Growers continuously strive to achieve an optimal cultivation and irrigation strategy. Part of this is knowing when a plant is active. Most growers can make a good estimation of this. But of course, it can always be done better. That is why Growficient introduced a new functionality to detect plant activity precisely. Dennis Steentjes of Growficient tells more about it.
"When a plant evaporates and is active, it absorbs water. This happens based on the amount of light, humidity, temperature and air movement, among other factors. At night, there is normally no light, and the plant's stomata are closed. As a result, evaporation is close to zero and the plant absorbs virtually no water. As soon as the first rays of sunlight break through in the morning, they will start evaporating again, and continue absorbing water," Dennis says. The moment that happens is the start of plant activity. Dennis continues: "Many growers estimate this moment based on their knowledge about the plants or experience growing them. But that is not always accurate."
In fact, the start of plant activity depends on many factors. Dennis explains, "The light intensity plays a big role. On a sunny day this will be much higher than on a cloudy or rainy day. In the latter case, the plant will become active later in the day. Humidity, temperature, air movement and the location in the greenhouse also play a role in whether or not a plant becomes active. And thus determine the most optimal time to start watering."
Optimal Irrigation strategy
Why is it important to know this exact point? Dennis: "The more accurately you know when your plant starts evaporating, the better your cultivation results will be. For example, if you start irrigation while the plant is not yet evaporating, then you can, more or less, “blow up” the plant. If you start irrigation too late however, the substrate or soil will deteriorate too much. Both can cause problems to the fruits, the root system and the plant itself."
Growficient's new functionality makes it possible to accurately determine the start of plant activity. This offers several advantages. Dennis continues: "For growers, every mistake they make costs money. Functionalities like plant activity give peace of mind and certainty. Most growers have some idea of when their plant becomes active, but thanks to data they can now know this more accurately. That gives them confirmation about their chosen cultivation and irrigation strategy."
Tested by growers
The feature has been tested with several growers. Their experiences have been positive. Dennis: "One grower indicated that, thanks to the functionality, he had gained insight into the differences between varieties and sections in the greenhouse. He adjusted his irrigation accordingly to this new insight. Another grower discovered that his plants became active later than he thought. He now starts irrigation later. But not only that: he also stops earlier, optimizing dry back at night."
Autonomous irrigation
For now, the functionality primarily provides insight into plant activity and certainty about their cultivation and irrigation strategy. For the future, however, there are bigger plans. Dennis explains, "Plant activity, after dry back, is Growficient's second step toward autonomous irrigation. Growers can then, based on the data from our sensors, have the irrigation times adjusted automatically in their climate computer. With this they can take away uncertainties and doubts, and enable the cultivation results to be more optimal. At Growficient we are working hard to make that possible."
For more information:
Growficient
[email protected]
www.growficient.com