Short‐term spatiotemporal relationship between plant and soil properties on natural turfgrass sports fields

Abstract

Abstract The present study was conducted to explore the spatiotemporal relationship between several plant and soil properties on two natural turfgrass sports fields comprised of native and sand‐capped soils before and after irrigation. Minimal differences in strength of relationship and spatical variability among field properties occurred from before to after irrigation at both fields. A number of significant relationships between field properties were observed overall, although significance did not always result in comparable spatial distributions. Additionally, significant relationships on the native soil field were not always significant on the sand‐capped field. Results exemplify that a single, typical irrigation event will not noticeably change the strength of relationship or spatial distribution between field properties. Furthermore, the strength of relationship and its influence on spatial variability between field properties can be site‐specific, and soil type plays an important role in this phenomenon. This information is valuable to conduct precision turfgrass management practices for potential improvement in the uniformity of multiple field properties, and also to aid in efficient subsequent sampling for future spatial map creation.