Technology Corner: Q&A w/Tule Technologies
EDITOR’S NOTE: This entry is part of a series to highlight a new technology related to almond and tree nut production. The question/answer format is set to focus more on the technical aspects and application of the technology. In many articles, I discuss the importance of irrigation. With that in mind, I though I would reach out to a company that assists with irrigation scheduling based on site-specific data: Tule Technologies. Thanks to Valerie Bednarski for taking the time to answer my questions. Tule is an irrigation technology that determines site specific water use for a specific crop. How does this technology work? Tule measures the actual evapotranspiration (ET) of your orchard. We are able to do this using the Surface Renewal Method that was developed at the University of California at Davis (Paw U et al. 1995; Snyder et al. 1996; Shapland et al. 2012a and 2012b; Shapland et al. 2014). ET is the process of evaporation from plant and soil surfaces and from within plant tissues (i.e., water movement through stomata). In most modern agricultural systems, ET is the dominant process of water loss from a field. (Editor’s note: more info on ET here) What equipment is installed, and resources are used to determine water use? The Tule Sensor is installed in the orchard and is positioned above the canopy. The sensor is able to measure the amount of evapotranspiration from the orchard based on air movement. As the wind moves over your orchard, it picks up the water that transpires from the trees and carries it to our sensor. This is how we are able to measure the crop water use over a broad area. An installed pressure switch is fitted to the irrigation system. This provides a direct measurement of irrigation durations. Using site specific irrigation specifications,
Recent Comments