The effects of recycled rubber particles as a turfgrass topdressing amendment for intense traffic areas

Abstract

In 1985, rubber particles were screened and placed in research plots at the University of Missouri-Columbia Turfgrass Research Center and Rockbridge High School, Columbia, MO. The researcher\u27s concept was to spread the materials on the surface as a layer of topdressing to create an enhanced mat of vegetation and rubber that would provide a better cushion for athletic fields. Various techniques were used to apply the rubber. One method simply spread the rubber as a 1.3 em layer of topdressing and allowed the grass to grow upwards through the rubber layer. Another method of application used vertical mowing and core aerification to provide some mixing of the rubber into the soil surface. Some of the observations from these field plot studies indicated that: 1) topdressing with 1.3 em of rubber did not show any negative effects on growth of mature Kentucky bluegrass, 2) there was a noticeable increase in spring green-up when rubber was applied in early spring, and 3) turf injury from traffic was reduced (Dr. David D. Minner, personal communication)