Plant-based irrigation decisions

March 2021 | Presented by Mark Heyward, Phytech | Future Orchards® Stanthorpe Orchard Walk

This presentation introduces plant-based irrigation decision-making using Phytech technology. The approach uses sensors on the plant, together with irrigation, soil-moisture and climate information, to help growers understand tree water stress and make decisions about when and how much to irrigate.

Plant-based sensing is intended to add direct biological feedback to conventional irrigation planning. Instead of inferring tree stress only from weather or soil measurements, the system tracks the crop response and can identify periods when irrigation strategy is not meeting demand.

For orchard managers, the resource is useful as an introduction to integrating plant signals with existing irrigation infrastructure. The emphasis is on using data to refine scheduling, avoid unnecessary stress and evaluate whether irrigation events are producing the intended response in the trees.