Smart Irrigation Network for Greenhouse Clusters: Distributed Pump Stations and Climate-Linked Regulation

Smart Irrigation Network for Greenhouse Clusters: Distributed Pump Stations and Climate-Linked Regulation

Constructing a smart irrigation network connecting numerous greenhouses in large-scale greenhouse planting areas is an inevitable trend for achieving efficient utilization and refined management of agricultural water resources. The core of this network lies in the deep integration of distributed pump stations with real-time climate data, forming an intelligent water supply system capable of proactive sensing, precise response, and collaborative optimization.

Distributed pump stations are the network's water supply nodes, providing flexible and precise power. Unlike traditional centralized water supply, this network sets up independent small booster pump stations in each greenhouse zone or several adjacent greenhouses. These pump stations, like the network's "miniature hearts," can independently adjust water pressure and flow based on the real-time water demand of the greenhouses they serve. This distributed design avoids pressure loss and regulation lag in long-distance pipeline transportation, enabling faster and more flexible fulfillment of the water needs of different greenhouses and crops at various growth stages, achieving on-demand direct supply and significantly improving water use efficiency.

Linkage with climate data is the brain that enables the network's precise regulation. The system uses a sensor network covering the greenhouse cluster to collect real-time data on indoor temperature, humidity, light intensity, and outdoor weather conditions for each greenhouse. The intelligent control platform combines this data with crop growth models to calculate the precise irrigation needs of each greenhouse in real time. The platform automatically sends commands to the corresponding distributed pumping stations and the greenhouse's irrigation valves (such as drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers) to adjust the timing and volume of irrigation. For example, it automatically increases water supply during sunny, high-temperature days and reduces or stops watering during cloudy, rainy, and low-temperature days; it can also perform preventative irrigation before predicted high temperatures to regulate the greenhouse microclimate.

This intelligent irrigation network combines distributed water supply capabilities with climate-linked decision-making, achieving a fundamental shift from "uniform flood irrigation" to "regional variable precision irrigation." It not only significantly saves water and energy but also improves crop yield and quality by providing the most suitable water environment for crops, making it a key infrastructure for the intelligent and intensive upgrading of modern facility agriculture.