Probe irrigation in citrus-precision agriculture

The fresh citrus sector is very important in Spain, improving its production with irrigation with probes , for a reason it is the first world exporter and the sixth producer. The Valencian and Andalusian communities are the pioneers in its production, especially the orange. On the dates that we write this post, the lemon tree is in luck since the lemon is at a very good price.

A few years ago they were described as crazy but now they are the ones who are making money.

The citrus fruits that stand out in our country 

  • Lemons with varieties such as: common, eureka, Villafranca and others.
  • Oranges , which can be early like "navel" and white, Sanguine and late like the "verna valenciana" type.
  • Tangerine common and among the best known clementine.
  • Grapefruit white and pigmented.
Riego con sondas en Naranjos
Irrigation with probes / sensors in Naranjos

Probe irrigation in the citrus sector

The first thing that influences the quality of citrus fruits is the climate, it must be temperate. The second is the quality of the terrain, better sandy. And finally the irrigation with probes and fertilizers.

Drip irrigation in citrus fruits is one of the best to achieve a good production and of better quality. Always avoiding flooding.

The ideal is to adjust the irrigation to the characteristics of the tree, the type of soil, the climate and the season of the year.

Riego con sondas en mandarina
Sensors / Plantae installed next to 4L / h punctured drippers. Irrigation with probes

That is why the technology Plantae makes this control much easier and thus achieve the production and quality objectives.

Another important factor and with some difficulty in citrus fruits is to be able to advance production according to market demand, with changes in irrigation and fertilizers. For this reason, it tends to be more concentrated at the time of fruit set and decreases at the end of summer, in September, which is when the fruit grows the most. At the beginning of autumn it should be watered again abundantly.

If you want to reduce the size of the fruit, irrigation and fertilizers must decrease.

Factors to consider to control the irrigation of citrus fruits and especially lemon trees

  • The breadth of the field.
  • Percentage of permanently wilted leaves.
  • Apparent density of the soil.
  • Depth of the roots.
  • The irrigation threshold.
  • Percentage of soil wet by the emitters, especially if it is dripping.
  • Composition of the soil and fraction of stones present in it.
Hub Plantae controlando  plantación de cítricos
Probe receiver hub in citrus irrigation
Cítricos en Almería
Citrus in Almería-Irrigation controlled with probes at two depths

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