Investigating the effects of soil moisture sensors positioning and accuracy on soil moisture based drip irrigation scheduling systems

Soulis, Konstantinos X.; Elmaloglou, S.; Dercas, Nicholas

doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2014.10.015

Cited by 138 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Other factors have been shown to influence water extraction by roots, such as differences in xylem maturation and in the number and diameter of xylem vessels, as well as differences in the formation of endodermis and exodermis with the development of sors positions. The results obtained by Soulis et al (2015) indicated that irrigation efficiency variation among the different soil moisture sensors positions was greater than the variation among the various irrigation system configurations. For practical purposes, there are specific points for soil moisture sensor installation within the limits of effective water extraction at which soil moisture sensors can be installed.…”

Section: Recommendations For Sensor Positioning Within the Effective mentioning

confidence: 84%

“…This variability has been studied by Silva et al (2015) for banana crop and the authors reported that it is necessary at least 16 time domain reflectometry (TDR) probes to be installed at a minimum distance from plant of 0.9 m and a minimum soil depth of 0.7 m to prevent an overestimation of banana crop evapotranspiration. Soulis et al (2015) used several numerical experiments and investigated the effect of soil moisture sensors positioning on irrigation efficiency, revealing that irrigation efficiency varied considerably among the different sensor positions investigated. Thus, the knowledge on variability in water extraction can decrease reliability of soil water balance; therefore, it is necessary to define the placement of soil water sensors in the root zone for reliable measurements of soil moisture, even under variable root water extraction variations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water extraction and implications on soil moisture sensor placement in the root zone of banana

Silva

Coelho

Filho

et al. 2018

Sci. agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.)

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ABSTRACT:The knowledge on spatial and temporal variations of soil water storage in the root zone of crops is essential to guide the studies to determine soil water balance, verify the effective zone of water extraction in the soil and indicate the correct region for the management of water, fertilizers and pesticides. The objectives of this study were: (i) to indicate the zones of highest root activity for banana in different development stages; (ii) to determine, inside the zone of highest root activity, the adequate position for the installation of soil moisture sensors.

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Section: Recommendations For Sensor Positioning Within the Effective mentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water extraction and implications on soil moisture sensor placement in the root zone of banana

Silva

Coelho

Filho

et al. 2018

Sci. agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.)

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“…Placing sensors too close to a drip line may lead to under-irrigating a crop, and placing sensors too far away may result in over-irrigating [41]. Through computer modeling experiments, Soulis et al [42] concluded that the optimal positioning of soil moisture sensors in drip-irrigated crops was influenced by soil hydraulic properties, crop evapotranspiration rate, and the configuration of the irrigation system. An additional consideration is the ideal depth at which to place sensors relative to the crop root zone.…”

Section: Limitations Of Soil Moisture Sensors For Irrigation Schedulimentioning

confidence: 99%

New Approaches to Irrigation Scheduling of Vegetables

Cahn

Johnson

2017

Horticulturae

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Using evapotranspiration (ET) data for scheduling irrigations on vegetable farms is challenging due to imprecise crop coefficients, time consuming computations, and the need to simultaneously manage many fields. Meanwhile, the adoption of soil moisture monitoring in vegetables has historically been limited by sensor accuracy and cost, as well as labor required for installation, removal, and collection of readings. With recent improvements in sensor technology, public weather-station networks, satellite and aerial imaging, wireless communications, and cloud computing, many of the difficulties in using ET data and soil moisture sensors for irrigation scheduling of vegetables can now be addressed. Web and smartphone applications have been developed that automate many of the calculations involved in ET-based irrigation scheduling. Soil moisture sensor data can be collected through wireless networks and accessed using web browser or smartphone apps. Energy balance methods of crop ET estimation, such as eddy covariance and Bowen ratio, provide research options for further developing and evaluating crop coefficient guidelines of vegetables, while recent advancements in surface renewal instrumentation have led to a relatively low-cost tool for monitoring crop water requirement in commercial farms. Remote sensing of crops using satellite, manned aircraft, and UAV platforms may also provide useful tools for vegetable growers to evaluate crop development, plant stress, water consumption, and irrigation system performance.

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“…However, further research is necessary to improve issues regarding the repeatability, longevity, and reliability of this method. Additionally, the controller performance must be evaluated in different farming situations (soil types, placement depth, threshold values, and irrigation systems) to obtain more conclusive results (Soulis et al, 2015).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Irrigation controller mechanically actuated by soil-water tension: II - Field evaluations

Almeida

Botrel

Raine

et al. 2017

Rev. bras. eng. agríc. ambient.

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A B S T R A C TIn this study, a field evaluation of the performance of an irrigation controller mechanically actuated by soil-water tension (SWT) was performed. The controller employs a tensiometer used as a sensor of SWT to directly control a mechanically actuated hydraulic valve. Six controllers were installed in an orchard to control the irrigation for six rows of plants over 64 days. Each controller controlled the irrigation of one lateral drip line. The drip irrigation system was gravity-fed from a water source placed 7 m above the soil surface. The SWT and the pressure in each lateral line were measured to evaluate the performance of the controllers. All the controllers tested in the field autonomously initiated and terminated the irrigation during the evaluation. Irrigation events were initiated when values close to the set soil-tension values were reached and were terminated at lower soil-tension values. As the SWT in the root zone was maintained close to the setup threshold plus 20% tolerance for at least 90% of the evaluation period, the performance of the controllers was considered satisfactory. The proposed controller was shown to be functional and was operated effectively for an SWT range of up to 30 kPa, which is commonly encountered under high-frequency irrigation conditions. Controlador de irrigação mecânico acionado pela tensão da água no solo: II -Avaliações em campo R E S U M O O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar, em campo, o desempenho de um controlador de irrigação acionado mecanicamente pela tensão de água no solo. O controlador utiliza um tensiômetro como sensor da tensão de água do solo para controlar diretamente uma válvula hidráulica acionada mecanicamente. Seis controladores foram instalados em um pomar para controlar a irrigação de seis linhas de plantas durante 64 dias. Cada equipamento controlou a irrigação de uma linha lateral. O sistema de gotejamento foi pressurizado por gravidade devido a uma fonte de água localizada sete metros acima da superfície do solo. Todos os controladores testados no campo acionaram e desligaram a irrigação autonomamente durante o período de avaliação. Os eventos de irrigação foram iniciados quando as tensões de água no solo atingiram valores estabelecidos e terminaram em baixos valores de tensão. O desempenho foi considerado satisfatório, pois as tensões de água no solo foram mantidas dentro das faixas estabelecidas considerando-se uma tolerância de 20% para pelo menos 90% do tempo. O controlador proposto mostrou-se funcional e operou adequadamente para uma faixa de tensões de água no solo até 30 kPa, comumente utilizadas em condições de irrigação com alta frequência.

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Investigating the effects of soil moisture sensors positioning and accuracy on soil moisture based drip irrigation scheduling systems

Cited by 138 publications

References 48 publications

Water extraction and implications on soil moisture sensor placement in the root zone of banana

Water extraction and implications on soil moisture sensor placement in the root zone of banana

New Approaches to Irrigation Scheduling of Vegetables

Irrigation controller mechanically actuated by soil-water tension: II - Field evaluations

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