We are going to dedicate this article to controlled irrigation with wireless sensors (probes) in avocado to measure all the factors that influence its cultivation, as an extension to another that we have already dedicated to its varieties and the most suitable areas.
Importance of controlled irrigation with wireless humidity probes / sensors in avocado
Characteristics to take into account when watering avocado:
- The ideal climate for cultivation, with a lot of heat and controlled subsoil humidity.
- The avocado roots are poorly developed compared to the crown, it is not a tree that can seek moisture from the interior in times of drought and yet it needs to have moisture so that the fruits are of quality and accumulate the precious fat that characterizes them.
- If the humidity is excessive, it immediately grows fungi and damages their development.
- It does not want puddles because its roots are very sensitive and rot easily.
- It is greatly affected by water stress.
For all these reasons, the control with probes / wireless humidity sensors Plantae is giving extraordinary results in the plantations, provided that the area has the possibility of irrigation, especially by drip irrigation.
In addition, water and energy are saved. This is very important in these production areas that need irrigation water control increasingly a scarce good.
Plantae® is a wireless technology focused on professional agriculture and gardening that allows you to optimize the irrigation of your crops, increasing productivity through humidity, temperature sensors and other devices (flow meter, rain gauge ...).
Plantae does not sell avocado plants or advise on the variety or type of avocado to plant in your area or region. Our article is informative for the farmer on wireless sensor / probe controlled irrigation in avocado.
Wireless sensors / probe
Plantae has a series of probes that allow the avocado to be controlled throughout its production cycle.
We can analyze:
- Subsoil moisture.
- Conductivity.
- The temperature of the subsoil and of the environment .
- Relative humidity. It can be seen its usefulness in the link.
- The irrigation flow with a flow meter adapted to the irrigation channel.
- The amount of rainwater with the rain gauge.
Subfloor moisture sensor
This probe informs us in real time of the humidity that the soil has at all times around the avocado root system.
- Measure the wet bulb generated by irrigation at different depths.
- It indicates the need for irrigation in all seasons of the year and controlling the need for the avocado.
- Avoid the accumulation of salts because we provide the tree with the water it needs.
- We control that the tree never has water stress.
Wireless conductivity sensors in avocado
When a plantation is drip irrigated, one of the problems we face is the accumulation of salts around the wet bulb.
We must take into account the following factors:
- Analyze the type of water we have to irrigate.
- Measure conductivity with wireless sensors.
- Use salt correctors in case of detecting any accumulation.
- Use wireless conductivity sensors at different depths to assess accumulation at different layers.
Subsoil temperature probe
It indicates the temperature at the depth of the root system and determines the risk of diseases at the root level.
Temperature probes in avocado
- Avocado needs average temperatures without great differences between day and night. For that reason the south of Spain is favorable to it.
- Needs lots of sunlight with long days, long, hot summers.
- Branches that are not sunny are not productive.
- The pruning must be done favoring that the light reaches all the branches with the exception of the central one.
- Try to prune at an angle of 137.5 degrees, which is the golden angle and allows the branches not to overlap.
- It is sensitive to frost. The measurement of the temperature of the subsoil and of the exterior allows to control the thermal integral of the avocado.
Other avocado care
Avocado cultivation is more complicated than that of other fruits. We are going to assess the land.
Ground
It does not want clay soils because they are heavy and tend to suffer from puddles that are not recommended for this tree because the roots would rot. They are small and weak.
The preferred soils are light soils, that is to say sandy and sandy loam, as indicated in the following diagram. If they are sandy they need an enrichment to nourish the plant. If there is good irrigation control, it adapts well to all types of terrain.
Sandy soils tend to have more water seepage and it is even more advisable to install sensors in avocado irrigation. but this also favors oxygenation and prevents root asphyxia.
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