AUTOMATION OF A LOCALIZED IRRIGATION SYSTEM APPLIED TO A PEACH ORCHARD

Abstract

México has a technological dependence in irrigation equipment and computer programs, so it is necessary to develop them using components that can be obtained in the national market. The objective of this research was to develop a computer program (AUTRI version 1.0) for irrigation automation and evaluate it in a localized irrigation system for scheduling the irrigation in real time. This software uses two strategies to determine the beginning of irrigation. In the first one a water balance based on weather, soil and crop variables is established, and irrigation begins when soil moisture content descends to a preestablished level. The second is based on soil water potential, which is measured with a moisture sensor (electrotensiometer), installed in the root zone, and the soil water potential at which irrigation will start is set in a manometer; when this level is reached, the sensor transmits an electrical signal to the control system, which opens the electrovalve. The automatic system was tested in a peach (Prunus persica L.) orchard irrigated by microsprinklers, and a control simulation was made in two irrigation plots. The first one was made by water balance, by applying a volume of 1.91 m3 in an irrigation time of 1.43 h. In the second, an electrotensiometer was used, at 40 cm deep, scheduling the beginning of irrigation when the water potential reached 35 cbar, which is equivalent to a volume of 2.8 m3, in an irrigation time of 2.1 h. The system, developed using devices and materials available in the national market, worked properly