Ecology and management of earthworm casting on sports turf

Abstract

Earthworm activity is beneficial in most natural and agricultural systems, but excessive earthworm casting is a problem on sports fields worldwide. Expulsion of soil-rich earthworm fecal matter, or casts, as mounds of soil on the turf canopy can muddy the surface, reduce photosynthesis, and lead to thinning, weed invasion and surface softening. Casts affect ball roll on sports fields, cause fouling of maintenance equipment, and dull mower blades. Build-up of cast material on reel mower units can affect height and quality of cut. Casting activity is dependent on environmental conditions such as soil texture, temperature, moisture, pH, and organic matter. Response to environmental conditions varies by species. Management options are limited, because no pesticides are specifically labeled for earthworm control at this time, and cultural control methods such as soil modification, turfgrass clipping removal, and sand topdressing have limited and inconsistent efficacy. Products containing plant-derived saponins and irritants show promise for earthworm management. Pest management practices to mitigate excessive earthworm casting will likely need to be species-specific, but limited knowledge of earthworm identification by end-users further inhibits the efficacy of control measures.

The Design of University Physical Education Management Framework Based on Edge Computing and Data Analysis

“…By strengthening and standardizing the work of physical education administrators, the fairness, orderliness, and efficiency of physical education management are guaranteed [33]. The demand analysis of the university sports management system in Figure 2 shows practical, safe, and scientific principles.…”

Research on Biomechanical Simulation and Simulation of Badminton Splitting and Hanging Action Based on Edge Computing

“…In the field of physiology, the current innovative research includes differentiated and refined analysis of the individual body physique [36]. It mainly proposes that, in addition to real-time monitoring of basic physiological indicators such as muscle tension, heartbeat, blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar, it is specifically proposed for the monitoring of blood lactic acid, to comprehensively evaluate the athletes' anaerobic glycolysis and acid tolerance, to evaluate the impact of exercise intensity and exercise duration on human blood lactic acid levels, and to pay attention to blood lactic acid levels during normal training and competition.…”

Earthworms Diversity (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) and Casting Chemical Composition in an Urban Park from Western Romania

“…Earthworms (Annelida: Oligochaeta) deposit several tons per hectare per month of castings enriched in nutrients [18]. Although the benefits of earthworm castings have been often emphasized [15,20,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29], there have been authors reclaiming also their negative impacts on fields covered by small vegetation (like sports fields) as reduced photosynthesis or weed invasion, when excessive amount [30], reduction of root biomass [18] or alteration of forest soils when are invading species in soils lacked by native earthworms [31]. This paper aimed to establish the species diversity of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) together with several ecological features (constancy, Sørensen similarity, Jaccard coenotic affinity) and the chemical composition of earthworm castings within an urban park from Timişoara, a city from the western side of Romania.…”