In-Situ Characterization of Stainless Steel Probes-Based Soil Electrical Conductivity Sensor

This paper presents an in-situ characterization of a soil electrical conductivity (EC) sensor based on a pair of stainless steel probes. The characterization results reveal a linear relationship between the measured soil conductance and soil EC value. COMSOL simulation based on the measured soil conductance (or resistance) further yields a corresponding soil EC value, which is close to the reading obtained from a commercial soil sensor. A soil electrical impedance model is proposed for designing sensor interface electronics. The research finding provides valuable insight and design guideline for a practical in-situ soil EC sensing application.