ISHS Acta Horticulturae 276: II International Symposium on Computer Modelling in Fruit Research and Orchard Management
KIWIFRUIT NUTRITION MANAGEMENT SERVICE: A MATHEMATICAL MODEL AND DATABASE FOR COMMERCIAL CONSULTANCY |
| Authors: | J.G. Buwalda, G.S. Smith |
| Abstract:
A mathematical model linked to a database, known as the Kiwifruit Nutrition Management Service (KNMS), has been developed for delivery of nutrition management advice to the kiwifruit industry in New Zealand. The model summarises nutrient fluxes within the orchard ecosystem and hence derives a budget of fertiliser requirements. Monitoring of the orchard nutrient status, with leaf and soil analysis, provides further refinement of the fertiliser programme, as well as early detection of nutrient disorders. Fertiliser quantities required to correct any disorders are similarly calculated according to a budget. This paper summarises the structure and operation of this system for delivering nutrition management advice. A database stores relevant orchard data and orchard-specific recommendations. The fertiliser budget accounts for uptake, efficiency of fertiliser recovery, cycling within the orchard, and any previous disorders. The major advantage of this new method for nutrition management is orchard-specificity. The information gathered over time within the database provides an increasingly complete description of nutrient dynamics within individual orchards, so that recommendations become increasingly precise. The database also becomes the focal point for identifying limitations to yield. This database is now becoming an increasingly valuable research resource, for examining nutrient dynamics within individual orchards and general nutrition relationships for kiwifruit. In the first year of operation, the KNMS database helped define a relationship between soil sulphur content and vine potassium status. The KNMS database is now developing as an integral component of additional consultancy packages. The KNMS is operated on a microcomputer (IBM - compatible), employing the database management system SIR ("Scientific Information Retrieval"). Data is submitted by growers through consultants to the scientists maintaining the KNMS database, and recommendations are computed and returned via the consultants. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
