Soil type affects accuracy of dielectric moisture sensors

Peters, D; Hanson, B

Soil type affects accuracy of dielectric moisture sensors

Authors

Douglas Peters
Blaine R. Hanson

Authors Affiliations

D. Peters is Staff Research Associate, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis; B.R. Hanson is Extension Irrigation and Drainage Specialist.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 54(3):43-47. DOI:10.3733/ca.v054n03p43. May 2000.

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Abstract

Several types of dielectric soil moisture sensors were evaluated at various locations in California. The TRASE and ThetaProbe devices were reasonably accurate over a range of soil textures. In silt loam and silty clay soil types, the Enviroscan readings were inaccurate. The Aquaterr meter, which provides a qualitative measurement of soil moisture content, responded to changes in soil moisture content for several different soils, but little response occurred in one sandy soil.

References

Baker JM, Lascano RJ. The spatial sensitivity of time-domain reflectometry. Soil Sci. 1989. 147(5):378-84. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-198905000-00009

Frueh WT, Hopmans JW. Soil moisture calibration of a TDR multilevel probe in gravelly soils. Soil Sci. 1997. 162(8):554-65. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-199708000-00004

Leib B, Matthews G. Relative accuracy of soil moisture sensors used in Washington State. ASAE/CSAE/SCGR Annual International Meeting, July 18-22, Toronto, Canada 1999.

Paltineanu IC, Starr JL. Real-time soil water dynamics using multisensor capacitance probes: laboratory calibration. Proceedings of the Soil Sci Soc Am. 1997. 61:1576-85.

White I, Zegelin SJ, Wilson LG, Everett LG, Cullen SJ. Electric and dielectric methods for monitoring soil-water content. Handbook of Vadose Zone Characterization and Monitoring.. 1995. Lewis Publishers. 752p.

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