Journal Article

FZJ-2023-01364

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Monitoring Irrigation in Small Orchards with Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensors

Brogi, C. (Corresponding author)FZJ* ; Pisinaras, V. ; Köhli, M. ; Dombrowski, O.FZJ* ; Hendricks Franssen, H.-J.FZJ* ; Babakos, K. ; Chatzi, A. ; Panagopoulos, A. ; Bogena, H. R.FZJ*

2023
MDPI Basel

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/34089  doi:10.3390/s23052378

Abstract: Due to their unique characteristics, cosmic-ray neutron sensors (CRNSs) have potential inmonitoring and informing irrigation management, and thus optimising the use of water resources inagriculture. However, practical methods to monitor small, irrigated fields with CRNSs are currentlynot available and the challenges of targeting areas smaller than the CRNS sensing volume are mostlyunaddressed. In this study, CRNSs are used to continuously monitor soil moisture (SM) dynamics intwo irrigated apple orchards (Agia, Greece) of ~1.2 ha. The CRNS-derived SM was compared to areference SM obtained by weighting a dense sensor network. In the 2021 irrigation period, CRNSscould only capture the timing of irrigation events, and an ad hoc calibration resulted in improvementsonly in the hours before irrigation (RMSE between 0.020 and 0.035). In 2022, a correction based onneutron transport simulations, and on SM measurements from a non-irrigated location, was tested.In the nearby irrigated field, the proposed correction improved the CRNS-derived SM (from 0.052to 0.031 RMSE) and, most importantly, allowed for monitoring the magnitude of SM dynamics thatare due to irrigation. The results are a step forward in using CRNSs as a decision support system inirrigation management.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Agrosphäre (IBG-3)

Research Program(s):

1. 2173 - Agro-biogeosystems: controls, feedbacks and impact (POF4-217) (POF4-217)

Appears in the scientific report 2023

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