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Accuracy of Soil Moisture Devices

Accuracy of Soil Moisture Devices. Sanjay Shukla Agricultural and Biological Engineering UF-IFAS. Accuracy of Devices. Factors Soil type (water holding capacity) Texture, organic matter, salinity Sandy soil Low plant available water (e.g. 5-6%)

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Accuracy of Soil Moisture Devices

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  1. Accuracy of Soil Moisture Devices Sanjay Shukla Agricultural and Biological Engineering UF-IFAS

  2. Accuracy of Devices • Factors • Soil type (water holding capacity) • Texture, organic matter, salinity • Sandy soil • Low plant available water (e.g. 5-6%) • Example: 25% error – sufficient to close to wilting point • Soil specific calibration • Silt and Clay • Relatively less accuracy is acceptable • Crop type • Cost • Type of device • Not a big limiting factor with multi-depth devices

  3. Examples of Types of Devices

  4. Sensor Evaluation – Preliminary ResultsExample Purposes only – Default Calibration - Not For Distribution

  5. Sensor Accuracy and Irrigation Scheduling • Example • Sandy soil with low water holding capacity • Plant available water = 6 %, FC = 9%, PWP = 3% • 25 % error in measuring 6% PAW • actual moisture = 6%; moisture read from sensor = 7.5 or 4.5% (under irrigation, adverse impact on crop) • If errors are systematic • can be calibrated for specific soil • important for sandy soils • errors can be substantially reduced • calibration is time consuming • calibrate with the gravimetric method data

  6. Which Device Should I Use? • Factors to consider • Area of the farm and crop type • Soil type and variability (texture, water holding capacity, types of soils within same farm) • Accuracy - applicability of default calibration to your soil • For coarse textured soils, better accuracy is needed • User’s comfort level and ease of use • Maintenance requirement • Cost (sensor, installation, and maintenance cost) • Installation cost is high for short duration crops • e.g. tomato, every 4-5 months

  7. Which Device Should I Use? • Using a soil moisture device, even inaccurate, is better than not using any • If cost is a consideration, using handheld devices such as Hydrosense is a better option • Soil specific calibration is important, especially for the coarse textured soils

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