COMPOSITION OF TURFGRASS THATCH

In many intensively cultured turfs, thatch, an organic layer of leaves , stems, and roots, that develops above the soil surface, is recognize d as a potentially serious problem, This study evaluated the constitue nts of turfgrass thatch in terms of organic matter (OM), cellulose, an d lignin content. Ten samples were analyzed containing two or three la yers of 2-cm thick for a total of 30 layers, As thatch layers may ofte n include mineral matter, a technique was developed to separate the OM from any mineral particles in the samples. An important loss of OM wa s observed during the separation process. Despite problems encountered during the constituent analyses due to the heterogeneity of the sampl es and the presence of mineral matter, results showed a significant in crease in lignin content with depth.