This week is loaded with facilities. To start 10 hours installing sensors in onion, vine and almond tree in the province of Albacete .
On the needs of irrigation of the almond tree and how convenient the sensors are humidity and temperature, the ideal area that is Albacete and its properties, we have already spoken in another article.
The vineyards, especially those in the Jumilla designation of origin area, already have a special article given the importance of this wine and its quality, the characteristics of the area and its influence on the sweetness of the grape.
Today we are going to focus on onion cultivation, ( Alllium cepa ).
Onion properties
Onion is one of the essential foods in homes. Our Mediterranean cuisine uses onion in most of its recipes: stews, omelets, roasts, vegetable purees, candies and endless applications.
The onion is special for our health!.
It favors:
- The circulatory system and therefore cardiovascular diseases.
- It is beneficial for diabetics.
- Digestive and diuretic properties.
- Strengthens the immune system with the improvement of defenses.
- It is a natural remedy for colds and flu.
- High fiber content.
- Rich in calcium and potassium.
- Antioxidant power.
The oldest town in the world is in Italy and it is one of the main producers of shallot onions.
It has sulfur that gives it the characteristic smell. One of its components, thiopropnal oxide, is responsible for causing tearing when splitting it.
Onion cultivation
Onions adapt well to any type of soil, as long as it is provided with good fertilizer, even sandy, but better loam.
You can already buy chives to plant or make a seedbed and then transplant them.
In any case, they should be aligned and separated about 25 centimeters. This favors the chosen irrigation system.
It can be by furrow or aspersion but the most recommended for saving water is drip irrigation that also facilitates the addition of fertilizers.
Importance of sensors in onion irrigation
The onion has a very weak root system . The roots are fine, deteriorate easily and regenerate in a humid environment without flooding.
It needs a high supply of nitrogen and is sensitive to salinity, so irrigation must be frequent and controlled.
It can withstand lack of water but evaporation would make the salts rise and that would mean that in the next irrigation there is an excess of salinity that would harm the plant due to the problem that its roots would present to absorb the water.
When the bulb is developed, irrigation should decrease . This is observed because the foliage begins to dry out. At that time the onion has acquired its development and already needs very little humidity.
Humidity, conductivity and temperature sensors / probes provide real-time information. They are wireless and contribute to the crop saving water as well as quality.
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