Salt-Leaching Crop Irrigation Control With Rootzone Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current irrigation methods in arid and semi-arid areas face challenges such as manual control errors, high labor costs, inefficient water utilization, and salt accumulation around the rootzone, leading to reduced irrigation quality and waste of water resources.
Innovation Solution
A crop irrigation method and apparatus based on a salt leaching fraction that calculates the salt leaching fraction by combining salt stress and water quality effects, monitors soil water and salt content, and controls irrigation and drainage operations to reduce salt stress and optimize water use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual irrigation control is used, then labor cost is high and control error is large, but irrigation quality deteriorates and water resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical irrigation control with an automated electronic control system that uses sensors to detect soil moisture and salt content, and automatically adjusts irrigation parameters. This substitution eliminates human subjectivity and labor while improving irrigation precision and water utilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements closed-loop feedback control by continuously monitoring soil moisture and salt content through sensors, comparing actual values with optimal ranges, and automatically adjusting irrigation water quantity and quality. This feedback mechanism ensures high irrigation quality while reducing water waste.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If irrigation amount is increased to leach salt from rootzone, then salt stress on crops is reduced, but water resource waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts irrigation parameters (water quantity, quality, timing) based on real-time soil moisture and salt content measurements. By changing these parameters according to actual crop needs and soil conditions, the system effectively leaches salt from the rootzone while minimizing water waste through precise control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of soil salt content and moisture levels before irrigation, and pre-calculates the optimal irrigation amount needed for salt leaching. This preliminary action allows the system to apply exactly the right amount of water needed for salt removal, avoiding both insufficient salt leaching and excessive water application.
3Productivity
If existing water resources are used for irrigation, then water resource utilization efficiency can be improved, but salt accumulation around rootzone occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses real-time feedback from soil moisture and salt content sensors to monitor irrigation effects and adjust subsequent irrigation strategies. This continuous monitoring enables the system to maintain high water utilization efficiency while preventing salt accumulation by adjusting irrigation timing and quantity based on actual soil conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic irrigation cycles with varying water quantities and qualities based on crop growth stages and soil salt accumulation patterns. This periodic action with strategic variation allows effective salt leaching during critical periods while maintaining high water utilization efficiency during other periods.
Data Source
AI summary
A crop irrigation method based on a salt leaching fraction disclosed. The method includes: calculating a salt leaching fraction of crops by combining a salt stress and effect of water quality on an irrigation amount of the crops, controlling an irrigation apparatus to perform irrigation and drainage operations by monitoring water and salt in a soil depth corresponding to crop roots, and removing excess salt from the crop roots, thus reducing the salt stress on crop growth, ensuring a crop yield, and reducing waste of water resources while realizing efficient utilization of existing water resources.