Plantae has already installed sensors / probes in greenhouse watermelons. This time it is in outdoor cultivation.
We are going to explain the importance of controlled irrigation in the cultivation of watermelon, the frequency of irrigation and the characteristics of this fruit so refreshing and essential in the summer.
Watermelon characteristics.
Watermelon is a herbaceous plant with:
- A highly branched root system with a taproot that goes deeper.
- It has a broad, creeping stem of development
- It is not demanding with the type of soil, they are well fertilized and rich in organic matter.
- It prefers a good temperature but adapts well to temperate climates that have many hours of sun. In northern Spain, production is at a family level.
Watermelon varieties
The types of watermelon are influenced by:
- Green color that varies from light to dark. It can be uniform or veined.
- Size ranging between 2 and 15 kilos.
- Shape: cylindrical or oval.
- With or without seeds.
- Crust thickness.
Plantation
- Padded grooves are made: they favor temperature and humidity, prevent other herbs from growing.
- Se instalan las plantas trasplantadas a una distancia considerable porque la planta alcanza bastante desarrollo al ras del suelo.
- Colocamos sensores de humedad, conductividad y temperatura.
- Le convienen terrenos frnco arenosos o franco arcillosos, pero siempre que tenga buena materia orgánica y la humedad necesaria para su desarrollo.
Watermelon irrigation control
The phases of watermelon irrigation, in addition to being adapted to its growth period, must be controlled with humidity, conductivity and temperature sensors / probes, as proposed by Plantae , and as follows:
- Humidity sensors: subsoil humidity is controlled at different depths and we avoid flooding while saving water and energy.
- Flowmeter: allows real-time reporting of the irrigation applied as well as deficiencies between the actual irrigation and the one estimated by the farmer, technician or irrigator, as well as the correlation of data between the liters supplied and soil moisture.
- Room temperature sensor : it will indicate the ideal time to water, prevent possible frosts and assess the time of flowering, among others.
- Subsoil temperature sensor : indicates the temperature at different depths. This new data will allow controlling the temperature in the subsoil and comparing the data with the ambient temperature and other parameters.
Sensores y sondas en sandía en las Islas Baleares
Visitamos las plantaciones intensivas de sandía en Mallorca, con surcos acolchados para proteger la humedad.
Colocamos sensores de humedad, temperatura de subsuelo y conductividad a 20 centímetros de profundidad.
Sources consulted:
English 
Spanish