The Iowa Stater
September1996
Turf researcher plays
in the big leagues
hen David Minner studies a new sports turf product this fall, he'll receive
professional help from the National Football League's Baltimore Ravens.Minner, ISU associate professor of horticulture and extension turfgrass specialist, is part of the team that constructed a novel playing surface in Baltimore's Memorial Stadium: real grass growing through a loosely woven mat of synthetic turf. Called SportGrass, the turf is a first for professional football. The grass crowns, growing in sand, are protected from excess wear and tear by a plastic mat.
Minner (shown)is researching several innovative commercial sports turf
products for college and professional teams. One uses small bits of recycled
tires to add cushion to the field. Another blows or vacuums air and water
through the drainage system, both to grow stronger roots and to heat and
cool the field.
Some of the sports turf ideas are too high-tech for many users, but eventually they get reworked into affordable products.
"I like working with sharp field managers, like Vince Patterozzi of the Ravens," Minner said. "He challenges me with ideas that drive my research program."
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