Evaluación de alternativas de manejos en cobertura en césped deportivo

Sports turf surfaces, especially in Uruguay, play a fundamental role in football, the most popular sport in the country. However, poor playing field conditions negatively affect the quality of the performance, increase the risk of injuries and hinder sports performance. The specific objectives were: (i) to analyze the effect of topdressing with sand, compost and their combination on soil compaction and penetration resistance in sports fields, (ii) to evaluate the impact of treatments on turf growth and development, measured through variables such as height, density and visual quality, measured through NDVI. Field trials and bioassays were implemented under controlled conditions, using four treatments: sand (AA), compost (CC), a mixture of sand and compost (AC), and a control (T). Variables such as penetration resistance (RP), turf height and vegetation indices (NDVI) obtained through remote sensing were measured. The results indicated that treatments with compost and sand significantly reduced soil compaction, favoring root development. Compost stood out for improving the height and density of the turf, thanks to its contribution of organic matter and nutrients such as NPK. On the other hand, the combination of sand and compost presented inconsistent results due to negative interactions between the materials. This study concludes that the application of compost and sand improves both the development of the turf and the properties of the soil, while it is necessary to optimize the mixing proportions for the combined treatment. Future work is proposed to determine the ideal combinations that enhance the quality of the turf and its sustainability.