Plant water stress monitoring and control system

• Published in: Smart agricultural technology 2023-02, Vol.3, p.100066, Article 100066
• Main Authors: Simbeye, Daudi S., Mkiramweni, Mbazingwa E., Karaman, Bilal, Taskin, Sezai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acoustic emission; LabWindows/CVI; Precision irrigation; Virtual instruments; Water stress
• ISSN: 2772-3755; 2772-3755
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atech.2022.100066

•The optimal control algorithm for the condition-based precision irrigation was established and implemented successfully.•The tomato plant was measured for its cavitation and embolism under different drought degrees and systematically studied the day and night variations of acoustic emission of the whole plant (including roots), temperature, light, and carbon dioxide in detail.•Computer technology was used to establish a mathematical model of the acoustic emission and water shortage of tomato plants and to analyze the climate and water parameters under drought stress.•The basic relationship between the plant's physiological water demand and the drought occurrence of xylem cavities, embolism, and acoustic emission has been established.•The application of plant leaf transpiration rate can reflect the water status of the plant, and the relationship between the AE signal and transpiration was used to determine the acoustic emission information indicating the crop water stress index. Precision irrigation is an important component of the water-saving approaches in agriculture and is one of the methods for increasing water-saving efficiency. Detecting water stress in crops accurately is the basis of precision irrigation techniques. In this study, the crop water stress monitoring system was developed to detect the acoustic emission (AE) of plants, associating the three factors of soil, crops, and weather in real-time. The automatic monitoring system, which was developed using the virtual instrument platform, not only affects the water stress and the drought of the atmosphere but can also be used to control the greenhouse environment automatically. The substance subjected to testing was a potted tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum). Environmental parameters are monitored in this system using a virtual instrument data acquisition system based on Peripheral Component Interconnect - Data acquisition (PCI-DAQ). The AE sensor was used to fix tomato stems at 1/3 and 2/3 of their overall height in order to detect AE information, which serves as an indirect indicator of the plant's water condition. This system, which could test and record water requirement information for the crops, has been demonstrated to be stable, nondestructive, and easily manipulable. The results showed that the cohesion between water molecules was weak under water stress conditions. The water flow fracture of the conduits resulted in cavitation by rapidly expanding gas bubbles. The cavitation even