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ABSTRACT
Painting of athletic fields is widespread throughout the world and can often cause declines in turfgrass health. Visible light and photosynthesis share the same wavelengths (400-700 nm), and it was hypothesized that alterations in visible light to produce specific colors would lead to reductions in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and total canopy photosynthesis (TCP). Lab experiments using a spectroradiometer and LICOR 1800-12 integrating sphere examined the impacts of 10 colors of athletic field paint on PAR as well as wavelengths within PAR. These colors were then applied weekly for 5 wk to 'Tifway' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt Davy], and TCP was measured using a gas exchange system 24 h after each application. Spectroradiometry analyses revealed the significant effects of paint color (P ≤ 0.001) on reflection, transmission, and absorption of PAR. Lighter colors including white, yellow, orange, and red reflected 47 to 92% of PAR while darker colors including green, black, and dark blue absorbed 87 to 95% of PAR. Accompanying gas exchange measurements revealed that TCP was most negatively correlated with absorption of PAR (r = -0.959, P ≤ 0.001) and that darker colors negatively impact TCP more than lighter colors. The results clearly indicate that damage to turfgrasses with long-term painting will be difficult to avoid, and this is particularly true with darker colors of paint.
Abbreviations: PAR, photosynthetically active radiation; PMS, Pantone Matching System; TCP, total canopy photosynthesis.
Painting of Turfgrass athletic fields is a common practice throughout the world. It is widely recognized that repeated paint applications degrade turfgrass quality. The underlying basis for decline in quality and therefore the question of whether it can be avoided has yet to be resolved. It is conceivable that the negative impact of paint on turfgrass quality can be traced to properties of the pigments used to produce each paint color. The wavelength range for visible light overlaps with photosyn- thetically active radiation (PAR), between 400 and 700 nm, and alterations in visible light to produce specific colors could have negative effects on PAR and the associated rate of turfgrass pho- tosynthesis. This cause and effect relationship was implied in a recent study where red and white paint were applied to perennial ryegrass (Lolíuin perenne L.)...