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Online version available at www.sowacs.com/feature/streats/aquaflex.html For Immediate Release April 13, 1999 International demand for soil moisture sensors A new range of soil moisture measurement systems from Streat Instruments in New Zealand is creating strong interest in international markets. The new Aquaflex 2-channel and 8-channel logger complements the existing 4-channel range, which was launched some 18 months ago. In addition, the Aquaflex sensor can now be connected to a wide range of irrigation controllers, weather stations, data loggers and industrial controllers. Lincoln Ventures (developers of the renowned Irricad irrigation design software) designed the original sensor, with the on-going development carried out by Streat Instruments. Streat Instruments specializes in the design and manufacture of process control instruments and systems. The company has almost two decades of experience in moisture measurement and control solutions. Already the Aquaflex soil moisture system has been successfully installed in a wide range of both turf and agricultural applications within New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the United States. Installations range from English Premiership football clubs, fruit and vegetable operations, golf courses, research and educational institutions, cricket wickets, pasture, agroforestry, viticulture, amenity turf, horticulture etc. Peter Johansson, Product Sales Manager for Streat Instruments, said that the Aquaflex soil moisture sensors system have been designed to overcome the traditional problems associated with measuring the soil moisture content at one point only and in a relatively small amount of soil. "Aquaflex measures average moisture over a three-meter length and in a cylindrical volume of six litres (370 cubic inches) of soil. This unique feature provides the irrigation manager with far more reliable information for increased crop and turf quality," he said. Amongst the many benefits of the Aquaflex soil moisture measurement system are the increases that are possible in quality and production, savings in water and energy consumption, better control of diseases and improved effectiveness of fertilizers and pesticides. "Using soil moisture measurement technologies such as Aquaflex can achieve large savings in water use, up to 50% in some cases. In a world where water is becoming an increasingly precious commodity, such savings are significant," Peter Johansson said. Resource conscious regional authorities have been quick to adopt the technology. The Christchurch City Council, for example, is about to begin trials with Aquaflex sensor in the city's parks and reserves. In line with various Australian authorities, the Christchurch City Council will be able to monitor the moisture levels of parks throughout the city via a centrally controlled terminal and adjust irrigation patterns accordingly. Amongst the many features of the Aquaflex sensors are their ease of installation, accuracy, durability and compatibility with irrigation controllers, weather stations, data loggers and industrial controllers. Streat Instruments are continually developing the Aquaflex technology. Upcoming innovations include a telemetry system, loggers and sensors that will transmit and receive data without wires. "The Aquaflex sensors are installed in the ground at an appropriate depth for the application and measurement required. The number and location of sensors are chosen to achieve a representative sample of soil moisture, taking local conditions and soil texture into consideration. "The sensors are connected to the Aquaflex logger via a data cable providing continuous moisture and temperature readings at intervals adjustable from every 10 minutes to every six hours. The logger stores the data until such time as it is transferred to a computer, either directly or via a hand-held link. Aquaflex user-friendly software converts the raw data into either graphics or plain numbers for precise and cost-effective irrigation management," Peter Johansson said. Aquaflex measures soil moisture using a technique known as Time Domain Transmission (TDT) which is similar to Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR). Aquaflex incorporates the benefits of TDR, including its inherent accuracy and stability, while eliminating traditional problems associated with soil moisture measurement, such as spatial variability and conductivity changes. An electric pulse is sent down a transmission line and the evanescent field around this transmission line interacts with the surrounding medium. The speed and shape of this pulse is affected by the dielectric properties of the medium. Water has a much higher dielectric constant than most materials which constitute soil, so the presence of water has a profound impact on the electrical signal and as a result enables the measurement of moisture content. Further information: Peter Johansson Tel + 64 - 3 - 348 6443, extn 718 Fax + 64 - 3 - 6256 E-mail p.johansson@streats.co.nz Web page www.streats.co.nz