Soil Moisture Monitoring

SOIL MOISTURE MONITORING

All WaterForce Branches have available SCADAfarm’s soil moisture range which allows you to continually monitor two key variables for plant growth: soil water and soil temperature.

Our robust sensors and associated Point Orange loggers will transmit accurate data on a daily basis to our secure SCADAfarm servers in the cloud.  You can then access that information whenever you need directly on your PC, tablet or smartphone.

They are valuable tools in today’s farming environment.

· Avoid over-watering

· Optimise plant growth

· Show environmental responsibility

· Help make important irrigation management decisions

· Reduce energy and water consumption

· Able to provide historic data for FEP auditing

· Able to set user alerts

· Increase yields / production through better water management

This integrated solution works alongside SCADAfarm’s suite of products to produce a comprehensive picture of what’s happening on farm or orchard so you can make the right irrigation decisions.

Our experienced Field Team, after consultation with you, will install the soil moisture sensor in a suitable location on  your property where it will best meet your needs.


Aquaflex

Our robust Aquaflex sensors and associated Point Orange loggers will transmit accurate data on a daily basis to our secure SCADAfarm servers in the cloud.  You can then access that information whenever you need directly on your PC, tablet or smartphone.

Aquaflex sensors are buried horizontally in the soil and are an ideal way to measure the average moisture content beneath permanent pasture.

Aquaflex soil moisture sensors are designed locally and have been installed for over 15 years commercially, giving a robust solution proven to work in New Zealand soils.  The Aquaflex sensor uses a 3 meter long tape to measure the soil moisture over the entire length, equating to 6 litres of soil.  The Aquaflex sensor measures volumetric soil moisture from 0 to 60% and factory calibrated for all soil types, and measures soil temperature. 

The Aquaflex sensor will be mounted approx. 8 meters from a fence post out into the paddock, and the sensor itself will run parallel with the fence line, running from 50mm below the ground to 400mm which will cover the bulk of the rooting zone of the pasture.  The sensor will have a paving stone marker at either end to identify where the sensor is located when cultivating / drilling the paddock.


EnviroPro

Our robust EnviroPro probes and associated Point Orange loggers will transmit accurate data on a daily basis to our secure SCADAfarm servers in the cloud.  You can then access that information whenever you need directly on your PC, tablet or smartphone. (Temperature not available until 2018 on EnviroPro)

Our EnviroPro soil probe is installed vertically and has sensors located every 10cm to measure moisture at different depths.  Both 40cm and 80cm probes are available (four or eight sensors) and are suitable for permanent and seasonal crops.  They can be removed before harvest and re-used the following year.  Monitoring your soil moisture at varying depths can help determine your drainage profile and pinpoint areas where leaching might occur.


SCADAfarm SmartGlance

Allows you to view key operating data from your SCADAfarm hardware while you’re on the go.  Keep a close eye on your soil moisture levels.  This module can also be customised so you can monitor the performance of parameters specific to your site.

Our SmartGlance app is available from iTunes or the Google Play store and can be installed on your smartphone or tablet.

· View current or historical data

· Receive alerts anywhere, any time

· Set equipment alarms and take preventative action when necessary

· Receive notifications when it’s time to irrigate or apply effluent

· Make faster decisions

· Improve your productivity

SmartGlance also allows you to set limits or thresholds to alert you when your soil moisture and soil temperature requires irrigation.  And if your soil moisture is suitable for applying effluent, you or your staff members can be notified via a phone message.

Your data can be transformed onscreen into dynamic graphs to help you easily absorb the information and track any patterns or trends. 

Take advantage of these ease of use and mobile functionality that SmartGlance offers.  No matter where you are, you can always keep one eye on your farm.

Please contact your local branch for more information on these products and pricing.

 


Frequently Asked Questions

1. Soil Temperature, When to Stop and When to Start Irrigating
As we are starting to move into Autumn it is worth considering the effect that soil temperature has on crop production.
Soil temperature has a key role in plant growth. At soil temperatures below 9–10˚C, plant growth slows or stops. Irrigating when soils are below this temperature will not increase production. It may even decrease production by keeping the soil wet and cold for longer. A dry soil warms up faster than a wet soil. Optimum plant growth occurs between 15–20˚C. Soil temperature fluctuates during the day as solar radiation warms and re-radiation cools the soil. The standard for measurement is the 9am soil temperature at 100 mm soil depth.