NiuBoL Soil Moisture and Temperature Sensors Shipped to Portugal

NiuBoL has supplied NBL-S-TM soil moisture and temperature sensors to Portugal. These compact probes are designed for observing two conditions that change throughout the growing season: the amount of water held in soil and the temperature around the root zone.

How does an FDR soil moisture sensor work?

The NBL-S-TM soil moisture and temperature sensor uses Frequency Domain Reflectometry (FDR) to assess soil moisture. Its sensing elements respond to the dielectric properties of the surrounding soil, which change as water content changes. The instrument converts that response into a moisture reading and simultaneously measures soil temperature.

This is different from simply detecting whether the soil surface looks wet. A probe installed at a representative location observes conditions at its measurement depth, where the readings can be logged and compared over time.

The NBL-S-TM combines soil moisture and temperature measurement with RS485 communication.

What can growers learn from repeated measurements?

A series of soil readings can show how quickly a monitoring point becomes wetter after irrigation, how the water condition changes between irrigation events and how root-zone temperature varies across the season. Users may also compare data from different positions or depths to better understand variation within a field.

The RS485 Modbus interface allows NBL-S-TM probes to work with compatible data loggers and agricultural control systems. Reliable interpretation still depends on representative probe placement, good soil contact and the characteristics of the surrounding soil.

Portugal's vineyards, orchards and irrigated farms operate across areas with pronounced seasonal differences in water availability. Soil observation can support irrigation studies and longer-term agricultural research without relying solely on occasional manual inspection.

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Select a soil monitoring configuration

Contact NiuBoL for product selection and a quotation. Tell us the intended measurement depth, soil type, cable length, number of monitoring locations and how the sensor data should be collected.