Calibration of Low-Cost Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensors for Irrigation Management Applications
The calibration of capacitive soil moisture sensors is an essential step towards their integration into smart solutions. This study investigates the calibration of a widely used low-cost capacitive soil moisture sensor (SKU:SEN0193, DFRobot, Shanghai, China) in a loamy silt soil typically found in t...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Ahmed A. Abdelmoneim Christa M. Al Kalaany Roula Khadra Bilal Derardja Giovanna Dragonetti |
| author_facet | Ahmed A. Abdelmoneim Christa M. Al Kalaany Roula Khadra Bilal Derardja Giovanna Dragonetti |
| author_sort | Ahmed A. Abdelmoneim |
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| description | The calibration of capacitive soil moisture sensors is an essential step towards their integration into smart solutions. This study investigates the calibration of a widely used low-cost capacitive soil moisture sensor (SKU:SEN0193, DFRobot, Shanghai, China) in a loamy silt soil typically found in the Puglia region of Italy. The calibration function was derived from a random sample of 12 sensors, with three soil sample replicas per sensor, each of which had one of five gravimetric soil moisture contents, from relatively dry (5%) to full saturation (40%). The study reports the resulting calibration function along with the accuracy achieved with the generalized calibration function. The sensors proved to be accurate, with an R<sup>2</sup> value ranging between 0.85 and 0.87 and a root mean square value (RMSE) ranging between 4.5 and 4.9%. The variation between the sensors was also investigated. The results showed that with higher soil moisture contents (above 30%), the sensor-to-sensor variability becomes significant, with a coefficient of variation (CV) ranging between 10 and 16%; meanwhile, in lower soil moisture contents, the CV ranged between 6.5 and 10.3%, implying that it is more consistent in lower moisture content within this soil condition. The resulting calibration function enhances the integration of such low-cost sensors into smart farming solutions. With proper calibration, these affordable capacitive sensors can achieve a high degree of accuracy, making them a viable option for widespread use in cost-effective precision agricultural applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-440a04f69b6b4363b7add728acd88608 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-440a04f69b6b4363b7add728acd886082025-01-24T13:48:35ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-01-0125234310.3390/s25020343Calibration of Low-Cost Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensors for Irrigation Management ApplicationsAhmed A. Abdelmoneim0Christa M. Al Kalaany1Roula Khadra2Bilal Derardja3Giovanna Dragonetti4Sustainable Water and Land Management in Agriculture, The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM Bari), 70010 Valenzano, Bari, ItalySustainable Water and Land Management in Agriculture, The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM Bari), 70010 Valenzano, Bari, ItalySustainable Water and Land Management in Agriculture, The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM Bari), 70010 Valenzano, Bari, ItalySustainable Water and Land Management in Agriculture, The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM Bari), 70010 Valenzano, Bari, ItalySustainable Water and Land Management in Agriculture, The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute (CIHEAM Bari), 70010 Valenzano, Bari, ItalyThe calibration of capacitive soil moisture sensors is an essential step towards their integration into smart solutions. This study investigates the calibration of a widely used low-cost capacitive soil moisture sensor (SKU:SEN0193, DFRobot, Shanghai, China) in a loamy silt soil typically found in the Puglia region of Italy. The calibration function was derived from a random sample of 12 sensors, with three soil sample replicas per sensor, each of which had one of five gravimetric soil moisture contents, from relatively dry (5%) to full saturation (40%). The study reports the resulting calibration function along with the accuracy achieved with the generalized calibration function. The sensors proved to be accurate, with an R<sup>2</sup> value ranging between 0.85 and 0.87 and a root mean square value (RMSE) ranging between 4.5 and 4.9%. The variation between the sensors was also investigated. The results showed that with higher soil moisture contents (above 30%), the sensor-to-sensor variability becomes significant, with a coefficient of variation (CV) ranging between 10 and 16%; meanwhile, in lower soil moisture contents, the CV ranged between 6.5 and 10.3%, implying that it is more consistent in lower moisture content within this soil condition. The resulting calibration function enhances the integration of such low-cost sensors into smart farming solutions. With proper calibration, these affordable capacitive sensors can achieve a high degree of accuracy, making them a viable option for widespread use in cost-effective precision agricultural applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/343capacitive sensorsSEN0193soil moistureprecision agriculturemicrocontrollerESP32 |
| spellingShingle | Ahmed A. Abdelmoneim Christa M. Al Kalaany Roula Khadra Bilal Derardja Giovanna Dragonetti Calibration of Low-Cost Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensors for Irrigation Management Applications Sensors capacitive sensors SEN0193 soil moisture precision agriculture microcontroller ESP32 |
| title | Calibration of Low-Cost Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensors for Irrigation Management Applications |
| title_full | Calibration of Low-Cost Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensors for Irrigation Management Applications |
| title_fullStr | Calibration of Low-Cost Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensors for Irrigation Management Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Calibration of Low-Cost Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensors for Irrigation Management Applications |
| title_short | Calibration of Low-Cost Capacitive Soil Moisture Sensors for Irrigation Management Applications |
| title_sort | calibration of low cost capacitive soil moisture sensors for irrigation management applications |
| topic | capacitive sensors SEN0193 soil moisture precision agriculture microcontroller ESP32 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/2/343 |
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