FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Agricultural Sciences (AGR): AGR-6

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Time domain reflectometry (TDR) based irrigation control system for nurseries in Florida.  C. CORNEJO. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Agriculture accounted for the largest use of freshwater in Florida in 1990 when agricultural water withdrawals totaled 3,805 million gallons per day. Water conservation is required to increase water management efficiency in agriculture, and to reduce potential negative environmental impacts. Moisture sensors and irrigation controllers are needed to improve irrigation management. The TDR moisture sensors were use to measure volumetric water content in Metro-500 growing media, used by the nursery industry. Different soil moisture values and duration of irrigation events were tested; water applied and drained was measured to determine the most efficient system. Also, TDR sensors were calibrated using soil moisture values calculated by weight differences. The water use was reduced from 180 cm³ (Timer controlled system) to 70 cm³ (TDR controlled system.) for Spathiphyllum planted in three-gallon containers per irrigation event.