A test currently underway at the Allianz Arena will determine whether the use of giant fans to dry out the freshly-laid turf ultimately leads to an optimum playing surface for longer.
Following on from the occasional use of outsized sun lamps during the winter to help the grass grow more rapidly at the Allianz Arena, stadium authorities have turned to novel methods in an effort to improve the long-life characteristics of the brand new playing surface, laid just two weeks ago after the previous pitch fell victim to the unusually harsh winter weather.
Four giant fans mounted on rollers are currently patrolling the touchlines in a two-week test to determine whether drying out the turf faster than nature allows proves a useful addition to the greenkeepers' armoury. The expected benefits include greater resistance to decay, and the ability to mow and aerate the pitch faster than before.
"The fans speed up the rate at which the pitch dries, which helps to ward off infection and disease. This could be a useful tool in helping us to continually improve the condition of the playing surface at the Arena and keep it in tip-top condition for longer," explained Allianz Arena Munich Stadium GmbH Managing Director Peter Kerspe.
Should the 14-day test end positively, the fans will be deployed on a regular basis at the imposing stadium. Similar methods are currently used at the stadiums in Cologne and Hamburg, each deploying ten fans, and the Arena in Amsterdam, where 20 fans operate in conditions notoriously punishing to the turf.
Four giant fans mounted on rollers are currently patrolling the touchlines in a two-week test to determine whether drying out the turf faster than nature allows proves a useful addition to the greenkeepers' armoury. The expected benefits include greater resistance to decay, and the ability to mow and aerate the pitch faster than before.
"The fans speed up the rate at which the pitch dries, which helps to ward off infection and disease. This could be a useful tool in helping us to continually improve the condition of the playing surface at the Arena and keep it in tip-top condition for longer," explained Allianz Arena Munich Stadium GmbH Managing Director Peter Kerspe.
Should the 14-day test end positively, the fans will be deployed on a regular basis at the imposing stadium. Similar methods are currently used at the stadiums in Cologne and Hamburg, each deploying ten fans, and the Arena in Amsterdam, where 20 fans operate in conditions notoriously punishing to the turf.
