High quality fully automatic water and fertilizer integration controller

When you hear about 'full automation' in the agricultural sector, you immediately imagine a panacea for all problems. But in reality, even the best controller is just a tool that can either save the crop or ruin it if configured incorrectly. Many people still confuse automation with a simple irrigation timer, not realizing that the key link is the integration of data on soil moisture, solution conductivity and crop needs.

Why not all automatic systems are equally useful

In 2022, we tested three types of controllers on tomatoes in the Krasnodar region. The most expensive German sample consistently produced an EC error of 0.3-0.5 mS/cm, which is critical for the flowering phase. I had to manually adjust the program every 4 days. And here is the Chinese equivalent fromShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,Ltdunexpectedly showed stability within 0.1 mS/cm, although out of the box its sensors required calibration for local water.

By the way, calibration is a separate pain. Manufacturers often supply systems with average settings for 'typical greenhouses'. But in reality, water in the Volgograd region with a mineralization of 2 g/l and in the Leningrad region with soft water are two different operating scenarios. You either have to order custom solutions, just throughlyzhihuinongye.ru, where you can indicate the specifics of the water immediately when ordering.

Another nuance: some people think that automation eliminates the human factor. In practice, a new one just appears - errors in the initial input of parameters. Once, when launching a system in the Rostov region, they forgot to take into account the temperature compensation of electrical conductivity. The result was a week of incorrect plant nutrition, then it took a long time to restore it.

How we came to modular controller architecture

After several unsuccessful implementations, it became clear: there are no universal solutions. Now our team insists on a modular approach. Base unithigh quality fully automatic water and fertilizer integration controllertakes over control of pumps and measurement of EC/pH, and additional modules are connected as needed - for example, to control pressure in the main line or a weather station.

There was an interesting case last season in Stavropol. There, the customer initially wanted only a basic set of functions, but after the first two weeks of operation he asked to add a remote control module. It turned out that the agronomist constantly moves between fields, and the ability to quickly adjust the program from his phone reduced his time costs by 30%.

By the way, about remote control - not everyone understands its limitations. In the same project, we had to install an additional local controller because the mobile Internet was unstable in some areas of the field. This refers to the fact that full automation depends not only on the quality of the equipment, but also on the infrastructure.

Pitfalls of integration with existing systems

A common mistake is trying to install a new controller into an old drip irrigation system without an audit. We once installed a modern control unit in a greenhouse with 15-year-old pipes. A week later it turned out that there was a leak somewhere that was reducing the pressure, and the automation was constantly restarting the pumps. It was necessary to simultaneously change a section of the highway.

Another important point is compatibility with fertilizers. Some liquid complexes form sediment in the line, which clogs the sensors. This is especially true for systems with continuous monitoring. In such cases, we recommend installing additional filters in front of the controller -Shandong Lingyao Co.,LtdThere are good options with automatic flushing, which we now use by default.

From experience, what takes the longest to set up is not the controller itself, but its interaction with other equipment. Ideally, you need to have one supplier for the entire system, just likeShandong Lingyao, which make filters, valves, and control electronics. This eliminates endless negotiations on warranties and technical support.

Economics vs agronomics: which approach wins

There is an opinion that automation is expensive. But if we consider not the cost of the equipment, but the losses from uneven watering or excessive consumption of fertilizers, then the payback of a high-quality controller rarely exceeds 2 seasons. This is especially noticeable in perennial crops such as apple trees or grapes, where nutritional errors affect several years in advance.

We once calculated for a garden in Crimea: manual irrigation control gave fluctuations in soil moisture up to 35%, and after installing automation fromShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,Ltdmanaged to keep the spread to 7-8%. This gave an increase in sugar content in fruits by 1.2 points - for the manufacturer of juice products this was a difference of millions.

However, it is important not to overdo it. One client wanted 'state-of-the-art' with artificial intelligence and forecasting. But for his 5-hectare greenhouse it was redundant - basichigh quality fully automatic water and fertilizer integration controllercoped with the tasks by 95%, and the additional payment for 'smart' functions was 40% of the cost without tangible benefits.

What has changed in the market over 5 years and where are we moving next?

Previously, automation was installed mainly by large agricultural holdings, now even farmers with 20-30 hectares are starting to become interested. This is due to the shortage of qualified operators - it’s easier to set up the system once and control it remotely.

A technological breakthrough was the emergence of maintenance-free sensors with auto-cleaning. I remember how in the first versions of controllers I had to manually clean the EC electrodes every week - now ultrasonic modules do this. By the way, Chinese manufacturers likeShandong Lingyaothis functionality appeared even earlier than some European brands.

We are currently testing a system that takes into account not only the current parameters of the solution, but also the weather forecast. For example, if hot weather is expected, the controller increases the watering rate in advance. So far it is not working perfectly - sometimes it plays it safe, but the direction is promising.

Overall, the market is moving towards solutions that are easier to set up. The time is not far off whenhigh quality fully automatic water and fertilizer integration controllerwill be set up in a couple of hours, not days. The main thing is not to chase fashionable functions, but to choose what really works in your conditions.