Saving water in strawberries cold protection?...and still enjoy good berries?
... What do you want to compare?
...How did you check the temperature?
...How did you do it?
Project
...Same as strawberry growers in FL
Wireless Sensors
Thermocouples
3
2
1
Pre-form beds
Fumigated the soil
Irrigation system installation
Planted the strawberries!
6
5
4
Layout plots
Irrigation
Punched the holes
Temp. monitoring
AC Irrigation control
Location:
Plant Science and Research Education Unit, near Citra, FL
Materials and Methods
...What
about yield?
If we reduce the pressure in the irrigation system, what will happen to the strawberries?
IF
...Back in 2010...
Can you reduce the
amount of water
in irrigation and
still protect the
plants from cold
damages?
STRAWBERRIES
=
..however...
Hypothesis
Plant City
Maybe less water can still protect the plants...
Results
11 days of freezes
...During the winter
=
how much water can
you save in Florida?
/
=
No differences in yield
Amount of water
recommended
...but for strawberries?
...
Based on citrus nurseries
Thank you!
Credits
Project funded
by SWFWMD
White man voice:
Michael Gutiérrez
Project narrator
and video:
María Zamora
...Why???
...It's believed to be caused by
irrigation for cold protection...
.......
> 140 sinkholes
reported
Harvest Areas
Harvest 2/wk
Pick
Weigh
Final yield
5.1 billion gallons of water per harvest season
...can you
still eat them?
-Thermostat
GROW
48 ft
50
=
No yield differences!
Water Savings
vs. GROW
Spacing
Irrigation Control
Pressure
(psi)
Same as GROW
48 ft
LOW
30
SPC
44% extra water
Wireless sensors
AC
Aquifer level
dropped ~60 ft.
~750 residential
wells were impacted
AC
up to 23%
...What
happened??
=
Yes!
LOW
up to 22%
Same as GROW
50
SPC
40 ft
NO
...Did you save water??
/
NO
GROW
AC
SPC
=
LOW
Select
Culls
Marketable