TourTurf® GTP Green Turf Paint has shown to be very effective in reducing heat stress and UV damage, making it very valuable for use under high UV intensity conditions near the equator, in the Middle East, Asia, in Southern Europe and for use in combination with artificial lights in soccer stadiums.
Previous trials could already show that GTP is well suited as a permanent turf paint, improving turf colour, not staining sports equipment and being stable over a long period of time. See this article here: Natural Colour with TourTurf® GTP.
TourTurf® GTP Green Turf Paint has proven that it is rainfast, delivers prolonged colour and protects turf against UV damage and heat stress!
The energy of light is essential for photosynthesis. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) with a wavelength of 400–700 nanometres fuels the production of carbohydrates and amino acids by the plant. During summer months, under high light intensity, the UV light beating down on turf plants can lead to damaged plant cells comparable to a sunburn. Too much light can stress turf and can cause the efficiency of photosynthesis to be reduced around noon.
UV light has a shorter wavelength than visible light (Wavelength <400 nanometres). Purple and violet light have shorter wavelengths than other colours of light, and ultraviolet has even shorter wave lengths than violet.
In humans, the outer layer of skin has cells containing the dark pigment melanin to protect them from harmful UV rays. Sunlight causes the skin to produce more melanin and we get a tan. Plants are protected naturally by carotenoids in their cells (being visible in leaves in autumn when chlorophyll is broken down, giving them a red, orange appearance.) Carotenoids are essential pigments in photosynthetic active cells, along with chlorophylls. Carotenoids act as photo-protectors.
Dark blue coloured pigments can protect turf plants from UV radiation as well. Pigments are solid particles that keep their structure throughout the application.
A pigment absorbs a specific wavelength of light and reflects another. Pigments used in GTP allow PAR light to penetrate cells for photosynthesis but with reduced intensity. The pigments in GTP are selected and combined specifically to reflect and reduce harmful UV radiation (or 'shade' the turf) and to absorb the beneficial wavelengths better.
During this trial, we wanted to evaluate the effect of light on plants treated with GTP, and test if the blue pigment in the product can protect the turf plant against heat stress and UV damage.
A strip of fine turf was cut into small sections in preparation for treatment, giving 4 replicate turf patches per treatment.
Next, we measured the treatment's blue score to quantify the blue pigment on the treated turf and the spectrum of light reflected.
Plots treated with GTP had a higher blue score.
The turf was placed in a growth chamber directly under artificial light. Using a thermal camera, we measured the difference in heat stress under UV light. The lower the temperature of the turf, the less it is stressed. Hot = stressed!
This graph shows the temperature of the turf. A lower value equals a higher transpiration rate because of a photosynthetically active canopy that has no stress.
Turf treated with TourTurf® GTP Green Turf Paint has a 4.2°C cooler surface under UV stress than the untreated control because of a healthier plant. Our study shows no observable UV damage if treated with GTP. Colour and optical aspect are vastly improved and maintained over time.
Turf treated with TourTurf GTP continued to grow, despite UV stress.