Dual soil moisture sensor for simultaneous water content and water potential measurements: Functional principle and first results
- Publikations-Art
- Vortrag
- Autoren
- Karaj, S; Spohrer, K; Hübner, C; Müller, J
- Erscheinungsjahr
- 2012
- Veröffentlicht in
- VDI-Bericht Landtechnik
- Verlag
- VDI-Verlag , Düsseldorf
- Band/Volume
- 2173/
- ISBN / ISSN / eISSN
- 978-3-18-092173-0
- Seite (von - bis)
- 475-481
- Tagungsname
- Mit Erfahrung und Innovationskraft zu mehr Effizienz
- Tagungsort
- Karlsruhe
- Tagungsdatum
- November 6 -7, 2012
- Schlagworte
- Bodenfeuchtesensoren, Irrigation schemes, soil water content, Wassermanagement
Against the background of climate change and decreasing water availability in many parts of the world, there is the need for soil moisture information to improve water efficiency in agricultural irrigation. This study presents a newly developed sensor, which measures simultaneously soil water content and correlated soil water potential. Water content is measured based on a dielectric approach (FDR, frequency domain reflectometry). Soil water potential data is obtained by water content measurements in two porous matrices. First results show precise soil permittivity measurements from which soil water content data can be deduced. Water content measurements within the matrices are robust without noise. Soil water potential within the important range for irrigation can be properly assessed with selected matrices. Together with a controller that interacts between sensor and customary irrigation control, optimal irrigation automation becomes possible.