Preliminary Evaluation of Autonomous Mowing for Sustainable Turfgrass Management in Mediterranean Climates

Abstract

Turfgrass provides significant functional, environmental, recreational and aesthetic benefits; however, its high management inputs raise sustainability concerns due to intensive irrigation, fertilization and mowing. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether adopting a new mowing technology can support or enhance current low-input strategies in turfgrass management, such as reducing synthetic fertilization and deficit irrigation. This study was conducted from September 2023 to October 2024 at the Centre for Research on Turfgrass for Environment and Sports (CeRTES) in Pisa, Italy. Two turf compositions, pure tall fescue and tall fescue–microclover mixture, were managed using an autonomous mower operating daily at three mowing heights, 20, 40 and 60 mm. Turf quality, color, the NDVI, weed cover, leaf morphology, and clover presence were assessed throughout the growing season, including a drought and recovery period. The experimental design consisted of a two-factor split-plot randomized complete block design with four replications, and the statistical approach used was two-way and one-way ANOVAs with Fisher’s LSD at p = 0.05. The results of the study indicated that, under conditions where an autonomous mower was set to operate on a daily basis, the selected mowing height had minimal influence on drought response or recovery when water availability was a limiting factor. Furthermore, when subjected to the lowest mowing heights, the legume species included in the turfgrass mix demonstrated strong resilience, maintaining its presence and performance. In addition, when mowing with a high mowing frequency and at low mowing heights, the overall quality of the turfgrass appeared enhanced. These results serve as an important starting point for considering autonomous mowing technology as an innovative strategy in advancing toward turf management systems that prioritize sustainability and efficient use of resources.