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Kargas G, Ntoulas N, Tsapatsouli A. Use of a Dielectric Sensor for Salinity Determination on an Extensive Green Roof Substrate. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:5802. [PMID: 37447651 PMCID: PMC10346240 DOI: 10.3390/s23135802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The irrigation of extensive green roofs with recycled or saline water could contribute to the conservation of valuable drinking water supplies. In such cases, the continuous monitoring of substrate electrical conductivity (ECsw) is of immense importance for the sustainable growth of the plants growing on the green roof. The present study aimed to estimate the ECsw (pore water EC) of an extensive green roof substrate in lysimeters with the use of the WET-2 dielectric sensor. Half of the 48 lysimeters that simulated extensive green roofs had a substrate depth of 7.5 cm, while the other half had a 15 cm substrate depth. The warm season turfgrass Paspalum vaginatum 'Platinum TE' was established at the lysimeters, and during the summer period, it was irrigated every two days at a rate of 14 mm with NaCl solutions of various electrical conductivities (ECi): (a) 3 dS m-1, (b) 6 dS m-1, and (c) 12 dS m-1, while potable water of 0.3 dS m-1 ECi served as the control. The relation between bulk electrical conductivity, σb, and bulk dielectric permittivity, εb, of the substrate was observed to be linear for all ECi levels up to σb values of 2-2.5 dS m-1. The ECsw was predicted by employing the salinity index method which was modified to be applied to the particular case of a green roof substrate. Knowing the salinity index and organic portion (%, v/v) for a given green roof substrate, we could calculate the ECsw. It was found that the use of the salinity index method predicts reliably the ECsw up to 10-11 dS m-1, while the method overestimates ECsw at very low levels of electrical conductivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Kargas
- Laboratory of Agricultural Hydraulic, Division of Water Resources Management, Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece;
| | - Nikolaos Ntoulas
- Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece;
| | - Andreas Tsapatsouli
- Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece;
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2
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Sheng Z, Liao Y, Zhang S, Ni J, Zhu Y, Cao W, Jiang X. A Portable Pull-Out Soil Profile Moisture Sensor Based on High-Frequency Capacitance. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:3806. [PMID: 37112148 PMCID: PMC10145346 DOI: 10.3390/s23083806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Soil profile moisture is a crucial parameter of agricultural irrigation. To meet the demand of soil profile moisture, simple fast-sensing, and low-cost in situ detection, a portable pull-out soil profile moisture sensor was designed based on the principle of high-frequency capacitance. The sensor consists of a moisture-sensing probe and a data processing unit. The probe converts soil moisture into a frequency signal using an electromagnetic field. The data processing unit was designed for signal detection and transmitting moisture content data to a smartphone app. The data processing unit and the probe are connected by a tie rod with adjustable length, which can be moved up and down to measure the moisture content of different soil layers. According to indoor tests, the maximum detection height for the sensor was 130 mm, the maximum detection radius was 96 mm, and the degree of fitting (R2) of the constructed moisture measurement model was 0.972. In the verification tests, the root mean square error (RMSE) of the measured value of the sensor was 0.02 m3/m3, the mean bias error (MBE) was ±0.009 m3/m3, and the maximum error was ±0.039 m3/m3. According to the results, the sensor, which features a wide detection range and good accuracy, is well suited for the portable measurement of soil profile moisture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhentao Sheng
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- National Information Agricultural Engineering Technology Center, Nanjing 210095, China
- Engineering Research Center of Smart Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for the Technology and Application of Internet of Things, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yaoyao Liao
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- National Information Agricultural Engineering Technology Center, Nanjing 210095, China
- Engineering Research Center of Smart Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for the Technology and Application of Internet of Things, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- National Information Agricultural Engineering Technology Center, Nanjing 210095, China
- Engineering Research Center of Smart Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for the Technology and Application of Internet of Things, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jun Ni
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- National Information Agricultural Engineering Technology Center, Nanjing 210095, China
- Engineering Research Center of Smart Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for the Technology and Application of Internet of Things, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- National Information Agricultural Engineering Technology Center, Nanjing 210095, China
- Engineering Research Center of Smart Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for the Technology and Application of Internet of Things, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Weixing Cao
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- National Information Agricultural Engineering Technology Center, Nanjing 210095, China
- Engineering Research Center of Smart Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for the Technology and Application of Internet of Things, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaoping Jiang
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- National Information Agricultural Engineering Technology Center, Nanjing 210095, China
- Engineering Research Center of Smart Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for the Technology and Application of Internet of Things, Nanjing 210095, China
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Yu C, Zhou F, Wang R, Ran Z, Tan W, Jiang L, Cui S, Xie Z, Xiao Y, Zhou Y, Duan L. B2, an abscisic acid mimic, improves salinity tolerance in winter wheat seedlings via improving activity of antioxidant enzymes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:916287. [PMID: 36237496 PMCID: PMC9551657 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.916287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Salinity severely inhibits growth and reduces yield of salt-sensitive plants like wheat, and this effect can be alleviated by plant growth regulators and phytohormones, among which abscisic acid (ABA) plays a central role in response to various stressful environments. ABA is highly photosensitive to light disruption, which this limits its application. Here, based on pyrabactin (a synthetic ABA agonist), we designed and synthesized a functional analog of ABA and named B2, then evaluated its role in salt resistance using winter wheat seedlings. The phenotypes showed that B2 significantly improved the salt tolerance of winter wheat seedlings by elevating the biomass. The physiological analysis found that B2 treatment reduced the generation rate of O2 -, electrolyte leakage, the content of proline, and the accumulation of malonaldehyde (MDA) and H2O2 and also significantly increased the contents of endogenous hormones zeatin riboside (ZA) and gibberellic acid (GA). Further biochemical analysis revealed that the activities of various antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), were enhanced by B2, and the activities of antioxidase isozymes SOD3, POD1/2, and APX1/2 were particularly increased, largely resembling ABA treatment. The abiotic stress response-related gene TaSOS1 was significantly upregulated by B2, while the TaTIP2;2 gene was suppressed. In conclusion, an ABA analog B2 was capable to enhance salt stress tolerance in winter wheat seedlings by stimulating the antioxidant system, providing a novel regulator for better survival of crops in saline soils and improving crop yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxin Yu
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Biology, Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Shenyang, China
| | - Ruonan Wang
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaojin Ran
- Institute of Biology, Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Shenyang, China
| | - Weiming Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Linjiang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shunyan Cui
- Institute of Biology, Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Shenyang, China
| | - Zhouli Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yitao Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Liusheng Duan
- College of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Abstract
The continuously rising interest in chemical sensors’ applications in environmental monitoring, for soil analysis in particular, is owed to the sufficient sensitivity and selectivity of these analytical devices, their low costs, their simple measurement setups, and the possibility to perform online and in-field analyses with them. In this review the recent advances in chemical sensors for soil analysis are summarized. The working principles of chemical sensors involved in soil analysis; their benefits and drawbacks; and select applications of both the single selective sensors and multisensor systems for assessments of main plant nutrition components, pollutants, and other important soil parameters (pH, moisture content, salinity, exhaled gases, etc.) of the past two decades with a focus on the last 5 years (from 2017 to 2021) are overviewed.
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5
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Scarpetta M, Spadavecchia M, Adamo F, Ragolia MA, Giaquinto N. Detection and Characterization of Multiple Discontinuities in Cables with Time-Domain Reflectometry and Convolutional Neural Networks. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:8032. [PMID: 34884035 PMCID: PMC8659911 DOI: 10.3390/s21238032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, a convolutional neural network for the detection and characterization of impedance discontinuity points in cables is presented. The neural network analyzes time-domain reflectometry signals and produces a set of estimated discontinuity points, each of them characterized by a class describing the type of discontinuity, a position, and a value quantifying the entity of the impedance discontinuity. The neural network was trained using a great number of simulated signals, obtained with a transmission line simulator. The transmission line model used in simulations was calibrated using data obtained from stepped-frequency waveform reflectometry measurements, following a novel procedure presented in the paper. After the training process, the neural network model was tested on both simulated signals and measured signals, and its detection and accuracy performances were assessed. In experimental tests, where the discontinuity points were capacitive faults, the proposed method was able to correctly identify 100% of the discontinuity points, and to estimate their position and entity with a root-mean-squared error of 13 cm and 14 pF, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Scarpetta
- Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Politecnico di Bari, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy; (F.A.); (M.A.R.)
| | - Maurizio Spadavecchia
- Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Politecnico di Bari, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy; (F.A.); (M.A.R.)
| | | | | | - Nicola Giaquinto
- Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Politecnico di Bari, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy; (F.A.); (M.A.R.)
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6
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Field Comparison of Electrical Resistance, Electromagnetic Induction, and Frequency Domain Reflectometry for Soil Salinity Appraisal. SOIL SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/soilsystems4040061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
By using different physical foundations and technologies, many probes have been developed for on-site soil salinity appraisal in the last forty years. In order to better understand their respective technical and practical advantages and constraints, comparisons among probes are needed. In this study, three different probes, based on electrical resistance (ER), electromagnetic induction (EMI), and frequency domain reflectometry (FDR), were compared during a field survey carried out in a large salt-threatened agricultural area. Information about the soil bulk electrical conductivity (σb) at different depths was obtained with each of the probes and, additionally, other soil properties were also measured depending on the specifications of each instrument and, moreover, determined in samples. On average, the EMI and FDR techniques could be regarded as equivalent for σb measurement, whereas ER gave higher σb values. Whatever the case, EMI, and also ER, had to be supplemented with information about soil clay, organic matter, and water mass fractions to attain, despite this effort, poor soil salinity estimations by means of multiple linear regression models (R2 < 0.5). On the contrary, FDR needed only probe data to achieve R2 of 0.7, though root mean standard error (RMSE) was still 1.5 dS m−1. The extra measurements and calculations that modern electrical conductivity contact probes integrate, specifically, those based on FDR, remarkably increase their ability for soil salinity appraisal, although there is still room for improvement.
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Szerement J, Saito H, Furuhata K, Yagihara S, Szypłowska A, Lewandowski A, Kafarski M, Wilczek A, Majcher J, Woszczyk A, Skierucha W. Dielectric Properties of Glass Beads with Talc as a Reference Material for Calibration and Verification of Dielectric Methods and Devices for Measuring Soil Moisture. MATERIALS 2020; 13:ma13081968. [PMID: 32340125 PMCID: PMC7215746 DOI: 10.3390/ma13081968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents dielectric measurements of talc, glass beads, and their mixtures under different moisture and salinity levels. The measurements were conducted using a prototype seven-rod probe (15 mm long central rod) connected to a single port of vector network analyzer. The samples were moistened with distilled water and KCl solutions in order to obtain six different moisture content levels. The complex dielectric permittivity was determined from vector network analyzer reflection-coefficient measurements based on the open-water-liquid calibration procedure. Next, the fitting of volumetric water content-real part of dielectric permittivity calibration curves was performed for each material at selected frequencies, and the obtained relations were compared with well-known calibration equations. Additionally, a salinity index for the tested materials was calculated. It was concluded that pure talc is not an optimal material for the calibration and verification of dielectric methods. The calibration curves obtained for glass beads and the mixtures of glass beads with talc gave results close to well-known reference calibration functions. Additionally, the addition of talc caused the data points to be less scattered. Moreover, the values of the salinity index for the tested materials were in a good agreement with literature data for sand. The obtained results indicated that glass beads with the addition of talc can be used as a reference material for the calibration and verification of dielectric methods and devices for soil moisture measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Szerement
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.L.); (M.K.); (A.W.); (A.W.); (W.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-81-744-5061
| | - Hironobu Saito
- Department of Physics, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan; (H.S.); (K.F.); (S.Y.)
| | - Kahori Furuhata
- Department of Physics, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan; (H.S.); (K.F.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shin Yagihara
- Department of Physics, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan; (H.S.); (K.F.); (S.Y.)
| | - Agnieszka Szypłowska
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.L.); (M.K.); (A.W.); (A.W.); (W.S.)
| | - Arkadiusz Lewandowski
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.L.); (M.K.); (A.W.); (A.W.); (W.S.)
- Institute of Electronic Systems, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 15/19, 00-665 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Kafarski
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.L.); (M.K.); (A.W.); (A.W.); (W.S.)
| | - Andrzej Wilczek
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.L.); (M.K.); (A.W.); (A.W.); (W.S.)
| | - Jacek Majcher
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Electrotechnologies, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 38A, 20-618 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Aleksandra Woszczyk
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.L.); (M.K.); (A.W.); (A.W.); (W.S.)
| | - Wojciech Skierucha
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; (A.S.); (A.L.); (M.K.); (A.W.); (A.W.); (W.S.)
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8
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Szerement J, Woszczyk A, Szypłowska A, Kafarski M, Lewandowski A, Wilczek A, Skierucha W. A Seven-Rod Dielectric Sensor for Determination of Soil Moisture in Well-Defined Sample Volumes. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19071646. [PMID: 30959890 PMCID: PMC6479481 DOI: 10.3390/s19071646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents a novel seven-rod sensor used for time-domain reflectometry (TDR) and frequency-domain reflectometry (FDR) measurements of soil water content in a well-defined sample volume. The probe directly measures the complex dielectric permittivity spectrum and for this purpose requires three calibration media: air, water, and ethanol. Firstly, electromagnetic simulations were used to study the influence of the diameter of a container on the sensitivity zone of the probe with respect to the measured calibration media and isopropanol as a verification liquid. Next, the probe was tested in three soils-sandy loam and two silt loams-with six water contents from air-dry to saturation. The conversion from S 11 parameters to complex dielectric permittivity from vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements was obtained using an open-ended liquid procedure. The simulation and measurement results for the real part of the isopropanol dielectric permittivity obtained from four containers with different diameters were in good agreement with literature data up to 200 MHz. The real part of the dielectric permittivity was extracted and related to the moisture of the tested soil samples. Relations between the volumetric water content and the real part of the dielectric permittivity (by FDR) and apparent dielectric permittivity (by TDR) were compared with Topp's equation. It was concluded that the best fit to Topp's equation was observed in the case of a sandy loam. Data calculated according to the equation proposed by Malicki, Plagge, and Roth gave results closer to Topp's calibration. The obtained results indicated that the seven-rod probe can be used to accurately measure of the dielectric permittivity spectrum in a well-defined sample volume of about 8 cm³ in the frequency range from 20 MHz to 200 MHz.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Szerement
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Aleksandra Woszczyk
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Szypłowska
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Marcin Kafarski
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Arkadiusz Lewandowski
- Institute of Electronic Systems, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 15/19, 00-665 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Andrzej Wilczek
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Wojciech Skierucha
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
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Design and Calibration of a Low-Cost SDI-12 Soil Moisture Sensor. SENSORS 2019; 19:s19030491. [PMID: 30691025 PMCID: PMC6387356 DOI: 10.3390/s19030491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Water is the main limiting factor in agricultural production as well as a scarce resource that needs to be optimized. The measurement of soil water with sensors is an efficient way for optimal irrigation management. However, commercial sensors are still too expensive for most farmers. This paper presents the design, development and calibration of a new capacitive low-cost soil moisture sensor that incorporates SDI-12 communication, allowing one to select the calibration equation for different soils. The sensor was calibrated in three different soils and its variability and accuracy were evaluated. Lower but cost-compensated accuracy was observed in comparing it with commercial sensors. Field tests have demonstrated the temperature influence on the sensor and its capability to efficiently detect irrigation and rainfall events.
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10
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Pandey R, Teig-Sussholz O, Schuster S, Avni A, Shacham-Diamand Y. Integrated electrochemical Chip-on-Plant functional sensor for monitoring gene expression under stress. Biosens Bioelectron 2018; 117:493-500. [PMID: 29982119 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.06.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The ability to interact with plants, both to sense and to actuate, would open new opportunities for precision agriculture. These interactions can be achieved by using the plant as part of the sensing system. The present work demonstrates real-time monitoring of β-glucuronidase (GUS) expression in transgenic tobacco plants using its activity as a biomarker for functional sensing. As "proof of concept", we demonstrated GUS enzyme biosensing under constitutive expression in Msk8 tomato cells and transgenic tobacco plants and in heat shock inducible BY2 tobacco cells and tobacco plants. The sensing was done using a three-electrode microchip in Msk8 or BY2 cell culture or in tobacco plant leaves. The electrode microchip was used to transduce the expression of the GUS enzyme by chronoamperometry to a measurable electrical current signal. For the constitutive expression of GUS in Msk8 cells, the system sensitivity was 0.076 mA/mM-cm2 and the limit of detection was 0.1 mM. For the heat shock inducible BY2 cells the GUS enzyme activity was detected 12-26 h after the heat shock was applied (40 °C for 2 h) using two different substrates: p-nitrophenyl-β-glucuronide (with sensitivity of 0.051 mA/mM-cm2) and phenolphthalein-β-glucuronide (with sensitivity of 0.029 mA/mM-cm2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Pandey
- Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Orian Teig-Sussholz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Silvia Schuster
- Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Adi Avni
- Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology of Plants, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yosi Shacham-Diamand
- Department of Physical Electronics, School of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
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11
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Design and Test of a Soil Profile Moisture Sensor Based on Sensitive Soil Layers. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18051648. [PMID: 29883420 PMCID: PMC5981356 DOI: 10.3390/s18051648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
To meet the demand of intelligent irrigation for accurate moisture sensing in the soil vertical profile, a soil profile moisture sensor was designed based on the principle of high-frequency capacitance. The sensor consists of five groups of sensing probes, a data processor, and some accessory components. Low-resistivity copper rings were used as components of the sensing probes. Composable simulation of the sensor’s sensing probes was carried out using a high-frequency structure simulator. According to the effective radiation range of electric field intensity, width and spacing of copper ring were set to 30 mm and 40 mm, respectively. A parallel resonance circuit of voltage-controlled oscillator and high-frequency inductance-capacitance (LC) was designed for signal frequency division and conditioning. A data processor was used to process moisture-related frequency signals for soil profile moisture sensing. The sensor was able to detect real-time soil moisture at the depths of 20, 30, and 50 cm and conduct online inversion of moisture in the soil layer between 0–100 cm. According to the calibration results, the degree of fitting (R2) between the sensor’s measuring frequency and the volumetric moisture content of soil sample was 0.99 and the relative error of the sensor consistency test was 0–1.17%. Field tests in different loam soils showed that measured soil moisture from our sensor reproduced the observed soil moisture dynamic well, with an R2 of 0.96 and a root mean square error of 0.04. In a sensor accuracy test, the R2 between the measured value of the proposed sensor and that of the Diviner2000 portable soil moisture monitoring system was higher than 0.85, with a relative error smaller than 5%. The R2 between measured values and inversed soil moisture values for other soil layers were consistently higher than 0.8. According to calibration test and field test, this sensor, which features low cost, good operability, and high integration, is qualified for precise agricultural irrigation with stable performance and high accuracy.
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12
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Yao YS, Zheng JL, Chen ZS, Zhang JH, Li Y. Field Measurements and Numerical Simulations of Temperature and Moisture in Highway Engineering Using a Frequency Domain Reflectometry Sensor. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2016; 16:E857. [PMID: 27294935 PMCID: PMC4934283 DOI: 10.3390/s16060857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents a systematic pioneering study on the use of agricultural-purpose frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensors to monitor temperature and moisture of a subgrade in highway extension and reconstruction engineering. The principle of agricultural-purpose FDR sensors and the process for embedding this kind of sensors for subgrade engineering purposes are introduced. Based on field measured weather data, a numerical analysis model for temperature and moisture content in the subgrade's soil is built. Comparisons of the temperature and moisture data obtained from numerical simulation and FDR-based measurements are conducted. The results show that: (1) the embedding method and process, data acquisition, and remote transmission presented are reasonable; (2) the temperature and moisture changes are coordinated with the atmospheric environment and they are also in close agreement with numerical calculations; (3) the change laws of both are consistent at positions where the subgrade is compacted uniformly. These results suggest that the data measured by the agricultural-purpose FDR sensors are reliable. The findings of this paper enable a new and effective real-time monitoring method for a subgrade's temperature and moisture changes, and thus broaden the application of agricultural-purpose FDR sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Sheng Yao
- School of Traffic & Transportation, Changsha University of Science &Technology, Changsha 410114, China.
| | - Jian-Long Zheng
- School of Traffic & Transportation, Changsha University of Science &Technology, Changsha 410114, China.
| | - Zeng-Shun Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Jun-Hui Zhang
- School of Traffic & Transportation, Changsha University of Science &Technology, Changsha 410114, China.
| | - Yong Li
- Shenzhen Bridge-Doctor Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518048, China.
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Spatiotemporal Distribution of Soil Moisture and Salinity in the Taklimakan Desert Highway Shelterbelt. WATER 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/w7084343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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14
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Szypłowska A, Nakonieczna A, Wilczek A, Paszkowski B, Solecki G, Skierucha W. Application of a coaxial-like sensor for impedance spectroscopy measurements of selected low-conductivity liquids. SENSORS 2013; 13:13301-17. [PMID: 24084120 PMCID: PMC3859065 DOI: 10.3390/s131013301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The paper presents a coaxial-like sensor operating in the 20 Hz-2 MHz frequency range used to determine the electrical properties of selected liquids of low electrical conductivity. Examined materials included low-concentrated aqueous solutions of potassium chloride, sodium chloride and trisodium citrate, which are common food additives. Impedance spectra of the measurement cell filled with particular liquids were obtained and analyzed using the electrical equivalent circuit approach. The values of physical quantities and parameters describing the equivalent circuit components, including a constant phase element, were calculated for each sample. The applied sensor was also calibrated for electrical conductivity measurements up to 8 mS/m. The constant phase element parameters differed among the studied solutions and concentrations. This may provide a basis for a detection method of small amounts of compounds, such as food additives in low-concentrated aqueous solutions. To demonstrate the potential of the presented method, samples of purchased mineral water and a flavored drink containing various additives were tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Szypłowska
- The Bohdan Dobrzański Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; E-Mails: (A.N.); (A.W.); (B.P.); (G.S.); (W.S.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +48-81-744-5061; Fax: +48-81-744-5067
| | - Anna Nakonieczna
- The Bohdan Dobrzański Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; E-Mails: (A.N.); (A.W.); (B.P.); (G.S.); (W.S.)
- Institute of Physics, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 1, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
| | - Andrzej Wilczek
- The Bohdan Dobrzański Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; E-Mails: (A.N.); (A.W.); (B.P.); (G.S.); (W.S.)
| | - Bartosz Paszkowski
- The Bohdan Dobrzański Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; E-Mails: (A.N.); (A.W.); (B.P.); (G.S.); (W.S.)
| | - Grzegorz Solecki
- The Bohdan Dobrzański Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; E-Mails: (A.N.); (A.W.); (B.P.); (G.S.); (W.S.)
| | - Wojciech Skierucha
- The Bohdan Dobrzański Institute of Agrophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland; E-Mails: (A.N.); (A.W.); (B.P.); (G.S.); (W.S.)
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15
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Pajares G, Peruzzi A, Gonzalez-de-Santos P. Sensors in agriculture and forestry. SENSORS 2013; 13:12132-9. [PMID: 24025558 PMCID: PMC3821358 DOI: 10.3390/s130912132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Pajares
- Department of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Informatics, University Complutense of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +34-1-394-7546; Fax: +34-1-394-7547
| | - Andrea Peruzzi
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via S. Michele degli Scalzi 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +39-050-221-8942; Fax: +39-050-221-8966
| | - Pablo Gonzalez-de-Santos
- Centre for Automation and Robotics (UPM-CSIC), Arganda del Rey 28500, Madrid, Spain; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +34-1-871-1900; Fax: +34-1-871-7050
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16
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A sensor for the measurement of the moisture of undisturbed soil samples. SENSORS 2013; 13:1692-705. [PMID: 23385404 PMCID: PMC3649376 DOI: 10.3390/s130201692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2012] [Revised: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents a very accurate sensor for the measurement of the moisture of undisturbed soil samples. The sensor relies on accurate estimation of the permittivity which is performed independently of the soil type, and a subsequent calibration. The sensor is designed as an upgrade of the conventional soil sampling equipment used in agriculture—the Kopecky cylinder. The detailed description of the device is given, and the method for determining soil moisture is explained in detail. Soil moisture of unknown test samples was measured with an absolute error below 0.0057 g/g, which is only 2.24% of the full scale output, illustrating the high accuracy of the sensor.
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17
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Scudiero E, Berti A, Teatini P, Morari F. Simultaneous monitoring of soil water content and salinity with a low-cost capacitance-resistance probe. SENSORS 2012; 12:17588-607. [PMID: 23250279 PMCID: PMC3571855 DOI: 10.3390/s121217588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Revised: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 12/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Capacitance and resistivity sensors can be used to continuously monitor soil volumetric water content (θ) and pore-water electrical conductivity (ECp) with non-destructive methods. However, dielectric readings of capacitance sensors operating at low frequencies are normally biased by high soil electrical conductivity. A procedure to calibrate capacitance-resistance probes in saline conditions was implemented in contrasting soils. A low-cost capacitance-resistance probe (ECH2O-5TE, 70 MHz, Decagon Devices, Pullman, WA, USA) was used in five soils at four water contents (i.e., from dry conditions to saturation) and four salinity levels of the wetting solution (0, 5, 10, and 15 dS·m−1). θ was accurately predicted as a function of the dielectric constant, apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), texture and organic carbon content, even in high salinity conditions. Four models to estimate pore-water electrical conductivity were tested and a set of empirical predicting functions were identified to estimate the model parameters based on easily available soil properties (e.g., texture, soil organic matter). The four models were reformulated to estimate ECp as a function of ECa, dielectric readings, and soil characteristics, improving their performances with respect to the original model formulation. Low-cost capacitance-resistance probes, if properly calibrated, can be effectively used to monitor water and solute dynamics in saline soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Scudiero
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, Viale dell’Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; E-Mails: (E.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Antonio Berti
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, Viale dell’Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; E-Mails: (E.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Pietro Teatini
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering (ICEA), University of Padua, Via Trieste, 63, 35131 Padova, Italy; E-Mail:
| | - Francesco Morari
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, Viale dell’Università, 16, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; E-Mails: (E.S.); (A.B.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +39-49-827-2857; Fax: +39-49-827-2839
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Skierucha W, Wilczek A, Szypłowska A, Sławiński C, Lamorski K. A TDR-based soil moisture monitoring system with simultaneous measurement of soil temperature and electrical conductivity. SENSORS 2012. [PMID: 23202009 PMCID: PMC3545580 DOI: 10.3390/s121013545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Elements of design and a field application of a TDR-based soil moisture and electrical conductivity monitoring system are described with detailed presentation of the time delay units with a resolution of 10 ps. Other issues discussed include the temperature correction of the applied time delay units, battery supply characteristics and the measurement results from one of the installed ground measurement stations in the Polesie National Park in Poland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Skierucha
- Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
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