CALIBRATING CAPACITANCE SENSORS TO ESTIMATE WATER CONTENT, MATRIC POTENTIAL, AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY IN SOILLESS SUBSTRATES

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dc.contributor.advisorLea-Cox, John Den_US
dc.contributor.authorArguedas Rodriguez, Felix Rubenen_US
dc.contributor.departmentPlant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA)en_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2010-07-02T05:37:21Z
dc.date.available2010-07-02T05:37:21Z
dc.date.issued2009en_US
dc.description.abstractThe nursery and greenhouse industry requires precise methods to schedule irrigations, since current practices are subjective and contribute to water and nutrient runoff. Capacitance sensors were calibrated to precisely estimate substrate water content, matric potential, and pore water electrical conductivity (EC) in five soilless substrates. Regression coefficients (R<super>2</super>) ranged from 0.29 - 0.88 and 0.16 - 0.79 for water content in 5-cm and 20-cm column heights; matric potential R<super>2</super> ranged from 0.10 - 0.98 and 0.79 - 0.98, respectively. Pore water EC calibrations were investigated, contrasting two sensor types and two prediction models. Results were applied to an empirical greenhouse dataset. Better precision and accuracy were achieved with ECH<sub>2</sub>O-TE sensor and Rhoades model. Capacitance sensors provide precise estimates of plant-available water in most soilless substrates, while pore water EC accuracy and precision depends on the sensor-model combination. These results will enable growers to precisely schedule irrigations based on water content and pore water EC.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/10241
dc.subject.pqcontrolledAgriculture, Plant Cultureen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledAgriculture, Horticultureen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledAgriculture, Soil Scienceen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledCapacitanceen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledElectrical-Conductivityen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledIrrigationen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledReal-timeen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledSensoren_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledSubstrateen_US
dc.titleCALIBRATING CAPACITANCE SENSORS TO ESTIMATE WATER CONTENT, MATRIC POTENTIAL, AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY IN SOILLESS SUBSTRATESen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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