RE: Re: choose a sensor

[Tom A. Reynolds]

Valerie:

I plan to use this approach in Arizona soon.

The tact I believe works best is to be sure to employ very high
redundancy at first, to see how variable your soils, installation
techniques, and irrigation/rainfall wetting patterns are.  The
demonstration of the need to NOT rely on only ONE high dollar sensor
(small sphere of influence, unlike a neutron probe) can be easily
demonstrated by installing two sensors two meters apart, in what you
believe are indentical situ's.  The variance points to the need to
install at least two, perhaps three sensors indentically the same, then
average them for one decision support value.  An alternative is to
"plant" 6, remove 4, after several wetting-up cycles which point to the
two most representative.  

Sincerely,

Tom A. Reynolds, CID
Water Balance