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Field Comparison of Tensiometer and Granular Matrix Sensor Automatic RESEARCH REPORTS tion costs of tomatoes making southern Field Comparison of Tensiometer and Florida’s tomato industry more com- Granular Matrix Sensor Automatic Drip petitive and sustainable. Effi cient and modern irrigation systems in Florida Irrigation on Tomato and other areas where soils with low water holding capacities and shallow rooted crops predominate should uti- Rafael Muñoz-Carpena1, Michael D. Dukes2, Yuncong C. Li1, lize the following irrigation principles: 1) low volume-high frequency, 2) soil 1 and Waldemar Klassen moisture sensor based scheduling, and 3) automatic operation (Dukes et al., 2003). Soils with water holding capaci- ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. water conservation, soil moisture sensors, soil tension, high frequency, vegetable crops, Lycopersicon esculentum ties in the 4% to 8% range by volume (e.g., sands, gravels) are common in SUMMARY. A low-volume/high frequency (LVHF) soil moisture-based drip irriga- southern Florida and present special tion system was tested on a shallow sandy soil at a commercial tomato (Lycoper- water management challenges (Mu- sicon esculentum) farm in southern Florida. Six LVHF irrigation treatments were ñoz-Carpena et al., 2002). compared with the standard commercial practice on the farm (control), where Traditional irrigation based on a portable pump was used for manual drip irrigation twice each week. In the six LVHF treatments the system was continuously pressurized by means of an low frequency (a few times per week) electrical pump and a pressure tank, and controlled by an irrigation timer set to and a large volume usually results in irrigate a maximum of fi ve times per day with the irrigation time (i.e., volume) over-irrigation in southern Florida set according to historical evapotranspiration (ET) demands in the area. Two soils. With this type of irrigation a large treatments were based on timer schedules, one to supply 100% of the maximum portion of the applied water percolates recommended crop water needs in the area based on historical ET (ET-100%), quickly to the shallow groundwater, and the other to supply 150% of those needs (ET-150%). The other four treat- potentially carrying with it nutrients ments were created by interfacing two types of soil moisture sensors (switching and other agrichemicals applied to the tensiometers and granular matrix sensors with control modules) set at two mois- soil. In addition, excess water in the ture points (wet = 10 kPa, optimal = 15 kPa) in a closed control loop with the root zone from excess irrigation or a irrigation timer programmed at the ET-100% schedule. Results showed that the six LVHF treatments reduced water use while not signifi cantly affecting tomato high water table can reduce tomato yields. Switching tensiometers at the 15 kPa set point performed the best (up to yields (Wang et al., 2004). 73% reduction in water use when compared to the control, 50% with respect to As an alternative to traditional ET-100%). The results show that water use below historical ET levels can be ob- irrigation systems, a low volume of tained without sacrifi cing yield by keeping the root zone moisture at controlled water can be applied frequently (several levels with the soil-moisture based system. Routine maintenance was critical for times per day) to maintain a desired reliable operation of the switching tensiometers. Granular matrix sensor based moisture range in the root zone that is irrigation behaved erratically, and did not improve water savings compared to optimal for plant growth. LVHF also ET-100%, indicating that this system was not effective under the conditions of has the potential to minimize leach- the area due to the sensor’s slow response to frequent wetting-rewetting cycles ing. For LVHF systems, the target soil and characteristics of the interface. moisture is usually set in terms of soil tension or matric potential (expressed omato growers in the United out of methyl bromide in the U.S. in kPa or cbar), or volumetric moisture States are at a competitive Through proper irrigation, average (expressed in percent of water volume Tdisadvantage due to off-shore tomato yields in southern Florida can in a volume of undisturbed soil). Soil competition from countries where la- be maintained (or increased) while water tension is related to the amount bor is considerably cheaper than in the minimizing environmental impacts of energy that has to be exerted by a U.S. Growers will be at an even greater caused by excess applied water and plant to extract water from the soil. disadvantage with the imminent phase- subsequent nutrient leaching. Thus, One other benefi t of automatic ir- improving irrigation effi ciency can rigation techniques is convenience. 1Tropical Research and Education Center, IFAS, contribute greatly to reducing produc- In a previous experience working University of Florida, 18905 SW 280 St., Homestead, FL 33031. 2Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Units University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611; tel: 352- To convert U.S. to SI, To convert SI to U.S., 392-1864; fax: 352-392-4092 multiply by U.S. unit SI unit multiply by The authors wish to dedicate this work to the late Dr. H. Bryan. We thank T.T. Dispenza, C. Kameko, 0.4047 acre ha 2.4711 M. Codallo, T. Olczyk, R. Regalado, and Q. Wang 1 cbar kPa 1 for their technical support. Pine Island Farms Inc. 0.3048 ft m 3.2808 contributed with the use of experimental plot and Mr. 0.0929 ft2 m2 10.7639 M. Knight (T-Tape Inc.) donated the drip tape used 3.7854 gal L 0.2642 for the experiment. The use of trademarks does not 2.5400 inch(es) cm 0.3937 imply the endorsement by the University of Florida. 25.400 inch(es) mm 0.0394 This research was supported by the Florida Agricultural 1.1209 lb/acre kg·ha–1 0.8922 Experiment Station and a grant(s) from Florida To- mato Committee and the Florida Fruit and Vegetable 0.0254 mil mm 39.3701 Association, and approved for publication as Journal 28.3495 oz g 0.0353 Series No. R-10435. 6.8948 psi kPa 0.1450 584 ● July–September 2005 15(3) JJuly05HT.indbuly05HT.indb 558484 66/8/05/8/05 22:25:00:25:00 PPMM with a soil moisture based automatic Koo (1986) discussed the problems systems, these sensors with factory irrigation system, Dukes et al. (2003) associated with using tensiometers to calibration equations for generic soil found that once the system is setup initiate irrigation events in Florida. types may not provide adequate control and verifi ed, only weekly observation Problems included entrapped air in for irrigation in coarse Florida soils was required. the tensiometers, organic growth on (Irmak and Haman, 2001). Soil moisture can be determined the ceramic cups, and the need for The objective of this work was to by direct (soil sampling) and indirect recalibration. Smajstrla and Locascio evaluate a LVHF automatic irrigation (soil moisture sensing) methods. (1996) reported that using switching system interfaced with two different Direct methods of monitoring soil tensiometers placed at 6-inch depths soil moisture sensor types in a com- moisture are not used for LVHF ir- and set at 10 and 15 kPa tensions in a mercial setting and compare it to the rigation scheduling because they are fi ne sandy soil in Florida reduced irriga- common grower practice in the area intrusive and labor intensive and can tion requirements of tomatoes by 40% and scheduling methods using histori- not provide immediate feedback. Soil to 50% without reducing yields. Li et al. cal evapotranspiration. Water use, crop moisture probes can be permanently (1998) showed that tensiometers can yields, advantages and disadvantages of installed at representative points in an also be used successfully for manually the system and sensors are presented. agricultural fi eld to provide repeated scheduling tomato irrigation in calcar- moisture readings over time that can eous gravelly soils (Krome series). In Materials and methods be used as a guide for irrigation sched- their study, optimal irrigation at 10 kPa FIELD EXPERIMENT SITE AND CROP uling. They generally can be used for increased yield, improved fruit quality MANAGEMENT. A research and demon- manual readings to guide irrigation and reduced nutrient leaching. Wang stration project was conducted on a scheduling, while some of them can et al. (2004) studied tomato yields in commercial tomato farm, Pine Island also be interfaced directly with the Krome soils with irrigation scheduled Farms, Miami, Fla. The experiment was irrigation controller in a closed loop by manual readings from tensiometers. conducted in a 1.5-acre experimental control system (Zazueta et al., 1994) When compared to irrigation at 5 kPa plot within a 40-acre commercial to automate irrigation. Special care (control), they found that all three of tomato fi eld. The soil was Dade fi ne is needed when using soil moisture the other higher tensions (10, 20, and sand (12 inches overlaying porous devices in coarse soils, especially in 30 kPa) used signifi cantly improved limestone bed rock), hyperthermic, gravelly loam soils (Krome and Chekika yields of marketable, large and extra- uncoated spodic Quartzipsamment series) present in southern Florida large fruit. The highest yield increases (USDA, 1996). Tomatoes were grown (Muñoz-Carpena et al., 2002). Most were obtained at 30 kPa, and were on raised beds at 6-ft spacing. Twin devices require close contact with the about 29%, 28%, and 22% greater than rows of drip tape [T-TAPE TSX 508- soil matrix that is sometimes diffi cult those at 5 kPa (control) for yields of 12-450 (0.6-inch i.d., 12-inch emitter to achieve in these soils. marketable, extra-large fruit, and large spacing, 0.27-gal/h emitter discharge Tensiometers are among the fruit, respectively.
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