An irrigation control system with a web-based interface for the management of Eucalyptus planting stock in a nursery

Efficient nursery irrigation is a key factor for the production of high-quality forestry planting stock. Conventional timer-based irrigation systems used by most forestry nurseries have some drawbacks that, if not properly managed, can lead to over-irrigation and water wastage, leaching of nutrients and contribute to increased incidences of pests and/or diseases. A practical method to accurately measure media water content and control irrigation more carefully could prevent some of these issues. To evaluate the potential use of an automated irrigation system, commercially available Decagon EC-5 dielectric soil water content sensors were laboratory-calibrated against the gravimetric method using coir/pine bark/vermiculite, coir/perlite and pine bark media to measure water content of nursery seedling containers. Using Eucalyptus dunnii seedlings raised in polystyrene seedling containers to test the irrigation system, a datalogger was programmed to control irrigation for low (0.22-0.26 m(3) m(-3)), medium (0.26-0.32 m(3) m(-3)) and high (0.32-0.41 m(3) m(-3)) watering treatments. The measurements were displayed in near real-time using a web-based system, which allowed for system checking and from which data could be downloaded. The Decagon EC-5 sensors were successfully calibrated for all media (R-2 > 0.97) and provided a better estimation of media water content than the manufacturer-supplied calibration equation better-suited for soils. The automated irrigation system effectively maintained the specified media water content for E. dunnii seedlings. The high watering treatment seedlings had the highest growth rates, although this treatment also had increased leaching of nutrients. By contrast, the low watering treatment seedlings showed the lowest growth rates, although these seedlings seemed to be more robust and tolerant of water stress. This study showed that the automated irrigation system, based on measurements of the media water content, can be successfully used in scheduling irrigation for Eucalyptus seedlings, leading to potential water savings.