If we hypothetically knew the soil moisture every 10 cm by installing thousands of point probes, we would not be able to give different irrigation to every single plant, because even in the case of drip irrigation, the amount of water coming out of each individual nozzle is always the same. Two different irrigation sectors are needed to provide different amounts of water. Within an irrigation sector, the amount of irrigated water will always be the same. In some cases, an irrigation sector may cover an area of one hectare, in small plots, while in large plots the sectors are much larger. For this reason, having a soil moisture value for each irrigated sector is the maximum detail needed.

No, we only provide a measure of soil moisture. Knowing the soil texture, we can also integrate field capacity and wilting point values. Ideally, soil moisture should always be within these two values to avoid water stress, below the wilting point, or excessive water uptake that can lead to the birth of diseases (ex: cercospora beet), above the field capacity.

Yes, it is possible since the installation is very simple and the probe can operate anywhere, but it is not recommended. The probe is designed to stay at least one season in the same place to provide useful information for irrigation management, but also to have a data history for subsequent seasons.

No, the Finapp probe uses neutron counting to measure soil moisture, and neutrons are only affected by the presence of hydrogen. Some amount of hydrogen may be present in the soil, either within organic substance or dissolved minerals. However, this amount is constant over time (taking human activities as a reference) and for this reason does not disturb the soil moisture signal.

No, the probe used for soil moisture maps differs from the fixed one because it has GPS integration and a greater ability to count neutrons and muons.

2D maps of the soil moisture of the crop.
Characterize areas with similar hydrologic behavior.
Irrigation system health and efficiency.
Use VRT irrigation systems.
Mapping soil moisture in an area of about 10 hectares (done in 2.30h).

Finapp collaborates with DISTAL, Department of Agrifood Science and Technology at the University of Bologna, which is in charge of validating the data obtained from our CRNS probes. Gravimetric sampling and measurements with portable TDR probes were carried out to have a sufficiently large number of point measurements of soil moisture. All these data were then averaged according to an appropriate scheme to return a soil moisture map with a resolution like that provided by Finapp. Data analysis shows that the values are similar, and the variability of soil moisture is seen correctly by the Finapp probes placed in motion in the field.

Finapp provides the gravimetric soil moisture figure (kg/kg). If the soil density value (Bulk density) is available, volumetric moisture (l/l) can also be obtained.

The Finapp probe can be insured like any other property. No alarm or padlock is provided, but the front door of the probe container is locked. The solar panel is attached to the holder with unscrewable security screws.

Yes, we can provide this service which will be quoted from time to time according to the Client’s needs.

Yes, this is a service that will be quoted time to time according to the Client’s needs.

The Finapp probe provides a soil moisture data representative of the first 30-50cm or so. The depth is dictated by the energy of the neutrons, i.e., the ability to penetrate the soil, and not by the type of instrumentation used.

The range of the probe depends on the ability of the neutrons to move through the air before decaying. The standard measurement at sea level is 5 hectares, or a radius of about 125m. As you go up in altitude, the area increases because the thinner air allows neutrons to travel longer. At 2’000m, the radius reaches about 250m. Another factor that varies the range is the height at which the probe is installed. Typically, the probe is installed 2m above the ground, but by lowering it, the radius decreases, to a minimum of about 20m if placed on the ground, while it increases for higher installations.

The presence of biomass does not affect the probe’s ability to measure soil moisture. In contrast, the presence of rivers or lakes does. An irrigation canal will not contain enough water to affect the measurement; therefore, these assessments must be made on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, an ad hoc probe is used, which integrates GPS with a greater capacity to count neutrons. In this case it is possible to have soil moisture maps, with a maximum resolution of about 10m.