ISHS Acta Horticulturae 537: III International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops
COMPARISON OF CONTINUOUS AND DISCRETE PLANT-BASED MONITORING FOR DETECTING TREE WATER DEFICITS AND BARRIERS TO GROWER ADOPTION FOR IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT |
| Authors: | D. Goldhamer, E. Fereres, M. Cohen, J. Girona, M. Mata |
| Keywords: | Linear variable displacement transducer, LVDT, water potential, plant sensors |
| Abstract:
Advances in electronics have made the use of plant-based sensors that continuously monitor some aspect of water status more feasible for irrigation decision making. However, barriers to grower acceptance of these techniques must be overcome if they are to be adopted in the real world. We have conducted studies on various tree crops to determine the sensitivity of both parameters developed from continuously recording plant-based sensors, including maximum daily trunk shrinkage (MDS) and traditional discrete water status measurements, such as stem water potential (SWP), to the onset of tree water deficits. We found strong correlations between MDS and SWP. Indicator “signals” (actual/reference measurement), “noise” (coefficient of variation), and “signal/noise ratios” suggest that MDS is usually a superior parameter for irrigation scheduling than SWP. Technical, economic, and psychological barriers involved in grower acceptance of continuously recorded, plant-based indicators of water stress are addressed. | |
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