Sportsturf Industry Soils & Rootzones will provide candidates with a greater understanding of the processes that formed natural soils over a period of time. You will be able to identify the properties of a soil that make them suitable or unsuitable for sportsturf by completing a textural analysis.

You will be able to correctly identify a range of soil structures, appreciate what constitutes a fertile soil and explain the components of a soil suitable for the sportsturf industry.

You will also appreciate the range of soil amendments and substitute materials that have developed over recent years.

At the end of the course you will have achieved the following outcomes.

Outcome 1 - Describe the processes that influence soil formation.

Performance Criteria:

• Correctly describe the soil formation processes with regards to the effects of topography, climate and time on parent rock material.
• Correctly describe the effects of plants, animals and humans on soil formation processes.

Outcome 2 - Describe the characteristics of a range of soils.

Performance Criteria:

• Identify accurately the texture of a range of soils.
• Correctly describe the structure and profile of a range of soils.
• Correctly describe the factors that influence soil fertility.
• Correctly describe the major components of a typical soil.

Outcome 3 - Describe a range of rootzone materials found in the sportsturf industry.

Performance Criteria:

• Correctly describe the proportion of materials used in developing rootzone material for different sportsturf surfaces.
• Describe correctly how the proportion of materials will affect drainage, root development and stability of different sportsturf surfaces.
• Describe correctly soil amendments and substitute materials used in rootzones.

You are expected to follow the lectures in order and will be required to watch 90% of the videos before you can advance to the next lecture.

Good luck, and enjoy!