Improving Athletic Field Drainage With Drain Tile Installation and Subsequent Sand Topdressing.

In efforts to reduce renovation costs of failing native soil athletic fields, researchers have been exploring drain tile installation and subsequent sand topdressing applications, providing a built-up sand-based system, without disrupting field use.  Sand-based root zones provide rapid infiltration while drain tiles provide rapid subsurface drainage.  The objective of this research was to establish optimum drain tile spacing, in combination with sand topdressing, necessary to prevent prolonged soil saturation.  An RCBD field study on a sandy loam soil, A horizon of a Colwood series (fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Endoaquoll), in East Lansing, MI was seeded May 29, 2007 with a 90% Poa pratensis L. – 10% Lolium perenne L. mixture.  Factors were cumulative topdressing applications and drain tile spacing.  Topdressing applications consisted of a well-graded high sand content material (90% sand – 10% silt/clay) applied 0, 2, and 4 times annually at a rate of 11.5 kg m^-2.  Drain tiles were spaced 2, 3, 4 and 6 m apart installed perpendicular to a 1.0% slope and were compared to an 8.14 m long control without drain tiles.  Treatment boxes, 1.7 m wide x 2.14 – 8.14 m long x 0.4 m deep, had a series of collection pipes installed to collect surface runoff, tile drainage, and subsoil infiltration.  All drain tile spacing prevented significant surface runoff in comparison to the control after 1.3 cm irrigation events.  Drain tile spacing up to 4 m apart reduced surface moisture in comparison to the control following irrigation events.  Two topdressing applications totaling 23 kg m^-2 decreased surface moisture by up to 38, 41, and 49%, observed 1, 2 and 4 hrs, respectively, after irrigation events.  Results suggest that drain tiles spaced up to 4 m apart and 23 kg m^-2 of topdressing will keep the athletic field in playing condition a greater proportion of time.