• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.583-586
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• 1998

Porous ceramic cups are used for monitoring ion concentration in soil solutions in various time course and depth. A soil solution sampler was constructed in laboratory by inserting pliable perfluoroalkoxy(PFA) tubings into porous cup through holes in PVC rod segment which plugged top opening of the porous cup. The system was installed in drip irrigated soil in a vertical position, and nitrogen movement below the drip basin was monitored. To collect soil solution, vacuum in the cup was applied with a hand vacuum pump. The samples obtained were sufficient enough to run quantitative analyses for a number of chemicals. Nitrogen transformation and movement could be well defined, and the system seemed to be relevant to the other soil solution samplers in monitoring chemical movement in soil. Although this system has general deficiencies found in the other samplers using ceramic cup, it could be easily constructed at a low cost. Since the tubing was pliable, the cups could be installed in horizontal position, and this allows installations of the cups at more precise depth increments and also more precise samplings of soil solution at each depth.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.448-454
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• 2007

This study was conducted to develop a 100 kPa soil tensiometer mainly consisted of a porous ceramic cup, water-holding tube, and a digital vacuum gauge, through theoretical design analysis and experimental performance evaluation. Major findings were as follows. 1. Theoretical analysis showed that air entry value of a porous media decreased as the maximum effective size of the pore increased, and the maximum diameter of the pores was $2.9\;{\mu}m$ for measuring up a 100 kPa of soil-water tension. 2. Property analysis of tensiometer porous cups supplied in Korean domestic market indicated that main components were $SiO_2$ and $Al_2O_3$ with a porosity range of $33.8{\sim}49.3%$. 3. The porous cup selected through sample fabrication and air-permeability tests showed weight ratios of 87% and 11% for $Al_2O_3$ and $SiO_2$. The analysis of SEM (scanning electron microscope) images showed that the sample was sintered at temperatures of about $1150^{\circ}C$, which consisted of pores with sizes of up to 25% of those for commercial porous cups. 4. The prototype soil tensiometer was fabricated using the developed porous cup and a digital vacuum gauge that could measure water tension with a pressure of 85 kPa in air tests. 5. In-soil tests of the prototype conducted during a period of 25-day drying showed that soil-water tension values measured with the prototype and commercial units were not significantly different, and soil-water characteristic curves could be established for different soils, confirming accuracy and stability of the prototype.

• KCID journal
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2002

Changes of concentrations and losses of nutrient via infiltration from paddy plot during rice cultivation were monitored. The infiltrated water samples were collected in a ceramic porous cup which was buried at the depth of 30,50,70, and 90cm beneath the

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.160-164
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• 1995

This study was conducted to obtain quantitative data on the behavior of surface-applied urea to a paddy field which would help to protect against environmental pollution as well as to increase the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer. The percolating water samples were collected with porous ceramic cups installed at 25, 50 and 75cm depths in a paddy field during the rice growing season(June 1992-September 1992) and analyzed for urea-N. NHAN and $NO_3-N$. In the paddy field to which urea fertilizer was applied at the rates of 12 and 24kg N/10a, the surface-applied urea was detected even at 75cm depth as the form of urea-N upto 12days after application. The maximum concentrations of urea-N in the percolating water sampled at 25, 50 and 75cm depths were the same irrespective of soil depth and the values were 0.06 and $0.12{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ for the application rates of 12 and 24kg N/10a respectively. The concentrations of $NH_4-N$ gradually decreased with time during the vegetative growth period : thereafter. the concentrations remained nearly constant. The maximum concentrations of $NH_4-N$ at 25cm depth were 1.2 and $5.6{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ for 12 and 24kg N/10a rate respectively. The $NO_3-N$ concentrations of percolating water ranged 0.1~0.5 and $0.2{\sim}0.5{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ for urea application rates of 12 and 24kg N/10a respectively. The nitrate concentration data suggest that nitrification process occurred continuously in paddy field during the rice growing season.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.268-273
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• 1998

Changes of chemical component and losses of chemical fertilizer by infiltration water from 0.5ha of paddy field in Chinan area of Chonbuk province during the rice cultivation were investigated. The infiltration water samples were collected in a ceramic porous cup which was a buried at the 30, 50, 70, 90㎝ of soil depth. pH of infiltration water ranged $6.64{\sim}7.90$ and EC showed $324{\sim}647{\mu}$S/cm. The content of total-N, $NH_4-N$ and $NO_3-N$ were $0.58{\sim}14.59$, $0.05{\sim}4.25$, and $0.15{\sim}7.71mg/L$ respectively. The content of total-P and ortho-P were $0.009{\sim}0.077mg/L$ and $0{\sim}0.029mg/L$ The content of $Ca^{++}$, $Mg^{++}$, $Na^{+}$ and $K^{+}$ showed $0.88{\sim}4.78$, $0.22{\sim}1.04$, $0.17{\sim}0.98$, and $0.84{\sim}3.19㎎/L$. These all at the first transplanting are higher than that of other periods. The content of $SO_4^{2-}$ showed $3.92{\sim}18.72mg/L$ and decreased with a soil depth. However $Cl^-$ of infiltration water ranged $9.03{\sim}19.97mg/L$ and no difference with a soil depth. When infiltrated $2,416.5m^{3}$ of an infiltration water from 0.5ha of paddy field during the rice cultivation, losses of chemical components were 20.34㎏/㏊ of total-N, 3.54㎏/㏊ of $NH_4-N$, 10.44㎏/㏊ of $NO_3-N$, 0.16㎏/㏊ of total-P and 0.028㎏/㏊ of ortho-P. Also $Ca^{++}$, $Mg^{++}$, $Na^+$, $K^+$, $SO_4^{2-}$ and $Cl^-$ were lost 10.24, 2.84, 2.84, 7.22, 50.04 and 62.20㎏/㏊ respectively. There were lost by infiltration water 9.35% of nitrogen, 0.59% of phosphorous and 22.79% of potassium in applied chemical fertilizer.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.341-348
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• 2013

Maintenance of adequate soil tension or content during the period of crop growth is necessary to support optimum plant growth and yields. A better understanding of soil tension and content for precision irrigation would allow optimal soil water condition to crops and minimize the adverse effects of water stress on crop growth and development. This research reports on a comparison of soil water tension and content variations in differently textured soils over time under drip irrigation using two different water management methods, i.e. pulse time and required water irrigation methods. The pulse time-based irrigation was performed by turning the solenoid valve on and off for preset times to allow the wetting front to disperse in root zone before additional water was applied. The required water estimation method was a new water control logic designed by Rural Development Administration that applies the amount of water required based on a conversion of the measured water tension into water content. The use of the pulse time irrigation method under drip irrigation at a high tension of -20 kPa and high temperatures over $30^{\circ}C$ was not successful at maintaining moisture tensions within an appropriate range of 5 kPa because the preset irrigation times used for water control could not compensate for the change in evapotranspiration during day and night. The response time and pattern of water contents for all of the tested soils measured with capacitance-based sensor probes were faster and more direct than those of water tensions measured with porous and ceramic cup-based tensiometers when water was applied, indicating water content would be a better control variable for automatic irrigation. The required water estimation-based irrigation method provided relatively stable control of moisture tension, even though somewhat lower tension values were obtained as compared to the target tension of -20 kPa, indicating that growers could expect to be effective in controlling low tensions ranging from -10 to -20 kPa with the required water estimation system.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2011

Maintenance of adequate soil water potential during the period of crop growth is necessary to support optimum plant growth and yields. A better understanding of soil water movement within and below the rooting zone can facilitate optimal irrigation scheduling aimed at minimizing the adverse effects of water stress on crop growth and development and the leaching of water below the root zone which can have adverse environmental effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a portable irrigation controller with an Watermark sensor for the cultivation of drip-irrigated vegetable crops in a greenhouse. The control capability of the irrigation controller for a soil water potential of -20 kPa was evaluated under summer conditions by cultivating 45-day-old tomato plants grown in three differently textured soils (sandy loam, loam, and loamy sands). Water contents through each soil profile were continuously monitored using three Sentek probes, each consisting of three capacitance sensors at 10, 20, and 30 cm depths. Even though a repeatable cycling of soil water potential occurred for the potential treatment, the lower limit of the Watermark (about 0 kPa) obtained in this study presented a limitation of using the Watermark sensor for optimal irrigation of tomato plants where -20 kPa was used as a point for triggering irrigations. This problem might be related to the slow response time and inadequate soil-sensor interface of the Watermark sensor as compared to a porous and ceramic cup-based tensiometer with a sensitive pressure transducer. In addition, the irrigation time of 50 to 60 min at each of the irrigation operation gave a rapid drop of the potential to zero, resulting in over irrigation of tomatoes. There were differences in water content among the three different soil types under the variable rate irrigation, showing a range of water contents of 16 to 24%, 17 to 28%, and 24 to 32% for loamy sand, sandy loam, and loam soils, respectively. The greatest rate increase in water content was observed in the top of 10 cm depth of sandy loam soil within almost 60 min from the start of irrigation.