Performance Evaluation of TDR Soil Moisture Sensor
University of Erciyes, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Biosystem Engineering,
TR 38039 Talas, Turkey
*Correspondence: hkirnak@yahoo.com
Abstract:
Optimization of irrigation scheduling and water management greatly benefit from soilmoisture sensors that accurately measure soil water content since accuracy of soil moisture sensordirectly affects the irrigation efficiency. In this study, a performance evaluation of TDR-Slammerwith a 40 cm waveguide was done under field conditions. Experimental data were collected in adrip irrigated pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) field, Kayseri, Turkey during the 2015 growingseason. Measured soil water content values on a loamy soil were compared with correspondingvalues derived from gravimetric samples. Results showed that TDR-Slammer could be safelyused as an acceptable, reliable and accurate method for measuring soil water content on loamy soils.
Key words:
calibration, dielectric constant, soil water content, Time domain reflectometry