Tall fescue turf quality and soccer playing characteristics as affected by mowing height

Among cool-season turfgrasses tall fescue shows the best adaptation to the Italian climate. Many turf type cultivars have been recently released and management practices consequently should be adapted. The purpose of the research was to evaluate, in a tall fescue turf, soccer playing characteristics and quality of recent cultivars maintained at low mowing height. The trial was carried out in Pisa (Italy), “Arminda” and “Safari” cultivars were mowed at 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 cm. Quality, color, ground cover, clipping yield, verdure, thatch thickness, shoot and leaf density and leaf texture were determinated. Ball rebound, traction, penetration resistance and hardness were also measured as playing quality parameters for soccer. Both cultivars showed an adaptation to low mowing height with an increased shoot density and a finer leaf texture. Hardness and ball rebound were significantly affected by mowing heights, highest values being recorded for the lowest mowing heights. Nevertheless a good playing quality was measured for all the plots. The results of the present work show that tall fescue, if maintained with low mowing height, can give a dense and fine textured turf suitable for soccer fields