Genetic Biomarkers describe different biological characteristics of soils, as results of microbial rRNA and marker genes secuence studies. Soil functions, their capacity to resist toxicity, pests, fertility and others will depend on their microbiome.

The richness of soil microbiome is pretty valuable, more than a fourth part of the total global species live in soils.

In our sport fields, greens and other sport surfaces, we find all kind of organisms like small animals, nematodes, insects, plants and a whole microbial flora which includes fungus, bacteria, protist and arquea.

Soil microbiome is the whole amount of microbial life, which will be richer as it is more hetereogenus. The right management will have a great influence on it, pesticides will reduce, it while integrated pest management and sustainable practices will favour it. The best nutrition will depend on having enough nutrients in the soil but also sufficient and diverse soil microorganisms able to cycle nutrients and to increase biovailability of nutrients for grass.

Streptomyces is a good example of how rich are our soils, the human pharmacy, more than 80% of our antibiotics come from it.

Sports surface microbial flora are so large and different than we could not identify them by knowing them all, but we can do it due to their different functions and use those as genetic biomarkers . As most of the time, the management success comes with the right balance, through an optimal nutrition, knowing all these organisms and their metabolisms will give us a key factor to make differences among soils, depending on the way they fix Carbon in the soil or release nutrients (mineralization), inmobilize (denitrification), etc..

Our goal will focus on increasing the Fungus – Bacterial ratios as a good biomarker for turf

The soil quality will be given by the quantification of species, summary distribution of bacteria and fungus, diversity, functionality and resistance of microbial species metabolic functions present in the soil, and the vulnerability of the system based on estimation of the microbiome resistance. Inoculation of microbial flora is also a good management, adding probiotics and prebiotics in a good balance, meaning adding beneficial flora and keeping the best conditions for its growth and development. The development of products like OxyTurf, inoculations of fungus like Glomus iranicum var. tenuihypharum has great benefits on Sport Surfaces.

Ask at info@tiloom.com in order to learn more about our biodinamic protocols to achieve a eficient management for your sport surfaces

Nowdays, in this new era post-Covid, with the biggest recesion on our tourism & leisure industry, we must to reinvent ourselves. Our sport surface management and design must change to adapt these new days to versatility in a way to optimise its use all year round depending on clients demand.

Versatility does not make a sport surface worst but more profitable

Inclusion of different sport practices on the same venue requires a design and management which must take into account the characteristics of those particular sports, we need to understand the games properly. It will be easy to mix Football and Rugby, meanwhile in the case for Football and Cricket will need some adjustments to adapt both sports to their required playability, biomechanic needs and agronomic conditions. The adaptability to those changes in the design phase is easy but doing so once the venue is built, will have high costs and sometimes it will not be possible, so that these are important aspects on the first steps of the process.

For Cricket venues, the moisture either for the outifield and wickets need to be under control, monitoring the right amount of water added in each irrigation cicle, use of covers, etc…Cricketers will ask for dry surfaces (without dew) menwhile footballers ask for water very often in order to have faster ball roll. The irrigation scheme will also require that consideration at the design phase, adjusting coverage to the desired watered areas and avoiding use of irrigation pipes under the Cricket Pitches.

On these designs, the space between football and Cricket pitches can be used for goalkeepers training, making again versatile each square meter of our sport facilities. The number of wickets will need to be sufficient to allow groundsmen to renovate them while play can be carried out without disturbance.

Technology tools will also be versatile, groundsmen will just change the range at which they set up their surfaces depending on sport practices. Infiltration rates on Wickets will be just of a few units meanwhile at our football pitches should be of a few hundreds. Hardiness on football will require values among 60 and 90 gravities while on wickets most times should be above 300 G through compaction done with rollers and lowering slowly the amount of water in our soils. Another characteristic very important to take into account is the amount of organic matter, and even more its control. On the mechanic aeration point of view, tungsten materials will be required on hard and clay content surfaces like wickets.

Capacity to swap over height of cuts depending on required sport will also be neccesary

We should not forget about the nets, so important at Cricket training. Recomended ranges apply also to these surfaces, and not just being at right values but being homogeneous on the whole area studied.

In the same way, versatility may apply to Croquet and Bowling greens, just taking into consideration their playability.

If you need assessment on design multysport surfaces please get in touch with us a info@tiloom.com

If you require to carry out an optimum sport surface management, it will be neccessary to analize deeply all the parametres which influences them, either data obtained through laboratory analysis and evaluation tests of the actual sport facilities (Quality controls).