Abstract
Rational management of scarce water resources is necessary. These resources are not utilised effectively. Therefore, the efficacy of irrigation management at the field level can be enhanced, and the irrigated areas can be expanded through rigorous irrigation management. By estimating water requirements in a straightforward, realistic, precise and feasible manner, achieving optimal water consumption for quality production and profitability is possible. In the context of the development of water resources in tropical and hot climates such as Ghana, estimating water demand assists farmers in planning and adjusting their requirements over time. This study assessed the water requirements of a greenhouse banana during the dry season to assure year-round cultivation, as Ghana has two primary seasons: wet and dry. The estimate was predicated using WSN and the JDL–Mivar data fusion model, which was dependent on the determination of perspiration. The results were contrasted with the existing literature, considering both climatic and biological data and other parameters during the cultivation period due to the model’s ability to fuse datasets. The study determined that the optimal indoor temperature for banana cultivation was 38.1 °C, while the minimum threshold was set at 21 °C. Significant differences and fluctuations in the maximal daily transpiration rates were observed in the water requirements for ‘WN’ values, which ranged from 25 to 50 m3/(ha·J). Banana plants require an intake of 10–20 litres of water per day during their growth season, according to the data collected from the WSN moisture sensor. The banana plants transpired between 100 and 600 kilogrammes of water for every kilogramme of dry matter produced during the humid climate, as indicated by the transpiration ratio, which ranged from 100 to 600. The Leaf Area Index (LAI) fluctuated from 3.3 in June to 4.89 in December. Our proposed method for monitoring bananas in a greenhouse will provide the cultivator with precise information about the bananas that are cultivated within the greenhouse environment. The optimal Leaf Area Index is between 3.6 and 4.5 for bananas to achieve their maximum yield potential. The relative humidity for bananas is typically around 80%, ranging from 65% to 75% during the night and approximately 80% during the day.
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