Small soil-moisture sensor has big impact on water conservation
S. Himmelstein | September 26, 2019The flat, thin sensors are expected to save nearly 35% of water consumption and to cost considerably less than commercial sensing systems. Source: University of ConnecticutA simple, inexpensive soil-moisture sensor was developed by University of Connecticut researchers to conserve irrigation water. The flat, thin sensors are expected to save nearly 35% of water consumption and cost considerably less than commercial sensing systems.
A 10-month field test compared the performance of the millimeter-sized soil moisture sensors, assembled by thermal press technology on thin compact discs, with that of available capacitance-type sensors. The new devices demonstrated a prompt response to sharp changes of soil moisture during water shock tests. Soil moisture profiles collected from these sensors were shown to record the spatiotemporal variation of soil moisture, which enabled simultaneous profiling at multiple locations.
Large numbers of the low-cost and accurate soil moisture sensors can be installed in fields to achieve high-resolution profiling for water-saving irrigation. The researchers plan to apply similar technology to the design of nitrogen sensors for use in optimizing field fertilization.