Analytical
ASTC is pleased to offer independent analytical testing services for the sports turf and turf production industries. Please contact us to discuss your testing needs in greater detail.
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Soil
ASTC provides soil testing services to sporting clubs, golf courses, Councils, soil suppliers, landscape maintenance and commercial plus civil construction companies. Testing can be undertaken for existing facilities or relating to new construction projects for quality control purposes.
| Nutritional | |
|---|---|
| pH and/or electrical conductivity (EC) to Australian Standard 4419 | |
| Complete nutritional testing to include pH (H2O), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Matter, Macro nutrients N, P, K, S, Mg, Ca and Macro nutrients or elements Na, Fe, B, Al, Cl, Cu, B, Mn and Zn | |
| Complete nutritional testing plus lime requirement, colour and texture | |
| Organic matter | Loss on ignition (LOI) testing of soils/sands |
| Physical testing | |
| Particle size analysis | |
| Bulk density | |
| Hydraulic Conductivity testing at 16 and 32 drops | |
| Sports field suite testing to include particle size analysis (USGA test sieves), Hydraulic Conductivity at 16 & 32 drops, Moisture Retention & Porosities, pH & Electrical Conductivity | |
| D Value & Performance Factors | |
| Declaration of compliance | Review documentation and provide letter to approve or reject stockpiles or supply material |
Leaf Tissue
ASTC can provide leaf tissue testing to assess and monitor turf health. This includes nutrition and disease testing.
| Nutritional | To include macro nutrients N, P, K, S, Mg, Ca and Macro nutrients or elements Na, Fe, B, Cu, B, Mn and Zn. |
|---|---|
| Disease | Identification |
| Forage analysis testing | Energy: ME 1x (Mj/kg), Relative Feed Value, and % Digestible Dry Matter (DDM). Protein: % Crude Protein (CP) and Available Protein. Fibre: % Neutral Detergent Fiber, % Acid Detergent Fiber, NDFD 24hrs % of NDF, % TDN. Minerals: Potassium. |
Water
Irrigation water can significantly affect the quality of your turf. It is important to test and monitor water quality depending on your source. This may include potable water, recycled water, freshwater and bore water.
| Nutritional | |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive to include pH (H2O), Electrical Conductivity (EC), N, P, K, S, Mg, Ca, Na, Fe, B, Cl, Cu, B, Mn and Zn | |
| Comprehensive plus ammonium and bicarbonate | |
| Microbiological | E. coli, Faecal Coliforms and Total Coliforms |
| Algae | Identification |
Pest, Disease & Nematode
Pests, diseases and/or nematodes can quickly turn your turfgrass into a nightmare. ASTC offers a range of tests to assist sports turf managers, superintendents, sporting clubs and Councils to identify and treat the problem.
| Foliage and roots | Disease identification |
|---|---|
| Nematode | Identification |
| Plant Health | Combined disease and nematode testing |
| Fungal | Fungal isolation of soil including testing for pythium, phytopthora, fusarium etc. |
| Couch Smut | Identification |
| Mite e.g couch, kikuyu, zoysia | Identification |
Gravel
Gravel testing is undertaken for compliance purposes as part of the pre-commencement testing works for sports field construction or redevelopment projects.
| Physical testing | |
|---|---|
| Particle size analysis | |
| Hydraulic conductivity 10 mm minus | |
| D Value & Performance Factors | |
| Declaration of compliance | Review documentation and provide letter to approve or reject stockpiles or supply material |
Turf DNA & Genetics
ASTC has a Research Agreement with The University of Queensland’s (UQ) main commercialisation company UniQuest to deliver a reputable turf DNA testing service for the wider Australian turfgrass industry. Supplementary specialist analytical work including chromosome counting and X-ray testing of turfgrass for identification and breeding purposes can also be conducted.
| DNA testing | Please contact us for further details |
|---|---|
| Chromosome count | Using flow cytometry |
| X-ray of seed head / inflorescence | Used to measure seed production characteristics |
Contaminated Soil
We offer contaminated soil testing of existing and imported soil. This can be for construction or redevelopment purposes, or following a natural disaster like flooding of sports fields to determine if they are fit for play.
| Microbiological | |
|---|---|
| Faecal Coliforms, E. coli, Enterococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Clostridium perfringens | |
| Faecal Coliforms and E. coli only | |
| Eight metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | Heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc and mercury) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) |
| Asbestos | Identification (Not Quantifiable) |
Fertiliser
Fertiliser quality control checks are available to check on product particle size and fertiliser analysis (composition). Such a service is taken up by Councils who contract out supply and or apply fertiliser programs across their many sports fields. This provides quality assurance to Council to confirm that the product being supplied is what was specified and paid for.
| Particle size analysis and SGN identification | Analysis of granular fertiliser |
|---|---|
| Fertiliser analysis compliance testing | Total Acid Extractable Nutrients to check on the composition of fertiliser product supplied: Includes moisture, pH, Ec, Total nitrogen, total carbon, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, cobalt, molybdenum, zinc, manganese, iron, copper and boron. Identification |
Flood Damage
We are able to test sports turf surfaces for bacterium, including faecal coliforms and faecal strep. The two bacterium are commonly tested after flood events to identify if the sports field is fit for play after being inundated by flood water.
| Microbiological | |
|---|---|
| Faecal Coliforms (NPN/g), E. coli (NPN/g) and Enterococci (faecal Strep) (CFU/g) |
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Research
ASTC conducts independent turf research studies with a focus on warm-season turf grasses to meet the needs of the turf industry and end user within Australia and overseas.