Irrigation Control

Stop Guessing Dry-Back, Let Substrate Data Drive Every Feed

Manual irrigation scheduling forces growers to estimate dry-back windows by feel. That approach wastes water, oversaturates root zones, and leaves yield on the table. Automated irrigation control systems eliminate the variable by triggering feed events from real measured conditions, not a fixed clock, so every plant gets what it needs precisely when the data says it's ready.

Modular Architecture That Scales With Your Canopy

The Aqua-X platform is designed around a core controller and expandable output modules, which means the system grows with your operation rather than being replaced by it. Each component handles a specific function, and the architecture supports up to 30 independently controlled zones on the entry-level unit, reaching 300 zones on the pro tier, all managed through a single interface and monitored remotely via app.

• Substrate-Triggered Irrigation: The WCS-1 water content sensor reads real-time VWC percentages in the grow medium and feeds that data directly to the controller. The system fires an irrigation event the moment dry-back reaches the programmed threshold, no manual intervention, no estimation.
• Water Quality Monitoring: The AMP-2 sensor board connects pH, EC, and temperature probes to the controller, triggering alerts the instant reservoir conditions drift outside operator-set parameters. Crop loss from undetected pH swings becomes a preventable event, not a routine risk.
• Flexible Output Control: Output modules handle both 24V solenoid valves via the OA6-24 control board and 110V pumps via the OA6-110 control board, with up to five modules per controller. This hardware flexibility supports mixed irrigation infrastructure without requiring a uniform valve type across the facility.

30 Zones or 300: Matching the Aqua-X Tier to Your Operation

The Aqua-X line offers three controller tiers, each sized for a distinct operational scale. The right choice hinges on zone count, sensor density, and whether substrate-driven steering, rather than timed events, is the target methodology.

• Single-Room and Multi-Tent Operations: The Aqua-X NFS-1 manages up to 30 independent zones through a combination of 24V and 110V output modules, with remote monitoring via the TM Plus app. It suits cultivators moving off manual timers who want cloud-connected oversight without commercial-scale infrastructure investment.
• Multi-Room Commercial Facilities: The Aqua-X NFS-2 expands capacity to 300 zones and adds a 10-inch touchscreen for on-site analysis of moisture dry-back curves, useful in large facilities where a smartphone screen makes data review impractical mid-task. Optional DFM-1 digital flow meter integration enables volume-based rather than time-based irrigation triggers.
• Substrate Steering Programs: The Aqua-X NFS-3 connects up to 240 devices and 25 individual sensors, and adds the ability to trigger irrigation cycles directly from VWC percentage thresholds in the grow medium. Operators running precision steering programs, managing exact dry-back ratios through lights-on and lights-off periods, rely on this tier to automate what would otherwise require constant manual monitoring.
• Ecosystem Infrastructure: For facilities running climate automation alongside irrigation, the TrolMaster Hydro-X Series handles atmospheric parameters, temperature, humidity, CO2, and lighting schedules, on a parallel network. Both the Aqua-X and Hydro-X systems communicate over the same RJ12 bus, allowing a unified control architecture across irrigation and environment without a second software platform.

Building Precision Into Every Layer of the System

Irrigation automation delivers consistent results only when the hardware network is correctly specified. Three principles separate a dialed-in system from one that requires constant intervention.

• Place Substrate Sensors at Representative Root Zones: The WCS-1 reports the VWC of the medium directly around its probe. Position sensors at mid-canopy root depth, not the surface, and run at least one sensor per zone variation (different media, pot sizes, or cultivar) to capture meaningful dry-back data rather than a single point average.
• Calibrate Reservoir Probes Before Each Growth Cycle: pH and EC probes drift over time and require calibration to maintain accuracy. Calibrate the PPH-1/PPH-2 pH sensors and PCT-1/PCT-2 EC sensors at the start of each cycle using fresh calibration solution. Alerts from uncalibrated probes generate false positives that erode operator trust in the automation over time.
• Map Valve and Pump Assignments Before Programming Schedules: Label every OA6-24 and OA6-110 output channel to its physical zone before building irrigation programs. Mislabeled outputs invert irrigation logic, the most common source of over- or under-watering events immediately after commissioning a new Aqua-X installation.

Well-specified sensor placement, calibrated probes, and accurate output mapping are the foundation for an irrigation system that runs without daily correction. These fundamentals apply whether operating the NFS-1 in a single room or a full NFS-3 deployment across a commercial facility.

Frequently Asked Questions