Sensitivity of PR2 Capacitance Soil Moisture Meter for Irrigation Scheduling
Olotu Y.1, Omoakhalen A.I.2, Ososomi A.S.3, Gbalaja M.4, Alhassan A.I.5, Ayilaran C.I6
1Olotu Y., Senior Lecturer, Department of Agricultural & Bio-Envi. Eng., Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria.
2Omoakhalen A.I., Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria.
3Ososomi A.S., Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria.
4Gbalaja Mayowa, Lecturer, Department of Physics, Federal College of Education, Okene, Nigeria.
5Alhassan A.I, Lecturer II, Department of Civil Engineering, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria.
6Ayilaran C.I., Lecturer, Department of Agricultural Technology, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi, Nigeria.
Manuscript received on 07 April 2021 | Revised Manuscript received on 28 July 2021 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 August 2021 | Manuscript published on 30 August 2021 | PP: 1-5 | Volume-1 Issue-3, August 2021 | Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijpte.B2007041221 | DOI: 10.54105/ijpte.B2007.081321
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© The Authors. Published by Lattice Science Publication (LSP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Accurate soil moisture content measurement is essential for designing a robust irrigation scheduling and integrated water resources management (I.W.R.M.). Capacitance-based sensors have widely been used to monitor soil moisture at different measuring depths coupled with continuous and instantaneous outputs. This study’s objective was to evaluate the PR2 capacitance moisture meter’s performance on mineral and organic soil water content. The outputs of PR2 in m3/m3 and vol.% were compared with gravimetrically measured soil moisture. The R.M.S.E. measurement at Site A at the first and second replicates increased from 0.49% to 0.67%. In contrast, the r2 value of 0.99 was obtained for the two replications when comparing the soil moisture content observed from gravimetric measurement and the automated outputs from the PR2 Probe soil monitor. The R.M.S.E. values were 0.48%, and 1.32% were estimated for the first and second replications at Site B. The result indicates that the PR2 Profile Probe could be a reliable alternative to other time-consuming, complex computer algorithms for accurate point measurement of soil moisture.
Keywords: PR2 Probe, Soil moisture, Mineral soil, Organic soil, Capacitance sensor, Permittivity.
Scope of the Article: Satellite Meteorology