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Irrigation Tool Guide: What is a Soil Moisture Sensor

Soil Moisture Sensor for Irrigation

What Does a Soil Moisture Sensor Do?

Have you ever been driving during a torrential downpour and noticed someone’s automatic sprinklers drowning their grass and plants in already soaked soil? In Florida, we all have! What they need is a rain sensor. Typically an irrigation controller with a working rain sensor will shut the irrigation system down for 48 hours. When soil moisture sensors are used it’s technology that is coordinated between this sensor and the rain sensor. For instance with the Baseline system, if both sensors are installed, the rain sensor will shut down the system while the soil moisture sensor basically tells the controller when to turn back on, depending on where the (water) depletion level is set within the soil moisture sensor.

Water conservation technology is vital in order to reduce unnecessary irrigation events and responsibly respond to the global need to regulate water consumption in agriculture. Implementing smart irrigation tools will end up proving to be more cost-effective while helping the planet out!

If you are browsing for a solution to your plant care needs, especially when it comes to perfecting crop and plant water consumption, a soil moisture sensor will change the way you garden and do yard work. Simply put, the soil moisture sensor is going to make sure your plant is not getting over or underwatered.

This is water conservation technology, and it is the best way to decrease your plant’s water intake, without depriving them of the energy and nutrition they need. By providing the technology to estimate the moisture level in the soil, you gain the ability to increase the durability and production of plant materials, while saving money and conserving water.

How Does a Soil Moisture Sensor Work?

Now how is a probe in my lawn going to do all of this? Plant moisture sensors are designed to gauge the estimated water content of the soil based on the soil bulk permittivity, which is also known as the dielectric constant. This is what indicates the soil’s potential to transmit electricity.

Basically, as your lawn is getting watered, the water content is going to increase in your soil. The dielectric constant of the soil in your lawn is going rise at the same time. Once the soil moisture sensor is professionally installed, the technology can estimate the percentage of water in the soil to decide if watering is necessary.

Made up of two components known as the probe, and the module, the pronged sensor leaves a fork of exposed conductors that are meant to act as a variable resistor; resistance automatically adjusts according to any given plant’s volumetric water content level. Additionally, intricate irrigation systems utilize moisture sensors to produce an output voltage, like a generator for your lawn.

In a few words, the sensor does its thing, and based on the resistance level it detects in the soil, the moisture level is calculated. If the resistance is high, that means the soil is not hitting its optimal moisture level. In that case, your soil moisture sensor will signal the need to work efficiently and supply automatic irrigation to your plant. If the soil moisture sensor detects lower resistance, it will opt out of watering, conserving water, and money!

Depending on the custom set volumetric water content level that the user sets,  the system will be directed to complete the event, by watering the plant, or skipping the event because the moisture level in the soil is high enough.

Supplying plant matter with the correct amount of water, rather than overwatering, is going to increase the longevity of the plant matter, creating a robust plant lineage that will populate your garden, lawn, or farm for years to come.

This is a vast improvement from past irrigation systems that used timers and automatic functions without codes that prevent unnecessary usage. Previously, the system followed an irrigation schedule, no matter what.

This resulted in a major loss of water and a deep and unnecessary cut into the already-bare watering restrictions that some states face, like Florida. Innovations like the moisture sensor facilitate the best watering schedule for your plant material so that you are using your limited amount of water on the appropriate occasions. This regulation of personal consumptions will actually keep your plants healthier, and the long-term effects of water conservation can only benefit the environment for future generations in the years to come!

 

What Value Does A Soil Moisture Sensor Provide?

The handy soil moisture sensor is just one component of the bigger irrigation system. Working alongside the central control, weather systems, flow sensors, and more, the moisture sensor is an affordable and important accessory to add to your irrigation routine. At Newberg Irrigation, our highly trained professionals expend every possible appliance that innovative water conservation technology offers to ensure low volume irrigation whilst maintaining perfectly saturated plant material.

The concept brought forth from this product is water conservation. Believe it or not, plant moisture sensors provide personal value as well as providing an indispensable global tool.

The grass is greener on the other side because they use a soil moisture sensor! The personal value this technology provides goes beyond aesthetics, though. Your conscious effort to conserve water is going to improve the appearance of your lawn because it is healthier, and stronger. Healthier plants, while saving money, can it get better? It can.

While you are saving yourself money, and water, you are also proving an immense value to the planet by promoting the global regulation of water consumption in agriculture. There are several benefits to this.  According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), agriculture accounts for approximately 70 percent of the world’s water usage and withdrawal. Regulation starting at low levels can improve the global water crisis; in 2019, the World Health Organization reported that 2.2 billion people across the globe did not have access to safe drinking water. Overwhelming percentages of the human population lack the basic sustaining factor of life, while many irrigation systems waste inappropriate amounts of it! With a soil moisture sensor, this simply does not happen.

If you are passionate about water conservation and regulation, it is imperative to start small- prioritize using low-level irrigation systems in your businesses and homes. Tools like plant moisture sensors are a great way to understand the necessary water usage for robust plants and further gain insight into how much water you will begin to save!