Drought Management in Sports: Smart Strategies to Maintain Surface Performance
- Reece Watson
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
Periods of drought present a significant challenge for sports turf managers. Reduced water availability can compromise turf quality, affect player safety, and increase maintenance costs. Effective drought management involves more than just conserving water—it requires a structured, proactive approach that maintains consistency, performance, and long-term surface health.
7 Key Tips for Effective Drought Management
Grounds professionals must adapt their routines to ensure resilience during dry periods. Below are seven practical strategies drawn from expert advice used across elite-level grounds teams:
Watering Strategy
Apply deep and infrequent irrigation (2–3 times per week). This promotes deep root growth and increases drought resistance. Avoid frequent cycles.
Schedule irrigation between 4:00 and 8:00 AM to reduce evaporation and fungal risks.
Monitor soil moisture manually or with probes to prevent over- or under-watering.
Observe at least one full irrigation cycle weekly to verify proper sprinkler distribution. Stress is often caused by inconsistent throw from sprinklers.
Check for dry patches near infield sprinkler heads—often caused by poor nozzle height or throw—and address them manually if needed.
Mowing Best Practices
Raise mowing height to 28–30 mm during dry or hot weather to shade the soil and preserve moisture.
Keep mower blades sharp. Dull blades tear the grass instead of cutting it cleanly, which increases water loss and stress on the plant
Avoid scalping by never cutting more than one-third of the grass height in a single session. This helps maintain plant health and moisture retention.
Fertiliser and Nutrition
Avoid high nitrogen fertilisation during heat waves, which can overstimulate growth and increase water demand.
Choose fertilisers with slow-release nitrogen and added potassium to improve drought tolerance. Apply at low rates.
Avoid calcium and high salt index fertilisers during periods of water stress.
Wetting Agents
Use soil surfactants such as moisture-retaining wetting agents during the summer season. These improve water infiltration and help prevent dry patches.
Hand-water surrounds and dry patches using wetting agent capsules for ta argeted effect.
Soil Health and Aeration
Use a solid tine to relieve soil compaction and improve water and air movement through the root zone. Do this operation early morning or evening in cooler temperatures.
Apply sand or a sand-soil mix to improve soil structure and enhance moisture retention. This can also protect the crown of the plant. Again, carry out this operation in cooler temperatures.
Shade and Wind Protection
Limit the impact of heat reflected from hard surfaces (such as paving or walls) by introducing shading elements or ground cover to buffer temperature extremes.
Grass Selection and Overseeding
Choose drought-tolerant cultivars, such as newer perennial ryegrass varieties with enhanced root systems.
Time overseeding carefully—only when conditions support germination and establishment. If you keep overseeding with germination, this will significantly add to your black organic layer during the season.
Technology as a Strategic Advantage
In addition to these best practices, modern technology can play a decisive role in managing drought risk. Raw Stadia’s system supports intelligent planning by combining data insights with automation to reduce guesswork:
A 14-day AI-powered weather forecast allows teams to plan proactively.
Moisture tracking supports data-led irrigation decisions and ensures efficiency.
Calendar tools help align fertilisation and wetting agent use with changing weather and surface conditions.
Conclusion
Drought management is no longer a reactive task—it’s a strategic element of grounds management. By combining proven agronomic practices with advanced technology, clubs can maintain consistent surface quality and optimise resource use throughout the season. With the right approach, even the most challenging weather conditions can be managed effectively and sustainably.
Written in collaboration with Sam McAllister.
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