Turf production for stadiums involves machines and specialized agronomists When the ball starts rolling down the field, the spotlight turns to the players. But there is another team, away from the cameras, responsible for ensuring that the show goes off without a hitch: that of agronomists and rural producers who work to keep the lawns in ideal conditions. Grass cultivation, known as gramiculture, is relatively recent in the country and developed mainly in the last 20 years, says agronomist Rafael Froes, responsible for a farm in São José dos Campos (SP). On site, one of the interns even says that he only came into contact with the activity during his professional experience and that agronomy courses still pay little attention to this sector. Despite being recent, the activity has gained ground in the country. Today, Brazil has around 25 thousand hectares of commercial grass cultivation, with São Paulo leading national production. Globo Rural visited the property where Froes works to get to know this production chain up close (see video above). The farm occupies 400 hectares — an area equivalent to around 400 football fields — and produces approximately 2 million square meters of lawn per year. Where does the grass come from How cultivation works Unlike crops such as soybeans and corn, which have defined planting and harvesting periods, growing grass requires continuous work throughout the year. Froes explains that a large part of the property where he works has peat soil, which is darker and rich in organic matter, which favors the development of the crop. Due to these characteristics, the grass grown in this type of soil already has an intense green color and requires less fertilization in the first months after planting. Production requires a series of management, including application of lime, chemical fertilizers and pest control with herbicides. After harvesting, the cultivated area goes through a regeneration process. With irrigation, fertilization and application of pesticides, the land can return to production between a year and a year and a half later. Marketing formats Grass can be sold in different formats. One of them is through seedlings known as sprigs, a cheaper option, but which requires more technical planting and specialized monitoring. In this system, seedlings are sold without soil, reducing the risk of contamination by seeds from invasive plants. The seedlings produced on the farm are of the Bermuda Tifway 419 variety, used mainly in large areas, such as polo and golf courses. Another very common sales format is in plates. Emerald grass, for example, widely used in landscaping and amateur fields, is cut in this system, that is, in plate formats, with roots and soil. After planting, the roots begin to integrate into the soil within a few days. There are also so-called Big Rolls. In this system, a machine cuts and rolls large mats of grass. The rolls are 75 centimeters wide by 30 meters long, making installation easy. The variety used in this format is Bermuda Tahoma 31, which performs better in areas with greater shade. Grass selection and maintenance Agronomist Mateus Ortega, who works for the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF) and takes care of the Jaime Cintra stadium, in Jundiaí (SP), says that the quality of a lawn begins with choosing the appropriate variety. For professional fields, the recommendation is to use high-performance grasses, with greater resistance to trampling and accelerated growth to allow for faster recovery after matches. For those who want to set up a field on farms or in backyards, the recommendations are different. In this case, Esmeralda grass appears as an alternative as it requires less cutting and is well adapted to different conditions. After games, signs of wear become evident. Sudden changes in direction, carts and disputes for the ball leave marks on the lawn, which need to be corrected quickly to preserve the quality of the surface. To recover damaged areas of the lawn, professionals use equipment similar to a fork to pull the grass from the sides towards the center of the hole, reducing the scars left by the game. Then, they apply a thin layer of sand to correct any small unevenness that remains on the surface and, finally, they make a new cut to ensure that the lawn is completely uniform. The work carried out in the fields and stadiums directly impacts those on the field. Player Lucas Silva says that the quality of the grass affects the speed of the ball and can even influence the physical wear and tear of athletes. According to him, fields in poor condition increase the impact on knees and ankles, contributing to injuries throughout one's career.