Combining data, crop expertise and cooperative collaboration for more predictable tomato production
Source: HD.com
Having started their tomato crops in May/June, both companies introduced the software from the very beginning of this new season. In practice, many cultivation decisions are based on a combination of experience, observations and figures that are often spread across separate spreadsheets, notes or systems.
QMS Tomato brings this information together in one structured environment, making it easier for growers to follow crop development, compare results and recognize changes in time. When growers record figures such as growth, fruit load and leaf area index (LAI) in QMS Tomato, it becomes much easier to see whether the crop is moving in the desired direction.
For the growers, these insights make cultivation decisions more concrete and easier to discuss. Delphy's extensive knowledge of tomato cultivation helps translate data into practical recommendations and insights that growers can use in their daily operations.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
