ISHS Acta Horticulturae 654: International Workshop on Models for Plant Growth and Control of Product Quality in Horticultural Production
A MODEL-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR CLOSED IRRIGATION LOOP GREENHOUSES |
| Authors: | B. Bar-Yosef, S. Fishman, H.-P. Kläring |
| Keywords: | fertigation, climate, management, recycling, tomato |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.654.11 |
| Abstract:
A decision support system (DSS) for managing greenhouse climate and crop fertigation was developed. It entails three modules: (i) a generic, modular substrate-plant-climate model designed to predict crop response to varying climate conditions, fertigation management, water quality and substrate characteristics, (ii) a management module that stores target dry matter and nitrogen accumulation functions and compares them with simulated results from the model, and (iii) a feedback control module that evaluates the quality of certain model predictions based on measurements inside the greenhouse. The objective of the DSS is to derive optimal greenhouse management rules for maintaining growth close to the target value with minimal intervention by the grower. Preliminary tests of the DSS indicate that the system is well calibrated to tomato growth in greenhouses in central Germany and has the potential for simulating tomato growth in closed irrigation loop greenhouses under arid zone conditions. The modular structure of the DSS allows the simple replacement of any component by a more sophisticated one when justified. As most greenhouse crops are C3 plants, it is likely that photosynthesis, transpiration, dry matter production (DMP) and nutrient and water uptake models can be adapted to crop-type by parameter modifications. The main differences among crops appear to be dry matter (DM) and nitrogen partitioning and root growth, which have to be well characterized before further refinement of the DMP components. | |
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