Evaluation of the effectiveness of an automated irrigation system using wheat crops

Abstract

Water stress continues to be one of the most significant environmental factor affecting growth, production and quality of crops worldwide. Improving water agricultural efficiency is crucial in many parts of the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, such as Saudi Arabia. The current study investigates the use of an automated irrigation system in comparison with manual irrigation. The plant material used in this study were varieties of wheat (Triticum durum L.) grown in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Plants were grown under two different water irrigation regimes, 80% and 40% of the field capacity which are controlled using humidity sensors connected to a micro-controller that detects the water quantity and compensates for water loss in the soil. Plants were grown in 1 kg capacity plastic pots containing compost mixed with sand (3:1 v:v) and kept in a growth cabinet. The automatic irrigation system performance is evaluated by measuring the growth of plants compared to those of manually irrigated. Growth parameters are shoot, root and total fresh weight and dry weights. No differences were observed in growth, expressed as fresh and dry weights, between the two irrigation systems. Growth showed that total dry weights at both water treatments were higher in the automated system plants than those manually irrigated. The results showed an efficiency of the automated irrigation system over the manual one, as measured by the performance of plants for photosynthesis rates.