Cover of Al Salamat Park

Project case study · CS-07 · Municipal parks · Turf

Al Salamat Park

Al Ain Municipality · Al Ain, United Arab Emirates · 2012. Nineteen weeks of independent municipal inspection through an Al Ain summer, side by side with the municipality's own irrigation, including a mid-season stress episode and its recovery.

Reference
CS-07
Edition
2 · September 2026
Format
PDF · 5 pages · 1.6 MB
Access
Open
Download PDF Arabic PDF Free · no form · English and Arabic

About this case study

A turf area at Al Salamat Park, Al Ain, split between the municipality's conventional irrigation and EPIC's sub-surface system. Al Ain Municipality inspected the two halves side by side every week from 23 April to 27 August 2012, through the hottest part of the summer.

The municipality wrote up each week in Arabic on its own forms. Each entry gives its meter reading, EPIC's meter reading, the average temperature and notes on plant condition, weeds and ground moisture, and dated photographs of both halves were taken. Thirteen of the nineteen weeks have meter readings, and week 18 fell on the Eid holiday. Recorded average temperatures rose from 35°C in April to 45°C in May, then stayed between 40 and 43°C through the summer.

The municipality recorded a stress episode on the EPIC side. On 19 June, in week 9, severe dryness appeared, and recovery began slowly from 25 June. By 9 July growth was about 80% by eye, and by 16 July the turf had regained normal growth, though its colour was still slightly pale. Wilting returned on 30 July, and by 6 August the colour was slowly coming back. At the last inspection on 27 August, growth was back to 96%, held back by patchy edges, and the colour was still pale.

The one difference the municipality noted repeatedly was weeds. In weeks 7, 12 and 19 it found parasitic weeds in its own conventionally irrigated half and few or none in the EPIC half, naming them at week 19 as Euphorbia sp. At week 5 it found no harmful weeds at either site. At week 12 it asked whether to check the fertilising with the company.

19Weeks of independent municipal inspection, 23 April to 27 August 2012
45°CPeak average temperature recorded
96%Growth recovery assessed at week 19, 27 August 2012
40 to 43°CRecorded average temperature through the summer

Project record

Monitoring body
Al Ain Municipality
Location
Al Salamat Park, Al Ain, UAE
Monitoring period
23 April 2012 to 27 August 2012, weeks W1 to W19
Configuration
A turf area at Al Salamat Park split between the municipality's conventional irrigation and EPIC's sub-surface system, inspected side by side
Recorded each week
Al Ain Municipality meter reading, EPIC Green Co. meter reading, average temperature, and written notes on plant condition and ground humidity
Temperature range recorded
35°C in April rising to 45°C in May, 40 to 43°C through the summer, 39°C at the final inspection
W1 · 23 April · 35°C
The turf on the company's side suffers pallor of colour.
W2 · 30 April · 35°C
Same observation as the previous week. The reading was taken after the turf was mown.
W5 · 22 May · 45°C
No harmful weeds at either trial site. The affected part of EPIC's section is the area that was patched. Some edges dry at both.
W7 · 4 June · 43°C
Parasitic weeds appear in the municipality's plot, few or almost none in the company's. Dry edges in the company's trial.
W8 · 11 June
Mowing of the turf as part of routine maintenance work.
W9 · 19 June · 40°C
Severe dryness appears on the company's section. Monitoring of growth rate after cutting begins.
W10 · 25 June · 40°C
The dry part of the company's section begins to recover, very slowly; slight growth noted in some dry areas.
W11 · 2 July · 40°C
Grass growth rate in the sub-surface system still weak.
W12 · 9 July · 40°C
The company's turf begins to recover normal growth, 80% by observation. Parasitic plants in the municipality's part, absent in the company's. "To check with the company about the fertilising?"
W13 · 16 July · 42°C
Turf recovered its natural growth; colour still slightly pale.
W15 · 30 July · 43°C
Wilting present in the sub-surface irrigation part.
W16 · 6 August · 41°C
Turf gradually recovering its natural colour. The dividing line between the two systems is noticeable.
W19 · 27 August · 39°C
Parasitic plants (Euphorbia sp.) in the conventionally irrigated part. Turf recovered natural growth to 96%, held back by incomplete growth at the edges in EPIC's part; colour still pale. Possible mole-cricket larvae in the conventional part. Turf had not been mown up to the date of inspection.

On site, in the order it happened

6 dated photographs from the site record, in the order they were taken.

April to August 2012The record in pictures

  1. Green turf field inside a fenced park, floodlight poles and trees around it
    01 April to May 2012Early weeksEarly in the monitoring period, both halves in condition.
  2. Turf with large brown dry patches and scattered green areas
    02 Mid-June 2012StressMid-June: the stress episode the municipality recorded from week 9.
  3. Patchy turf with brown areas spread through the green
    03 Mid-June to early July 2012Dry periodThe dry period at its worst, with browning across the EPIC side.
  4. Mostly green field with some pale and brown patches, palm trees beyond the fence
    04 Late July 2012RecoveryRecovery beginning.
  5. Even green turf across the fenced field under a hazy sky
    05 August 2012Growth returnedAugust: growth returned across the field.
  6. Green field with slightly uneven colour, palm trees beyond the fence
    06 Late August 2012Close of monitoringThe field at the close of the monitoring period.

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