Soil moisture - capacitance (5TE Decagon)

Parameter to be measured:

Soil moisture, soil temperature, EC

Method:

Capacitance

Equipment:

• 5TE Decagon

Effective range of temperature: -40°C - +50°C

Effective range of soil moisture: 0 - 60 % volumetric water content

Accuracy: ±3% without calibration, ±1% - ±2% with calibration

Dimensions: 145mm x 33mm x7 mm, three stripes

Advantages:

• Relatively cheap
• Easy to install
• Compatible with many loggers

Disadvantages:

• Calibration needed
• Small measurement volume compared to other sensors
• not for portable usage designed

What to watch out for:

• Careful installation, air gaps have a sustainable influence on the measurement compared to other sensors because of the small measurement volume
• Probe is tenderly and will break, if it is pushed in resistive media.

Links

Projects that used the above equipment:

• TERENO

Other related web sites:

• Calibration Equations or the ECH2O EC-5, ECH2O-TE and 5TE Sensors
• 5TE at DECAGON

References

• Rosenbaum, U., Huisman, J.A., Weuthen, A., Vereecken, H., Bogena, H.R. (2010): Sensor-to-Sensor Variability of the ECH2O EC-5, TE, and 5TE Sensors in Dielectric Liquids. VADOSE ZONE JOURNAL, 9(1), 181-186.