AI Advisor

The AI Advisor answers turf management questions using a knowledge base of greenkeeping science, STRI bulletins, and established agronomic research. You type a question, it searches the knowledge base, and returns a detailed answer with confidence scores and source references.

AI Advisor chat interface

This article refers to a live TurfWise screen. Media is omitted here so the written steps stay current across releases.

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What this page does

You ask a question about turf management. The Advisor searches its knowledge library, weighs the relevance and authority of what it finds, and gives you an answer with a confidence score. It also shows which sources it drew from, suggests follow-up questions, and where applicable provides an action checklist.

This is not a general-purpose chatbot. It only answers questions within its knowledge base -- turf disease, mowing, aeration, fertilisation, irrigation, pest management, and related greenkeeping topics.

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When would you use this?

• You've spotted something on a green and want to narrow down what it might be before calling an agronomist
• You need a quick reference on height of cut, topdressing rates, or timing for a specific surface
• You want to compare cultural control options for a disease problem
• You're writing a maintenance plan and need guidance on seasonal priorities
• A new member of staff asks a question you want to answer properly

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What happens when you use it

You type a question, optionally set context filters, and press Ask Advisor. The system then:

1. Searches the TurfWise knowledge library for relevant entries
2. Matches your question against topics, surfaces, and seasons
3. Returns an answer with a confidence percentage (High, Moderate, Low, or Very Low)
4. Lists sources it used, including their authority level and relevance score
5. Suggests follow-up questions you can click to ask next

The answer stays on screen until you ask another question. Nothing is saved to your course data or work logs -- this is purely reference and decision support.

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How to use this page

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How to get better answers

The more specific your question, the better the answer. Vague questions return vague results.

Include these details when you can:

• Which surface (greens, tees, fairways)
• Current conditions (wet, dry, frost, specific temperature)
• What you're seeing or trying to achieve
• Any constraints (budget, timing, staffing, upcoming events)

A question like "tell me about thatch" will get a generic textbook answer. "How do I manage thatch on push-up greens with clay loam soil in February?" will get something you can actually act on.

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Image analysis

You can upload a photo of turf directly into the Advisor. This is useful for:

• Disease symptom identification
• Pest damage assessment
• General condition evaluation

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Understanding the answer

Each answer includes several sections:

• Confidence badge -- colour-coded percentage showing how well the knowledge base covered your question
• Answer text -- the main response, formatted with headings and bullet points
• Key Metrics -- a table of specific numbers (heights, rates, depths) relevant to the answer
• Action Checklist -- practical steps you can follow
• Follow-up Questions -- click any of these to ask a related question without retyping
• Knowledge Sources -- expand this section to see exactly which entries the system used, their authority level (high, medium, low), relevance score, and publication date

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Common problems and fixes

• "The answer doesn't match my course" -- Set the context filters (surface, soil type, month, country) before asking. Without them, you'll get generic answers.
• "Confidence is very low" -- The knowledge base doesn't have strong material on that topic. Don't rely on the answer without independent verification.
• "Image upload failed" -- Check the file is JPG, PNG, or WebP and under 10MB. Screenshots from phones sometimes save in unsupported formats.
• "I got an error" -- There is a rate limit (60 text questions per minute, 30 image questions per 15 minutes). If you're asking rapidly, wait a moment and try again.
• "The answer suggests a product or chemical" -- Always check label guidance, legal requirements, and your club's internal policy before applying anything. The Advisor does not check your local regulations.

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Good habits

• Set context filters once at the start of your session. They stay set until you change them.
• Use the follow-up questions instead of retyping -- they're designed to dig deeper into the topic.
• If an answer is useful, note down the key points somewhere. The Advisor does not save a conversation history you can return to later.
• Rate answers with the thumbs up/down buttons. This directly improves future results.
• Treat all advice as decision support, not instructions. Cross-check anything high-risk.

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Where this fits in TurfWise

The AI Advisor is a standalone reference tool. It does not write data to any other part of the system -- no tasks are created, no logs are updated, no spray records are written.

If you decide to act on advice, you would move to the relevant page yourself:

• Spray Decision Calculator for spray timing
• Spray Logger for recording applications
• Disease Prediction for current risk scores

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Where to find it

• Full page: /ai/advisor
• Quick access: Open the AI Hub at /ai and click the Assist tab

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Related articles

• Disease Prediction
• Weather Intelligence
• Spray Decision Calculator