Articles
AUTOMATED IRRIGATION CONTROL FOR IMPROVED GROWTH AND QUALITY OF GARDENIA JASMINOIDES©
Article number
1014_91
Pages
407 – 411
Language
English
Abstract
As global water consumption increases in the coming years, available water for agriculture will decrease (Jury and Vaux, 2005). This will necessitate that growers use irrigation scheduling with an alternative focus other than what has been traditionally used.
Generally irrigation scheduling has been aimed at maintaining substrate water content near container capacity to maximize plant growth (Beeson, 1992). However, the growing number of laws and regulations regarding water use and runoff are requiring growers to reassess their irrigation practices (Lea-Cox and Ross, 2001; Beeson et al., 2004).
Researchers related growth to total daily water use (DWU) as well as reduced replacement of DWU (50, 75% of measured DWU) (Welsh et al., 1991; Warsaw et al., 2009). These studies showed that reduced irrigation volumes can produce high quality plants with little to no reductions in growth.
Other studies have looked to relate plant growth to substrate volumetric water content (θ) (van Iersel et al., 2010; Fulcher et al., 2012; Garland et al., 2012). Automated irrigation using soil moisture sensor control allows for precise control of irrigation, allowing for maintenance of θ close to a programmed threshold (van Iersel et al., 2010). This precise irrigation application method allows us to relate θ to irrigation volume and plant growth.
The objectives of our research were to quantify root and shoot growth of two gardenia cultivars, Gardenia jasminoides August Beauty and Radicans, maintained at various substrate volumetric water content thresholds.
Generally irrigation scheduling has been aimed at maintaining substrate water content near container capacity to maximize plant growth (Beeson, 1992). However, the growing number of laws and regulations regarding water use and runoff are requiring growers to reassess their irrigation practices (Lea-Cox and Ross, 2001; Beeson et al., 2004).
Researchers related growth to total daily water use (DWU) as well as reduced replacement of DWU (50, 75% of measured DWU) (Welsh et al., 1991; Warsaw et al., 2009). These studies showed that reduced irrigation volumes can produce high quality plants with little to no reductions in growth.
Other studies have looked to relate plant growth to substrate volumetric water content (θ) (van Iersel et al., 2010; Fulcher et al., 2012; Garland et al., 2012). Automated irrigation using soil moisture sensor control allows for precise control of irrigation, allowing for maintenance of θ close to a programmed threshold (van Iersel et al., 2010). This precise irrigation application method allows us to relate θ to irrigation volume and plant growth.
The objectives of our research were to quantify root and shoot growth of two gardenia cultivars, Gardenia jasminoides August Beauty and Radicans, maintained at various substrate volumetric water content thresholds.
Authors
A. Bayer, J. Ruter, M. van Iersel
Keywords
Online Articles (108)