with turfgrass. Turfgrass maintenance is a specialty that must take many factors into account, and UAS are especially suited to provide rapid assessments of large areas of turf – and perform much faster than people on the ground.
UAVs with NIR and IR sensors can easily detect water stress in turfgrass and many woody plants, as well as areas of soil compaction. The industry works hard to ameliorate soil compaction because compaction repels water and impedes plant root growth.
The UAS trend in the golf industry has already begun. Many golf course managers across the world have heard of UAS and IR-NIR sensors and have seen or heard about the results possible with UAS. The industry understands the technology and has embraced it in a number of countries. The pilot task is simple: in the morning, fly a UAV with an IR-NIR sensor over a golf course and immediately relay the information to course staff – displaying on a large tablet or laptop is preferable. The key outcome of a mission is providing immediate feedback so staff can address water deficiencies, compaction, or other maintenance needs before players arrive for the day. The UAS involvement in the sports field industry is just beginning at this time. Some field managers have seen or heard of the results that UAS can deliver. Multi-field complexes of football (soccer) fields, baseball/softball fields, or rugby pitches are especially suited to a UAV overflight. Whether publicly or privately owned, maintenance staff time is often precious and any time-saving measures to determine turf health can be turned into money savings. The pilot task here is similar to golf: an overflight of the complex in the morning with an IR-NIR sensor to identify water and compaction issues (including areas adjacent to the pitch/field where spectators gather) so staff can address before weekend games or midweek practices.
Flights for vegetation management are often performed in areas not typically flown by commercial pilots at this time. Photo courtesy of Joris Voeten, Roofscapes