Transcript Precision Agriculture in Golf Course Wildlife

Precision Sensing in
Golf Course Wildlife
Aesthetics
vs.
Agriculture
Aesthetics vs. Agriculture
• Two completely different industries with unrelated definitions of
success using varying techniques of precision technology to satisfy
the same concept…
• Precision has multiple meanings?
• Same relative goals (reduce N use, make $/save $, conserve water,
efficiency, conserve environment!!!)
What we both want…
• Improved Efficiency
• More Time
• Precision
Equipment
That is reliable
• Ease of Use!
Definition of Precision…
• In agronomy terms, precision means having the
ability to treat every square inch of your field
individually in order to obtain a maximum yield
• On a golf course, precision must equal perfection…
Futures in Golf Course Precision
Sensing
Agricultural researchers recently learned that
significant differences in soil test results can occur
at distances less than 1 meter (m), or about 39
inches (Raun et al., 1998), and Solie et al. (1999)
suggested that soil, plant and indirect
measurements should be made at the meter or
sub-meter level. Raun et al. (2002) conducted a
study to determine the validity of using optically
sensed in-season estimates of grain yield (INSEY)
and a response index in winter wheat (Triticum
aestivum L.) at the 1 square meter level.
Nitrogen-use efficiency was improved by greater
than 15 percent when N fertilization was based on
optically sensed INSEY determined for each
square meter and a response index compared to
traditional practices at a single N rate. The use of
optical sensors may help golf course managers
increase or maintain adequate turfgrass quality
while reducing the total amount of N fertilizer
applied. However, turfgrass managers are not
concerned with increasing yield. Turfgrass
managers are concerned with improving or
maintaining adequate turfgrass quality for their
particular playing conditions.
Precision Inevitable?
Conservation is the new universal language…
Golf Course Wildlife and Precision Sensing
• Elk
• Deer
• Bears
• Voles
Kangaroos?
And the damage is…
Elk!!!
• Estimated 1700-2200 elk
in the valley
• Protected by Dept. of
Wildlife
• Elk “divots”, typically 12”
to 6 ft in diameter
The Process…
• During the winter, hundreds of 1500 pound
elk seek shelter and food on the golf course.
• During which, they are continuously
urinating, sparring, feeding, and generally
acting like wild beasts…
• Elk urine is secreted at body temperatures
in high volumes, During fall and winter, when
the soil and air temperatures are low, the turf
is stress considerably (usually killed) and
cannot synthesize the chemicals in the urine
nor handle the extreme change in
temperature…
The Cost…
• Scalp
• Sand & Seed
• Labor
• 3-5 men, 1 ½ weeks,
100 hrs per week
• Green dye, perennial
rye seed
• Combine with
monoammonium
phosphate (11-52-0)
Resod?
The Problem…
• As you can see, just the first phase of repairing these elk divots is
extremely costly…but what about maintenance?
• These divots become increasingly difficult to maintain throughout
the season due to the plant’s need for a stable environment and the
superintendent’s need for regular maintenance…
• Both rotary and reel-type mowers can completely destroy the new
seedling environment and germination process (and usually does)
while completing routine maintenance work…
• A fine example of spatial variability and a need for
precision management…
Trees too…
• 1200 trees
require
fencing
Voles
• Like a mole but smaller
and with a shorter tail
• Feeds on soil insects,
eliminates contact with root
and soil by burrowing and
leaves trail of dead grass on
top of tunnel
Other pesky critters…
• Feed on trees/plants
• Regular activity
• HUGE piles of…
• General chaos
associated with a bear
on the course
• Feed on trees
• Traffic
• Feces
Problems…
• Adjustment Time
• Survey of damage cannot be completed until snow
melts
• LIABILITY!
• The future of automated equipment is nearing…when will
superintendents be willing to exchange their human operators
for a computer?
• Will a machine recognize mohawks, line quality, a bad
cut? Only the future will tell…
Conclusion
• The wildlife were here first and deserve our respect
• Wildlife enhance the beauty of our experience no matter what
the activity
• Laws and restrictions in the future will force us to utilize
new, innovative, & conservative management techniques
• What use is the equipment if the equipment manages us?
• The future is now…conservation is the key!
Respect & Appreciate our Planet
Without it we have no golf, no agriculture, no wildlife…
Happy Earth Day