Comparison of Moisture Controllers for Blueberries Based on Hydrodynamic Parameters of the Substrate

The substrate is the physical support and fundamental component for the supply and transfer of water and nutrients, it is therefore an essential component in crops. Understanding their physical characteristics is key to controlling water dynamics through irrigation. In this study, two electronic moisture controllers were designed, implemented and tested in the root zone of blueberry plants using hydrodynamic parameters of the substrate. The objective of this work is to achieve a response in the relative humidity of the substrate that follows a determined reference, keeping this variable within a recommended range for the crop, in addition to minimizing leaching. Two controllers were proposed, the first is a controller made with fuzzy logic and the second whose control action was calculated based on the cumulative squared error obtained by comparing humidity during irrigation and reference curves of the desired behavior of humidity in the substrate. Additionally, the performance of the two controllers was compared with that obtained through the traditional irrigation technique every 12 hours; the results showed a significant decrease in water consumption and improvement in the aeration capacity of the root zone.