Soil moisture and temperature are two extremely important parameters in soil physical properties. They directly affect plant growth, soil fertility, microbial activities, and the health of the ecosystem. Timely understanding of soil moisture and temperature conditions helps farmers rationally arrange agricultural activities such as irrigation, fertilization, and sowing, improve crop yield and quality, and achieve precision agriculture.
To obtain accurate soil temperature and moisture data, the experimental method and the rapid measurement method are two commonly used methods.
Experimental Method: In a laboratory environment, researchers can use high-precision instruments and standardized operation procedures to conduct detailed analysis and measurement of soil samples, and can obtain relatively accurate soil temperature and moisture data. However, the process is complex. From the collection and preparation of soil samples to the measurement of various indicators, it is necessary to strictly follow experimental specifications, involving multiple links and professional technologies, and has high requirements for operators. Moreover, the entire experimental process, including sample collection, transportation, processing, and experimental analysis, takes a lot of time and is difficult to meet the requirements for data timeliness. Especially in cases where quick decisions are needed, it may not be able to provide data support in a timely manner.
Of course, there is also the issue of cost. Professional laboratory equipment, reagents, and technicians, as well as sample collection and transportation, all require money, resulting in relatively high overall costs. In addition, there is the issue of workload. If you want to comprehensively understand the soil conditions in a large area, a large number of samples need to be collected, increasing the workload and cost, and there may still be certain problems of insufficient spatial representativeness.
In contrast, the rapid measurement method is much simpler. By burying sensors in the soil, real-time and continuous monitoring of soil temperature and moisture can be achieved, and dynamic changes in soil temperature and humidity can be captured in a timely manner. Soil temperature and moisture data can be quickly obtained on-site without the need for complex sample processing and laboratory analysis processes, greatly improving the efficiency of data acquisition. It also does not require professional technicians and can be operated after simple training, reducing the threshold for data acquisition. Moreover, the rapid measurement method does not require the establishment of a professional laboratory and the purchase of a large number of expensive instruments and equipment. The single measurement cost is low, and for long-term monitoring, the overall cost advantage is more obvious.
Although the rapid measurement method has certain limitations in terms of accuracy, it is fast, convenient, easy to operate, can be monitored in real-time, and has a low cost. Therefore, from an overall comprehensive consideration, it is more superior than the experimental method.
Common Rapid Measurement Methods
In terms of rapid measurement of soil moisture, the Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) measures the dielectric constant by means of the propagation time of electromagnetic pulses in the soil, and then calculates the soil moisture content. It is fast, highly accurate, can be monitored in real-time, and is not affected by soil texture and salinity. The Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) determines the dielectric constant by measuring the capacitance or inductance of the soil to obtain the moisture content. Its instrument is small and easy to operate, making it suitable for rapid field detection.
In the rapid measurement of soil temperature, the thermocouple method uses two different metals to form a closed loop and calculates the soil temperature based on the thermoelectric potential generated by the temperature difference. It has a fast response, high accuracy, and a small volume, and can be used for multi-point temperature measurement. The thermistor method measures the temperature by relying on the change in the resistance value of the thermistor with temperature. It has high sensitivity and good stability, but a narrow measurement range. The optical fiber temperature sensor method is based on the sensitivity of optical fiber to light transmission and temperature, and obtains the soil temperature by measuring the change in the optical signal. It has the advantages of anti-electromagnetic interference, corrosion resistance, and distributed measurement, and performs well in temperature monitoring in harsh environments.
The editor hereby recommends a very practical rapid measurement instrument in the field of soil detection - the Soil Temperature and Moisture Meter, model FT - WS1, launched by Fengtu Meteorological Station Company in China.
It is a comprehensive soil detection instrument, different from traditional single - function soil moisture meters or soil thermometers. It integrates the functions of measuring two key parameters, soil moisture content and temperature, breaking the cumbersome situation of using different instruments to obtain these two types of data in the past, and greatly improving the detection efficiency and convenience.
The manufacturer Fengtu focuses on the research and development, production, and sales of meteorological and environmental monitoring equipment, and has certain technical strength and market reputation in the industry.
The field environment is complex and changeable, with high requirements for the portability, durability, and ease of operation of instruments and equipment. The FT - WS1 Soil Temperature and Moisture Meter fully considers these factors in its design. It is small and lightweight, making it convenient for staff to carry to field locations such as fields, mountains, and wilderness for on - site detection. For example, when geological surveyors conduct soil research in mountainous areas, they can easily put it in their backpacks and carry out soil moisture and temperature measurement work at any time.
The fast measurement function enables more sample data to be collected under limited time and energy conditions in the field. The instrument has a data storage function and can automatically record the measured moisture and temperature data, avoiding errors and omissions that may occur in manual recording. Moreover, this instrument supports wireless data transmission, allowing field staff to send data to the data processing center in real-time on - site, which is convenient for subsequent analysis and brings great convenience to field soil data collection work.
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