Abstract: The biological characteristics such as the number of nodes, branch length, coverage, the number of leaves, tillers, overground biomass and root growth of Lolium perenne L. before and after trample stress were investigated by establishing turf system with waste crumb rubber as medium amendment. After lawn returned green in the second year, the number of nodes and coverage of Lolium perenne L. increased with the decrease of crumb rubber size, and all crumb rubber treatments were all distinctly higher than the treatment without crumb rubber (control) before trample stress, but the branch length showed the opposite trend, increased with the increase of crumb rubber size. Under trample stress, the coverage, overground biomass and tiller number of ryegrass (L. perenne )displayed the same rule. All of the parameters increased as decreasing crumb rubber sizes. The treatment with 1-2 mm appeared the highest, and all treatments with different crumb rubber sizes were better than control. Trample stress damaged the number of nodes and leaves greatly. In addition, the root biomass with 1-2 mm crumb rubber treatment under trample stress was the highest, and was higher 138.77% than control. So the waste crumb rubber filled in turf medium as amendment could enhance trample resistance of lawn based on above comprehensive analyses. This was directly correlated with elasticity of crumb rubber. In the three treatments, the size of 1-2 mm crumb rubber was the optimum medium amendment for sports lawn under trample stress, and the lawn character was clearly better than that of other treatments.

Key words: Lolium perenne L, trample stress, waste crumb rubber, turf medium, biological characteristics