Development and test of a electronic system, measurer of the water consumption by woody plant

• Grant number: 05/04041-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2007
• End date: May 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Soil and Water Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcos Vinícius Folegatti
• Grantee: Marcos Vinícius Folegatti
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this project is to develop and evaluate an electronic system through the determination of the water consumption in woody plantas through the measure of the sap flow using the Granier method. The considered electronic system will be optimized to have low cost and to be easily operative for the farmer. Results of preliminary works, that are in progress in the ESALQ, one of the two involved institutions in the present project, will serve as base for the development of the electronic system. These works are about the calibration and tests of the performance of the method in four species of economic importance for the country (citrus, guava, mango and coffee trees). Giving sequence to these works, with the execution of the present project, it is intended to determine what reading intervals that the electronic system could make so that it is representative for enter in standby after each reading. These studies will be accomplished using dataloggers. Concomitantly, the another institution related with this project, the Department of Semiconductors, Instruments and Photonics (DSIP) of the UNICAMP University, will be responsible for the development of the mentioned system, as the defined desirable characteristics in consequence of the results of the mentioned preliminary works. When developed the archetype, studies will be realized for his permanent improvement through tests in laboratorial and field environment to become it operative. (AU)