To reduce maintenance costs, municipalities and schools are starting to replace natural grass fields with a new generation synthetic turf. Unlike Astro-Turf, which was first introduced in the 1960s, synthetic field turf provides more cushioning to athletes. Part of this cushioning comes from materials like crumb rubber infill, which is manufactured from recycled tires and may contain a variety ...

Artificial surfaces are now an established alternative to grass (natural) surfaces in rugby union. Little is known, however, about their potential to reduce injury. This study characterises the spinal kinematics of rugby union hookers during scrummaging on third-generation synthetic (3G) and natural pitches. The spine was sectioned into five segments, with inertial sensors providing three-dimen...

Pesticides applied to turf grass have been detected in surface waters raising concerns of their effect on water quality and interest in their source, hydrological transport and use of models to predict transport. TurfPQ, a pesticide runoff model for turf grass, predicts pesticide transport but has not been rigorously validated for larger storms. The objective of this study was to determine Turf...

Lawns require a steady supply of nitrogen (N) to maintain green color and seasonal shoot density. Excess N fertilization can lead surface groundwater contamination, suggesting need for alternative turf strategies that reduce the reliance on frequent applications. Grass-legume mixtures may be one solution since legumes, like white clover (Trifolium repens L.), biologically fix atmospheric add it...

This article reviews existing knowledge concerning the epidemiology, instruments and regulatory criteria currently used to evaluate artificial turf soccer pitches. Recent years have seen tremendous growth in the use of artificial turf as a playing surface for sports (rugby, soccer, American football...) and the problems traditionally associated with artificial turf and its relationship with a h...

BACKGROUND Patellar tendinopathy is common among athletes in jumping sports and in sports with prolonged repetitive stress of the knee extensor apparatus. The epidemiology in soccer is not well described. PURPOSE This study was undertaken to investigate and describe the epidemiology of patellar tendinopathy in elite male soccer players and evaluate potential risk factors. STUDY DESIGN Cohor...

Beginning with funding from the USGA in 1993, a dedicated effort was initiated to genetically enhance seashore paspalum for golf course use. The grass has been around for centuries, actually evolving on sand dunes exposed only to ocean water in South Africa. It's somewhat ironic that this grass evolved in the same country as the African bermudagrass, but was never recognized for anything other ...

     Developing strategies to tackle water stress in lawns in arid climate regions is significantly important. In such conditions, using growing media amendments as well as native plants can relieve drought stress in different growing stages of the plants. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of some types of soil amendments on the emergence and early seedling establishment of ...