A Sensor for the Measurement of the Moisture of Undisturbed Soil Samples

• Main Authors: Vesna Crnojević-Bengin, Goran Kitić
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2013-01-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: soil moisture sensor; sensor modeling; permittivity measurement
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/13/2/1692

This paper presents a very accurate sensor for the measurement of the moisture of undisturbed soil samples. The sensor relies on accurate estimation of the permittivity which is performed independently of the soil type, and a subsequent calibration. The sensor is designed as an upgrade of the conventional soil sampling equipment used in agriculture—the Kopecky cylinder. The detailed description of the device is given, and the method for determining soil moisture is explained in detail. Soil moisture of unknown test samples was measured with an absolute error below 0.0057 g/g, which is only 2.24% of the full scale output, illustrating the high accuracy of the sensor.