Landscape Studies of Maintenance of Lawns in some Football Yards at Dakahlia Governorate Part 1. Effect of Different Fertilization Programs on the Growth Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Turfgrasses of Five Established Football Fields.

Abstract

This study was carried out during the two successive seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 on five established football (soccer) green fields (yards) in the urban and suburban areas of MansouraCity, Dkahlia Governorate, Egypt. It aimed to compare the effects of different fertilization programs on the performance and quality of the lawn (turfgrass) of the five yards (fields). Five football fields were chosen based on similarity of basic specifications namely; a standard field size (65-70 m in width and 100-110 m in length), planted using sods of Paspalum vaginatum Sw lawn (turfgrass), sandy soil (sand thickness of 15-20 cm over 30 cm layer of pebble stones), all have existing drainage systems, and no soil aeration were carried out in any of the fields' maintenance programs. The football yards (fields) were Mansoura Stadium, MansouraUniversity and El-Shaab stadiums (located in Mansoura city) in addition to Beny Ebeid and Secondary Beny Ebeid stadiums (located in Beny Ebeid town). Data of maintenance programs were collected from the maintenance managers of different stadiums. In addition, measurements for the visual color and quality in addition to total chlorophyll contents (mg/g fresh clipping sample), and N, P and K percentages in the clipping samples of the turfgrass (lawn) of the five fields were carried out during the two seasons.The obtained results showed that increasing number of N applications (doses) combined with reasonable low quantity each application (dose) had a positive effect on color and quality of the turf in addition to its chlorophyll content. The results also supported the need of adding phosphorus to the turfgrass, but to a much lesser degree than the need of nitrogen. Based on the results of both seasons, Mansoura University Stadium fertilization program was the best to achieve better visual color and quality of the turfgrass in addition to total chlorophyll contents (mg/g fresh weight) of the clippings. This program comprised of five applications (doses) of a mixture of urea and potassium nitrate fertilizers (50% each); each dose containing 0.62 Kg N /100 m2 of the grass field during spring and summer months (March – October); summing up a total of 3.12 Kg N / 100 m2 / year, in addition to two applications of calcium super phosphate ; each containing 0.34 Kg P /100 m2 of the grass field during fall and winter months (November – February) summing up a total of 0.69 Kg P / 100 m2 of grass.