• Three-in-One Soil Sensor Boosts Yield in Greenhouses

Laboratory Products

Three-in-One Soil Sensor Boosts Yield in Greenhouses

Jun 12 2018

Labcell, the UK distributor for Decagon Devices (Meter Group), believes that many commercial operators of greenhouses could increase yields and/or cut water consumption by using the latest GS3 Greenhouse Sensor. This cost-effective sensor, which is typically connected to an Em50 data logger or an SDI-12 logging system, provides accurate measurements of soil moisture as well as temperature and electrical conductivity (EC).

Accuracies for the three measurements are, respectively, +/-3% VMC (volumetric water content), +/-1°C and +/-5%, though the actual accuracy depends on factors such as generic or custom calibration, substrate composition and measurement range; custom calibration can improve the soil moisture accuracy to +/-1 to 2%. An operating frequency of 70 MHz minimises salinity and textural effects, which enables the sensor to be used in virtually all types of substrate, and the measurement speed is just 150 ms.

By measuring and analysing soil moisture, users can optimise irrigation regimes to increase yields and avoid using water unnecessarily.

The GS3 sensor uses the same proven technology as Decagon’s other soil moisture sensors but this ruggedised model features robust stainless steel needles and a housing in which the electronics are epoxy-encapsulated. It is equally suitable for use in soil and soilless substrates such as peat or perlite. The slender needles easily push through the substrate, causing minimal disturbance. Each sensor is simply inserted from the surface, adjacent to the plant, or inserted into the side of potted plants or, where deeper measurements are required, into the side of a hole that is subsequently backfilled.

Data from the GS3 sensor can be collected locally using a Decagon Device Em50 data logger or an alternative logger, or the sensor can be connected to a logging system using the SDI-12 communications standard. In addition, data can be output as analogue 3.6 V signals.

Labcell is the sole UK distributor for the GS3 Greenhouse Sensor. Download a detailed data sheet directly from Labcell's website at www.labcell.com.


Digital Edition

Lab Asia 31.2 April 2024

April 2024

In This Edition Chromatography Articles - Approaches to troubleshooting an SPE method for the analysis of oligonucleotides (pt i) - High-precision liquid flow processes demand full fluidic c...

View all digital editions

Events

Expomed Eurasia

Apr 25 2024 Istanbul, Turkey

AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo

Apr 28 2024 Montreal, Quebec, Canada

SETAC Europe

May 05 2024 Seville, Spain

InformEx Zone at CPhl North America

May 07 2024 Pennsylvania, PA, USA

ISHM 2024

May 14 2024 Oklahoma City, OK, USA

View all events