ISHS Acta Horticulturae 304: I International Workshop on Sensors in Horticulture
ON-LINE MATRIC POTENTIAL SENSORS FOR IRRIGATION CONTROL IN PEAT-BASED SOILLESS MEDIA |
| Authors: | A.P. Papadopoulos, M.E.D. Graham, B. Anctil |
| Keywords: | Greenhouse, tomato, water |
| Abstract:
Although peat moss is a relatively inexpensive resource, its use as a soilless medium has been limited by difficulties in controlling the amount of available water. This paper describes the successful employment of a matric potential sensor in an irrigation scheduling system for greenhouse tomato cropping in peat-bags. After testing in several private and public research institutions, the combined errors of the sensor were found to be less than ±8.0 mb. The associated digital interface and control algorithms for soilless greenhouse vegetable culture are described, along with some results of comparisons of yields obtained on peat with those obtained in standard rockwool and soil-based growing systems. The system, developed commercially by Premier Peat Moss (the "Allegro computerized irrigation system")1, is currently in use in several research and commercial greenhouses. | |
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