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There are many types of soil moisture probes on the market. These probes differ in design and application. In case of laboratory probes, the sensitivity zone of the probe is important. However, in the case of field tests, an important parameter is the appropriate mechanical strength of the probe, due to soil heterogeneity and presence of potential obstacles such as plant roots or stones.
This paper presents a prototype of a dagger probe for soil moisture measurement using the TDR method. The probe works with a vector network analyzer. The frequency range from 3.75 MHz to 3 GHz with a 3.75 MHz step was used. In addition to measuring the soil dielectric permittivity, from which soil moisture is indirectly determined, the probe is used to measure the electrical conductivity of soil.
At first, the probe was evaluated with the use of numerical simulations and laboratory tests. The design of the probe was simulated in Ansys HFSS software. Laboratory measurements included reference materials such as aqueous KCl solutions of various electrical conductivity and moist sand. Afterwards, field tests were conducted. The obtained results obtained show that the proposed probe design is suitable for field measurements in the full moisture range, from dry to saturated soils. Additionally, due to its design, it is suitable for mobile devices for soil moisture measurement.
