Thursday, November 8, 2007 - 10:15 AM
332-9

Automated Feedback Irrigation: A means for Freeze Damage Prevention.

Diganta Adhikari, CAST-Center for Irrigation Technology, California State University-Fresno-Center for Irrigation Technology, 5370 N Chestnut Avenue M/s Of18, Fresno, CA 93740, Dave Goorahoo, California State University-Fresno, CIT - CSUF, 5370 N. Chestnut Ave. M/s Of18, Fresno, CA 93740-8021, and Florence Cassel, Center for Irrigation Technology, California State University, Fresno, 5370 N.Chestnut Ave., MS-OF18, Fresno, CA 93740.

According to he U.S department of Agriculture, central California suffered excessive damage to citrus due to freeze damage, which may significant reduce the amount of marketable fresh packed fruit. Some growers are expected to suffer total loss, while others may be able to salvage a part of their citrus crop (USDA 2007) and clearly, this research need continues to be of paramount importance. In order to meet the food and fiber needs of existing and future populations and ensure that habitats and ecosystems are protected, the nation's food supply must be sustainable and renewable. Sound resource management which emphasizes careful and efficient use of our agricultural production is essential to achieving these objectives. A more deliberate and scientific approach to the frost/freeze protection mechanism is needed in order to avoid frost/freeze damage. A currently available technology that could be utilized for this purpose is SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems. SCADA consist of a complex central computer system that can monitor and control an irrigation system spread out over a long distance. SCADA systems are capable of monitoring and controlling many parameters with the help of various sensors and feedback mechanisms. By properly monitoring the wind speed, evaporation rate, soil heat flux and rate of irrigation, adequate irrigation can be used as protection mechanism. As 1 gram of water applied through irrigation freezes, 80 calories of heat energy is released, thereby providing latent heat as long as ice is formed. This method fails if the irrigation rate is not adequate, thereby resulting in more damage then cure. Insufficient irrigation rate results in inadequate water being applied to freeze, as 1 gram of water evaporates rather then freeze, 600 calories of heat energy are absorbed from the environment, which will take heat from the crop.