Wireless Soil Moisture Sensors
A new soil moisture sensor designed in Amsterdam makes it easier to irrigate efficiently and economically. To install, just shake and wake the sensor, hammer it into the ground, and scan the QR code into your smartphone.
The easy-to-install wireless Sensoterra probes provide the same data as expensive wired sensor installations for a much lower cost, says Christine Fraser, chief operating officer for Sensoterra.
“We suggest using 10 sensors, whether it’s 120-acres for a pivot irrigation or for a greenhouse,” she says. “You need to have enough data points and to think of a field as a system.”
The sensors are warrantied for 3 years, but typically the batteries in them last longer when the sensors are removed before harvest and stored in sleep mode.
There is no fee for the data, which comes through a free app on a smart phone or is integrated in a farm’s data platform.
“It’s easy to get data anyway you want it,” Fraser notes.
If a producer wants to calculate numbers based on his soil type, the moisture data can be delivered in percentages. Or, the sensor’s data can be indexed for soil type and read out as a score from 1 to 10, indicating soil health. Less than 3 is too dry; above 7 is too wet. The app will send notifications however you want them — on a regular basis or as alerts when the soil is getting too dry.
“You can access that data for up to 10 years,” Fraser adds.
The information is a valuable tool for precision farming. For example, Sensoterra has documented reduced water consumption in pivot irrigation systems, smarter use of water in a California almond orchard, and a 300 percent increase in expected yield for a Saskatchewan hops grower during a drought season.
In addition to agriculture, the sensor is useful for horticulture, nature restoration, landscaping, and sports fields. The probes come in single and multiple depth versions in different lengths to match root zone depths.
“We have 5,000 sensors in the ground,” Fraser says with most in the Netherlands, followed by North America, where Sensoterra sensors are available through a distributor. Check the website for more information.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bas van der Velden, Sensoterra Sales Manager (www.sensoterra.com; bas.van.der.velden@sensoterra.com
A new soil moisture sensor designed in Amsterdam makes it easier to irrigate efficiently and economically. To install, just shake and wake the sensor, hammer it into the ground, and scan the QR code into your smartphone.
The easy-to-install wireless Sensoterra probes provide the same data as expensive wired sensor installations for a much lower cost, says Christine Fraser, chief operating officer for Sensoterra.
“We suggest using 10 sensors, whether it’s 120-acres for a pivot irrigation or for a greenhouse,” she says. “You need to have enough data points and to think of a field as a system.”
Cost for 10 sensors is $1,500. They are warrantied for 3 years, but typically the batteries in them last longer when the sensors are removed before harvest and stored in sleep mode.
There is no fee for the data, which comes through a free app on a smart phone or is integrated in a farm’s data platform.
“It’s easy to get data anyway you want it,” Fraser notes.
If a producer wants to calculate numbers based on his soil type, the moisture data can be delivered in percentages. Or, the sensor’s data can be indexed for soil type and read out as a score from 1 to 10, indicating soil health. Less than 3 is too dry; above 7 is too wet. The app will send notifications however you want them — on a regular basis or as alerts when the soil is getting too dry.
“You can access that data for up to 10 years,” Fraser adds.
The information is a valuable tool for precision farming. For example, Sensoterra has documented reduced water consumption in pivot irrigation systems, smarter use of water in a California almond orchard, and a 300 percent increase in expected yield for a Saskatchewan hops grower during a drought season.
In addition to agriculture, the sensor is useful for horticulture, nature restoration, landscaping, and sports fields. The probes come in single and multiple depth versions in different lengths to match root zone depths.
“We have 5,000 sensors in the ground,” Fraser says with most in the Netherlands, followed by North America, where Sensoterra sensors are available through a distributor. Check the website for more information.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bas van der Velden, Sensoterra Sales Manager ( HYPERLINK "http://www.sensoterra.com" www.sensoterra.com; HYPERLINK "mailto:bas.van.der.velden@sensoterra.com" t "_blank" bas.van.der.velden@sensoterra.com
