AQUACHECKXXX FARM

Soil Moisture Probes; Improved Irrigation Management

Aquacheck Probes• Aquacheck Soil Moisture Probes– Permanently installed in ground, no disturbance crop;– 6 sensors distributed every 10cm down to 60cm;– One soil moisture reading (%) per sensor every 30min;– Data is stored in a logger & automatically uploaded onto

an online server every 2 hrs, “under ground eyes”– Data visualized using an online software (

http://www.aquacheckweb.com) accessible from any laptop & tablet

•Rain Gauge– Possibility to install rain gauge for monitoring the

irrigation events from the drip lines

Aquacheckweb

• Home Page gives quick status on all probes– Recommendations: amount to irrigate (mm/litres/m^3)– Map view: quick glance at status of all probes in farm through

colour codes (“warning” signs on how wet/dry each profile is)

Colour coded status

Aquacheckweb

• Each profile represented by three graphs:– Summary graph: weighed average graph of moisture

in the levels identified to be in root zone, indicates water available in the root zone

– Separate sensors: single sensor data stacked per depth

– Root zone graph: water content in “top” roots, “bottom” roots and buffer (everything below root zone)

Aquacheckweb – Graphs

• Readily Available Water (RAW) = 60% of total Available Water Content (AWC)• AWC = Field Capacity (FC) – Permanent Wilting Point (PWP)• Color codes based on soil moisture

RAWLower management zone line (apply water now)

Upper management zone line (apply water to here)UpperRAW (FC)

LowerRAW

Very wet – allow to dry

Wet (below FC) – allow to dry

Optimal Moisture, relax

Need to irrigate

Approaching PWP,irrigate urgently

Aquacheck - XXX

A. Soil is too wet – management irrigates above FC, water flows straight through the profile (leaching) = over-irrigation

B. Improved irrigation, within the management lines – oxygen allowed to enter profile. Not perfect irrigation!Irrigation needs to improve further since the root zone is currently not totally refilled with each irrigation, meaning that the sub-surface levels are only getting depletion. Perfect irrigation: Irrigate up to the URAW line and dry to the LRAW line, repeat!

Aquacheck - XXXX

C. Soil allowed to dry below management zone (See later comment) and irrigations never reaching the top management zone

D. Clear root activity at 40 & 50 cm from improved soil aeration. Before aquacheck only root activity at 10 & 20cm (some at 30cm)

E. Root activity at 60cm, however soil allowed to dry too much at C, the lower zones are getting depleted and irrigations are not filling the profile

Aquacheck Advantages• Aquacheck allows managing irrigation precisely: when & how much to

irrigate is no more guess work• Monitoring of management – has the greenhouse actually been

irrigated?• No more over-irrigation– Reduction of water wastage, up to 20% (& linked costs of pumping)– Reduction in leaching of fertilizer (savings on fertilizer inputs up to 15%);– Increased soil aeration for healthier, deeper, roots• Improved root development and depth of roots will lead to:– Improved crop quality (bud size, stem shelf life)– Improved general crop health– Hardiness of crop– Reduced incidents of disease (e.g. reduced botrytis)

Thank You