RE: measurement in irrigated plantations

[Jordi Doltra <jordi.doltra@irta.es>]

> -----Mensaje original-----
> 2)	people who are irrigating trees - I am interested in the techniques
> you use for irrigation scheduling?
> 
	Dear brendan,

	Regarding your second question,

		 We are working with apple and peach trees. The main
techniques we use to schedule irrigation are electrotensiometers (in soil),
and dentrometers (on plant) based on LVDT (Linear Variable Displacement
Transducer). Electrotensiometers may have some problems with maintenance and
heterogenity of soil deep, and also with preferent ways for water
infiltration which could affect device's readings.Dendrometers gives you a
continous response of the evolution and oscil.lations of, for instance, the
trunk. This last method has the advantage that it's an actually measurement
of plant response to the ambient conditions, for instance water supply and
irrigation. Both methods can be automated.        


	Jordi Doltra
	Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentària (IRTA)
	Barcelona (Spain)
	jordi.doltra@irta.es