What is the importance of soil sensor for plant growth ?

Soil is considered a natural medium for plant growth & development. Much research is going on to determine the internal factors of farmers' crop production failure. One of the factors is the balance of nature in unstable or unfertile soil that inhibits plant growth and plant root development. Soil sensors are widely used in agricultural greenhouses, flower cultivation, pasture grassland, and other occasions. The real-time monitoring of soil temperature, moisture, ph, soil conductivity (EC) and etc are important factors for agriculture.

What is soil temperature?

Soil temperature is the measure of how hot or cold the soil is. It is the function of heat flux in the soil as well as heat exchanges between the soil and atmosphere. It is also defined as the function of the internal energy of the soil. The transfer of heat in the soil and the latent heat exchanges at the surface are the primary causes of variations in soil temperature. The main source of soil temperature is solar radiation. Soil temperature is measured with a thermometer. Soil temperature varies seasonally and daily which may result from changes in radiant energy and energy changes taking place through the soil surface.

What is soil moisture?

Soil moisture is the amount of water in the active layer of the soil, typically the top 1–2 m. It is extremely important because it is the main source of water for agriculture and natural vegetation. Near-surface soil moisture also controls the partitioning of available energy at the surface into sensible and latent heat exchange with the atmosphere, thus linking the water and energy balances through the moisture and temperature states of the soil. Soil moisture is the source of water that evaporates and transpires from the soil and vegetation into the atmosphere, thus affecting the distribution of clouds and precipitation. Surface temperature is controlled by soil moisture, as a wetter surface will be cooler, with more of the available energy going into evapotranspiration (evaporation and transpiration) rather than heating the surface. Soil moisture also affects runoff, determining how much precipitation or snowmelt goes immediately into rivers and streams, or in extreme cases into flooding. A deficit of soil moisture is often connected to drought, and soil moisture interactions with the atmosphere may be important in maintaining droughts. Soil moisture, along with snow cover, is also the most important component of meteorological memory for the climate system over the land. Thus, the soil moisture state is an important predictor of monthly to seasonal climate variations. 

What is Soil Ph?

Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. A pH value is actually a measure of hydrogen ion concentration. Because hydrogen ion concentration varies over a wide range, a logarithmic scale (pH) is used.

Most soils have pH values between 3.5 and 10. In higher rainfall areas the natural pH of soils typically ranges from 5 to 7, while in drier areas the range is 6.5 to 9. Soils can be classified according to their pH value:

l  6.5 to 7.5—neutral

l  over 7.5—alkaline

l  less than 6.5—acidic, and soils with pH less than 5.5 are considered strongly acidic

The Ph is the acidity or basicity of material measured on a scale between 0 to 14. The Ph value lesser than 7 is considered acidic and greater than 7 is considered basic. If the pH scale is 7 then the material is neutral. The most ideal soil conditions for the growth & development of plants are neutral soil.

What is Soil EC?

Soil electrical conductivity (EC) is a measure of the amount of salts in soil (salinity of soil). It is an important indicator of soil health. It affects crop yields, crop suitability, plant nutrient availability, and activity of soil microorganisms which influence key soil processes including the emission of greenhouse gases such as nitrogen oxides, methane, and carbon dioxide. Excess salts hinder plant growth by affecting the soil-water balance. Soils containing excess salts occur naturally in arid and semiarid climates. Salt levels can increase as a result of cropping, irrigation, and land management. Although EC does not provide a direct measurement of specific ions or salt compounds, it has been correlated to concentrations of nitrates, potassium, sodium, chloride, sulfate, and ammonia. For certain non-saline soils, determining EC can be a convenient and economical way to estimate the amount of nitrogen (N) available for plant growth.

Rika Sensor can supply types of soils sensor with very competitive prices for your plant growing. For example RK520-01 Soil temperature & moisture sensors, RK520-02 Soil temp, humidity and ec sensor; RK500-22 Soil ph sensors,  RK500-23 soil ec sensor.

For soil temperature and moisture sensors in agriculture, please click here