Unveiling the Latest Soil Sensors and Probes for Field Use
Recent technological advancements have led to the development of more sophisticated soil sensors and probes, making them capable of measuring multiple parameters — such as moisture, temperature, conductivity, and nutrient content — simultaneously.
Tensiometer (Hortau)
Jeremy Otto, Vice President of Sales of Hortau, says they have developed a new tensiometer that measures soil tension in real time using a polymer gel, eliminating the need for water refills or soil calibration. Field data is sent to the cloud every 15 minutes and displayed on a user-friendly app, enabling growers to make precise irrigation decisions based on crop water demand, improving water, energy, and fertilizer efficiency.
Photo courtesy of Hortau
“In addition to soil tension readings, an in-line pressure transducer reports the pressure in the irrigation block and time stamps when the system was turned on and/or off. When used in conjunction growers can have a better understanding of a soil’s water holding capacity and hydrology to prevent fertilizer leaching,” Otto says.
Moisture Probe (AquaSpy)
AquaSpy Soil Moisture Probes include the new generation of Crophesy battery-operated wireless soil moisture probes, available in 16-, 24-, and 48-inch lengths, as well as Legacy 48-inch solar-powered probes that offer advanced soil analytics at 4-inch intervals to optimize nutrient and irrigation management.
AquaSpy says one of its main selling points is its Pay as you Grow bundled service contracts and its seamless connectivity to the AgSpy cloud.
Photo courtesy of AquaSpy
“Drive improved yield through a better understanding of plant need and health across your entire field throughout the growing season. Affordable, easy to deploy Crophesy sensors can be distributed widely across a field to identify areas of focus for irrigation or nutrient optimization,” according to the AquaSpy website. Both Crophesy and Legacy probes feature internal GPS, low-power cellular connectivity, and easy installation, empowering growers with actionable insights to enhance crop health and productivity.
Photo courtesy of Semios
Soil Moisture and Irrigation Monitoring (Semios)
Semios provides irrigation management tools, including soil moisture and irrigation system monitoring hardware and software. These tools ensure precise water application by tracking soil moisture, temperature, salinity, and infiltration depth, while also aiding in understanding water delivery to the soil and developing detailed models of water movement and root zone activity. Growers can review irrigation events, catch errors, and refine future practices, while features like automatic calibration and data visualization enable precise water management and long-term system health monitoring. This approach improves crop quality, boosts efficiency, and provides cost savings through a single, user-friendly platform.
Precision Soil Probes (EnviroPro)
EnviroPro® Precision Soil Probes continuously monitor soil moisture, temperature, and salinity. Made in Australia, these probes offer advanced compensation for salinity and temperature variations, reliable, maintenance-free data for better irrigation, fertilization, and crop management.
Bill Terry’s Favorite Picks
“I’ve been in ag technologies for 18 years and lucky to have worked with many soil moisture sensor manufacturers. As far as reliable and hardy equipment Sentek is my No. 1 choice,” Bill Terry from Waterpoint says. For reliable and durable equipment, Sentek is his top choice. But he also shares that when it comes to accuracy, Neutron probes are ideal. The Sentek Drill’nDrop offers ease of installation without the need for slurry.
“As long as measurements of soil moisture and root water uptake are around 90% accurate, I’m mainly focused on understanding the relationships of water movement in the soil across depths over time,” Terry says. The platform displaying this data must provide clear visual representations, allowing for differentiation between root activity and drainage, and helping to generate solid irrigation recommendations.
Soil sensors are a vital tool in modern agriculture, empowering farmers with real-time data to make informed decisions about irrigation, fertilization, and overall crop management. With advancements in technology, today’s sensors can measure multiple parameters. As the demand for precision farming grows, soil sensors and probes will continue to play a critical role in boosting efficiency and sustainability in agriculture.
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