Labor shortages, rising maintenance costs, and advances in technology have many turf managers asking the same question: Are robotic mowers the future? While autonomous mowing isn’t the right fit for every property, research and our own field experience suggest it’s a technology worth watching.
Cornell Research Sparks the Conversation
We regularly follow Dr. Frank Rossi’s work through the Cornell Turfgrass Program including the Turf Show Podcast and the ShortCUTT newsletter, both excellent resources for science-based turf management.In May, Dr. Frank Rossi and Carl Schimenti released a podcast on robotic or autonomous mowing:
Autonomous Mowers – what you need to know: Cornell Turf Show (S7 Ep10)
If you have not started exploring robotic mowers (autonomous or semi-autonomous mowers) this podcast is a good place to start getting your feet wet on the subject. Recognizing that mowing is the single most important cultural practice for producing a high-quality organic lawn, PJC began evaluating robotic mowers last season and continues to expand our experience with them.
Why Autonomous Mowing Benefits Organic TurfBecause autonomous mowers remove only a small amount of leaf tissue during each mowing cycle, they place less stress on the turf while promoting more consistent growth.
Benefits We’ve Observed
- Increased turf density
- Leaf width narrowing
- Improved traffic tolerance
- Labor savings
- Quieter
- Less energy usage
- Reduced plant stress
- Improved aesthetics
- Weed suppression
- Improved nitrogen response
- Improved microbial responseReduced soil compaction
Frequent Mowing Supports Soil Health
Frequent mowing returns small amounts of organic material to the soil with each cutting, complementing an organic fertility program while reducing plant stress. We have also noticed a reduction in weed pressure under this more frequent mowing pattern.In practice, although our autonomous mowers can maintain a height of cut (HOC) of up to 4 inches, we’ve found that 3 inches provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance on most residential lawns. On athletic fields, autonomous mowers also make it much easier to consistently maintain the lower HOC that coaches often prefer.
Practical Considerations Before Choosing an Autonomous Mower
As we’ve gained experience using autonomous mowers, we’ve found that several practical considerations influence how successful they are on a particular property:
• Mapping process
• Map editing
• Docking station, RTK antenna, or cloud-based navigation requirements
• Cut quality (striped or non-striped)
• Navigation capabilitiesObject avoidance
Is Autonomous Mowing Right for Your Property?
Autonomous mowing isn’t the right solution for every property, but the technology is improving rapidly. With a strong potential to rival the service a traditional mowing crew provides depending on the time of season. If autonomous mowing isn’t already on your radar, we encourage you to listen to the Cornell Turf Show Podcast and begin exploring the technology. We believe it has the potential to change the way many residential and commercial properties are maintained, and well worth following.