Sustainable Commercial Sod Production of Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda Grass) in Ghana: Assessing Growth, Visual, and Physical Quality

Abstract

Despite health and environmental concerns associated with the use of artificial grass, there is a noticeable shift towards its usage. Using natural sod remains a more sustainable approach to maintain pitch quality in the country, though it is not commercially available. This study evaluated the growth, visual, and physical quality of Bermuda grass for commercial sod production using both seed and sprigs in Ghana. The experiment employed a 3x3 factorial randomized complete block design with three replications, considering fertilizer and base netting as factors. Fertilizer levels included chicken manure (10 tons/ha), Harvestmore® foliar fertilizer (460 kg/ha), and no fertilizer. Base netting consisted of window net, jute fibre mat, and no base netting. Parameters such as tiller length, clipping biomass, chlorophyll content index (CCI), color, smoothness, coverage, tensile strength, and handling quality were measured. For seeded sod, chicken manure without base netting resulted in the highest tiller length (27.62 cm), while the foliar fertilizer and no net interaction recorded 33.13 cm for sprigged sod. The combination of chicken manure with netting and without base netting exhibited the highest CCI, with values of 37.51 and 40.53 for seeded and sprigged sod, respectively. Treatments with fertilizer displayed the best genetic color performance, and treatments with window netting also showed the best results for handling and tensile strength. Overall, the application of chicken manure and foliar fertilizer with window netting significantly improved the growth, visual appearance, and physical strength of both seeded and sprigged sod, meeting commercial standards.