Optimal vegetation systems despite lack of water

A major cause of vegetation loss in the lawn track is a prolonged water deficit in the green track.


 

Drought stress can be limited by:

  • First of all, the increase of vegetation layer thickness and thus increasing the water storage potential.
  • Increasing the water storage capacity of the vegetation layer (e.g. by improving the substrate composition).
  • Installation of additional water storage elements and/or irrigation.
  • Use of drought stress tolerant plants / Development of new plant mixtures

One focus of the investigation concerned:

  • Analysis of track substrates and evaluation of their suitability for grass tracks
  • Deduction of essential requirements for suitable track substrates

The preliminary results on substrate properties were published in the handbook, as were recommendations on the thickness of greening system depending on the amount of the local precipitation and the desired optical appearance.

There is a need for further research:

  • Selection of drought stress tolerant plant species and compilation of new vegetation mixtures
  • Investigation of plant development with different substrate mixtures, substrate thicknesses and different site conditions
  • Deduction of suitable vegetation systems for grass tracks
  • Practical tests of the new vegetation systems on the track
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Dry grasses after 4 weeks with almost no precipitation, 7 days with temperatures between 25 °C and 31 °C and intense sunlight. Due to the thicker substrate layer and the drainage in the direction of the intermediate track area, it is longer green. (Photos IASP)