Waste Rubber Media Turf Establishment System Lawn Plant Ecology And Response Characteristics

Soil compaction is an old and serious problem in turf management. Vast array of techniques and equipments have been developed to solve this problem, including machinery and amendment materials for topdressing which were marketed worldwide, yet the problem persists. This research intended to study the application of crumb rubber from waste rubber to turf to relieve soil compaction. This technology consumes much waste crumb rubber that can ease environment problem caused by waste rubber.The physical and chemical properties of crumb rubber were the first issue addressed in this research in order to identify both the hazardous and beneficial potential of crumb rubber added to turfgrass as well as influence to environment. By adding different proportion of waste crumb rubber to soil medium in lab experiment, we analyzed the growing response of turfgrass to crumb rubber. Finally we added same proportion of different sized waste crumb rubber to soil medium on the field. In the next year we trampled on it at the end of regreening, analyzed the ecological and physiological characteristics of turfgrass, by which we got the best turfgrass medium to traffic tolerance. The results showed as follows:(1) The ability of crumb rubber to buffer solution acidity from the range of 3 to 11 and neutralize it around pH 7 was a significant finding. The water retention ability, pH buffering ability and impact reduction properties of the crumb rubber were studied from the perspective of utilizing it on turf. The results showed the crumb rubber had better water retention ability than that of sand as soil amendment.(2) In the six treatments of the lab experiment, the composition of scrumb rubber 15％+compost 10％+sand 75％served as medium to ryegrass was most effective for its morphological character. And from the view of physiological stand, the composition of scrumb rubber18％+composti 10％+ sand 72％brought the most evident growing response of ryegrass.(3) Under the stress, the coverage of ryegrass descended almost vertically, and the smaller the diameter of crumb rubber was, the higher the coverage was. The change of biomass on the ground was smilar to the change of coverage, the smaller the diameter of crumb rubber was, the higher the biomass was. The reduction of the tillers in the control was greater than that in the other treatments. The numbers of stem node and leaves decreased accordingly after being trampled.(4) As for the change of physiological characters, the content of coarse-fible after trampled was different, the most is the control and the fewest is 1-2mm. The content of chlorophyll and soluble sugar were also increased as above, so was the photosynthetic physiological function of laminae.(5) Waste crumb rubber had evident ability to buffer under the trampled stress. And the smaller the diameter of crumb rubber was, the more obvious the effect was.