New Techniques for Monitoring Drip Irrigation Water Use Efficiency, Drainage, and Leachate in Container Nurseries

Abstract

Techniques are needed to ecologically monitor nursery production practices with proper use of water resource and nutrient management. An experimental system to examine water quality, irrigation efficiency and drainage from pot-in-pot nursery container production was established in a commercial nursery field. The system mainly consisted of a plot containing 50 trees planted in 50 pot-in-pot containers and irrigated with micro spray stakes; 10 drainage water measurement devices; 10 pot media moisture probes; 10 thermocouples; a weather station and a data logger. Preliminary tests indicated the system was feasible to monitor water inputs, drainage water loss, medium moisture content and temperature, leachate of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium in drainage water, rainfall and weather conditions, and tree growth in pot-in-pot nursery production.