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A little about the Maryland SoccerPlex Grounds and Environmental Management Program:
Maryland SoccerPlex Grounds maintains over 75 acres of natural grass, planting, and native areas. Highlights include:
- Natural grass areas around / between the playing fields
- Planting areas at the entrances of each field
- Native areas on the end of fields & on large hillsides
SoccerPlex Sports Turf maintains 50 acres of high-level, high-use turf
- 11: Kentucky bluegrass / Perennial ryegrass playing fields
- 8: Hybrid bermudagrass playing fields
- 3: AstroTurf synthetic turf playing fields
MSP Grounds and Environmental Management Fast Facts:
Grounds & Sports Turf Maintenance employs some of the most environmentally responsible techniques possible. This includes:
- OMRI certified granular fertilizer, whenever possible (85%+ of material used)
- Organic-based granular fertilizer for all other applications
- IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program that utilized data & technology to dictate if & / or when pest* control products are utilized (*: weeds, insects, diseases)
- Maryland native plants are being introduced all over the facility in order to create a safe & thriving habitat for birds, bees, & other native Maryland wildlife
Sports Turf Maintenance utilizes the most cutting-edge technology available to maintain high quality on some of the most high-use natural grass surfaces in the world
- 1st Sports Complex in North America to adopt a fully data-based maintenance program, guided by data via Natural Grass Performance Analytics (Natural Grass Advisory Group)
- Real-time data also collected via SGL Turf Pods & POGO Turf Pro+
- GPS robots – from Turf Tank – paint the fields each week
- GPS auto-steer on a SoccerPlex John Deere tractor was the 1st automated steering installed on a tractor used for Sports Turf & / or Golf Course maintenance in the world
- Drones from GreenSight Ag – flying daily – provide plant activity & thermal imaging of all 160 acres that make up Maryland SoccerPlex