"Three-in-one soil sensor boosts yield in greenhouses"

Labcell, the UK distributor for Decagon Devices (Meter Group), believes that many commercial operators of greenhouses could increase yields and/or cut water consumption by using the latest GS3 Greenhouse Sensor. This cost-effective sensor, which is typically connected to an Em50 data logger or an SDI-12 logging system, provides accurate measurements of soil moisture as well as temperature and electrical conductivity (EC).

Accuracies for the three measurements are, respectively, +/-3% VMC (volumetric water content), +/-1°C and +/-5%, though the actual accuracy depends on factors such as generic or custom calibration, substrate composition and measurement range; custom calibration can improve the soil moisture accuracy to +/-1 to 2%. An operating frequency of 70 MHz minimises salinity and textural effects, which enables the sensor to be used in virtually all types of substrate, and the measurement speed is just 150 ms.

By measuring and analysing soil moisture, users can optimise irrigation regimes to increase yields and avoid using water unnecessarily.