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Gazing in the Grass... Light at the end of the tunnelTurfgrass researchers from throughout the country and around the world gather every year to discuss the latest research projects during the annual meetings of the Crop Science Society of America. At this year’s meetings, held earlier this month in New Orleans, updates were given on more than 230 research projects. That is less than half of all the turfgrass research projects in progress across the country. My favorite projects are exploratory types related to the future of golf turf management. I liken these to shining a light in a dark tunnel: They might not provide overall relief from the darkness, but they allow you to see the end of the tunnel. However, those endpoints might be interim stops along the way as progress continues. I measure progress in golf turf management in terms of efficiency and precision – energy efficiency, resource efficiency, labor efficiency, and how we minimize inputs and meet performance expectations. Increased precision will lead to improved efficiency. Every year there are research projects focusing on a particular subject area that dominate the meetings. A few that come to mind are papers on environmental fate studies and Primo. This year it was remote-sensing technology.
What I like about this definition is that it includes the word “art.” This implies that while this is a data-driven process, there still is a human element that engages our instinct or knack for a subject. This human component lies at the heart of the success of this technology and its ability to improve our precision. Most of the studies presented in this arena used a remote sensing device to assess the spectral analysis of the turf. Essentially the device assesses the color of the grass not just in the range that we can see visually but also in the range of colors that are not visible to the naked eye. A machine’s ability to determine changes in color not visible to humans might allow for enhanced ability to detect problems. The light at the end the tunnel for me is remote-sensing technology connected to GPS technology.Several studies set up nitrogen deficiencies, drought conditions or disease-like symptoms to “ground-true” the remote sensing. Once the treatments were established the device was set up to “sense” the plot from above it as soil and turfgrass quality ratings manually were being collected to determine soil moisture and the visual effect on the turf. The unique aspect of these studies is the ability to detect the imposed stress on the plants six to 24 hours before that stress was visible to the human eye. There are many confounding factors such as ambient light, moisture, varying turf types, etc., that can effect the precision of the measurement. This technology is widely used in production agriculture to improve yield (an easy-to-measure output). However, in the golf turf management determining our yield, or goal, is not as easy, unless it simply is “greenness.” Companies such as The Toro Co. and NTech Industries, makers of GreenSeeker, have invested a significant amount of resources into remote sensing in conjunction with many turfgrass researchers. Remote- sensing technology will be an add-on to mowing equipment. The light at the end the tunnel for me is remote-sensing technology connected to GPS technology. For example, the turf is “sensed” during mowing, and the information on pending nitrogen stress is collected, downloaded and analyzed in seconds. The stressed locations are pinpointed, a tank of fertilizer is mixed and the spray tech is on his way. GPS technology activates the sprayer only where fertilizer is needed delivering nutrients to a precise area. Fertigation might make it easier to run a few heads to help deliver the nutrients. Although that technique probably is less precise it is more efficient. Not only will the turf stay healthy and retain its color, you also will avoid other problems associated with nitrogen deficiency. For example, a group of Ohio State University researchers, including plant pathologist Mike Boehm, Ph.D., have shown that short-term drops in turf nitrogen status can lead to increased dollar spot disease. You will be able to avoid unnecessary pesticide applications if you can “sense” such problems before you can see them. If you’re worried that such technology would make the superintendent obsolete, I believe such advancements will further enhance the superintendent’s stature, not diminish it. As superintendents are asked continually to do more with less such technology will reduce the need for “rescue” treatments. Technological advancements typically alleviate monotonous tasks and allow for enhanced efficiency and increased reliance on knowledge and less on products. Now that is a light at the end of the tunnel. Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D., is associate professor of turfgrass science at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He can be reached at fsr3@cornell.edu. |
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