www.stma.org SportsTurf 41

Editor’s note: This is the second of six installments on how becoming a Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM)can benefit turf managers professionally as well as improve their facilities.

Benefits of certification verifiedDon Savard, CSFM, CGM, Salesianum School, Wilmington, DE

HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR THE CSFM EXAM?Savard: I read and reread the 20-page, detailed CSFM Competency list. It became clear to me which areas I knew and

which I needed to work on. I acquired and read most of the books and materials that are recommended as study guides.I used the internet and read everything I could about sports field management. I even took an online soils course at thelocal community college. In total, I spent about a year preparing for the exam. Besides passing the test, the real payoffwas that I actually learned things that I use every day.HOW DID YOU APPROACH YOUR EMPLOYER TO SUPPORT YOUR CERTIFICATION, BOTH FINANCIALLY AND IN THE TIME NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAM?

Savard: My employer had little involvement in my pursuit of my certification. I had my own motivation to seek and ulti-mately become certified.WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE CERTIFICATION?

Savard: It had been a goal of mine for some time. I really wanted to see how I measured up against other sports fieldmanagers. Presently there are more than120 CSFMs representing the various segments of our membership. Each CSFMpassed a difficult test proving that they possess a level of knowledge. All of the questions on the test are things thatsports field managers actually encounter. Passing the CSFM exam boosted my confidence and validated my knowledge andskill set.HOW HAS CERTIFICATION HELPED YOUR CAREER?

Savard: I work for a private high school. Whenever I request funding or make a proposal, I found I have more credi-bility as a CSFM than I would have as “the guy who works outside taking care of the fields.” In addition, it has expandedmy network through my involvement with my local Chapter and by serving on STMA committees. I have become acquaint-ed with people who I otherwise would not have met. Not only do I have trusted colleagues I can call when I needanswers, but some of them even consult with me. ■

42 SportsTurf | July 2010 www.sportsturfonline.com

F.O.Y.Field of the Year

wins STMA Pro Football Field of the Year

FamedLambeau Field

Lambeau Field’s evolution is the product of sharedknowledge and experience from STMA members. The Fieldof the Year Award for Lambeau is an award for the industry.

SportsTurf 43

ALLEN JOHNSON, FIELDS MANAGER FOR THE GREENBAY PACKERS, has for 13 years been responsible for one of hiscommunity’s most prized assets—53-year-old Lambeau Field’s play-ing surface. He and his full-time staff, Bart Bartelme, Derek Paris,and Joel Hunt, oversaw the overall reconstruction of the field in

2007 and won the 2009 STMA Professional Football Field of the Year Award.Improved drainage was the goal and the Packers spent $3 million on the proj-

ect. Before reconstruction, the field had a multitude of layers: compacted clay sub-grade, 4-inch layer of pea gravel, 10 inches of 90/10 sand/peat rootzone mix, 5inches of fine-graded soil, and 1 ½-inch thick sod from Tuckahoe Turf Farms.After the project, the soil composition was 90/1- sand/peat mix over 4 inches ofpea gravel, the crown was reduced to a .65% slope, a new heat system (hydronic[circulating glycol] with pex) expanded the zones to include the Mondo surfaceapron surrounding the field, and GrassMaster fibers were inserted into the root-zone.

The new drainage system is a traditional drain tile, surrounded with pea gravelin the trenches and arranged in a gridiron patter perpendicular to the field’s crown.

Johnson wrote in his FOY entry: “The challenges at Lambeau Field change asoften as the weather in northeast Wisconsin. During October 2008, three homegames into our regular season, some players were starting to slip [on the surface].We discovered that the turf canopy was too dense and their cleats weren’t penetrat-ing into the soil surface where they could anchor into the sand and GrassMasterfibers for optimum footing.

“We decided to prioritize safety and performance over aesthetics after that gameand commenced aggressive verticutting to thin the canopy and used a Soil Reliever(Southern Green) with 7-inch solid tines to alleviate compaction and help open upthe surface. It was somewhat risky to beat up a high-profile field that late in theseason because our growing season was winding down; for the next game, onOctober 19, Lambeau wasn’t quite up to its usual aesthetic standard but performedwell and by the next game, in November, it looked great again and played well therest of the year.

“Our next challenge reoccurs every winter, when night temperatures dip belowthe mid-20’s and we tarp the field for snow, or to assist the underground heat sys-tem. Either moisture accumulates on the underside of the tarp, creating a frostlayer that ends up on the field surface after the tarp is removed, or the tarp isfrozen to the field and has to be torn from the surface, which takes with it a lot ofturf. To solve this, we force a warm cushion of air under the tarp to prevent thatfrost layer from forming. This very laborious endeavor has absolutely improved thesurface late in the year.

“Another big challenge greeted us in spring 2009. Being in the third year withthe system, it was time to “grind” off the natural turf with our Koro Top Makerand regenerate the surface from seed. This was our first attempt at this, so withnervous stomachs, we removed the natural grass and exposed the fibers April 1,then immediately slit-seeded with a blend of Kentucky bluegrass at a rate of 8.3pounds/1000 sq. ft., split evenly in two directions. We turned on the undergroundheat system and covered it with Evergreen turf blankets (Covermaster) for 5 weeksto assist germination, and monitored the surface temperatures closely when the suncame out. It was covered and uncovered often. At 5 weeks we shut off the heat andjust used the turf blankets for another 3 weeks. Seven weeks after seeding the blue-grass we added 8.9 pounds/1000 sq. ft. of perennial ryegrass.

“This year we began collecting clippings to prevent snot layers, picking poaannua by hand, using the Soil Reliever 2 days before each game to alleviate com-paction, and increasing our dethatching activity.

“Many of the practices we employ have been suggested by our peers. LambeauField’s evolution is the product of shared knowledge and experience from STMA

www.stma.org

From L to R: Allen Johnson, Bart Bartelme, Derek Paris and Joel Hunt.

>>

44 SportsTurf | July 2010 www.sportsturfonline.com

F.O.Y. | Lambeau Field

members. The Field of the Year Award for Lambeau is an award forthe industry.”

SportsTurf: Has modern technology rendered the term “frozentundra” obsolete in Green Bay? How do you keep the field in goodcondition late in the season?

Johnson: For the most part, I would say yes. On an average winterday, we are able to keep the field completely thawed. However, thereare those situations like we had a few years back when we hosted anNFC Championship game and had some extremely cold temperatures;by the end of the game the surface was starting to stiffen up a little,especially in areas where the natural canopy was a little thin. It was socold during that game that I’m sure the perception was that everythingwas frozen. I know I was.

The condition of the field late in the season has a lot to do withhow much success we have during the month of October regeneratingturf in the wear areas. Aside from those early preparations of trying tokeep good canopy cover, we use a Soil Reliever on the field a few daysbefore every game to soften the surface, and we cover the field with atarp the night before, while blowing a cushion of warm air under it toprevent frost and any surface moisture from accumulating on the field.

ST: What changes to your maintenance plans are you making thisyear, if any?

Johnson: If we can duplicate our success last year I’d definitely take

it. We started soil relieving before every game last year and I think thatimproved the performance of our field a lot, the process of blowing airunder our tarp has also given us a better surface for those late games.Aside from replicating our practices last year, we will be experimentingwith some artificial lighting.

ST: What’s the best piece of turf management advice you have everreceived?

Johnson: Not specifically turf advice but work-related advice ingeneral: “It is better to be proactive than reactive.”

ST: How do you balance your work and personal time?Johnson: Luckily, I really enjoy work and consider my crew an

extension of my family. Derek Paris, Bart Bartelme, and Joel Hunt arelike brothers to me, so that camaraderie really helps when we work theamount of hours that we do. I am no longer married, but a father ofan awesome 7-year-old son. I share that time equally with his mother,so when I am not working, I am busy being a single parent; if there isever a conflict I simply bring Ethan along and put him to work. I alsolook forward to the off-season.

ST: How do you deal with the pressure of being in such a high-profile position?

Johnson: For some reason, I’ve never looked at it that way and thatprobably helps. I take a lot of pride in everything I do and hope that itis reflected in what people perceive. To relieve stress I try to exerciseand incorporate a little long distance running. ■

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STMAinaction

SportsTurf 45www.stma.org

Each year, STMA presents a “Call forNominations” for STMA voting mem-bers to indicate interest in board serv-

ice. Please take a moment to consider servingon the STMA Board of Directors, or urging aqualified colleague to consider service. Thebenefits are many. By serving on the board,you’ll:

• Contribute to your professional associa-tion.

• Be a part of a decision-making body.• Hone your listening, collaborative and

other personal development skills.• Strengthen your leadership abilities. • Make a difference in the strategic direction

of the profession.• Garner respect from your employer, your

peers and your staff.

For 2011, Directors representing Facilitiesused by Professional Athletes, Schools K-12,and the Commercial membership segmentsand one At-Large position is up for election.Because the At-Large Director is not member-ship segment-specific, STMA is seeking nomi-nations from all voting categories of member-ship. These Directors will be elected to a two-year term, except for the Director At-Large,which is a one-year term. The elections takeplace via a ballot sent by U.S. mail in Novemberto every voting member.

The STMA Board of Directors sets policyand strategic direction for the programs andservices STMA provides and is accountable toits membership. Individual Board Memberresponsibilities are to:

• Attend and actively participate in quarter-

ly board meetings (4 per year): January, March, •July, and October.

• Chair one or more committees.• Attend special events, as needed.• Attend and actively participate in the

annual conference.For more information on board member

duties, please contact headquarters for a copyof the Board Handbook. To have your nameconsidered by the Nominating Committee,please fill out the Nominations Form in thisissue, or go to www.STMA.org to fill out anelectronic Word document. Be sure to answerthe two brief questions included on the form.The STMA Nominating Committee encouragesyou to also share this form with your peers. Thedeadline to submit your interest is Aug. 31. ■

Consider STMA Board Service

STMA thanks you for 6 years of membership The following have been members of STMA since 2004. STMA appreciates your commitment and support of the profession!

Cliff AbramsScott AbrahamsonDave AllgoodChad AlterioScott AshworthJared AubryArthur AvellinoDavid BaileyRichard BaldwinMatt BaloughAndrew BartleyMike BeaneDavid BeaudoinBill BedrossianJames BergdollJoe BetuliusCory BorgenJack BoswellJeffrey BowmanRandy BrashearsJoey BrazilKim BrittonJames Brosnan, Ph.D.Ron ButlerStephen CallisMike CarmackMatthew CarrollRonald CheekChi ChengGreg ChorvasJoe ChurchillNick ColeMike ConnorsScott Conrad

Devin ConwayPhilip CooperMichael CoyleJesse CuevasTroy CrawfordJeffrey CroweStephen CriderDarian DailyMichael DalyMatt DuncanDon DunivanJames ElliottRich EricssonChristopher EveroneMickey FarrellBrett FencerChris FeslerMark FinnertyJoey Fitzgera;dWeston FloydPaul FranksSal GenitoJohn GiacaloneMichael Goatley, Jr. Ph.D.Bruce GodinCarl GorraJon GravesRuss GrayMike GreenMike GreerCarl HansenTerry HauboldLarry HeatonRandy Heilman

Matt HennMichael HenryJ. Brian HillJames HodgdonRodney HopkinsWayne HormanHarlan HorstKristina HouckRobert HoytMichael HrivnakMike JacoboBrad JeffreysAllen Johnson, CSFMEvan JohnsonAndy JordanRichard JuriesSteve KaneJoe Kennedy, III, CSFMMike KirkpatrickShawn KobelRay KrebsMark KubackiBill KublyCynthia KidwellSteven LeeKyle LewisDaniel LooneyDavid LovellMark LucasJames LuciaBrad MackeyAaron ManezesDan MarsegliaStacy Martin

Ron MatakitisJoe McDermottPatrick McDonaldChris McGintyGrant McKnightGene McVeyDennis MitchellTim MitchellJohn MorehouseBen MorrellBill MurphyRobert MurphyDaniel MuddMichael O’GradyMichael OwensTony PayneC. Scott ParrishPaul PattersonMark PattonAnthony PellSergio PedrozaPablo PerezScott PippenLawrence PolkMichael PollTony PraterMichael ProvencherWilliam PronevitchJim PuhallaDaniel PurnerStephen QuaifeChris RalstonRobert RalstonAaron Ramella

J.W. ReedDavid RennerLarry Rhodes, CSFMLarry RiderCurtis RobertsGregg RobertsCraig RoncaceArnon RosanRick RoweGreg SaccoTravis SalesMike SalleeNathan SalmoreRobert SampleSheree ScarbroughEd SchmidtRobert SchneiderTracy SchneweisEric SchroderJustin ScottKevin SelsorTom SerensitsDaniel ShemeshEdward ShermanArthur SieversKyle SlatonRyan SneadJohn SommersChris SouthworthRobert SpoorClint SteeleRobert StricklerRobert SulakSteve Tassinari

Alan TaylorJames TaylorJim TerenzioCarrie ThomasWayne ThorsonMary ThurnRoss TortorigiLarry TothMark TraillSuz TrustyCraig TurleyJohn TurnourRon UnoDavid Vander HeydenPeter Van DrumptGonzalo VenegasJimmy ViarsDavid VolzGuy WallaceRob WallsMike WardenJon WatersGlenl WearChristopher WeaverSteve WhartonJim WigginsJim WinterAndrew WissingerLloyd WolfeTodd WuellnerJeffery WynnArthur YamashitaMatt YoungSteve Zimmerman ■

STMAinaction

STMAhas created a new awardsprogram for its commercial

members. The Innovative Awards Program willrecognize those companies that have devel-oped a product, service, equipment or tech-nology that substantially enhances the effec-tiveness of the Sports Turf Manager. The inno-vation could also make playing surfaces saferand more playable for athletes.

STMA’s Innovative Awards Task Group, ledby chair Dale Getz, CSFM, CSE, developed theaward to recognize companies that improvethe sports turf management profession.

Any STMACommercial mem-ber who is exhibit-ing at the upcom-ing STMA AnnualConference andExhibition is eligi-ble to submit oneentry annually. The

company must display the innovation in itsbooth and have introduced it for sale betweenthe close of the current year’s STMA show andthe close of the following year’s show. The

only criteria that the innovation must meet isthat is should substantially enhance the effec-tiveness of the sports turf manager and/ormake the surfaces safer and more playable forathletes.

For more information about the programor to complete the simple entry form go towww.STMA.org. Submittals must be sent elec-tronically by Oct. 1.

Winners will receive substantial recognitionby STMA and have the right to use the speciallogo in conjunction with its winning innova-tion. ■

Commercial Members: Enter the Innovative Awards Program

For an electronic copy of this form, go to www.STMA.org, or contact STMA at 800-323-3875. Mail, e-mail, or fax the completed form toSTMAinfo@STMA.org, (f) 785-843-2977, or mail it to STMA, 805 New Hampshire, Ste. E. Lawrence, KS 66044 by August 31.

SportsTurf 47www.stma.org

GOOD NEWS!The former Indiana

Chapter of the STMA is beingre-established. For more infor-mation on how to becomeactive in the reformation ofthis chapter, contact JoeyStevenson, IndianapolisIndians, at ph. 317-610-1602,or by e-mail,jstevenson@indyindi ans.co.

THIS MONTH’SPROFILE:THE MINNESOTACHAPTER

Two Minnesota sports turfmanagers have been in thelocal and national spotlight.Mike McDonald at theUniversity of Minnesota andLarry DiVito with theMinnesota Twins. Last fall, theUniversity of Minnesotaopened TCF Bank Stadium andthis spring, The MinnesotaTwins opened Target Field.Both facilities are beautifullymaintained.

The Minnesota Sports TurfManagers Association(MSTMA) serves the entireMinnesota sports turf indus-try. MSTMA focuses on peoplewho are engaged in the con-struction, maintenance anduse of sports turf areas forhigh quality and safe playingconditions.

MSTMA provides educa-tional grants that promote thesports turf industry, supportresearch and development ofsuperior playing surfaces forsports turf facilities and pro-motes the development,design and use of relatedmaterials and equipment forthe sports turf industry.

Here is a summary of theirchapter events:

SPRING WORKSHOP: OnMarch 31, MSTMA held aSpring Workshop in conjunc-tion with the Minnesota ParkSupervisors Association

(MPSA). This was an educa-tional seminar that alsoincluded table displays fromvendors.

COMMUNITY SERVICE: InJune 2010, the MSTMA pro-vided the labor for aCommunity Service Project.Each year, MSTMA membersspend a day sprucing up afield. This year, the field is aneighborhood baseball/soccerfield at Welander Park in theCity of Grant, Minn.

CHAPTER CLASH: On July16-17 members of the MSTMAwill play sports turf managersfrom Iowa in an annual soft-ball game and golf match. Theclash host alternates each yearbetween Iowa and Minnesota.In the summer of 2009,Minnesota won the annualsoftball game 18-17. The hostIowans left the bases loadedin the bottom of the ninth.The Iowans beat MSTMA ingolf the next day by winning 8of 10 matches. The golf formatis a 2-person scramble. Thisyear, the Chapter Clash takesplace in Woodbury.

TOUR-ON-WHEELS: OnAugust 4, MSTMA memberswill board a bus and maketour stops at various highschools, fields and parks. Thestops take place where recentconstruction has been done orcurrently happening.

FALL WORKSHOP: OnSeptember 15, the MSTMAand MPSA will host a FallWorkshop at McMurray Fieldsin St. Paul. Vendors will displayequipment on the wide-openfields. This is also a great edu-cational opportunity for any-one involved in the turf indus-try. All members of MTGF arewelcome to attend.

(Editor’s Note: For moreinformation, contact MSTMAat 952-473-3722,info@mstma.com or go towww.mstma.com.)

STMA Affiliated Chapters Contact Information

Sports Turf Managers Association of Arizona: Chris Walsh cwalsh@scottsdaleaz.gov orJohnathan Knight, CSFMjohnathan.knight@peoriaaz.gov.

Colorado Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.cstma.org.

Florida #1 Chapter (South):305-235-5101 (Bruce Bates)

Florida #2 Chapter (North): 850/580-4026.

Florida #3 Chapter (Central): 863-665-5800

Gateway Chapter Sports TurfManagers Association:www.gatewaystma.org.

Georgia Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.gstma.org.

Greater L.A. Basin Chapter of theSports Turf Managers Association: www.stmalabasin.com.

Illinois Chapter STMA: 847/263-7603.

Intermountain Chapter of the SportsTurf Managers Association:www.imstma.org.

Iowa Sports Turf ManagersAssociation:www.iowaturfgrass.org.

Kentucky Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.kystma.org.

Keystone Athletic Field ManagersOrg. (KAFMO/STMA):www.kafmo.org.

Michigan Sports Turf ManagersAssociation (MiSTMA):www.mistma.org.

Mid Atlantic Sports Turf ManagersAssociation (MASTMA) (formerly theChesapeake Chapter STMA) Ph. 410-704-2197 www.mastma.org

Minnesota Chapter STMA:www.mstma.com. (See ExpandedProfile included in Chapter Highlights)

MO-KAN Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.mokanstma.com.

Nebraska Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: 402/441-4425.

New England STMA (NESTMA):www.nestma.org.

Sports Field Managers Association ofNew Jersey:www.sfmanj.org.

Sports Turf Managers of New York:www.stmony.org.

North Carolina Chapter of STMA:www.ncsportsturf.org.

Northern California STMA:www.norcalstma.org.

Ohio Sports Turf ManagersAssociation (OSTMA):www.ostma.org.

Oregon STMA Chapter: 503/953-9406

Ozarks STMA:www.ozarksstma.org.

Pacific Northwest Sports TurfManagers Association:www.pnwstma.org.

Southern California Chapter:www.socalstma.com.

South Carolina Chapter of STMA:www.scstma.org.

Tennessee Valley Sports TurfManagers Association (TVSTMA):www.tvstma.com.

Texas Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: 866/897-8621.

Virginia Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.vstma.org.

Wisconsin Sports Turf ManagersAssociation: www.wstma.org.

Forming Chapters:Gulf Coast Chapter: 225/757-9136.

Indiana Chapter: Joey Stevenson,jstevenson@indyindians.com (See moreinformation in the Chapter Highlights)

Nevada STMA Chapter: 702/884-2987.

STMA International AffiliateOrganizations:National Parks, Singapore:www.nparks.gov.sg

Sports Turf Association, ON, CANADAwww.sportsturfassociation.com

Forming International AffiliateOrganizationsIrish Institute of Sport Surfaces

Institute of Groundsmanship

Chapters Highlights

Chapter Sponsors

Spo

rtsT

urf

48 SportsTurf | July 2010 www.sportsturfonline.com

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QOur town safety coordinator askedabout blood bourne pathogens and howto decontaminate our athletic fields[natural grass]. During a PONY tour-nament, blood got on the grass and theemployees did not know what theyshould do. I was not sure how to answerit either. Can you help us with thisissue?

North Carolina

Well this is a question that whenfirst asked, I had to shrug my shoul-ders as I did not know what to rec-ommend. Over the past severalmonths I have done some readingand asked a couple of sports trainerswhat they are asked (or required) todo for blood cleanup. An early real-ization is that the recommendationfor cleaning blood from soft, highlypermeable surfaces like turfgrass varydepending on who you listen toand/or what you read. There seems tobe no standard recommendations.

So, let’s take a step or two back-ward and look at the issue at hand.First, the concern over infectious dis-eases related to pathogens found inblood (and other body fluids) hasgrown due to the fears of contactingHIV and hepatitis B or C (HBV andHCV). But I actually found no reportthat HBV, HCV, or HIV has everbeen transmitted to humans from asoft floor covering such as a carpet orfrom a surface such as turfgrass.Nonetheless, disinfection of an areacontaminated by blood seems to be aprudent infection-control practice.

The greater risk for infectiontransfer is from the direct contactwith blood from an injured person.Blood that is splashed into the eyes ormouth or contact with broken skin isa more significant issue. As a safetyprecaution, it is suggested that you donot come in contact with someoneelse’s blood or attempt to clean ablood spill if you have a cut or abra-sion on your skin.

If you must deal with cuts or

blood spills, it is strongly suggestedthat impervious gloves be worn. So,keep your first aid kits stocked withgloves. For public facilities it is alsosuggested (mandated for some) thatyou have a National Standard BodyFluid Clean Up kit. These kits con-tain gloves, disinfectants, and a bio-hazard bag. While this may soundexcessive, the kits are in small first-aidboxes and are available for less that$15 from online retailers or sportsmedicine companies.

Blood cleanup is easiest on non-permeable surfaces, such as floors andcounter tops. Complications arisewhen cleaning permeable orabsorbent surfaces. The Center forDisease Control (CDC) and publichealth community recommends thatcontaminated carpet be carefully(without splashing) pre-treated with amild detergent solution, allowingapproximately 10 minutes of time forthe disinfectant to work. Blot uptreated blood with paper towels(wearing gloves) and then immediate-ly place contaminated paper towels ina plastic bag and seal for disposal.Then the treated area should be thor-oughly saturated with a standardEPA-registered chemical germicide,used according to label directions, tofurther inactivate pathogens of con-cern. Then the carpet should becleaned . . . To me, turfgrass hassome similarity to carpet and couldbe disinfected in a similar fashion.One difference is that we are not soworried about stains. Our concern isdecontamination first and turf healthsecond. So, I kept searching out othercleanup recommendations.

It seems that California has themost extensive legislation associatedwith cleanup of human blood. TheCalifornia Medical WasteManagement Act has provisions forcleaning up “trauma scene waste.”The cleanup procedure focuses onusing a 10 percent solution of ordi-nary household bleach (sodium

hypochlorite). The bleach solution isapplied to the blood and allowed 30minutes contact time. Afterwards thearea should be cleaned usingabsorbent paper towels. Bag usedcleanup materials as solid waste, dis-card gloves, and wash hands thor-oughly using hand soap.

A prominent US university haddirections for a response team to usefor blood cleanup with “small out-door spills” on their EnvironmentalManagement Department’s website.Their procedure also suggested usinga 10 percent bleach solution to floodthe spill area, allowing it to stay inplace for 15 minutes. Then they sug-gested that a 5-gallon bucket of clearwater be used to disperse the disinfec-ted spill. This certainly seems easyenough as bleach is readily availableand inexpensive. Making a 10% solu-tion (1 part bleach with 9 partswater) is fast and easy. In addition, itshould not cause any long-term nega-tive effects on the turfgrass health,especially once it is further dilutedwith water.

The one issue that will potentiallycause some folks problems is delayingthe sporting event for the cleanup. Itseems callous to mention this issuesince the cause of the problem is aninjured person, but I know this willcome up. Sorry, I can’t help you withthat one.

Note: Some synthetic turf manu-facturers do not endorse bleach useon their synthetic fields. I doubt a10% bleach solution followed byclean water would cause any issueswith synthetic fields. But to be on thesafe side, check your field warrantybefore adopting that as a standardprocedure. If bleach is not suitable,ask your company representative torecommend a commercial disinfec-tant that you can include in your“spill kit.” Follow those label direc-tions when cleaning a spill. ■

Q&A

50 SportsTurf | July 2010 www.sportsturfonline.com

BY DR. GRADY MILLERProfessor, North

Carolina State University

Questions?Send them to Grady Miller at

North Carolina State University,Box 7620, Raleigh, NC 27695-

7620, or emailgrady_miller@ncsu.edu

Or, send your question to

David Minner at Iowa State University, 106

Horticulture Hall, Ames, IA 50011 or email

dminner@iastate.edu.

Blood on the field