39922p
1 May 2020
TEROS soil moisture sensors help optimise development and production of crops
Labcell, the UK distributor for METER Group (previously known as Decagon Devices), is promoting the METERTEROS soil moisture sensorsfor optimising the development and production of drought-resistant crops. The TEROS family comprises three models: theTEROS 10is rugged, versatile and inexpensive; theTEROS 11is for long-term, high-precision measurements; and theTEROS 12takes soil moisture monitoring to a new level, with improved calibration, a large volume of influence and reduced sensor-to-sensor variability for better accuracy of complete data sets.
There is an old adage that is as true for this as for anything else in science or engineering: to improve it, first you have to measure it. Measuring rainfall does not give a direct value for the water absorbed by the soil, as some will run off and yet more will evaporate. Similarly, measuring the volume of water used for irrigation is misleading, as only a proportion will be taken up by the soil. Fortunately, research and development teams - and farmers - can today implement relatively low-cost soil moisture measurement and monitoring systems using sensors such as the TEROS 10, 11 and 12.
Such systems enable to the soil moisture to be measured and, if necessary, irrigation applied and the soil moisture measured again to gauge the true effect of the watering event. With fresh water being a precious commodity, it is important to use only the minimum required and soil moisture measurement therefore plays a vital role in both the development of crops and their commercial cultivation.
METER's TEROS 10 soil moisture sensor is extremely robust, with stainless steel needles and an epoxy body, and it boasts the accuracy normally associated with high-specification scientific instruments. Nevertheless, it is economically priced to enable large sensor networks to be feasible, so sites can be characterised comprehensively by installing sensors at multiple depths and locations.
The METER TEROS 11 soil moisture and temperature sensor benefits from a one-litre volume of influence, which is a substantial improvement over the 200 ml typical of most sensors. This remarkable performance is achieved despite the sensor measuring just 94 mm long instead of the 200+ mm of alternatives. Features that contribute to the TEROS 11's longevity include stainless steel needles that are easily inserted into any soil and are resistant to salts, and epoxy-encapsulated electronics that withstand extremes of temperature and moisture.
When developing the TEROS 12, METER's engineers wanted to achieve the highest possible consistency for entire data sets, not just high accuracy for individual sensors. The TEROS 12 eliminates barriers to good accuracy such as installation inconsistency, sensor-to-sensor variability and sensor verification. Consequently, the TEROS 12 combines consistent, flawless installation, extremely robust construction, minimal sensor-to-sensor variability, a large volume of influence, and advanced data logging to give users the best performance, accuracy, ease-of-use and reliability - but still at an affordable price.
Labcell is the UK distributor for the METER range of instrumentation. Download detailed data sheets directly from Labcell's website atwww.labcell.comor contact the company with specific enquiries or to request a demonstration by telephone on +44 (0)1420 568150 or emailmail@labcell.com.
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