IOG - Members Only - Maintenance Operations

Site Map | Latest News | Contact Us | Search

IOG> Home> Membership Information> Members Only> Maintenance Operations> Aeration

Printable Version January 6, 2009

Aeration

Introduction

What is it?

The soil profile is penetrated usually by physical means, such as a fork or similar type of implement, and this results in soil air being replaced by air from the atmosphere.

Why aerate?

There are a number of reasons for carrying out aeration on turf areas:

1.	To improve surface and subsurface drainage. This can have a significant effect on the soil temperature by encouraging the soil to warm up quicker in the spring, consequently encouraging earlier growth.
2.	To relieve compaction. This temporarily increases the pore space in part of the rootzone subject to the aeration work, allowing roots to grow in to that pore space.
3.	To improve the oxygen - carbon dioxide exchange around the grass roots, promoting healthy growth and enabling undesirable soil gases to be removed from the soil.
4.	To aid the incorporation of top-dressings, fertilisers, seeds and irrigation.
5.	To reduce the potential for disease incidence. Roots grown in poorly aerated soils have an increased diameter and contain more and larger air spaces than roots adequately supplied with oxygen. This may make roots more susceptible to fungal attack, especially Take-All Patch disease.
6.	To aid in the breakdown of thatch and organic matter. (Oxygen is required by aerobic bacteria that decompose the organic matter ).
7.	To encourage the deeper rooting of grasses, which will aid drought resistance and plant health.
8.	To achieve optimum growth and improve the visual appearance of the sward.
9.	To improve surface traction and grip.
10.	To increase ball (or bowl) speed and performance by the production of drier and firmer surfaces.

Aeration should be carried out during the main rooting and growth periods, when oxygen requirements of grass roots and micro-organisms are relatively high, and particularly when the rootzone material is in a relatively dry state.

Compaction by foot traffic is mainly caused within the top 75-100mm of the turf surface, so this is where regular aeration needs to take place to relieve the compaction caused.
It is important, however, to vary the depth of penetration of the tines to reduce the chance of root breaks and (aeration) pans developing.