Precision irrigation systems continue to advance in both efficiency and efficacy. A component of those approaches is knowing exactly when plants need water and when they do not. Associate Professor of Hydrology and Irrigation at UC Davis, Isaya Kisekka has been looking at different sensor technology in almonds. Some options appear to have some good potential for growers.
“For a long time, we have not had a tool that allows us to measure stem water potential remotely. You can think about stem water potential as the amount of work that the plant has to do to pull water from the soil,” said Kisekka. “More recently, we now have sensors that appear promising to give us data that is comparable to a pressure chamber or a pressure bomb.”
Remote sensors for measuring stem water potential on a level similar to pressure chambers can help cut down on labor needs. While a pressure chamber provides important information, it can be a labor-intensive process. Another advantage of remote sensors is receiving real-time data on the water needs of the trees. “That is key to making timely decisions on irrigation. In fact, some of them give you hourly data. Others give you one measurement a day, but on a day-to-day basis,” Kisekka explained.
Precision irrigation systems that incorporate up-to-date water need data can help growers reduce water stress in trees. Critically managing the water status of trees can also help growers save water during times when it is not necessary. As sensor technology continues to advance and become more affordable, it will likely play an even greater role in irrigation systems.
“Eventually, where I see this going is you could even integrate them with an irrigation system, and it will be a closed loop where they automatically turn on the irrigation system. But we’re not there yet,” Kisekka noted. “But the idea that you can have automated stem water potential measurement on a daily basis I think is an advancement.”
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