Turf management and soil moisture measurement

In these times when sustainability and environmental responsibility are increasingly important, the measurement of soil moisture is vital. If the soil moisture and soil type is known then the exact amount of water can be applied for optimal growing conditions. This logic also applies to game day. Much research has been done on the potential for injury to lower extremities on turf surfaces. The potential for injury is directly related to the amount of traction the player has on the surface. The easiest way to adjust this level of traction is to apply water to the surface. If the moisture level in the topsoil can be measured then playing conditions can be optimised for a reduced potential for injury.

The Hydrosense II soil moisture measurement system consists of a handheld display and portable soil moisture sensor. Designed to replace the Hydrosense soil moisture system, it features a new handheld display and a new probe design. The Hydrosense II is designed to be compact and portable with the layout of the buttons allowing for operation with one hand. Like the Hydrosense, the Hydrosense II soil measurement system is compact and portable, with a large LCD for easy operation; however, the new system also has: onboard data storage for up to 1500 points; onboard GPS for geotagging measurements; Bluetooth connection to PC software; export to Google Earth, GPX and CSV; probe redesign for easy insertion and removal from soil; designed and assembled in Australia.

The device’s 3″ LCD and four navigation buttons have been added to make changing settings and taking measurements as easy as possible. An integrated GPS tags each measurement with a latitude and longitude. Zones can be created on the unit which group measurements together so that average soil moisture can be calculated for an area. The current position and zone are shown on the display so that measurements can be taken in the same zone. Data storage has been added to allow up to 1500 measurements to be stored on the device. The data can then be downloaded to a PC via Bluetooth for viewing and archiving.

The device’s soil moisture probe uses the same measurement technique as the previous probe, but the probe housing has been redesigned to aid insertion into and removal from hard soils. The probe rods are secured to the probe housing with ferrule nuts to provide extra stability during insertion. A moulded plastic grip connects the sensor cable to the housing to provide better grip.

The PC software fully utilises the data storage capability of the device. The software connects to the handheld via Bluetooth to avoid the need for extra cables. The software allows users to: view data in table and chart views; edit zone positions and sizes; change device settings; export data to CSV to interface with third-party software; view zones and measurements in Google Earth.