These soil sensors are used to help maximise crop yields while keeping down fertilizer use and minimising the amount of water needed for irrigation purposes. GAIA has been developed by leveraging Murata’s engineering experience in high-accuracy sensing and low-power wide area network (LPWAN) technology.
The multi-function sensor head can take accurate measurements of numerous parameters, so that the condition and composition of soil can be assessed, as a result, valuable data can be obtained on the soil’s temperature and moisture levels, as well as fertilizer concentrations, by using electrical conductivity to determine the resistive properties of all its different constituents.
This data, collected at regular intervals, is then sent via a LPWAN connection (either LoRaWAN, mioty, or NB-IoT) to a cloud-based backend for subsequent analysis.
GAIA has a soil temperature measurement range of -20°C to 60°C with a ±1.06°C full-scale accuracy and has a temperature-compensated 0 to 60% soil moisture range with a ±3% full-scale accuracy.
By having 9 electrodes in the sensor head, supported by sophisticated proprietary algorithms, the presence of rocks, large volumes of water, or other items that might have a detrimental effect on measurement accuracy can be avoided.
Reliance on LPWAN connectivity protocols means that little energy needs to be drawn from the system’s battery, helping to significantly extend the working lifespan. Alternatively, the inclusion of a photovoltaic module eliminates the need for battery placement, so operations can be benefited from maintenance-free.
Commenting Juli Ban, Product Manager at Murata, said, “The accuracy of soil sensor hardware currently on the market can be seriously impacted by temperature variations and high water content levels, along with the presence of rocks and chemical ions, since they rely on bulk electrical conductivity. GAIA goes beyond just taking bulk measurements, as it can also ascertain pore electrical conductivity, thanks to the multi-electrode arrangement and advanced algorithms employed.
“Consequently, the results obtained are of superior quality to those of competing solutions. This means that farming activities will be much better optimized and more sustainable, with greater crop yields being achieved, plus water and fertilizer resources being saved,” he concluded.
GAIA is an industrial-grade solution and is fully applicable for indoor usage, such as in greenhouses or vertical farming sites.
