215 results about "Soil wetness" patented technology

The present invention provides a multitude of embodiments for landscape water conservation with automated water budgeting or seasonal adjustment. Water budget automation may be implemented within an irrigation controller, by means of an add-on or a plug-in to the controller, or broadcast from a central location. The environmental data used for automated water budgeting may be historical including ambient temperature, wind, solar radiation, relative humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, or evapotranspiration, or combinations thereof, or with a combination of current sensor data. The automated water budgeting may be accomplished with a percentage accumulation method which adjusts watering intervals and schedules, or on a daily percentage basis. In addition, government based restricted watering schedules may be combined within all the above embodiments to provide additional flexibility for water conservation.

An automatic moisture sensing and watering system detects a moisture level within the soil. The automatic moisture sensing and watering system may be implemented in combination with a conventional automatic watering system to accurately control a moisture content of a plot of soil. Since a plant draws water directly from the soil, the automatic moisture sensing and watering system is adapted for controlling the moisture content of the soil itself, by measuring the moisture content within the soil. The watering period of an automatic watering system may be changed, based upon a detected moisture content within a plot of soil. Alternatively, an amount of water to be applied at a next watering period may be changed, based upon a detected moisture content within the plot of soil.

A soil parameter measurement arrangement includes a capacitive based soil moisture and salinity sensor, a predetermined moisture migration medium located in a volume adjacent said sensor so that the medium substantially occupies the field of influence of said sensor. The medium is in moisture communication with the soil to be measured, and said sensor is adapted to measure and produce data representative of the volumetric water content of said medium. A sensor data processing means determines both the soil moisture and salinity of said medium. By using the measured volumetric soil moisture content and the moisture release curve of the medium, it is possible to derive the matric potential of the soil. The measured salinity of the medium corresponds to the salinity of the soil that is in moisture communication with the medium.

An agricultural planter having sensors for measuring multiple soil properties adjusts planting depth and seeding rate in real time based on the measured soil properties. An optical module is carried by the planter for collecting soil reflectance data. A pair of soil contact blades protrude from or are embedded in the optical module for collecting soil EC data and soil moisture data. A switching circuit or phase lock loop allows the same soil contact blades to feed signals to both a soil EC signal conditioning circuit and a soil moisture signal conditioning circuit. The soil moisture data can be used to calibrate the soil EC data and the soil reflectance data to compensate for effects of changing soil moisture conditions across a field. The sensor module can be positioned behind a seed tube and used as a seed firmer, or incorporated into a seed tube guard.

A method and system for monitoring the dynamic response of soil moisture and setting a threshold in relation to the field capacity of a soil area is disclosed herein. By measuring the dynamic response of soil moisture under wet soil conditions, one can determine a practical field capacity for the soil, in-situ, based solely on the soil moisture sensor output. Essentially, by looking at how the soil moisture level varies with time one can determine the field capacity.

A method and system for monitoring the dynamic response of soil moisture and setting a threshold in relation to the field capacity of a soil area is disclosed herein. By measuring the dynamic response of soil moisture under wet soil conditions, one can determine a practical field capacity for the soil, in-situ, based solely on the soil moisture sensor output. Essentially, by looking at how the soil moisture level varies with time one can determine the field capacity.

The invention discloses a self-watering flowerpot, which comprises the following parts: flowerpot container with hole on the upper end to place soil, water reserving container besides the flowerpot container to reserve water, water delivery pipe with pump with one end extended into the water reserving container, controller to connect and control the pump on the water delivery pipe, wherein the soil moisture in the flowerpot container is less than the minimum value, the controller controls the pump to transmit water from the container to flowerpot; a moisture sensor is assembled in the soil of flowerpot container to sense the moisture of soil and transmit the detected signal to the controller, which controls whether to water the flowerpot. The invention improves intelligent degree without influenced by plant and environment, which is beneficial to grow with strong ornamental and decorative effect.

A water moisture sensing and watering apparatus including a housing having a water chamber that is at least partially evacuatable. A porous sensor is communicably connected to the chamber. When the moisture in the soil is sufficiently high, the pores of the sensor filled sufficiently to become plugged so that a vacuum or low-pressure region and water are maintained within the chamber. When the moisture of the soil drops below a predetermined level, the moisture in the pores is pulled out by the soil and plant roots sufficiently for air to be transmitted through the pores of the sensor into the chamber, increasing pressure in the chamber and providing an indication that water is needed in the soil and, in certain embodiments, automatic watering the soil and plant roots.

A device for irrigating soil has a chassis having wheels or tracks for motion, the chassis having one or more water sprinklers with streams directed at the soil, a water storage tank, and a sloped catchment surface having one or more sloped planes or curved surfaces for receiving water from a refill station into the water storage tank, wherein, under the control of an electronic circuit, the irrigation device can refill the water tank by positioning any part of the catchment surface under a water stream from the refill station. A method has the steps of measuring soil moisture at remote locations, refilling the mobile robot using a gravity feed water stream, defining a route for distribution of water, traversing the irrigation routes, refilling water according to soil moisture measurements, storing photovoltaic energy in a battery, and rotating, to a compass heading such that the photovoltaic array is optimally oriented.

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a soil moisture sensor for interrupting an irrigation schedule of an irrigation controller. The moisture sensor comprises a relatively flat body with two lower electrodes and two lower anchoring barbs. A receiver receives moisture readings from the sensor and compares moisture data to a predetermined moisture interrupt value or limit, over which irrigation is interrupted.

The invention relates to a comprehensively intelligent irrigation method and system for the artificial vegetation ground. The comprehensively intelligent irrigation method and system are used for solving the problems that water is wasted, and irrigation quality cannot be guaranteed in the prior art. The comprehensively intelligent irrigation system comprises a plurality of paralleled irrigation terminals of an automatic irrigation network installed on the artificial vegetation ground, one or more soil moisture content probes are buried in irrigation area soil covered by each irrigation terminals of the automatic irrigation network, and an automatic switching mechanism is independently arranged on each irrigation terminal. The soil moisture content probes are connected and control the automatic switching mechanisms which the soil moisture content probes belong to and are connected and control the irrigation terminals through a central intelligent control system. The central intelligent control system determines the lower limit of the soil moisture content in the corresponding irrigation area according to types of vegetation or the types of vegetation and types of soil in each irrigation area. The central intelligent control system switches on the irrigation terminals in the corresponding irrigation area to carry out irrigation when the soil moisture content probes detect that the soil moisture content in the corresponding irrigation is lower than the lower limit of the moisture content. The comprehensively intelligent irrigation method and system have the advantages that automatic irrigation and fertilizer application as required can be achieved according to actual needs of the soil and the vegetation in the irrigation areas, water is saved obviously, labor is saved, irrigation quality is guaranteed, and healthy growth of the vegetation in the irrigation areas can be guaranteed.

A soil moisture sensor and a soil moisture sensing system are provided. The soil moisture sensor includes a double groove helical structure having grooves and formed from an insulator. The soil moisture sensor further includes at least a first electrode and a second electrode formed from one or more metals deposited at at least two different locations on the grooves. The soil moisture sensor also includes a processor for processing a soil moisture measurement signal based on a conductivity between the electrodes. The soil moisture sensor additionally includes a wireless transmitter for transmitting the soil moisture measurement signal to a remote location.

The invention discloses a passive water-saving irrigation method and facilities thereof. The method includes the steps that the step 1, threshold values for water supply and stop of the water supply are determined; the step 2, soil moisture contents like soil moistures are detected; the step 3, water is supplied when the soil moisture content is lower than the lowest threshold value; the step 4, signals receiving information are sent and received, and if the signals are not received, alarming and prompting are carried out; the step 5, the water content is recorded until the water content reaches the largest threshold value; the step 6, an instruction for stopping water supply is sent; the step 7, a single-chip microcomputer controls a valve to be closed, if a computer in a central control room receives the signals, the water supply is stopped; and if the signals are not received, the alarming and the prompting are carried out; the step 8, first-round control is stopped, and the step 1 is repeated when the soil moisture content is lower than the lowest threshold value. The passive water-saving irrigation facilities comprise a soil moisture content sensor part, the central control room part and an electric valve switching part. According to the passive water-saving irrigation method and the passive water-saving irrigation facilities, labor intensity is reduced, labor cost is saved, working environments are improved, accurate irrigation is achieved, water resources are utilized reasonably and efficiently, and waste and secondary pollution will not happen.

The invention relates to an iron tailing soil formation method. The method is characterized by comprising the following steps: (1) a tailing is leveled: a tailing site is leveled; (2) a ditch is arranged for drainage; (3) additive adding and tillage are carried out: a water retaining agent and an amendment are added below the surface of the iron tailing, and tillage is carried out; (4) a microbialagent is applied: the microbial agent is sprayed; (5) a plant is planted or cultivated; and (6) irrigation and maintenance are carried out: soil moisture is kept, a straw mat is laid for herbaceous plants, and effects of high temperature are alleviated. The construction method is simple, the price is reasonable, the greening effects are quick, the method is in line with local conditions, the application range is wide, the construction is easy, resources are saved, the greening effects are good, the tree survival rate can reach 90 to 95%, the survival rate of the herbaceous plants can reach 95to 98%, and the method can be applied to tailing soil formation greening projects in different areas, and has strong popularization and application.

The invention provides a method of controlling watering by monitoring soil moisture, including the steps of: determining a control moisture and a measuring frequency; measuring a soil moisture according to the measuring frequency by a moisture sensor; implementing a watering process when the ratio of the soil moisture to the control moisture is lower than a first control value; implementing a waiting process after the watering process; measuring the soil moisture using the moisture sensor after finishing the waiting process; and implementing the step of measuring the soil moisture according to the measuring frequency by the moisture sensor when the ratio of the soil moisture to the control moisture is higher than a second control value, and implementing the watering process and the step of the waiting process when the ratio of the soil moisture to the control moisture is lower than the second control value.

The invention discloses a system and a method for automatic spray irrigation based on water migration, belonging to the field of agricultural water-saving irrigation and automatic control. A traditional irrigation mode has simple control manner, is liable to cause deep leakage, brings negative effects on the growth of a plant, and causes the waste of water resources. According to the invention, variation of the diameter of a plant stem is used as a monitoring index of the water status of the plant, and opening and closing of a water pump and an electromagnetic valve are controlled; meanwhile, closing of the water pump is controlled according to the change status of soil humidity at the position of Z1, so spray irrigation for different areas is realized. The system and the method provided by the invention have the following advantages: automatic and accurate irrigation for the plant can be realized; the requirement of the plant for water is met; deep leakage is unlikely to occur; and the utilization efficiency of water is improved.