Redexim Carrier reduced pitch stress at World Cup
Football fields can suffer severe stress during a match, especially when players slide over the surface. However, the maintenance activities on a field can also cause stress to the turf, with both the footprint produced by the operator and from equipment they operate.
Traditionally a groundsman uses a tractor to carry out many turf maintenance activities. Aeration, topdressing, verti-cutting, raking, seeding and sweeping are all typically done with the help of tractors.
They can, however, cause damage to the surface, especially when it's soft or after sustained rainfall in the winter months with the risk of tyres marking the playing surface.
At Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, one of the venues for the on-going World Cup in Russia, groundsman Roman Zhukov couples his maintenance machinery to the walk-behind Redexim Carrier, as the resulting ground pressure on the turf is only half that of a tractor.
His playing surface can become especially weak and sensitive immediately after the winter, when the surface is soft and marking from tractor tyres are easily visible. This can leave irregularities to the surface.
As the Speed-Seed was used in conjunction with the walk behind Redexim Carrier the ground pressure and impact on the turf was minimal, due to its low weight and large smooth tyres.
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium being over-seeded with the Speed-Seed 1200 connected to the walk-behind Carrier immediately after winter.
Zhukov uses a Rink 1010 top-dresser to spread sand accurately over the pitch, and a Verti-Drain 1513 aerator to relieve soil compaction by punching small holes with steel tines into the playing field.
At the Volgograd Stadium, meanwhile, groundsman Vladimir Proskyryakov uses the Carrier with the same maintenance machines as Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
But, when working on the adjoining training grounds, he often couples these machines to a tractor. This is when the surface is firmer and the grass is healthy enough.