SGL's new solutions to plant stress and turf grass diseases
Stadium Partner SGL, developed new products to solve the problem of plant stress and turf grass diseases. A combination of a fan and mist can cool down the grass while fungal diseases are prevented by means of UV-C light.
These are interesting methods groundsmen and greenkeepers could implement to manage their pitch during the summer, whilst being environmentally aware.Stadiums such as FC Barcelona, Real Madrid C.F. and FC Porto have already implemented these grass cooling and disease treatment systems.
Grass Cooling
In almost every stadium a lack of air circulation occurs because of high stands and closed corners, which often results in plant stress. The TC50 is a system that cools down the grass, in order to avoid or counteract plant stress. The system works according the principle of ‘adiabatic cooling’. A consistent stream of cool mist is sprayed over the playing surface by the fan. The mist abstracts the heat from the surface, making the mist evaporate and leaving behind a cooler playing surface. Since the mist abstracts the heat from the surface, it evaporates before touching the grass, so the surface stays dry.
First SGL Grass Cooling system installed in Portugal! @Sporting_CP , let's fight summer stress!!! @SGLsystem@Alvalade21@REDrelvadospic.twitter.com/IHnx58Kpfj
— Xavi Tordera (@xavi_tordera) June 6, 2017
Disease treatment
The UVC180 offers a biological and sustainable solution for fungal diseases treatment, by destroying active growing fungi with UV-C light. This method is also called ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI). The short-wave part of the UV spectrum (UV-C) is used to kill fungi and prevent diseases, without affecting the grass plant. SGL also developed a disease forecast model, which calculates the diseases pressure and the necessary frequency of treatment.