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Adam Newby Dissertation.pdf (4.09 MB)

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Increasing Water Application Efficiency in Greenhouse Crop Production Using Gravimetric Data

Newby, Adam F
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366376123

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
Due to increasingly limited water supply, water permitted for irrigation use by nursery and greenhouse crop producers will likely decrease. Additionally, growing concerns about non-point source pollution from irrigation runoff have prompted regional and local regulations on runoff water quality. Greenhouse crop producers can address both of these issues and increase production system sustainability by reducing or eliminating leaching and increasing water application efficiency (WAE = irrigation volume retained by substrate ÷ irrigation volume applied). However, plant available water is limited due to the limited reservoir of water in small containers. Meeting plant water demand in real-time while avoiding excess irrigation application requires precise monitoring of substrate water content. The intent of these studies was to develop a user-friendly irrigation monitoring and control system that could meet real-time plant water demand with high water application efficiency independent of substrate physical properties, container geometry, water pressure, emitter flow rate, and plant water use characteristics. Thus a series of three experiments were conducted on Zinnia and Vinca cultivars to develop methods for increasing water application efficiency and to increase understanding of plant response to substrate water content. A plant-integrated, gravimetric, on-demand automated irrigation system was developed and built that could control substrate water content based on container unit weight. The system successfully maintained container unit weight in specified ranges with minimal maintenance. Irrigation retained by substrate and plant water use could be calculated using weights logged at 15 or 30 minute intervals. Leaching was nearly or completely eliminated. Irrigation volume applied, plant water use, and plant growth were closely correlated with substrate water content. Developing a moisture characteristic curve for substrates allowed estimation of volumetric water content, air-filled pore space, and matric potential. Vinca grown in two substrates at similar substrate matric potentials were affected by substrate. Substrates were similar in volumetric water content at the specified matric potential levels but differed in air-filled pore space. Results indicate that plants are highly affected by substrate physical properties other than water content. A systems approach that includes gravimetric data and substrate moisture characteristic curve allows monitoring and control of matric potential and air-filled pore space during production in real-time.
Daniel Struve, PhD (Advisor)
Claudio Pasian, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
James Altland, PhD (Committee Member)
Peter Ling, PhD (Committee Member)
Pablo Jourdan, PhD (Committee Member)
101 p.
Agriculture; Horticulture
container crop; irrigation; water application efficiency; water use efficiency; leaching

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Newby, A. F. (2013). Increasing Water Application Efficiency in Greenhouse Crop Production Using Gravimetric Data [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366376123

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Newby, Adam. Increasing Water Application Efficiency in Greenhouse Crop Production Using Gravimetric Data. 2013. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366376123.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Newby, Adam. "Increasing Water Application Efficiency in Greenhouse Crop Production Using Gravimetric Data." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366376123

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1366376123
2,092
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.