Moisture Monitoring with the Watermark Stacked Probe
Trellis does not manufacture sensors, but has designed a modular soil moisture sensor system that can use multiple types of sensors and probe depths that are tailored to what producers need given the root depth of different crops and soil textures. This blog post will focus on the Watermark sensor, and how Trellis makes it easy to install, remove, and make sense of the data.
The Watermark Tensiometer
The Watermark sensor is a tensiometer. Tensiometers measure the tension between soil particles and water molecules. If you think about drinking a beverage through a straw, tensiometers will measure how hard you would have to suck to extract the beverage. It is important to understand this distinction -- that tensiometers are not measuring the amount of water in the soil but by how hard the plant has to work to get water. Tensiometers have always been touted for their low cost and strong correlation with the neutron probe. Neutron probes are regarded as the most accurate, but are radioactive and not realistic for commercial or widespread use.
Trellis’ Stacked Probe
Sensors
We start with the individual watermark sensor, as shown.
PVC
Rather than installing each sensor individually, we have developed a stacked probe with PVC pipe that will fit up to 5 sensors.
Heat Shrink, Support Bar, Comfort Grip Handle
A stacked probe has no use if the sensors detach when it is time for removal! We add heat shrink wrap to secure the PVC, and include a support bar that runs along the length of the probe for stability. Attached to the support bar is a comfort grip handle that will help users remove the sensors and ensure that the probe is taken straight out of the ground instead of twisting.
Temperature at 2”
Watermark sensors do require some temperature dependent calibration. We include soil temperature sensors (Left) two inches below the surface to ensure that calibration takes place. Users are also able to see temperature readings on our software.
Wireless and Modular
As shown, there are no exposed wires with the Trellis system. Wires in the field are asking to be chewed up.
We also make our system as modular as possible. If you were to have a faulty sensor, there is no need to replace the entire unit! The probe can simply detach from the unit and be replaced, which lowers overall cost for the user. For those who already have watermark sensors, there is also an option to use your own sensors with out telemetry.
Software
If you are doing any of the following...
Taking watermark readings manually at the site of the sensors
Working to find a relative scale with numbers instead of graphs
Failing to factor in soil texture or crop type in your watermark readings
Not using sensors at all to manage irrigation
STOP!
Our software is simple and affordable, sending your data every two hours so that you can make meaningful irrigation decisions in real time. See below.
