Abstract
To determine the best timing to mow vegetation on roadside embankment slopes and hold down the cost to minimum, we divided a slope, covered by Miscanthus sinensis Anderss and Imperata cylindrical (L.) Beauv., located around the Ritto Interchange on the Meishin Expressway, into sections. And the vegetation at each section was cut at different timings and the plant height, wet weight, and mowing cost were recorded. As a result, we found that the plant height is positively correlated with the mowing cost: the lower the height, the lower the cost. We constructed the plant height estimation model using plant height and weather data (cumulative mean daily temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation) measured in the study. By using the model, we are able to estimate the minimum mowing cost by entering the desired upper plant height in road maintenance.
