Development of an Irrigation and Drainage Monitoring and Management Software for Maintaining the Drainage Ratio in Hydroponics
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Adjusting the irrigation amount in hydroponics significantly impacts crop yield and quality.Factors such as daily irrigation frequency and irrigation amount per session, tailored to substrate type and age, are crucial for maintaining the target drainage ratio (%).Growers should continuously monitor drainage amounts and adjust the irrigation amount daily to maintain the desired drainage rate.In this study, we first tested the irrigation strategies by substrate type to monitor supply-drain amount, EC, and pH, to develop irrigation amount management software.Four types of substrates were used for hydroponic cultivation: two types of coir (chip-to-dust ratios of 60:40 and 50:50), rockwool, and perlite.In the early growth stages, the same irrigation strategy was applied to observe changes in the drainage rate.In the later stages, different irrigation strategies were applied to each type of substrate.When the total irrigation amount and the strategy were the same, the drainage rate varied for each substrate types.However, when different irrigation strategies were applied for each type of substrate small and frequent irrigation for coir (60:40) and perlite, and large and infrequent irrigation for coir (50:50) and rockwool the drainage rate was maintained closer to the target value of 40%.The irrigation amount should be adjusted daily or periodically according to the type of substrate, changes in sunlight, and crop growth stage, and these settings should be applied to the nutrient solution supply devices installed in the greenhouse.Based on the results of the irrigation strategy experiment for each type of substrate, we developed a software to monitor the supply-drain status and assist in decision-making for maintaining the target drainage rate.This software was implemented as an HTML5 standard web-based application and designed to run on mobile devices and PCs through N-Screen support.Using this program, the irrigation and drainage amounts in smart farm greenhouses can be monitored to calculate the drainage rate, and visualize changes in supply-drain amounts, EC, and pH.Based on these results, the program helps in decision-making for irrigation amounts to maintain the target drainage rate and easily calculates the set values to be input into the nutrient solution supply devices.Therefore, by monitoring the supply-drain amount and drainage rate during hydroponic cultivation of fruit vegetables, optimal irrigation management can be achieved according to the crop growth stage, enabling water-and fertilizer-saving smart farm operations.
Language: English
Subfield: Aquatic Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4404455632