Background

Environmental monitoring has become increasingly important over the past decade. Environmental factors such as climate change, diminishing water resources, and threatened habitats are driving the need to monitor the environment and implement better policies to protect it. Many natural processes in the environment are driven by, or are related in some way to, soil hydrology. Monitoring soil moisture status provides important information for conservation and understanding of local and regional water resources. Soil temperature and humidity transmitters are widely concerned by people.

Agriculture

Crop irrigation accounts for 90% of global water use. Monitoring soil moisture in the root zone of crops will optimize irrigation. Benefits of using soil moisture sensors to optimize irrigation scheduling include improved crop yields, water conservation, protection of local water resources from runoff, savings in energy costs, savings in fertilizer costs, and improved farmer profitability. Worldwide, there are thousands of golf courses and sports fields that are regularly irrigated. Like any other type of crop production, overwatering wastes water, energy, fertilizer, and creates runoff that negatively impacts the surrounding environment. Soil moisture transmitters such as the JXCT are great tools to help optimize irrigation for sports turf.

Erosion research

Erosion from land use change can cost millions of dollars in damage to property and natural water systems each year. To understand what causes erosion and predict when and where it will occur, hydrologists need to record rainfall, sediment and soil moisture. The water infiltration rate of soil is a function of soil moisture. If the soil is dry, the infiltration rate will be sufficient to prevent runoff. If a rainfall event occurs when the soil is saturated, overland flow may occur. Monitoring soil moisture is an important input parameter for erosion prediction models.

Landslide research

Changes in land use may increase the likelihood of landslide hazards. Every year, landslides cause millions of dollars in property damage and loss of life. In some urban areas, prediction and prevention of landslide hazards become very important. The inputs to the landslide prediction model are slope, vegetation, toe slope, soil viscosity, and soil moisture. In some areas that experience high water tables, the soil in the high water table becomes very heavy because the soil becomes saturated and thus more affected by gravity. Monitoring soil moisture is an important indicator of landslide hazards.

Plant repair

Phytoremediation is the use of plants to remove soil pollution. After the pollutant is taken up by the plant, the pollutant accumulates in plant tissue and the plant can either be disposed of, or the pollutant is transpired into the air where sunlight chemically breaks it down into its harmless subcomponents. Phytoremediation has successfully removed chemicals such as PCBs, arsenic and petroleum products. These phytoremedial plants usually require irrigation. Soil moisture detectors ensure that toxins are not leached downward from overwatering and that plants receive enough water to effectively remove contaminants from the soil.