The system developed by the two Sicilian entrepreneurs in Italy is based on a correct administration of substances to soil-less plants. It is also sustainable, as it makes it possible to save water and reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The device is called LISYGROW and it is a weight/drainage sensor.
"In addition, Lisygrow provides important information as regards the correct irrigation during 24 hours depending on the first drainage. This avoids saturating the substrate during the first hours of the day when greenhouses are still filled with night-time humidity. Drainage is only issued when metabolic activity increases."
"The system also helps in reducing pathologies connected to water unbalance such as cracking and blossom-end rot. Plants are healthier and more balanced, therefore less susceptible to biotic agent attacks. The correct management of irrigation also leads to an improved air-water balance in the substrate, leading to an improved root development reducing rot and asphyxia."
From the point of view of consumption, the device guarantees an accurate water management: each drop is destined to plant nourishment or drainage to avoid wasting water and nutrients, which is essential in this day and age.
With Lisygrow, operators no longer need to worry about adapting irrigation, they just need to supervise the process. The device is not groundbreaking, as there have been similar systems available for the past thirty years. It is though much more evolved and employs very advanced technology.
"Cultivation is becoming increasingly innovative and intensive cultivation techniques require sophisticated technologies. Not keeping up with the times means missing out on important opportunities," explain Felice Di Giovanni and Tommaso La Malfa, electronic technician and agronomist respectively.
"The device carries out each irrigation operation with the maximum accuracy and precision, producing the desired drainage percentage to avoid water and nutritional stress. The need to increase frequency during the central part of the day will no longer be a problem for producers, as Lisygrow adapts to crop needs. Plants themselves become sensors that self-regulate according to their own needs.
"In order to apply Lisygrow to a water distribution system with any type of substrate, three essential parameters must be set. The level of dryness between irrigations, system capacity and the drainage required according to the season and type of plant. The display shows in real time the number of irrigations carried out during the day, the millilitres plants need to absorb before he next irrigation, the drainage percentage set and its level up to that moment, the temperature and pump status."
-Chander Mohan
Krishi Jagran, Delhi
