SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FIRST CLASS CRICKET PITCHES IN ENGLAND AND WALES. I. CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR SOIL CHARACTERISTICS

摘要

Three important properties influencing the quality of first class cricket pitches are organic mat-ter content, bulk density and moisture content. Variation of these properties at depths of 0-20mm, 20-40 mm, 40-60 mm and 60-80 mm can be assessed using cores taken from pitchesimmediately before the start of games. Data from 1,018 pitches used for first class cricketbetween 1996 and 2002 were used to develop a classification system for these Values for each property were dependent on the type as on pitch preparation, and this needs to be individual pitches. Organic matter content was in density was strongly influenced by organic matter coing to both organic matter content and clay content. In thwere placed into one of five categories: unusually low, relativelyhigh and unusually high, depending on measured values and, where appropriate, the clay content and organic matter content of the soil.