Tensiometers vs. SoilSense: A Smarter Way to Track Soil Moisture
Understanding when to irrigate is one of the most critical — and often most challenging — aspects of land management. For years, tensiometers have helped growers monitor soil moisture levels by measuring the tension with which water is held in the soil. But while the concept is sound, it comes with some hidden complexity.
Let’s take a closer look at how tensiometers work, where they fall short, and how SoilSense offers a more modern, scalable alternative.
🌡️ Tensiometers Have Been Used for Decades — and for Good Reason
Tensiometers measure soil water tension in units like kPa or centibars. These values indicate how tightly water is held in the soil — in other words, how much effort plants need to extract it. It’s an intuitive concept: low tension means water is readily available; high tension means the soil is drying out.
Farmers and researchers have used tensiometers for decades to make more informed irrigation decisions, especially in high-value crops or experimental setups.
⚠️ Key Limitations:
Soil-type sensitivity: This is the biggest challenge. A tension reading of, say, 60 kPa might indicate drought stress in sandy soil — but in clay, it could still mean there’s plenty of moisture. You need to know your exact soil type, often even at different depths, to interpret the numbers correctly.
Maintenance burden: Tensiometers must be filled with water, sealed properly, and checked regularly for air bubbles. In freezing conditions, they can crack or lose functionality altogether.
Manual or expensive digital reading: Unless paired with a data logger (which adds cost and complexity), tensiometers must be read in the field.
So while tensiometers can be accurate, they require constant maintenance and detailed soil knowledge to deliver useful insights.
💡 SoilSense: Smart, Calibrated, and Effortless
SoilSense takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of relying on generic tension values and soil-type guesswork, it learns from the specific soil it's installed in.
1. The sensor is installed in the soil — no water filling or sealing required.
2. As the soil goes through a natural wet-dry cycle (e.g., after rain or irrigation), the system automatically detects field capacity — the point at which excess water has drained and the soil holds as much water as it can.
3. From there, it calculates the range of plant-available water (PAW) and begins tracking how much water is left in the soil in simple percentage terms (% volumetric water content).
4. SoilSense then defines a refill zone — the range where you should begin planning irrigation — based on current soil conditions, not on assumptions or outdated reference values.
5.You receive real-time, location-specific recommendations for when to irrigate — no interpretation or manual reading required.
All of this is delivered to your phone or computer, and the system is powered by solar energy. Once installed, it requires virtually no maintenance.
🧠 Always Up to Date — No Guesswork Required
Because SoilSense defines moisture zones based on real, field-calibrated data, it reflects actual plant needs rather than generic thresholds. And unlike static tools, it continues to learn and adapt over time. If soil conditions change due to compaction, organic matter, or land use, SoilSense recalibrates automatically.
Here’s how it compares:
Tensiometer Reading
SoilSense Moisture Level
Recommended Action
0–10 kPa (Saturated)
Above field capacity
No irrigation – soil is draining
10–30 kPa (Field capacity)
~80–100% of PAW
Ideal conditions – no action needed
30–60 kPa (Refill zone)
~40–80% of PAW
Monitor – plan irrigation soon
>60 kPa (Dry/stress)
Below 40% of PAW
Irrigate – soil moisture too low
✅ The Bottom Line
Tensiometers have played an important role in precision agriculture — but they depend heavily on your expertise and daily attention to remain useful.
SoilSense removes that burden. It adapts to your soil, not the other way around — and gives you precise, actionable insights with minimal effort. Whether you manage multiple fields or just want to simplify irrigation decisions, SoilSense offers a more scalable, intuitive, and dependable solution.