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@INPROCEEDINGS{Brogi:905602,
author = {Brogi, Cosimo and Bogena, Heye and Pisinaras, Vassilios and
Panagopoulos, Andreas and Dombrowski, Olga and Jakobi,
Jannis and Chatzi, Anna and Ney, Patrizia},
title = {{M}onitoring soil water content and water potential
dynamics in irrigated apple orchards using cosmic-ray
neutron probes},
reportid = {FZJ-2022-00834},
year = {2021},
abstract = {In the Mediterranean area, the agricultural sector often
relies on irrigation. Additional pressure on these
environments will come from the increasing occurrence of dry
years and of heat waves that are connected to climate
change. Thus, more efficient water management strategies
and, when possible, precision irrigation practices should be
implemented. So far, a wide range of soil moisture
sensor-based systems have been successfully used to monitor
soil water content (SWC) dynamics in agricultural contexts.
The relatively new, and non-invasive, technique cosmic-ray
neutron sensing (CRNS) relies on the negative correlation
between fast neutrons originating from cosmic radiation and
soil moisture content. It has the advantage of a large
footprint, covering the field-scale. Despite this, only few
studies explored the use of CRNS for irrigation management.
In this study, we examine how CRNS can provide insights in
the monitoring of irrigation and the associated fluctuations
in SWC dynamics and water potential. In September 2020, two
apple orchards of 1.2 and 1.3 ha in size and located in the
Pinios Hydrological Observatory (Greece) were provided with
an extensive instrumentation in the context of the
Agricultural Interoperability and Analysis Systems (ATLAS)
project. At each field, 12 SoilNet nodes measure volumetric
soil moisture at three depths (5, 20, and 50 cm) and water
potential at one depth (20 cm). Additionally, one Atmos41
compact climate station and a CRNS probe were placed in each
of the two orchards. All these instruments are equipped with
NB-IoT connections and transmit data in near-real time. The
irrigation of both fields is monitored using water meter
pumps equipped with a LoRaWan connection. Instrument
installation was preceded by geophysical surveys and by
extensive soil sampling and analysis. Moreover, soil samples
from 18 locations were collected per CRNS probe on the day
of installation to provide instrument calibration
information. However, additional calibration was required
due to temporary sensor failure and was performed using the
surrounding SoilNet nodes. During the subsequent months, the
CRNS probes generally showed good agreement with the SWC
measured by the SoilNet stations as well as a strong
response to precipitation events. Once the irrigation of the
apple orchards started in April 2021, it was found that
small and localized irrigation events were not featured in
the CRNS signal. However, when prominent irrigation events
started in May 2021, the CRNS probes showed good agreement
with the changes in SWC and in water potential measured with
the SoilNet nodes. Such agreement depended largely on the
timing of the irrigation event as well as on the CRNP
calibration strategy. These findings indicate the
possibility for using the CRNS technique as a tool for
precision irrigation.},
month = {Oct},
date = {2021-10-05},
organization = {First OZCAR-TERENO International
Conference, Strasbourg (France), 5 Oct
2021 - 7 Oct 2021},
subtyp = {Other},
cin = {IBG-3},
cid = {I:(DE-Juel1)IBG-3-20101118},
pnm = {2173 - Agro-biogeosystems: controls, feedbacks and impact
(POF4-217) / ATLAS - Agricultural Interoperability and
Analysis System (857125)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-2173 / G:(EU-Grant)857125},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)6},
url = {https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/905602},
}