Sports fields thrive with Compost
Anyone who plays and loves sport now has a great reason to like compost too! Compost helps the soil resist compaction and gives roots better access to water and air.
Using compost on sports fields delivers remarkable recreational, environmental and economic outcomes. Dr Paul Lamble from Peak Water Consulting presented on this topic at the AORA conference in June.
“Irrigation demand has been increasing since the year 2000 in the New South Wales region of Newcastle due to less rainfall and higher evaporation,” Dr Lamble said.
Nearly two thirds (64%) of sporting fields in the lower Hunter are in poor or very poor condition and over three quarters (77%) were receiving low levels of use.
The condition of sporting fields usually depends on soil conditions, not usage.
Building and maintaining sporting fields to best practice means they can handle 50 hours a week or more of use. Compost is one key component in the mix. Best practice sporting fields:
1. Require less water to keep the field functional,
2. Have higher carrying capacity, so the field can handle more players,
3. Have good turf cover with a lush playing surface, often a deep green colour, and
4. Require less maintenance to keep the field in optimum condition.
Sports fields made with compost deliver the best outcomes for local communities.
AgEnviro Solutions Soil and Irrigation Scientist, Dr Mick Battam, produced a series of videos on improving environmental outcomes for sporting fields. Dr Battam said sports fields made with compost offer much better outcomes for local communities compared with sporting fields made with synthetic turf, including:
1. Significant cost savings,
2. Cooling the environment and lowering temperatures on the field,
3. Maintaining soil biodiversity to support local ecosystems, and
4. Drawing down carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it in soil.
“Australian Standard compost comes from green bins and it’s full of nitrogen and other key nutrients. When it’s mixed into the soil it gives you a slow-release nutrient bank within the soil. And even more importantly, it holds the soil structure open so it’s less prone to setting hard. As a result, the grass grows very, very quickly,” Dr Battam said.
Content used with permission.