FAQAgriculture & Irrigation May 12, 2024 1 min read
How do soil moisture sensors improve irrigation scheduling?
Soil sensor types (capacitance, TDR, tensiometers), placement guidelines, refill-point calculation, and integration with irrigation controllers.
How do soil moisture sensors improve irrigation scheduling and water use efficiency?
Soil moisture sensors measure volumetric water content (VWC) or soil water potential (tensiometers) in the root zone, providing direct evidence of whether crops need water. Compared to calendar-based or evapotranspiration (ET) models alone, sensor-driven scheduling reduces irrigation events by 20–40 % on average while maintaining or improving crop yield. The key is sensor placement at the active root depth (typically 30 cm for most field crops) and setting the refill point at 50 % plant-available water (PAW) depletion.