"The Stevens installation is like a second set of eyes for me providing deeper visual insights as to what is going on in the soil and around the crop so we can optimize our practices and manage the allocation of water"-Hector Rochin
Hector Rochin is a talented man with a breadth of experience stretching over 40 years across two countries. He’s worked with citrus, pistachios, vegetables and now a 2,000 acre jalapeno production that stretches across Imperial Valley, Coachella Valley, and Oxnard, Arizona. His most recent project as Head Grower Advisor at A&M/TGH has allowed him to utilize his deep agricultural knowledge in seeking resources. His primary water source for the jalapeno production, is the Colorado River.
Jalapenos are salt sensitive and salinity levels above 3dS/m are a risk to the crop. With the soil in Imperial Valley being dominant in clay and loam, water retention in one area is a high concern while salinity is another is the other side of the valley. Hector knew he needed a dynamic solution that would allow the best outcome. He found Stevens at the World Ag Expo in Tulare.
Hector spoke with us and describes his needs:
- Soil moisture and temperature through top 2 feet
- Heat index at soil surface-Too high index will postpone irrigation until cooler temperatures to minimize evaporation
- Salinity (EC) monitoring at 2 feet depth to track potential build up
- Root zone of interest top 2 feet
- Two installations about 6 miles apart west of El Centro
We developed a plan with tools that would help Hector develop a history growing conditions
to better understand and plan:
- GroPoint 4-segment profiling probe providing soil moisture and soil temperature readings every 6 inches
- Stevens HydraProbe, a coaxial impedance dielectric reflectometer to monitor electroconductivity (salinity) 2 foot below the surface
- A MSO weather station with wind sensor, air temperature and humidity and pyranometer (solar
- radiation)
- A Stevens Steelhead datalogger with solar panel to capture all soil and weather station
- sensors with cellular modem to connect to Stevens Connect, SkyView360, Stevens cloud-based data acquisition, visualization and analysis to get visual insights on the soil, the air and the crop that Hector and his team need to effectively manage the crop.
