Before selecting the suitable SMS for our farm, we should always pay attention to our budget (capital and annual costs), soil properties, application (i.e., irrigation scheduling, monitoring, research), plant type and root depth, accuracy and moisture range required, quality of irrigation/fertigation water, and skill level needed for operation and maintenance of SMS. Here are some key notes:
In general, higher frequency measurements result in higher quality data, but also higher SMS cost. Indeed, true value in SMS comes from the optimization of the balance between performance accuracy and price.
Variations of salinity in the soil will often result in perplexing SMS readings and frustration for farmers. For salinity conditions, TDR, FDR, and capacitance are better choices but still need careful consideration, as not all of them are created equally.
It is recommended to apply data loggers to store and log the soil data. This will help in data interpretation and quick decision making. However, if the labor cost is more affordable than the data logger cost, manual recording of SMS could be an option too.
The highest performance will be achieved if we use SMS with irrigation scheduling, apps, weather stations and other best management practices (BMPs).
We should read SMS daily if we use data loggers and every two to three days if we record the data manually.
Reading catalogues and manuals of SMS helps for a precise calibration and installation. ground.
It is recommended for irrigation to replenish the soil moisture to less than FC. Then there will be some room for potential precipitation, especially for the days when irrigation is necessary but there is a moderate to high chance of precipitation.
Adhesion - A process in which soils hold water molecules rigidly at their soil-water interfaces.
Auger - A spiral-shaped tool to drill holes into the Calibration - Process of configuring a device to provide a result for a sample within an acceptable range.
ground.
Best management practices - Ways to manage our land and activities to mitigate pollution of surface and groundwater near us.
Calibration - Process of configuring a device to provide a result for a sample within an acceptable range.
Canopy - Aboveground portion of a plant, formed by the collection of individual plant crowns.
Dielectric permittivity - Ability of a substance to hold an electrical charge.
Electrical conductivity - A measure of the resistance of a particular material to an electric current.
Electrical resistance - A measure of opposition to the flow of electric current.
Electrodes - Conductors that are used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit.
Electromagnetic signal - One of the waves that is propagated by simultaneous periodic variations of electric and magnetic field intensity and that include radio waves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.
Erosion - Geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces, especially by water.
Evapotranspiration - A process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere, by water leaving the soil (evaporation) and water lost through plant leaves and stems (transpiration). Fertigation – A process of using the existing irrigation system in a field to inject plants with the required fertilizers.
Ions - Group of atoms that bears one or more positive or negative electrical charges.
Irrigation - A controlled agricultural process during which water is applied to soil to assist in the production of crops, also known as watering.
Leaching - Infiltrated water moving down through the