A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM AS A TOOL TO OPTIMAL WATER MANAGEMENT IN SOILLESS CULTURES UNDER SALINE CONDITIONS

     An important factor for the optimal operation of commercial hydroponic systems is the appropriate management of the available water sources, especially under saline conditions. In this paper, the main properties of a decision support system for the optimal water management of hydroponics are presented. The system consists of two parts, an off-line and an on-line one. The on-line system, still under development, implements best management based on real present conditions. The off-line part takes as inputs weather, greenhouse equipment, crop production and salinity tolerance data and water sources available, including their cost, and then establishes the optimal water management. The estimated output is used by the grower to make his decisions about required investments. The grower can replay various scenarios until he reaches a decision about the water sources to implement for his own targets. The outputs are also fed into the on-line system as a guide to real-time optimal predictive management of water and nutrients supply to the crop.

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