Management of compaction and water content of soil for uniformity of zoysiagrass carpet cutting.

• Grant number: 11/08476-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Roberto Lyra Villas Boas
• Grantee: Roberto Lyra Villas Boas
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The knowledge of soil compaction and its relationship to the system of carpets collection is important to proper management of soil physical conditions and to improve the Zoysiagrass sod production. The required level of compression for carpets collection must interfere as little as possible in the lawn formed after the court in order to reduce its time composition. It requires an appropriated management of water content and compaction at the moment of harvest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation and the amount of compression by load variation using compactor roller at the moment of carpets collection, to allow the removal of intact carpets, and to provide the minimal soil compaction underneath the area where the carpet was removed, so that the subsequent development of the lawn may occur quickly and appropriately. The experiment will be conducted on two commercial grass production farms, mechanically harvested, belonged to Grams Xavier Company. The specie selected is Zoysia japonica Steud., grass knowned as Zoysiagrass. The experiment will be organized in blocks in a factorial 3 x 4, with the first factor established (water levels) one day before compaction, and the second factor (amount of compression by load variation) applied using a roller at the moment of harvest rugs, with four replications, totalizing 48 experimental units. The parameters analyzed will be water content at the moment of cutting, total porosity, macroporosity and microporosity, curve of maximum compression, curve of water retention in soil, soil density, rate of water infiltration into the soil, soil resistance to penetration, mechanical strength of carpets and green coverage of soil (it reflects the time of carpet formation). (AU)