Jackie Lyn Guevara, Ryan Bearss, Rhys Fielder, Kyley H. Dickson, John C. Sorochan, & John N. Rogers
Abstract
The goal of hybrid turfgrass systems is to harness the benefits of both natural turfgrass and synthetic turfgrass on athletic performance and safety. A common approach is to reinforce natural turfgrass athletic fields with synthetic fibers, thereby increasing surface stability while maintaining a safe playing surface. Shockpads have been utilized in synthetic turfgrass systems to decrease surface hardness and increase shock absorption. Although safety and performance guidelines for shockpads in synthetic turfgrass systems are established, the integration of shockpads into the existing hybrid turfgrass system has not been researched. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and performance of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) hybrid turfgrass systems built with various combinations of carpet-mat systems and shockpads. The three carpet-mat treatments were Eclipse, Hero, and no inclusion (control). The eight shockpad treatments were Armacell ® [8 and 16 mm], Brock® Pro, Brock® SPX [14, 17, and 20 mm], Brock® YSR, and concrete (control). This study was established on plastic in October 2021 at Carolina Green Sod Farm, Indian Trail, North Carolina. The surface hardness and ball rebound were measured at 19 and 28 weeks after seeding (WAS). For surface hardness, it was found that the combination of a carpet-mat system (Hero or Eclipse) and concrete (control) produced the highest Gmax. Meanwhile, the combination of no inclusion (control) and Armacell ® [16 mm] produced the lowest Gmax. For ball rebound, main effects of carpet-mat system and shockpad were significant at 28 WAS. Among carpet-mat systems, Hero had the highest ball rebound. Among shockpads, Armacell ® [16 mm] had the lowest ball rebound while Brock® SPX [14, 17, and 20 mm] and YSR had the highest ball rebound.
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