Chameleon Soil Moisture Sensor

Target SDGs

Market Suggested Retail Price

$210.00

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household, Community

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

CSIRO oversees distribution of the product.

Regions

Africa

Countries

Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe

Manufacturing/Building Method

The sensor was developed in a project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. It is made of resistivity sensor and colour diodes, connected to a mobile phone app.

Intellectural Property Type

Trade Secret

User Provision Model

Users can purchase the sensor for through CSIRO's Virtual Irrigation Academy Shop

Distributions to Date Status

As of July 2016, there are approximately 2000 sensors in the ground being used by farmers in Africa Interview with representative

Design Specifications

The resistivity sensor is buried in the soil and a reader which transmits data to colour diodes is connected to the sensor. The sensor measures tension in the soil at three different depths and gives a colour-coded output i.e. blue means the soil is wet (0 to 20 kPa): do not irrigate, green means the soil is moist (20 to 50 kPa): get ready to irrigate and red means the soil is dry (greater than 50kPa): irrigate. The output can also be displayed on a card, which displays a one colour output.

Product Schematics

Technical Support

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) provides technical support for users.

Replacement Components

Replacement sensors and field readers are available through the Virtual Irrigation Academy Shop.

Lifecycle

The longevity of gypsum based sensors is listed as a possible concern and further testing will reveal the lifespan of the sensors. Current sensors have been in the ground for over 3 years and are still performing properly ^{Interview with representative}

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

The sensor is designed to help small-scale farmers to properly irrigate their farms

Vetted Performance Status

As part of the project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the sensor was tested and found to be effective in helping farmers improve their irrigation practices.

Safety

When facilitating repairs to the sensor, basic electrical precautions should be taken.

Complementary Technical Systems

A mobile app was designed by CSIRO to relay information from the sensor.

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

Unknown

Other Information

• Article on Installing Chameleon Sensors
• The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research project
• CSIRO's Virtual Irrigation Academy Shop
• Development of the Chameleon soil moisture sensor - specifications
• Colour-coded output and sensor testing
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
• Mobile app
• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research The dynamics between irrigation frequency and soil nutrient management
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences - Impact on yield and water productivity