Soil Sensor Types

Volumetric Water Content Sensors

Sensors that measure the volumetric water content are typically referred to as soil moisture sensors. “Volumetric Water Content” or VWC is a measure of the amount of water held in a soil expressed as a percentage of the total mixture, and is often called simply “soil moisture”. The amount of water that can be stored by a soil and its availability to plants both depend on soil type.

Soil moisture is an important attribute to measure for many applications (not limited to irrigation). There are several methods and technologies for measuring soil moisture in sensors.

Tensiometers (Soil Matric Potential Sensors)

Tensiometers measure the soil water potential or matric potential. Soil matric potential is the pressure it takes to pull water out of the soil and is an indicator of stress to plants and crops. It can be used to determine soil water fluxes and available water held in the soil.

Single-Point Measurement

Most soil sensors are single-point sensors, which means they take a measurement (or series of measurements if more than one soil attribute is being measured) at a single location.

HydraProbe

Stevens Water Monitoring Systems

ECH2O EC-5

METER Group

CS650

Campbell Scientific

Watermark

Irrometer

Examples of single-point soil probes

Soil Profiling Probes

A soil moisture profiling probe.

Profiling probes measure soil moisture (and often other attributes like temperature) across a vertical soil profile, typically spanning a range of 30cm to 120cm. Soil profiling probes typically consist of multiple single-point sensors housed within an elongated enclosure, although some, like the GroPoint Profile feature modular segments which form a single antenna for continuous measurement across the entire length. A soil profiling probe is installed in the soil vertically.

Measuring soil moisture at multiple depths is important for optimizing irrigation, as it helps characterize the penetration of water throughout the root zone.

The chief advantage of using a soil profiling probe is the elimination of the cost of multiple single-point sensors and the need to excavate a large hole in order to bury them at the appropriate depths.

Profiling probes are usually manufactured as parallel pairs of rings along a probe or rod, and are typically installed in plastic or PVC access tubes where the electric field between the sensor and the soil must pass through the plastic tube. This design imposes uncertainties as to whether the access tube, soil, or meniscus that can form on the outside of the access tube following rainfall or irrigation, is being measured. The volume of measurement and its geometry are also uncertain (Topp 2003). Profiling probes which don’t require an access tube will typically provide greater accuracy for this reason. The GroPoint Profile (which also uses the superior TDT method of moisture measurement) and Hydrascout HSTi are examples.

GroPoint Profile

RioT Technology Corp.

SM1

Adcon Telemetry

Examples of profiling probes

Permanent and Semi-Permanent Installations

Soil sensors are typically buried and left for continuous long-term monitoring (if connected to a data logger or wireless remote telemetry) or on-demand monitoring (using a handheld reader). They can remain buried indefinitely, subject to the durability of the sensor and especially the cable.

Portable Soil Sensors

Portable soil sensors are designed to provide the user an instantaneous reading of soil moisture in a battery-powered, self-contained unit that can be taken anywhere. Readings are displayed either on an integrated display, or on the user’s smartphone which communicates with the sensor unit wirelessly (Bluetooth or WiFi).

HydraGO

Stevens Water Monitoring Systems

SM150 Kit

Delta-T

POGO Pro+

Stevens Water Monitoring Systems

Fieldscout TDR300

Spectrum Technologies

Examples of portable probes

24 thoughts on “Sensor Types”

  1. Hi,
    I would be more interested in testing soil Macro (NPK) & Micro Nutrients, which will be very helpful for Indian Farming community as they are not bothered to apply Micro Nutrients as of now and no one is ready to share their Soil Health Card with them on time

    Thanks
    Anuj Arora

  2. Dear Mrs, Mr,

    I am contacting you beacause we are currently building an agripphotovoltaic rack in the aim of studying the impact of photovoltaics modules on plants (& soil). For this, we would like to implement soil sensors which is able to measure humidity & temperature. We would like to have a regular acquisition (every 5min ideally but every hours could be also enough). Do you purpose this king of sensors ? Can I have a quotation for this ? (12x pieces to start)

    Thank you.

    Regards,
    Samuel Douillez

  3. Hi there,
    I am looking for soil sensor that can measure soil physical properties such as soil color, texture, structure as well as soil moisture and temperature. Do you have a sensor which can measure the above parameters at a time? Many thanks.

    Fikadu

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