GroPoint Pro!
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
The GroPoint™ Pro soil sensor is robust, reliable and
highly accurate, providing cost-effective
measurement of soil moisture, soil temperature,
salinity (electrical conductivity or EC). This SDI-12
sensor also functions as a wetting front detector,
providing a separate output for the wetting front
measurement. The sleek, light-weight design
installs quickly with minimal soil disruption. When
installed vertically, the sensor averages volumetric
moisture content over a soil layer of about
6” (15cm). When installed horizontally, the sensor
can be used to measure moisture at a specific soil
depth.
Wetting Front!
By placing the tip of the sensor just above the bottom of your crop's root zone, the
wetting front measurement will indicate when water has reached the bottom of the probe
during irrigation, allowing you to have your irrigation stop at precisely the optimal time to
ensure only the water needed is applied.
The GroPoint Pro calculates the first derivative (rate of change) of moisture to indicate
how quickly the moisture level is increasing (it does not indicate in any way moisture
decreases). Range is 0 (very low or negative rate of change) to 10 (high rate of change). A
slow moisture increase generates low values, whereas a very rapid moisture increase
generates higher readings (up to the maximum of 10). It is not related to absolute
moisture level, rather how quickly the moisture level is changing. There is no time
element in this measurement, it just compares previous readings to the current reading.
For example, assuming dry to saturated step change, wetting front readings will appear
similar to this over time:
