Soil Moisture Sensor Custom Calibration Service
A custom calibration for your exact soil type can improve accuracy from the typical 3% (with the factory calibration) to 1%.
Need better accuracy?
METER’s soil moisture sensors do an excellent job of predicting accurate water content in most soils, but there are some soils (i.e., very sandy soils or heavy clays) that may require a better calibration to get the most accurate water content value. A soil-specific calibration may also help those who are working at the extreme edge of the measurement range. A custom calibration for your exact soil type can improve accuracy from the typical 3% (with the factory calibration) to 1%.
Be confident in your data
Our standard soil moisture sensor calibration is good for most situations, but if your soil is not typical, a custom soil calibration can give you complete confidence that you’re getting the best, most accurate data in the field.
Tailored exactly to your needs
When ordering the calibration service, you’ll receive the packaging to send METER about four liters of soil. Allowing it to air dry before sending will reduce shipping costs. After receiving the sample, our scientists will start the calibration process as soon as the soil is dry enough. They’ll carefully pack the soil into a container with a known volume and take a volumetric water content measurement with the same type of sensor you’ll be using in the field. Then they’ll place the sample into a large container and soak the soil with enough water to raise the water content 7%. Once it’s well mixed, they’ll repack it and take another volumetric water content measurement. This process will be repeated until the sample is close to saturation. Afterward, the scientists will combine the raw sensor output data with the known water content data to produce a calibration equation that can be easily inserted into your software for a soil-specific calibration. In about two weeks (four for international or non-typical soils), you’ll receive a calibration equation tailored exactly to your soil type.
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