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Accuracy of Soil Moisture Devices
Sanjay Shukla Agricultural and Biological Engineering UF-IFAS
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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
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Examples of Types of Devices
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Sensor Evaluation – Preliminary Results Example Purposes only – Default Calibration - Not For Distribution
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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
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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
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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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