The Soil Scout HYDRA DDS50 sensor is part of Soil Scout's revolutionary family of completely buried, wireless soil monitoring sensors. The "DDS" abbreviation stands for "Dual Depth Sensor," which is this sensor's most distinctive feature.

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Key Features and Working Principle of HYDRA DDS50:

 

While traditional Soil Scout Hydra sensors measure from a single point, the HYDRA DDS50 offers the ability to collect data from two different depths. This is a significant advantage, especially for users who want to understand conditions in different layers of the root zone or monitor moisture movement in deeper soils.

• Dual Depth Measurement: The DDS50 includes a primary sensor unit (typically buried at a shallower depth) and a second sensor head connected to it via a cable. This second sensor head can be placed deeper than the primary unit (e.g., up to 50 cm). This configuration allows for simultaneous data collection from two different depths through the same bore hole.

• Completely Buried and Wireless Communication: Both sensors are fully buried underground. The primary sensor unit operates wirelessly underground and transmits the collected data (both its own data and data from the deeper second sensor) to a Soil Scout Base Station (e.g., BST200). This never interferes with surface agricultural or maintenance activities and protects the sensors from damage.

• Measured Parameters: Like other Soil Scout Hydra sensors, the HYDRA DDS50 sensor measures three critical soil parameters:

  • Soil Moisture (Volumetric Water Content): Precisely determines the amount of water in the soil.

  • Soil Temperature: Monitors soil temperature, providing information about plant growth and root health.

  • Salinity (EC - Electrical Conductivity): Measures the salt concentration in the soil, which is important for fertilization and leaching strategies.

• Long Battery Life: Soil Scout sensors are known for their long battery life. The HYDRA DDS50 maintains this feature, offering up to 20 years of maintenance-free operation underground (may vary depending on specific conditions and the sensor's radio power).

• Real-time Data: The sensor collects and transmits data to the base station at regular intervals (selectable between 5 and 55 minutes), allowing users to get real-time information about soil conditions.

• Durable Construction: It has a durable structure with black polyurethane molding and is designed to withstand harsh underground conditions.

 

Advantages of HYDRA DDS50:

• Deep Root Zone Analysis: Ideal for monitoring deep-rooted plants or water movement in agriculture, golf courses, and sports fields. For example, it can be used to observe the effectiveness of deep irrigation or the leaching of fertilizers.

• Improved Data Coverage: Provides a more comprehensive understanding of the soil profile by receiving information from two different depths with a single sensor installation.

• Optimized Irrigation and Nutrition: Thanks to moisture, temperature, and salinity data from different layers of the soil, irrigation schedules can be adjusted more accurately, and fertilization strategies can be optimized. This saves water and fertilizer.

• Precise Diagnosis: Helps diagnose problems in different soil depths (e.g., compaction, inadequate drainage) earlier and more accurately.

• Operational Efficiency: Being completely buried means field work or maintenance activities are not interrupted.

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Areas of Use:

The HYDRA DDS50 sensor is particularly valuable in the following professional applications:

• Precision Agriculture: Ensuring optimal growth of deep-rooted crops, improving water and nutrient management.

• Tree / Fruit Agriculture: Ensuring optimal growth of medium-to-deep-rooted tree fruit orchards, improving water and nutrient management.

• Golf Courses: Managing turf root zone health at different depths for greens, fairways, and tees.

• Sports Fields: Monitoring in-depth soil conditions to increase the durability and performance of stadium turf.

• Research and Development: Collecting detailed soil profile data in soil science, agronomy, and hydrology research.

The HYDRA DDS50 takes Soil Scout's soil monitoring technology a step further, offering users deeper and more versatile insights into the underground world.