ISHS Acta Horticulturae 801: International Symposium on High Technology for Greenhouse System Management: Greensys2007
A LOW-COST MULTIHOP WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK, ENABLING REAL-TIME MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL DATA FOR THE GREENHOUSE AND NURSERY INDUSTRY |
| Authors: | J.D. Lea-Cox, A.G. Ristvey, F. Arguedas Rodriguez, D.S. Ross, J. Anhalt, G. Kantor |
| Keywords: | irrigation, scheduling, electrical conductivity, user-friendly, web-based |
| Abstract:
A low-cost multi-hop wireless sensor network has been developed, deployed and are tested that enables the capture and synthesis of real-time root zone substrate and environmental data, on a wide-area basis in the field. Plant water requirements can vary by day, season and microclimate, depending on any number of environmental and plant developmental factors. Irrigation and nutrient applications can be more precisely scheduled by using the plant to integrate environmental and growth differences over time, and by accurately monitoring the real-time water use of plants with substrate moisture, temperature and electrical conductivity sensors. This should reduce water use, leaching of nutrients and overall runoff from intensive plant growing operations. Additionally, other sensors that simultaneously measure air temperature, canopy relative humidity, leaf wetness, and photosynthetically active radiation will allow us to model and better predict plant stress and disease pressure. Data can be provided at any time to anyone at any place with internet access, since all data is managed through a web-based graphic-user interface. These sensor networks are entirely portable, allowing rapid deployment of the sensors in specific areas of the facility, to optimize the utility and cost of the sensors. These networks are also scaleable, since additional nodes are easily added which allows the plant production facility to grow and/or improve their sensor network at any time. | |
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