TEROS 12

Advanced Soil Moisture Sensor + Temperature and EC

The all-new TEROS 12 soil moisture sensor delivers an excellent price-to-performance ratio in a device that is easy to use and includes electrical conductivity.

Long-life soil moisture, temperature, and EC sensor
Increased volume of influence (1010 mL)
Robust, epoxy body for tough field conditions

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Overview / Features

You need sensor longevity

Soil can be highly variable in space, requiring many measurements and frustrating amounts of your research dollars. Not to mention the extra cost and hassle of replacement sensors if you need long-term data. Make large sensor networks simpler, longer-lasting, and more affordable with the ultra-dependable TEROS 12 soil moisture, temperature, and EC sensor.

Better accuracy—verified

The TEROS 12 soil moisture sensor uses a completely new calibration procedure that maximizes accuracy and minimizes sensor-to-sensor variability while keeping the cost reasonable. So you can be confident that every sensor you install is going to read exactly like the next one. Unlike other sensors on the market which spec an unverifiable ±1.0% VWC accuracy, the TEROS 12 was rigorously tested by our soil physicists across a challenging range of soil types and EC levels so you can be confident in the accuracy of your data.

Plus, TEROS sensor repeatability can be checked with an accuracy verification standard. No other soil moisture sensor has this ability. Just slide the verification clip onto a sensor and plug it into a logger. If it reads within the right range, your sensor is good to go.

Small soil moisture sensor lets you think bigger

The TEROS 12 delivers the best volume of influence to sensor size on the market so you’re less susceptible to soil variability errors. We’ve optimized the circuitry in this 9.4-cm sensor to deliver an incredible one-liter volume of influence (versus the 200 mL typical for most sensors). Most soil sensors that measure this much volume are 20 cm or longer, causing installation headaches. Not only that, you can cut your installation time in half or more when you install with the TEROS Borehole Installation tool. The tool mistake-proofs installation, eliminating common errors that cause uncertainty in the data—like air gaps, or preferential flow. And the TEROS 12 is plug and play with the cloud-connected ZL6 logger. No programming required. See your data instantly in real time, wherever you are.

With you for the long haul—guaranteed

The most recent addition to our TEROS water content line, the plug-and-play TEROS 12 soil moisture, temperature, and electrical conductivity sensor makes your life easier with a large volume of influence, reduced sensor-to-sensor variability, and a near-bulletproof form factor—which lasts up to 10 years in the field. These innovations, along with our well-published capacitance technology, an accuracy verification standard, real time, remote data visualization with ZENTRA Cloud, and a blazing fast installation tool have combined to generate our most accurate, easy-to-use, highly durable—yet still economical—soil moisture sensor. We’re so confident about the long life of our TEROS 10, 11, and 12 sensor line, we’ve increased our standard warranty from one to three years.

Legendary technology—long-lasting performance

Backed by over 20 years of soil moisture research, the TEROS 12 soil moisture sensor combines METER’s well-tested 70 MHz circuitry with an extremely ruggedized epoxy fill and securely attached, sharpened stainless steel needles that easily slip into the soil and are resistant to salts, so you can worry less about sensor deterioration. Very low power consumption and a high resolution provide increased precision over a longer period of time. If you’re planning a long-term large sensor network and want long-lasting performance for less work and less of your research budget, then choose the TEROS 12.

Feature summary

Increased volume of influence (1010 mL)
Easy installation with Borehole installation tool (minimizes air gaps for cleaning readings)
Dependable, long-life soil moisture sensor
Plug and play with the ZL6 logger
Real-time, remote data visualization with ZENTRA Cloud
Reduced sensor-to-sensor variability
3-year long-life guarantee
Check installation or troubleshoot with the ZSC Bluetooth sensor interface
Repeatability can be checked with an accuracy verification standard
Robust, epoxy body for tough field conditions
Minimizes salinity and textural effects by using 70 MHz frequency capacitance technology
Steel needles cut through the soil for better soil-sensor contact
Easy-to-use SDI-12 communication for non-METER data loggers
Ferrite core eliminates cable noise

Specifications: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Volumetric Water Content

Range

Mineral Soil Calibration: 0.00–0.70 m³/m³

Soilless Media Calibration: 0.0–1.0 m³/m³

Apparent Dielectric Permittivity (ε_a): 1 (air) to 80 (water)

NOTE: The VWC range is dependent on the media the sensor is calibrated to. A custom calibration will accommodate the necessary ranges for most substrates.

Resolution

0.0010 m³/m³

Accuracy

Generic Calibration: ±0.03 m³/m³ (±3.00% VWC) typical in mineral soils that have solution EC <8,000 μS/cm

Medium Specific Calibration: ±0.01–0.02 m³/m³ in any porous medium

Apparent Dielectric Permittivity (ε_a): 1–40 (soil range), ±1 ε_a (unitless) 40–80, 15% of measurement

Measurement Specifications

Temperature

Range: –40 to +60 °C

Resolution: 0.10 °C

Accuracy: ±1.0 °C from –40 to 0 °C
±0.5 °C from 0 to +60 °C

Dielectric Measurement Frequency

70 MHz

Bulk Electrical Conductivity (EC)

Range: 0–20,000 μS/cm (bulk)

Resolution: 1 μS/cm

Accuracy: +/- (5% + 10 μS/cm) from 0–10,000 μS/cm
+/- 8% from 10,000–20,000 μS/cm

Measurement Volume

See comparison article

Communication Specifications

Output

DDI serial or SDI-12 communications protocol

Data Logger Compatibility

METER ZL6, EM60, and Em50 data loggers or any data acquisition system capable of 4.0- to 15-VDC power and serial or SDI-12 communication
See compatibility chart

Physical Specifications

Dimensions

Length: 9.4 cm (3.70 in)

Width: 2.4 cm (0.95 in)

Height: 7.5 cm (2.95 in)

Needle Length

5.5 cm (2.17 in)

Operating Temperature Range

Minimum: -40.00 °C

Typical: NA

Maximum: 60.00 °C

NOTE: Sensors may be used at higher temperatures under certain conditions; Contact Customer Support for assistance.

Cable Length

5 m (standard)
75 m (maximum custom cable length)

NOTE: Contact Customer Support if a nonstandard cable length is needed.

Cable Diameter

0.165 ±0.004 in (4.20 ± 0.10mm) with minimum jacket of 0.030 (0.760 mm)

Connector Types

Stereo plug connector or stripped and tinned wires

Stereo Plug Connector Diameter

3.5 mm

Conductor Gauge

22-AWG / 24-AWG drain wire

Electrical and Timing Characteristics

Supply Voltage (VCC to GND)

Minimum: 4.0 VDC

Typical: NA

Maximum: 15.0 VDC

Digital Input Voltage (Logic High)

Minimum: 2.8 V

Typical: 3.6 V

Maximum: 5.0 V

Digital Input Voltage (Logic Low)

Minimum: -0.3 V

Typical: 0.0 V

Maximum: 0.8 V

Digital Output Voltage (Logic High)

Minimum: NA

Typical: 3.6 V

Maximum: NA

Power Line Slew Rate

Minimum: 1.0 V/ms

Typical: NA

Maximum: NA

Current Drain (During 25-ms Measurement)

Minimum: 3.0 mA

Typical: 3.6 mA

Maximum: 16.0 mA

Current Drain (While Asleep)

Minimum: NA

Typical: 0.0 mA

Maximum: NA

Power Up Time (DDI Serial)

Minimum: 80 ms

Typical: NA

Maximum: 100 ms

Power Up Time (SDI-12)

Minimum: NA

Typical: 245 ms

Maximum: NA

Power Up Time (SDI-12, DDI Serial Disabled)

Minimum: 145 ms

Typical: 155 ms

Maximum: 165 ms

Measurement Duration

Minimum: 25 ms

Typical: NA

Maximum: 150 ms

Other

Compliance

EM ISO/IEC 17050:2010 (CE Mark)
2014/30/EU and 2011/65/EU
EN61326-1:2013 and EN55022/CISPR 22

EN 55011:2016/A1:2017 (GROUP 1, CLASS A-RCM mark)

Prop 56 warning

EU Declaration of Conformity

GSA

View GSA details

Support / FAQ

TEROS 11/12 user manual

Manual

PDF, 1.1MB

TEROS 11/12 Quick Start

Quickstart Guide

PDF, 1.4MB

TEROS 11/12 integrator guide

Integrator Guide

PDF, 0.35MB

Video: How to install TEROS water content sensors-best practices

Instructions

URL, 1MB

TEROS verification clip instruction sheet

Quickstart Guide

PDF, 1.3MB

Video: How to assemble the borehole installation tool

Instructions

URL, 0MB

Borehole installation tool assembly instructions

Instructions

PDF, 1.8MB

Borehole installation tool rental return instructions

Instructions

PDF, 1.4MB

CSI data logger example program for TEROS 12

Instructions

URL, 0MB

**Soil moisture sensor calibration guide

Instructions

PDF, 0.6MB

Sensor wire splicing guide (quick method)

Instructions

PDF, 0.9MB

Sensor wire splicing guide (complete method)

Instructions

PDF, 5MB

METER Splice Kit Repair Instruction Video

Instructions

URL, 0.0 kb

VIDEO: ZL6 + ZENTRA Cloud Troubleshooting

Instructions

URL

TEROS 12 FAQs

What are TEROS sensor installation best practices?: See the TEROS sensor installation best practices video here.

How do I assemble the borehole installation tool?: See the instructional video here. Written instructions are here.

How can I perform a soil sensor calibration?: The SOIL SENSOR CALIBRATION written instructions are here. Watch the video for soil-specific calibration here.

How can I splice a broken wire?: You can use the quick method (instructions here) or the complete method (instructions here).

Is there a paper you can refer me to concerning the effects of digging a trench on the soil at a site?: The concern with large trenches is the way it affects water movement through the soil near the sensor. Depending on how the trench is repacked you can wind up with preferential flow paths which will result in faster water migration through the soil profile. For more information on this topic, see our article: "5 Ways Site Disturbance Impacts Your Data."

Where could I find the protocols and good experimental design to publish scientific research articles for watering requirements and watering optimization?: I would focus on a literature review that takes in papers on water requirements and optimization and carefully study their protocols and match your efforts with their designs, with improvements. Generally speaking, good sensor-to-soil contact and carefully derived models for water uptake along with weather data for water use using crop coefficients and ET are things to consider.

How can you tell the relationship between satellite images and sensors for intelligent irrigation?: This is a critical area or research at the moment. There are several institutions currently with projects trying to relate the two. Currently, I am involved in a project where we are using satellite data like Normalized Difference Water Index and ECOSTRESS to correlate with individual soil moisture sites in the field. We will use the trending information from the field data with the infrequent snapshots of the satellites to combine for a complete picture (we hope). Since they are massively different scales, this effort will be challenging.

How is it possible to remove the sensors from the soil at the end of the season?: Most water content sensor installations are permanent because removing the sensor is difficult. In the agricultural setting, the sensor and cable are often installed below the working layer. However, there are some rod type profile sensors that extend above the surface and can be removed each year. The accuracy of these sensors isn’t great, but sometimes it is good enough.

What are good soil moisture sensors for a park?: The TEROS 10, TEROS 11 and TEROS 12 are ideal for use in a park. They are commonly used to monitor irrigation in turfgrass and other agricultural situations.

How is the sensor-to-sensor repeatability with TEROS sensors?: For the TEROS 11 and TEROS 12 is it extremely tight. We normalize each sensor to make sure it reads like every other TEROS 11/12. Our tests show that we maintain repeatability to well within 1% water content. The TEROS 10 doesn’t have a microprocessor to allow the normalization procedure, so we have to depend on really tight manufacturing processes. We can still hold that entire population to within about 2% water content.

Which sensors are adequate for measuring water in individual potted plants and the whole nursery?: The dielectric sensors are commonly used in individual pots. You’ll just need to pick a sensor that will fit in the chosen pot size. The TEROS 12 is a really popular choice for potted plants because it measures water content and electrical conductivity, which is an indicator of fertilizer level. The trick with measuring in potted plants is to pick plants that are representative of the larger nursery or irrigation zone because it is generally far too expensive to instrument each pot.

Is there a reason for TEROS 12 sensors that are placed perpendicular to the soil instead of horizontal?: The only reason is to avoid having the body of the sensor impede water flow through the soil. That effect is pretty minor, but it can cause a time lag in the soil moisture signal as the water has to redistribute around the sensor.

What is your water content measurement advice for tree plantation? Are there any limitations? Any patterns?: There are no problems with measuring water content in that scenario. One consideration is getting a measurement that is representative of the root zone. This is pretty easy if you’re relying on rain or using overhead irrigation. Sensor placement becomes more important if you’re using a drip irrigation system though. Many people place the sensors directly under the emitters if using drip.

What type of sensors work best in substrate growing?: Generally, the dielectric soil moisture sensors are used. Often fertilizer levels are important, so growers will use a combination water content and electrical conductivity sensor to measure both water and fertilizer. The TEROS 12 is a really popular choice for substrate growing.

How reliable are measurements in saturated and highly variable soil conditions, such as peatlands?: The measurements are fine in such a scenario, with one limitation. Once the peat is saturated at the level of the sensor, more water can be added to increase the ponding height, but the sensor will still only measure the saturated water content at its level until the water recedes. In peat, you’ll likely want a substrate-specific calibration for best accuracy, since the organic material is a bit different from mineral soil. See our calibration instructions for some step-by-step instructions for the substrate-specific calibration if you’re interested.

If roots grow between the sensor needles over time, how does it influence the measurement? How do we work around it?: The dielectric measurement will measure all the water in its measurement zone, including the water in nearby roots. So, it is possible to get enough rooting density in the measurement volume to affect the measurement. This might lead to a bias in the measurement, but there is really no work-around. In practice, the effect is pretty small, so water content sensors are used in agricultural/irrigation settings extremely often with no noticeable problems.

How does air impact sensor data, for instance in a shallow installation of 1-2 cm or in a narrow soil column, when the volume of influence is usually a sphere of 5-10 cm diameter?: This is difficult with most sensors. The dielectric permittivity of dry air is close to 1, while the permittivity of water is 80. While some amount of air exists in all soil pores, a significant amount of air within a sensor's volume of influence will reduce the accuracy of its readings, which is why we recommend an installation method that provides good soil-to-sensor contact. You can expect to see a 2-3% underestimation of soil volumetric water content if you install a TEROS sensor with the body of the sensor on the soil surface. You can correct for this with a custom calibration if desired.

Be aware that temperature readings taken by a sensor installed on the soil surface will be influenced by absorbed solar radiation and not necessarily representative of the soil temperature.

It is possible to measure the volumetric heat capacity of soil using a dual needle heat pulse sensor on the 1-2 cm spatial scale. Volumetric heat capacity is linearly related to water content, so the conversion is pretty easy. Making that heat capacity measurement is pretty involved though, so only a few researchers use it for this purpose, but it has been done. Contact customer support if you want more details.

How is dielectric measured? In which units?: That’s a trick question! But only because dielectric is a unitless quantity. It is ratio of charge storage in a medium to the charge storage in free space. It can be measured in many ways, including travel time of a pulse (TDR, TDT), charge time of a capacitor, or resonance frequency. Various soil moisture sensors make use of these different measurement techniques.

Is it a challenge to keep the water content sensor in place while you backfill with soil?: That is a good question and one I also had when we were developing the concept of the installation tool. Fortunately, it has not proven to be a problem except in dry, coarse-textured soils. The pins on the TEROS sensors do a pretty good job of anchoring the sensors in place while the soil is repacked behind them. But, in dry sand, it is difficult to even keep the auger hole intact, not to mention keep the sensors in place.

How does soilless organic media such as biochar or coco coir affect dielectric sensor accuracy? Does the physical shape and size of the pores holding the water being measured affect the measurement since it affects the electrical path between the anode and cathode?: Fortunately, the shape and size of the pores has little effect on the dielectric measurement. The electromagnetic field will polarize all the water molecules within the volume of measurement regardless of pore geometry. But, with organic materials, the dielectric permittivity of the low-density material is generally lower than that of mineral soil. So, accuracy can suffer, with the dielectric sensor measuring water content biased low. With these unique materials, I always recommend a substrate-specific calibration. We have some detailed instructions on how to create this calibration here. You’ll notice that there is a special procedure for coir since it is pretty difficult to work with.

Are there any special considerations for very rocky soils or areas where the soil water content is typically very low as in the Mojave desert?: Low water content is not a problem and can be measured accurately by the dielectric sensors. Rocky soils are difficult for all soil sensors though. Best-practice installation techniques of inserting sensors into undisturbed soils may not be possible in rocky soils. You may have to remove some rocks and install the sensor into re-packed soil with no rocks. This will affect accuracy some, but precision should still be good.

What is the best sensor to track the excessive moisture content in the soil? What are the moisture ranges for these sensors?: Good question. Our TEROS 10,11, 12 water content sensors will tell you how much water is present, so they can characterize the degree of saturation, which is an indicator of excess moisture. The TEROS 32 tensiometer will characterize the soil suction, and maybe even more importantly positive pore water pressure, both of which are important for slope stability and soil engineering projects. I’m not a civil engineer, but my understanding is that the combination of degree of saturation from the water content sensors and soil suction from the TEROS 32 is the optimal combination for understanding soil strength. Both sensor types work great in the excess moisture range, but the TEROS 32 will fail in dry soil.

What are the applications for soil moisture sensors in asphalt pavements?: Here is a case study about soil moisture sensors in asphalt: Compression testing of soil moisture sensors embedded in asphalt.

What was your experience developing soil moisture sensors for NASA's JPL Phoenix Rover? Why did the sensor also record thermal conductivity? Were there any interesting findings?: Don’t get us started! The experience was great overall. The team we worked with at JPL were really good scientists and engineers. The thermal properties measurements were intended to be a ground-truth for remotely-sensed regolith thermal properties data, which are key to understanding the depth of penetration of solar heat. All of the measurement functions on the TECP worked well, and the project is considered highly successful. Maybe the most important finding was the vapor phase migration of water into the regolith as the regolith cooled with Martian winter approaching. The increase in dielectric permittivity that TECP measured was far larger than expected, probably due to water interacting with perchlorate salts in the unfrozen phase. We shot a video with the lead JPL researcher a while back. You can check it out here.

How do you deal with extremes in salinity - high or low?: Low salinity is generally not a problem for most water content sensors. Extremely high salinity can be a problem. With TDR, high salinity can attenuate the signal to the point where no water content measurement is possible. With some of the capacitance type sensors, the accuracy can be really poor in high salinity soil. A soil-specific calibration can fix this for the capacitance sensors. The water content measurement of CDX sensors like the SOLYX 14, however, is largely insensitive to high electrical conductivity. Learn more about the SOLYX 14 here.

Which is better for water content sensors: vertical installation of installation at an angle?: Either installation is fine.

If wanting to irrigate from a minimum percentage of soil moisture, which depth should we take into consideration?: The most meaningful depth is typically the depth with the highest root density. But, multiple depths do bring additional information. Often growers will place two sensors in the root zone and one below the root zone. The third sensor below the root zone helps control leaching fraction.

Do you think dielectric is a more accurate option than a pressure chamber for almonds?: The dielectric measurement gives you a nice time-series of soil water content that you can monitor remotely. The pressure chamber will give you the water potential of the almond tree itself. The pressure chamber water potential measurement is a far better indicator of the water stress status of the almond tree. But, the downside is that collecting pressure chamber data is difficult and time consuming. Many growers use the pressure chamber measurement to “calibrate” their soil water content measurements, and figure out what water content starts to cause too much water stress. This makes the time-series water content data really powerful and convenient for quantifying water stress.

How difficult is calibration of dielectric sensors?: The process is not difficult, but it does take some care. We have some detailed step-by-step instructions online here. If you don’t have the equipment, time, or desire to do this procedure yourself, we also offer a service to do the calibration for you if you send us a sample of your soil/substrate. You can contact [email protected] for details about the soil-specific calibration service.

Resources / Publications

Calibration

Resources

Education links

Support links

Soil sensor calibration instruction video
Soil sensor calibration written instructions
TEROS sensor installation best practices video
Manuals and software
Borehole Installation tool assembly instructional video / Written instructions
Compare measurement volume of METER sensors
Wire splicing guide: quick method (instructions here) or the complete method (instructions here).
How to install soil moisture sensors—better, faster, and with higher accuracy

Case studies

Selected Publications

Listed below are examples of cited publications for the TEROS line of soil moisture sensors. This list is not exhaustive. Find more publications by searching TEROS on scholar.google.com.

2026

Azizi, S. A., Wyatt, B. M., Patrignani, A., Ochsner, T. E., & Cosh, M. (2026). Performance of five common soil moisture sensors using default calibration equations in low-salinity conditions. Vadose Zone Journal, 25, e70105. (Article link).

2020

Lo, Tsz Him, Daran R. Rudnick, Jasreman Singh, Hope Njuki Nakabuye, Abia Katimbo, Derek M. Heeren, and Yufeng Ge. “Field assessment of interreplicate variability from eight electromagnetic soil moisture sensors.” Agricultural Water Management 231 (2020): 105984. (Article link).

2019

Jafari, Navid, Anand Puppala, Sayantan Chakroborty, and Burak Boluk. “Integrated Full-Scale Physical Experiments and Numerical Modeling of the Performance and Rehabilitation of Highway Embankments.” IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for Agriculture and Forestry (MetroAgriFor) (2019). (Article link).
Mohamed, Abdelmoneim Zakaria, Yasin Osroosh, Troy Robert Peters, Travis Bates, Colin Sanford Campbell, and Francesc Ferrer-Alegre. “Morning crop water stress index as a sensitive indicator of water status in apple trees.” In 2019 ASABE Annual International Meeting, p. 1. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, 2019. (Article link).
Yi, Yonghong, John S. Kimball, Richard H. Chen, Mahta Moghaddam, and Charles E. Miller. “Sensitivity of active-layer freezing process to snow cover in Arctic Alaska.” The Cryosphere 13 (2019): 197. (Article link).

Accessories: TEROS verification clips

TEROS 10, TEROS 11, TEROS 12

Cable repair and replacement accessories

TEROS 10, TEROS 11, TEROS 12, TEROS 22, TEROS 21, TEROS 31, TEROS 32, TEROS 06, TEROS 54, PHYTOS 31

ZSC Bluetooth sensor interface and stereo to pigtail adapter

TEROS 10, TEROS 11, TEROS 12, TEROS 22, TEROS 54, TEROS 31, TEROS 32, PHYTOS 31, ATMOS 14, ATMOS 22

View All Accessories

"Of all of the soil sensors we tested, the TEROS 12 not only provided the most accurate readings, but now in production they have also survived our vigorous process. Outstanding product."

Ruben Rascon, Bayer Crop Science

Water Content Features

wdt_ID	wdt_created_by	wdt_created_at	wdt_last_edited_by	wdt_last_edited_at	Features	TEROS 10	TEROS 11	TEROS 12	SOLYX 14	TEROS 54	ECH2O EC-5
91	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Measures volumetric water content	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
92	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Measures temperature		✓	✓	✓	✓
93	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Measures bulk EC			✓	✓
94	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Models pore water EC			✓	✓
95	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Measures dielectric permittivity				✓
96	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Depths measured simultaneously	1	1	1	1	4	1
97	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Individually normalized		✓	✓	✓	✓
98	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Can install manually	✓	✓	✓	✓		✓
99	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Install tool available	TBIT	TBIT	TBIT	TBIT	TEROS 54 Install Tool	N/A
100	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Install via borehole or trench	Either	Either	EIther	Either	Borehole	Either
101	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Quickest install/removal					✓
102	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Maintenance-free	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
103	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Compatible with verification clip	✓	✓	✓	Built-in verification
104	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	VWC accuracy (generic calibration)***	±0.03 m³/m³	±0.03 m³/m³*	±0.03 m³/m³*	±0.03 m³/m³*	±0.05 m³/m³*	±0.03 m³/m³*
105	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	VWC accuracy (medium specific calibration)***	±0.01–0.02 m³/m³**	±0.01–0.02 m³/m³**	±0.01–0.02 m³/m³**	±0.01 m³/m³**	±0.02–0.03 m³/m³**	±0.02 m³/m³**
106	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Analog vs digital	Analog	Digital	Digital	Digital	Digital	Analog
107	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Measurement technology	Capacitance	Capacitance	Capacitance	CDX	Capacitance	Capacitance
108	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Maximum measurement volume	430 mL	1010 mL	1010 mL	800 ml	300 cm³ per segment	240 mL
109	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	Connects to ZENTRA	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
110	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	* Generic calibration - typical in mineral soils that have solution EC
111	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	** Medium specific calibration - in any porous medium
112	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	[email protected]	06/07/2026 12:53 PM	*** Volumetric water content

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TEROS 12

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TEROS 12

Advanced Soil Moisture Sensor + Temperature and EC

Overview / Features

You need sensor longevity

Better accuracy—verified

Small soil moisture sensor lets you think bigger

With you for the long haul—guaranteed

Legendary technology—long-lasting performance

Feature summary

Specifications

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Volumetric Water Content

Measurement Specifications

Communication Specifications

Physical Specifications

Electrical and Timing Characteristics

Other

Support / FAQ

TEROS 12 FAQs

Resources / Publications

Calibration

Resources

Education links

Support links

Case studies

Selected Publications

2026

2020

2019

Accessories

TEROS verification clips

Cable repair and replacement accessories

ZSC Bluetooth sensor interface and stereo to pigtail adapter

Water Content Features

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USA

Europe

Japan