What is a Soil Moisture Sensor?

Soil moisture refers to the moisture content of the soil. In farming, crops themselves cannot directly access the inorganic elements in the soil, and the water in the soil acts as a solvent for dissolving these inorganic elements. The crop absorbs soil moisture through the root system to obtain nutrients and promote growth. In the process of crop growth and development completion, the requirements for soil temperature, water content and salinity vary depending on the species. Therefore for monitoring these environmental factors NiuBol sensors are needed, such as temperature and humidity sensors, soil moisture sensors, etc.

Agricultural workers are familiar with soil moisture sensors, but there are many problems in selecting and using soil moisture sensors. Here are some common questions about soil moisture sensors.

The most commonly used soil moisture sensors on the market are tdr soil moisture sensors and fdr soil moisture sensors.

Soil moisture sensor working principle

FDR refers to frequency domain reflection, which uses the principle of electromagnetic pulse. The apparent dielectric constant (ε) of the soil is measured according to the frequency of the electromagnetic wave propagating in the medium to obtain the volumetric water content of the soil (θv). The soil moisture sensor uses the FDR principle. The product is well sealed and can be used directly buried in the soil and is not subject to corrosion. High measurement accuracy and reliable performance ensure normal operation, fast response time and high data transmission efficiency.

TDR means time domain reflectivity, which is a common principle for rapid detection of soil moisture. The principle is that waveforms on a mismatched transmission line reflect. The waveform at any point on the transmission line is the superposition of the original waveform and the reflected waveform. the response time of the TDR principle equipment is about 10-20 seconds, which is suitable for mobile measurement and fixed-point monitoring.

NiuBol soil moisture sensor recommends that the following points should be noted when installing the soil moisture sensor.

1. Vertical insertion of the sensor: insert the sensor 90 degrees vertically into the soil to be measured. Do not shake the sensor when inserting, so as not to bend the sensor probe to damage the probe.

2、Multiple sensors inserted horizontally: insert the sensors into the soil to be measured in parallel. This method is used for multi-layer soil moisture detection. When inserting, please do not shake the sensor, so as not to bend the sensor probe and damage the steel needle.

3、It is best to choose a looser soil to insert for measurement. If you feel there are hard lumps or foreign objects in the measured soil, please re-choose the location of the measured soil.

4、When storing the soil sensor, wipe the three stainless steel needles clean with dry paper towels, cover with foam and store in a dry environment of 0-60℃.

In general, the installation cost of the sensor depends on the area of the measurement site and the functions to be achieved. Do you need to determine how many soil moisture sensors you need to install at the measurement location? How many sensors match a data collector? How long are the connection cables between the sensors? Do you need to pair them with other controllers to implement certain automatic control functions? Once you figure out these questions, you can choose according to your needs.

Agriculture Sensors Catalog

Agriculture-Sensors-Catalog-NiuBoL-2024.pdf