Fixtures lost due to compaction

Carol Duttonin Football

FIXTURES LOST DUE TO COMPACTION

Water logging on football pitches, which was responsible for the cancellation of 24 fixtures on Saturday (20th Dec. as summarised on BBC tele-text), could be due to deep compaction panning problems below the surface.

Lynda Green, director of Suffolk based Terrain Aeration says that on many pitches, compaction problems, undetected during the dry early part of the season have now become dramatically apparent following heavy rain.

"There comes a time in a football pitch's life where standard tines/aeration machines reach a certain depth and then create their own compaction pan layer," she says. "Once in a while this layer needs to be broken through, and we can achieve this with our "Airforce" terralift machines, using air under pressure (up to 18 bar - 260psi) which create underground fissures and fractures to a depth of one metre.

This treatment should last at least five years when used in conjunction with the club's own aeration programme. Surface aeration will link to our in-depth treatment, improving soil structure, encouraging a stronger root growth and healthier sward, which is less susceptible to damage by scuffing."

Turf managers who suspect that water logging on their pitches is due to deep compaction panning, should call Terrain Aeration on Tel:01449 673783.

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