SenseNL sensors monitor water content in slabs.

SenseNL-sensoren monitoren watergehalte in matten

SenseNL is a partner of Tomatoworld and is currently conducting a trial with their sensors in various substrate slabs. The sensors from SenseNL are used to perform accurate measurements of water content, EC (electrical conductivity), and temperature in the root zone of our plants.

SenseNL is carrying out detailed measurements at Tomatoworld, which are essential for optimizing irrigation and nutrition for our plants. This data helps growers make more effective decisions in managing irrigation and nutrition.

📊 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱:
- Measurements in coconut substrate: started early February 2024
- Measurements in MossWool substrate from Novarbo Oy: started mid-February 2024
- Measurements of drainage: started mid-February 2024

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 Novarbo Oy:
🍅 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕: MossWool slabs retain more water in packaging than unpackaged slabs, regardless of the wood fiber ratio. Unpackaged slabs allow water to pass through faster and have higher evaporation loss.
🍅 𝑫𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕: Initially, there is a significant difference between packaged and unpackaged slabs, but over time, these values converge due to the even distribution of water from the drippers.
🍅 𝟱𝟬/𝟱𝟬 𝒗𝒔. 𝟳𝟱/𝟮𝟱 𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒔: Slabs with a 50/50 ratio retain water better due to their more porous surface compared to slabs with a 75/25 ratio. This results in lower EC values for the 75/25 slabs earlier, but this reverses in the long term due to better distribution of water and nutrients, coupled with relatively greater evaporation loss.

𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀:
- Continuation of measurements in coconut and MossWool substrates until the end of the cultivation.
- Use of recalibrated sensors at the start of new cultivation cycles.
- Necessary maintenance and adjustments to CARA MET Drain before the start of new cultivations.