An Electronic, Environmental Monitoring System for Water-Borne Contaminants with Control for Irrigation Machines

A small, field-scale system has been developed to assess the feasibility of controlling irrigation machine applications by use of an in-situ environmental monitoring system. Presently, the system monitors soil moisture in the root zone by use of Watermark sensors. Development is underway for a soil nitrate sensor. The completed system will monitor soil moisture, plant nutrients and pesticides. Remote, solar-powered sensors periodically update data in a central computer program. The program is being designed to track pollutant concentration and movement in a watershed, control spatial application of large irrigation machines or provide remediation monitoring for federal laboratory sites.