA). For additional information, see Sports Fields: Construction and Maintenance Manual (available at sportsbuilders.org).
