Articles
Automating irrigation scheduling in production nurseries using a weight-based irrigation controller
Article number
1104_8
Pages
49 – 56
Language
English
Abstract
Managing plant production and increasing productivity through reduced input cost is an ongoing issue for all containerised production nurseries.
Controlling the resources and costs e.g., water, nutrients and energy is paramount for ongoing sustainable development of the industry.
Traditionally irrigation scheduling for production nurseries has been determined by past experience (gut feel) and manually adjusting the irrigation parameters.
Other methods such as manual moisture assessment, daily evaporation measurements or a gravimetric weight method have been used to help determine a containerRSQUOs moisture content, however, these methods only provide an approximation of container moisture at one point in time.
Developing a real-time irrigation scheduling tool that can constantly monitor plant water use and adjust the irrigation schedule accordingly has the potential to reduce resource use and production costs.
Over the past four years the Nursery & Garden Industry Queensland has been actively researching technologies that can monitor plant water use and automate irrigation scheduling.
One technology identified, an electronic loadcell, has been developed into a weight-based irrigation controller that combines the concept of evapotranspiration and the gravimetric weight method to control and adjust irrigation scheduling according to the plants water usage.
This system has demonstrated water savings between 30 and 70% depending on the production system used.
The weight-based irrigation scheduling method has the potential to improve water and energy use efficiencies, and allows the plant to automatically adjust irrigation frequency and duration to suit changes in the growing environment.
Controlling the resources and costs e.g., water, nutrients and energy is paramount for ongoing sustainable development of the industry.
Traditionally irrigation scheduling for production nurseries has been determined by past experience (gut feel) and manually adjusting the irrigation parameters.
Other methods such as manual moisture assessment, daily evaporation measurements or a gravimetric weight method have been used to help determine a containerRSQUOs moisture content, however, these methods only provide an approximation of container moisture at one point in time.
Developing a real-time irrigation scheduling tool that can constantly monitor plant water use and adjust the irrigation schedule accordingly has the potential to reduce resource use and production costs.
Over the past four years the Nursery & Garden Industry Queensland has been actively researching technologies that can monitor plant water use and automate irrigation scheduling.
One technology identified, an electronic loadcell, has been developed into a weight-based irrigation controller that combines the concept of evapotranspiration and the gravimetric weight method to control and adjust irrigation scheduling according to the plants water usage.
This system has demonstrated water savings between 30 and 70% depending on the production system used.
The weight-based irrigation scheduling method has the potential to improve water and energy use efficiencies, and allows the plant to automatically adjust irrigation frequency and duration to suit changes in the growing environment.
Authors
D.S. Hunt, J. McDonald
Keywords
plant water use, container capacity tests, irrigation efficiency
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