Mesonet connection, 11/2013, v.4 no.11

              connec t ion
Soil Temperature
Sensors Changing
Starting December 1, the Mesonet will use the existing
soil moisture sensors, along with new ones installed at 10
cm under sod and bare soil, to measure soil temperature.
The switch will keep our total number of soil moisture and
temperature measurement at eight but decrease the number
of sensors we maintain down to five.
“Our top priority during this change was to improve the
soil temperature and moisture variables the agricultural
community and Oklahoma State University focus on,”
Fiebrich said.
The new 10-cm bare soil temperature is a good indication
of planting temperatures for plowed fields, while the 10-cm
sod temperature is used in the first hollow stem model for
winter wheat. Also, the 25-cm sod temperature can be used
for brush control and heat flux studies.
Volume 4 — Issue 11 — November 2013
www.mesonet.org
SOIL MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE are important
factors for plant and crop growth. Different seeds require
different soil temperatures to germinate, and soil moisture
is used to schedule irrigation and even help predict crop
yields. The Mesonet has measured soil temperature since
1994 and soil moisture since 1996. In recent years, we have
explored options to improve our sensors.
“Our existing soil moisture sensors are also capable of
measuring soil temperature,” said Chris Fiebrich, Manager
of the Mesonet. “The Mesonet plans to switch its existing 5
and 10 cm soil temperature measurements over to the soil
moisture sensors. We will also add new 25 and 60 cm soil
temperature observations to our data stream. We have just
completed over a year of extensive calibrations and field
evaluation of soil temperature data to ensure the old data
stream and the new are equivalent.”
–by Stephanie Bowen