"Historical data analysis helps detect behaviors that can go unnoticed during daily routines"
Source: HD.com
Relative humidity, meanwhile, influences both transpiration and the onset of fungal diseases, meaning that monitoring it makes it easier to adjust ventilation or misting systems to reduce health risks without compromising the greenhouse's environmental balance," explain the team at SNIC, a company specializing in wireless sensor networks. © SNIC "Those parameters are joined by CO₂ concentration, an essential element for photosynthesis that can be monitored using sensors capable of alerting growers when the level available to the plant drops below the desired value, particularly in facilities that use enrichment systems." "At the same time, soil or substrate moisture indicates the actual water availability in the root zone, helping to determine when to irrigate and in what volume, avoiding both water stress and waterlogging.
Solar radiation or light intensity likewise provides information on the amount of light available for photosynthesis and supports decisions related to shading screens or supplemental lighting, while electrical conductivity and pH are especially relevant in hydroponic or fertigation crops, where nutritional balance depends on salt concentration and the conditions that favor uptake by the plant." SNIC's digital platform centralizes all of this data. "That continuous crop monitoring helps detect anomalies before they cause losses, improves water and fertilizer use efficiency, reduces unnecessary energy consumption, and contributes to more stable production with lower exposure to disease and sudden changes in environmental conditions." Irrigation and fertigation tailored to the crop's actual needs One of the areas where sensor technology has the most direct application is irrigation and fertigation scheduling, since real-time knowledge of soil moisture and electrical conductivity makes it possible to match applications to the crop's specific requirements.
"Growers who incorporate this data into their decision-making typically see a clear improvement in water use efficiency, because irrigation is applied only when the plant needs it and in the right amount, reducing waste, excess moisture, and losses through drainage or evaporation. By recognizing these patterns, growers can get ahead of problems that affect yield, adjust management protocols, and revisit decisions that, viewed in isolation, may not have seemed significant." Excel and CSV files can also be integrated with other analysis tools to produce custom graphs, carry out statistical studies, or cross-reference environmental data with production indicators, water consumption, fertilizer use, or disease incidence, while PDF reports are useful for documenting crop monitoring, sharing results with technicians or advisors, and maintaining an organized record of each season.
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.
