After a successful trial Alan Ferguson, Head of Grounds and Estates at St George’s Park training complex has purchased an Air2G2 air injection machine to produce the essential space in the soil structure needed for healthy growth.
To date he has been extremely impressed with the results on his pitches with the machine helping him produce some of the healthiest root zones of his 37-year career.
“The Air2G2 was brought in for a trial in the winter of 2013/14 to try and boost oxygen levels in the root zones particularly on the five pitches with heating. Over a period of time compaction builds up around the heating pipes and it is difficult to aerate this region conventionally with a solid tine for fear of damaging the pipe work.”
“The Air2G2 with its unique air injection allows this region to be safely tackled while at the same time boosting oxygen levels in the root zone.”
“During the procurement of the Air2G2 I spoke with Glen Black who invented the machine,” Alan explained.
“Glen has a saying air is everything to anything that lives. How true. I have a saying that root grows in space not soil and we are the guys who create that space.”
“The results when these theories come together has been impressive. We have observed no black layer forming in any root zones particularly the higher dominated sand root zones which is a common problem in sand profiles. We have also noticed a reduction in our nematode activity and an increase in microbial activity.
“Rooting is deeper and stronger with good white root penetrating well down increasing the plant strength and improving the playability of the pitch.”
