Turfgrass Root Response to Subsurface Soil Compaction

Soil compaction prevents turfgrass roots from growing deep into the soil and may limit access to water and nutrients. The objective of this study was to characterize the ability of turfgrass roots to penetrate a compacted subsurface layer. Seven turfgrasses were grown in soil columns. Each column was divided into three sections with the top and bottom packed to a bulk density of 1.6 g cm-3, and the middle (treatment) layer packed to 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, or 2.0 g cm-3. Subsurface compaction reduced root mass for two of the species, and inhibited deep root growth in all seven species, with the greatest reduction occurring between 1.7 and 1.8 g cm-3. There appears to be little difference between species in ability to penetrate compacted soils, suggesting that soil preparation and routine management practices, rather than grass selection, is the more viable way to handle soil compaction problems in turf.