Stability of soil moisture sensors for agricultural crop cultivation

Abstract

Soil water content is critical in plants’ morphological and physiological processes; therefore, water must always be available in appropriate quantities to meet plant growth needs. Soil moisture can be easily detected using sensors, which offer a practical solution for monitoring water content in the soil. However, using sensors for a long time, especially on agricultural land, will reduce sensor accuracy. This research aims to investigate the accuracy of soil moisture sensors during their use for cultivating crops. Using sensors in sandy clay soil can detect soil moisture levels with an accuracy of 93.80% and a precision of 90.81%. A reading deviation (error) of up to 49.74% with a precision level of 75.69% occurred when the sensor had been used for 40 days. Regular cleaning and calibration of the sensor are necessary to obtain accurate soil moisture readings. A copper-based sensor module kit can be used to detect soil moisture with reasonable accuracy during plant growth with a 5–6 weeks harvest time.

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