Turf management
A turf management system includes an irrigation system for providing water to the turf at a turf site, and an irrigation evaluation system for evaluating the performance of the irrigation system. The irrigation evaluation system segments the turf site into irrigation management units, where each of the irrigation management units includes at least one sprinkler head. Qualities of the turf are measured to generate collected data points. The data points are used by the irrigation evaluation system to compute a value for the turf in each of the irrigation management units. The values can then be used to identify irrigation management units having common characteristics. The values can be used to define irrigation management zones for controlling the irrigation system.
1 . A system for watering a turf site, the system comprising:
a mobile vehicle;
a sensor mounted on the mobile vehicle, the sensor measuring at least one parameter, and the sensor being spaced away from turf in the turf site;
a processing device; and
a memory device storing computer readable instructions executable by the processing device to cause the processing device to:
define at least one surface area boundary for an irrigation management unit by:
identifying sprinkler head locations;
locating a midpoint between at least two sprinkler head locations; and
drawing a portion of the at least one surface area boundary through the midpoint;
control a first plurality of fixed sprinkler heads within a first irrigation management zone according to a first control parameter, the first irrigation management zone including one or more irrigation management units each defined by surface area boundaries where all points within each irrigation management unit are closer to a respective sprinkler head in the first irrigation management zone than to any other sprinkler head in the first irrigation management zone, the irrigation management units of the first irrigation management zone having a first common characteristic;
control a second plurality of fixed sprinkler heads within a second irrigation management zone according to a second control parameter, the second irrigation management zone including one or more irrigation management units each defined by surface area boundaries where all points within each irrigation management unit are closer to a respective sprinkler head in the second irrigation management zone than to any other sprinkler head in the second irrigation management zone, the irrigation management units of the second irrigation management zone having a second common characteristic;
receive measurements of the at least one parameter from the sensor mounted on the mobile vehicle at each irrigation management unit of the one or more irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones; and
adjust the first and second control parameters based on the measurements of the at least one parameter of the one or more irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones, respectively.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first and second pluralities of fixed sprinkler heads; and
water lines connected to a source of water and to valves that control the flow of water through the first and second pluralities of fixed sprinkler heads.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the measurements of the at least one parameter include moisture measurements of the irrigation management units.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein adjust the first and second control parameters includes adjusting a frequency at which water is supplied to the irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein adjust the first and second control parameters includes adjusting a duration at which water is supplied to the irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first control parameter differs from the second control parameter based on a difference of the first common characteristic from the second common characteristic.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more irrigation management units are classified into the first irrigation management zone or the second irrigation management zone independently of their physical location.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second common characteristics include a turf characteristic or an intended recreational use.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each fixed sprinkler head of the first and second pluralities of fixed sprinkler heads is individually controllable.
10 . A method of watering a turf site, the method comprising:
measuring at least one parameter by driving a mobile data collection device across the turf site, the mobile data collection device including a sensor spaced away from turf in the turf site for measuring the at least one parameter;
defining at least one surface area boundary for an irrigation management unit by:
identifying sprinkler head locations;
locating a midpoint between at least two sprinkler head locations; and
drawing a portion of the at least one surface area boundary through the midpoint;
controlling a first plurality of fixed sprinkler heads within a first irrigation management zone according to a first control parameter, the first irrigation management zone including one or more irrigation management units each defined by surface area boundaries where all points within each irrigation management unit are closer to a respective sprinkler head in the first irrigation management zone than to any other sprinkler head in the first irrigation management zone, the irrigation management units of the first irrigation management zone having a first common characteristic;
controlling a second plurality of fixed sprinkler heads within a second irrigation management zone according to a second control parameter, the second irrigation management zone including one or more irrigation management units each defined by surface area boundaries where all points within each irrigation management unit are closer to a respective sprinkler head in the second irrigation management zone than to any other sprinkler head in the second irrigation management zone, the irrigation management units of the second irrigation management zone having a second common characteristic;
receiving measurements of the at least one parameter of the irrigation management units; and
adjusting the first and second control parameters based on the measurements of the at least one parameter of the irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the measurements of the at least one parameter include moisture measurements of the irrigation management units.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the first and second control parameters includes adjusting a frequency at which water is supplied to the irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the first and second control parameters includes adjusting a duration at which water is supplied to the irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first and second common characteristics include a turf characteristic or an intended recreational use.
15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing data instructions for controlling an irrigation system, the instructions, when executed by a computing device, cause the irrigation system to:
measure at least one parameter by having a mobile data collection device driven across a turf site, the mobile data collection device including a sensor spaced away from turf in the turf site for measuring the at least one parameter;
define at least one surface area boundary for an irrigation management unit by:
identifying sprinkler head locations;
locating a midpoint between at least two sprinkler head locations; and
drawing a portion of the at least one surface area boundary through the midpoint;
control a first plurality of fixed sprinkler heads within a first irrigation management zone according to a first control parameter, the first irrigation management zone including one or more irrigation management units each defined by surface area boundaries where all points within each irrigation management unit are closer to a respective sprinkler head in the first irrigation management zone than to any other sprinkler head in the first irrigation management zone, the irrigation management units of the first irrigation management zone having a first common characteristic;
control a second plurality of fixed sprinkler heads within a second irrigation management zone according to a second control parameter, the second irrigation management zone including one or more irrigation management units each defined by surface area boundaries where all points within each irrigation management unit are closer to a respective sprinkler head in the second irrigation management zone than to any other sprinkler head in the second irrigation management zone, the irrigation management units of the second irrigation management zone having a second common characteristic;
receive measurements of the at least one parameter of the irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones; and
adjust the first and second control parameters based on the measurements of the at least one parameter of the irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones.
16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein adjust the first and second control parameters includes adjusting a frequency, a duration, or both the frequency and the duration at which water is supplied to the irrigation management units in the first and second irrigation management zones.
17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second common characteristics include a turf characteristic or an intended recreational use.