Adaptive irrigation of vegetation
First Claim
1. A method for adaptive irrigation of vegetation including:
- a control logic for operating and managing successive cycles i of irrigation, with i=i [0,1,2, . . . ,n], for a vegetation having a maximum activity root layer (MARL) spanning a range of soil depth,at least one probe for insertion into the soil, each at least one probe having a length and having a plurality of contacts longitudinally distributed in spaced-apart parallel alignment for deriving depth-related soil impedance data under command of the control logic, the at least one probe being coupled to the control logic via an electric circuit,at least one I/O device coupled to the control logic and allowing a user to input data,a controller running the control logic and coupled to command both the at least one I/O device and an irrigation valve operative for starting and for stopping irrigation fluid flow to the vegetation to be irrigated, respectively at a depth ZBEGIN and at a depth ZBEGIN, wherein;
both ZBEGIN and Zend(i), are initial values entered as either one of both a user input or a default value, with ZBEGIN being disposed within the range of the MARL, andthe depth Zend(I) corresponding to a depth above a depth ZFINAL, which is the depth below which a drainage front of the irrigation fluid should not descend, unless if so desired by a user,the method comprising the steps of;
operating the control logic through the successive cycles i of irrigation for;
accepting the irrigation-begin depth ZBEGIN as an initial value for a first cycle of irrigation, and in next cycles of irrigation, to derive from the at least one probe a depth ZBEGIN by taking resistance readings over all of the plurality of contacts to detect where changes in soil resistance measured over time increase fastest, which is where wetness uptake is most pronounced and indicates the depth ZBEGIN, and foraccepting the depth Zend(i), as an initial value for a first cycle of irrigation, and in next cycles of irrigation, deriving from the at least one probe a depth Zend(i) which is adaptively adjusted at each irrigation cycle to converge towards the depth ZFINAL until reached,whereby irrigation fluid flow is started in response to wetness uptake properties of the rootage of the vegetation in the MARL, and stopped before the drainage front reaches the depth ZFINAL.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Adaptive irrigation of vegetation is achieved with a probe implanted into the soil for detecting rootage wetness needs by measuring soil impedance with contacts distributed along the probe. When a dryness threshold indicating rootage needs is met at a depth ZBEGIN previously entered into a control logic coupled to the probe, then irrigation is started. Irrigation is stopped when a wetness front is detected at depth Zend(i) automatically provided by the control logic. The depth of arrest of the drainage front Zfinal(i) descending below the depth Zend(i) is compared with a depth ZFINAL, also previously entered into the control logic. The depth Zend(i) is adapted at each irrigation cycle i for the drainage front to stop at the depth ZFINAL. The probe may be used to determine the depth ZBEGIN where resistance drops are detected first, by measuring resistance over time.
57 Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method for adaptive irrigation of vegetation including:
-
a control logic for operating and managing successive cycles i of irrigation, with i=i [0,1,2, . . . ,n], for a vegetation having a maximum activity root layer (MARL) spanning a range of soil depth, at least one probe for insertion into the soil, each at least one probe having a length and having a plurality of contacts longitudinally distributed in spaced-apart parallel alignment for deriving depth-related soil impedance data under command of the control logic, the at least one probe being coupled to the control logic via an electric circuit, at least one I/O device coupled to the control logic and allowing a user to input data, a controller running the control logic and coupled to command both the at least one I/O device and an irrigation valve operative for starting and for stopping irrigation fluid flow to the vegetation to be irrigated, respectively at a depth ZBEGIN and at a depth ZBEGIN, wherein; both ZBEGIN and Zend(i), are initial values entered as either one of both a user input or a default value, with ZBEGIN being disposed within the range of the MARL, and the depth Zend(I) corresponding to a depth above a depth ZFINAL, which is the depth below which a drainage front of the irrigation fluid should not descend, unless if so desired by a user, the method comprising the steps of; operating the control logic through the successive cycles i of irrigation for; accepting the irrigation-begin depth ZBEGIN as an initial value for a first cycle of irrigation, and in next cycles of irrigation, to derive from the at least one probe a depth ZBEGIN by taking resistance readings over all of the plurality of contacts to detect where changes in soil resistance measured over time increase fastest, which is where wetness uptake is most pronounced and indicates the depth ZBEGIN, and for accepting the depth Zend(i), as an initial value for a first cycle of irrigation, and in next cycles of irrigation, deriving from the at least one probe a depth Zend(i) which is adaptively adjusted at each irrigation cycle to converge towards the depth ZFINAL until reached, whereby irrigation fluid flow is started in response to wetness uptake properties of the rootage of the vegetation in the MARL, and stopped before the drainage front reaches the depth ZFINAL. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A system for irrigation of vegetation configured to intimately associate supply of irrigation fluid in response to vegetation-rootage related properties and needs, by adaptively adjusting successive irrigation cycles i, with i=i [0,1,2, . . . ,n], to converge toward a drainage fluid front arrest depth, comprising:
-
a control logic for operating and managing irrigation for a vegetation having a maximum activity root layer (MARL) spanning a range of soil depth, at least one probe for insertion into the soil, each at least one probe having a length and having a plurality of contacts longitudinally distributed in spaced-apart parallel alignment for deriving depth-related soil impedance data from the soil under command of the control logic, the at least one probe being coupled to the control logic via an electric circuit, at least one I/O device coupled to the control logic and allowing a user to input data, a controller running the control logic, and coupled to command both the at least one I/O device and an irrigation valve operative for starting and for stopping irrigation fluid flow to the vegetation to be irrigated, respectively at a depth ZBEGIN and at a depth Zend(i), wherein; both ZBEGIN and Zend(i), are initial values entered as either one of both a user input or a default value, with ZBEGIN being disposed within the range of the MARL, and the depth zend(i) corresponding to a depth above a depth ZFINAL, which is the depth below which a drainage front of the irrigation fluid should not descend, unless if so desired by a user, wherein; operation of the control logic through the successive cycles i of irrigation for; the irrigation-begin depth ZBEGIN being entered as a preset parameter into the control logic for a first cycle of irrigation, and in next cycles of irrigation, deriving from the at least one probe a depth ZBEGIN by taking resistance readings over the plurality of contacts to detect where changes in soil resistance measured over time increases fastest, which is where wetness uptake is most pronounced and indicates the depth ZBEGIN, and for the depth ZBEGIN being entered as an initial value for a first cycle of irrigation, and next cycles of irrigation, deriving from the at least one probe a depth Zend(i) which is adaptively adjusted at each irrigation cycle to converge towards the depth ZFINAL, until reached, whereby irrigation fluid flow is started in response to wetness uptake properties and needs of the roots of the vegetation in the MARL, and stopped before the drainage front reaches the depth ZFINAL. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
Specification