How to Monitor Soil Moisture in Grain Areas?

Agricultural technicians select multiple representative monitoring points in the field at regular intervals, use tools (such as soil augers) to collect soil samples at different depths (such as 0 - 20 centimeters, 20 - 40 centimeters, etc.), and bring them back to the laboratory for analysis. The water content of soil samples is measured by methods such as the drying method to understand the soil moisture condition. This method is relatively simple to operate but requires a lot of manpower and time, and real-time data cannot be obtained.

Now everyone is using Soil profile moisture meters! Sensors are buried in the soil and can measure parameters such as soil water content and temperature in real time and transmit data to the data receiving terminal. According to different measurement principles, common ones include frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensors and time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensors. FDR sensors calculate soil water content by emitting electromagnetic waves and according to the reflection of electromagnetic waves by the soil. TDR sensors determine the dielectric constant of the soil by measuring the propagation time of electromagnetic waves in the soil and then infer the soil water content. This monitoring method can achieve continuous and automatic data collection with high data accuracy.

Fixed soil moisture monitoring stations can also be established in grain-producing areas. The stations are equipped with a variety of monitoring instruments and data transmission equipment and can conduct long-term and continuous monitoring of soil moisture and meteorological conditions (such as temperature, rainfall, wind speed, etc.). The monitoring station can transmit real-time data to the servers of agricultural management departments or scientific research institutions. Technicians can view and analyze data at any time through the network platform and grasp the moisture dynamics in a timely manner. This monitoring method has a wide coverage and high data reliability but has a high construction and maintenance cost.