Horticultural crops

Short cycles, frequent rotations, maximum demand. Horticultural crops do not forgive irrigation mistakes.

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In horticultural crops, excess water at the wrong time can ruin a cycle. A deficit in critical phases can compromise quality and size. Poorly controlled conductivity in intensive fertigation ends in phytotoxicity. Plantae has been installing sensors for more than eight years in greenhouses and open-field horticultural crops throughout Spain and several other countries.
Why horticultural crops need data

Every week matters. And every irrigation, too.

Horticultural crops have short cycles, tight margins and a high demand for water and nutrients in very specific periods. On top of that, many farms work with crop rotations, which means that the soil’s needs profile changes several times a year.

Without real-time soil data, adjusting irrigation and fertigation to each crop and each phase of the cycle is difficult. There is a tendency to over-irrigate as a precaution, or to follow the protocol of the previous crop even though soil conditions are different. With continuous moisture and conductivity data, the technician can adapt the strategy in real time.

What we control in horticultural crops

The variables that make the difference in short cycles.

Soil moisture at different depths

Knowing whether irrigation water is reaching the root zone — and only that zone — allows you to adjust irrigation duration and frequency precisely. In horticultural crops with buried drip or in greenhouses, this information is especially critical because visual inspection of the soil is not easy.

Electrical conductivity

In crops with frequent and intensive fertigations, conductivity control is essential to avoid salt accumulation above harmful thresholds. The sensor detects the effect of each fertigation and salt leaching, allowing doses to be adjusted based on real data.

Subsoil temperature

In short-cycle and greenhouse crops, soil temperature conditions the rate of nitrogen mineralization and nutrient uptake. Knowing this value allows you to adjust the optimal timing for nutritional inputs.

Flow rate by sector

On farms with several sectors or greenhouses, the flowmeter makes it possible to verify that water reaches each area with the correct flow rate and to detect deviations or system failures before they affect the crop.

Use case

Documented results in horticultural crops.

Horticultural — 60% reduction in water inputs
A client with continuous measurement reduced water inputs during the active crop cycle, keeping moisture within the optimal range and reinforcing it at specific critical times. The irrigation column set the strategy: fewer events, better controlled.
Configuration: 1 Hub + 2 probes at 20 and 40 cm (moisture, conductivity, temperature) + flowmeter
Investment: €1,099 year 1 (installation and soil analysis included). €299 annual renewal.
Horticultural — efficient management between cycles
A horticultural company compared two consecutive cycles of the same crop. The first cycle was managed with the usual protocol. In the second, guided by Plantae data, it achieved much more efficient irrigation management with lower water consumption.
Configuration: 1 Hub + 3 probes at 30 and 60 cm (moisture, conductivity, temperature)
Investment: €1,420 year 1.

Horticultural crops we work with

More than 90 varieties. Adapted to each case.
Tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, watermelon, melon, lettuce, spinach, chard, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic, artichoke, asparagus, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, green bean, pea and other open-field and greenhouse horticultural crops, in soil and in substrate.
Under irrigation and with supplemental irrigation
We work both in horticultural crops under plastic or mesh with drip irrigation and in open-field crops with sprinkler or furrow irrigation. The installation is adapted to the existing irrigation system.
By sectors or with several plots
On farms with several sectors or differentiated plots, the sensors make it possible to manage each area independently from the same panel. Plantae Manager displays all integrated data, with the option to add subzones and filter by sector.
How we get started

Four steps from the first call to the first data.

01

Meeting and personalized proposal
We analyze the crop, soil type, irrigation sectors and customer needs to define the most suitable configuration.

02

Installation
Our technical team installs the sensors and configures them with agronomic algorithms adapted to the soil type and crop.

03

Training and panel setup
Two weeks after installation, we explain to the customer how to interpret the data and how to use Plantae Manager.

04

Agronomic follow-up
Mid-season we review the data with the customer and present the first conclusions and adjustments.

Related products and solutions

The most used in horticultural crops.

Humidity Sensor

Control of the soil water status at different depths.

Conductivity Sensor

Monitoring salinity and controlling fertigation.

Soil Temperature Sensor

Temperature in the root zone. Key to adjusting nutritional inputs.

Flowmeter

Control of water applied per sector. Failure detection.

Deciding when and how much to irrigate

How to use soil data to manage irrigation with precision.

FAQs

What they ask us in horticultural crops.

Yes. The sensors work both in greenhouses and outdoors. The installation is adapted to the existing irrigation system — surface or buried drip, sprinkler — and the IP65 housing protects the device in any condition.
Yes. The sensor parameters can be reconfigured at the start of each new cycle to adapt them to the next crop. The data history is stored in the panel and can be consulted by season.
It depends on the size of the greenhouse and the type of soil. In many cases, one measurement point with probes at two depths is enough for a standard-size greenhouse. The Plantae team assesses each case before proposing a configuration.
A basic installation with hub, two probes and soil analysis included starts from €1,099. The annual renewal is €299. The price varies according to the number of sensors and the configuration.