Articles
Comparing the Rutgers Wear Simulator, Cady Traffic Simulator, and Brinkman Traffic Simulator
Article number
1122_14
Pages
103 – 110
Language
English
Abstract
The Rutgers Wear Simulator (RWS), Cady Traffic Simulator (CTS), and Brinkman Traffic Simulator (BTS) have been developed to impart wear or the combined stresses of wear and compaction on turfgrass.
The objective of these trials was to compare the effects of three traffic simulators on tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea ‘Falcon V’), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne ‘Derby XTreme’), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis ‘Midnight II’). Species-trials were seeded September 2010 on a loamy soil in North Brunswick, NJ, USA. Treatments consisted of a control and 28 passes of the RWS, CTS, and BTS (four passes per week) during autumn (5 October-17 November) 2011 and (19 September-1 November) 2012. Quality, bruising, divot injury and fullness of turf canopy (FTC) were visually assessed.
All machines reduced quality by eight passes compared to the control in all species-trials.
Reduced quality and FTC on tall fescue occurred more rapidly and to a greater extent with the CTS than the BTS. Reductions in quality of perennial ryegrass were more similar among machines.
In Kentucky bluegrass, quality and FTC were similar among all machines by the end of the trial in 2011; however, the CTS caused the most severe reduction of these parameters in 2012. Bruising injury was greatest in RWS plots and divot injury was virtually absent with the CTS. Turfgrass recovery during 2012 and 2013 was slowest in RWS plots compared to the CTS and BTS plots.
The objective of these trials was to compare the effects of three traffic simulators on tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea ‘Falcon V’), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne ‘Derby XTreme’), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis ‘Midnight II’). Species-trials were seeded September 2010 on a loamy soil in North Brunswick, NJ, USA. Treatments consisted of a control and 28 passes of the RWS, CTS, and BTS (four passes per week) during autumn (5 October-17 November) 2011 and (19 September-1 November) 2012. Quality, bruising, divot injury and fullness of turf canopy (FTC) were visually assessed.
All machines reduced quality by eight passes compared to the control in all species-trials.
Reduced quality and FTC on tall fescue occurred more rapidly and to a greater extent with the CTS than the BTS. Reductions in quality of perennial ryegrass were more similar among machines.
In Kentucky bluegrass, quality and FTC were similar among all machines by the end of the trial in 2011; however, the CTS caused the most severe reduction of these parameters in 2012. Bruising injury was greatest in RWS plots and divot injury was virtually absent with the CTS. Turfgrass recovery during 2012 and 2013 was slowest in RWS plots compared to the CTS and BTS plots.
Authors
B.S. Park, H. Chen, J.A. Murphy
Keywords
tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, turfgrass, digital image analysis, soil bulk density
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