A greenhouse tomato precision drip irrigation control system based on wet body characteristics | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A greenhouse tomato precision drip irrigation control system based on wet body characteristics Jiaxing Xie, Xianbing Fu, Zhenbang Yu, Wen Chen, Peng Gao, Daozong Sun, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4998760/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study examined the characteristics of soil moisture movement and wetted body water distribution under drip irrigation conditions. The findings provided a crucial foundation for designing a precision drip irrigation control system for greenhouse tomatoes, enhancing control accuracy and conserving water. An indoor point source infiltration test was conducted to assess the impact of varying dripper flow rates and initial water content on soil moisture movement and wet body alterations. A mathematical model of wet front movement was established, and agricultural Internet of Things technology was utilized to design a precision drip irrigation control system for greenhouse tomatoes. This was then compared with a traditional drip irrigation control system. The results indicated that when wetted bodies reach the same wet depth, both irrigation time and total water consumption were influenced by flow rate and initial water content. Increasing the initial water content could effectively reduce both irrigation time and total water consumption. The Horizontal wetted front X value and the vertical wetted front Z value during the drip irrigation process exhibited a strong power function relationship with time, with R² exceeding 0.98. As irrigation time increases, the width-depth ratio of the wet body gradually transitioned from large to small, and increasing the initial water content aided in soil moisture vertical infiltration. After redistribution, the average water content in the wet body ranged between 68%𝜃𝐹𝐶 and 75%𝜃𝐹𝐶 , and the water uniformity coefficient exceeded 90%, aligning with normal growth conditions for tomatoes. The actual wet volume surpassed the planned wetted volume, and when the same initial water content was used, smaller total water consumption corresponded to smaller overflow volume. The target wetting depth is established based on the depth of tomato root distribution. When compared to the conventional drip irrigation control system, the precision drip irrigation control system developed in this study exhibited superior accuracy in wetting depth control and a more effective water-saving effect. The error in wetting depth during the flowering and fruit setting periods, as well as the fruiting period of the tomato, was reduced by 8.2% and 15.8% respectively, resulting in water savings of 16.2% and 22.6%. water movement wetted volume Internet of Things Precision drip irrigation Control accuracy Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4998760","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":354113516,"identity":"25641824-c5d5-430b-948d-0c85274a9b7b","order_by":0,"name":"Jiaxing Xie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"South China Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jiaxing","middleName":"","lastName":"Xie","suffix":""},{"id":354113517,"identity":"8238e24e-a90d-4003-bacc-7e5be0e228f9","order_by":1,"name":"Xianbing 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