Football Pitch Maintenance: 30. Controls v Expectations

Good working practices can help to mitigate some of the negative effects of weed, pest and/or disease infestation and attack, but they are unlikely to eliminate them altogether.

With current financial and resource constraints at many clubs a reconsideration of expectations should be taken. There is little point in spending monies on short-term chemical fixes when underlying issues, such as poor rooting, drainage issues or high annual meadow grass sward content are present. With a change of focus to well targeted mechanical activities and good cultural practices, significant improvements can be made without additional expense.

Increasing the quality of a playing surface does not always have to see an increase in resource input, which besides pesticides, also includes fertilisers, top-dressings, grass seed, wetting agents, or physical maintenance activities. In fact, for many turf surfaces it is the applied knowledge and understanding to improve efficiency of work carried out and outcomes achieved which needs to increase, not the quantitative increase in materials. The aim should always be to ensure the most appropriate products are used to meet the specific needs of each club.