Interview to Francisco Carvajal, president of the AEdG
The Spanish Association of Greenkeepers (
Speak us of the peculiarities of the sportive surfaces of lawn. In what differ of the lawn of a conventional garden?
The main difference are the varieties of lawns that use . In the case of the golf and the football, tends to employ gramíneas of difficult maintenance, that do that they multiply the daily works. On the other hand, it is not the same to have presentable a garden that a surface of game for some sportsmen of elite, where the heights of game oscillate between 3 and 30 millimetres. In the case of the golf, have to condition perfectly the surface of game every day because like this it demands it the customer.
It is not the same…
This by not speaking of the big tournaments. Besides, in the case of the football has to present a hectare of lawn all the Sundays, with some 40.000 viewers of average like critics, more those that are home.
The sector has evolved along the years, and with him, the machinery for the care of the lawn. Which equipment are necessary today for his maintenance?
In any sector, the technology is fundamental to be able to work with better criterion and with a lower impact in the environingingment. All the machines have evolved, so much in motors as in units of cut, maintenance and energetic saving. Today we have big advances in systems of irrigation, with meteorological stations, sensors of humidity, rulos for greens, blowers…
And what can say us of the products?
Regarding the phytosanitary ware products, in each region of Spain there is a problematic different: it is not the same to keep a surface in the coast, where there will be greater problems fúngicos, that in a continental zone. But, in general, the use of regulators of growth has been the greater advance in the last years.
Which is the most hit species for a field of football? And for one of golf?
Whenever we speak to seed a variety is fundamental to concretise temperature, floors, humidity, quality of the water for irrigation and geographic situation. But, in general terms, for football grounds the ideal is ‘lolium perennial' (ray-grass). In Mediterranean zones, the base would have to be bermuda to be able to resist the complexity of the raw summers. In the case of the fields of golf, the greens have to be in general of agrostis and for the rest of surfaces of game will depend on the climatology, although, as in the previous case, the ‘lolium perennial' it is the ideal, and the bermudas, in Mediterranean zones.
With which frequency has to irrigate a field of football? And one of golf?
The irrigation depends a lot of the station of the year in which we find us but, by general rule, in a year with an autumn, a winter and a spring with normal averages of registers of water fallen, is not necessary to irrigate. As it is logical, will depend on a lot of factors like the days of intense wind, tournaments, resiembras… All can do change the plan of irrigation. Today day exist sensors of humidity and stations of meteorology that give us with accuracy the suitable irrigation in each moment.
And in summer?
In summer it is necessary to irrigate every day and even support or freshen with hose the most specific zones. In the case of the football, very seemed to the golf, exists a psychological irrigation before the parties and in the rest.
For what?
More than by the plant in yes, is for giving him greater speed to the surface of game.
Which appearances has to take into account the manager of the state of the lawn of a field of football so that this was in the best conditions of face to a party?
Definitely, the most important so that a party develop in optimum conditions is the nivelación of the surface: that it was firm but no compact and, of course, that was not never soft. It is very important the density, the degree of humidity, the siega and the aesthetics.
What can say us of the artificial grass?
The artificial grass has his demand, but undoubtedly does not have it in the golf and neither in the professional football. In the golf, employs in fields of practices to give exits under ceiling or zones of a lot of exits. In the case of the professional football, the players of elite do not want this surface of game.
Why?
There are a lot of injuries; it is more than studied. On the other hand, it is necessary to delete this myth that the surface of artificial game does not need maintenance. The artificial grass it is necessary to irrigate it, and more in the south of Spain. Therefore, the consumption of water is similar to the natural, has maintenance, it is necessary to clean it, disinfect it and descompactarlo, by not speaking of the impact that supposes for the environingingment the fact to put this quantity of plastic and concrete in the base. We can not forget the importance that has any alive plant for the human beings; we are speaking of the photosynthesis and the creation of oxygen. The artificial grass has his demand, but can not speak to substitute to the natural. It is a contradiction in these times.
Speak us of the qualification of our professionals. They are to the height?
Does not fit me any doubt, the sector is from does years very profesionalizado, and the paper exerted by the Spanish Association of Greenkeepers and the Real Spanish Federation of Golf has contributed to this. Today day export professional to a lot of countries. This think that is more than indicativo.
In which measure has affected them the new Royal decree 1311/2012 on the sustainable utilisation of phytosanitary ware in green zones?
The Royal decree 1311/2012 has a clear aim: reduce the use of chemical products. I think that would have to have spoken with all the sectors to know the problematic in each case. It is very important to have tools to be able to present a surface of acceptable game and satisfy the expectations created by the customers. Today day in Spain live a lot of people of the tourism, of the golf and therefore this Decree puts us in a situation complicated. It is necessary to look for a half term.
A lot of voices in our country complain of the big volume of necessary water to irrigate the fields of golf, mainly in zones where escasea the liquid element. Which is his opinion in this regard?
Think that exists a big demagogy in these complaints. It would be necessary to study each case in concrete, but the reality is that the majority of the fields of golf in Spain use water recycled, that, by the way, in the majority of the cases, is a round business for the administrations.
In which sense?
The administrations has the obligation to debug the water used by the people before pouring it. Of this form guarantees the new sale of the product. The big problem of some fields is the lejanía of the plant of water recycled, even, in some, cases the go through zones urbanizadas or private terrains. The administration has to understand that it is easier that are they those who carry the water to the door of the fields and afterwards earn this water to the price stipulated by consumption and work. Something as well as the electricity. The normal is that we have of all the necessary in the door of our installations and afterwards pay by said service. Also it is important to stand out that the fields of golf do not use drinkable water in no case.
