Our Sensors

Characteristics of Hydrascout probes:

Technically, our Hydrascout capacitive probes has been designed to be as robust and efficient as possible.

Our products consist of a series of sensors, arranged in a modular way. They allow continuous measurements to be made within your plots, thanks to the capacitive technology, and send the data via a communication dataloger.

The web/app platform. will receive temperature and moisture data for each soil horizon in your field. We are also developing salinity measurements at the request of certain customers who are faced with this type of problem.

Our probe has a 38 mm diameter. Thischaracteristicallows it to read data from the ground over a large area, equivalent to the diameter of a volleyball ball.

The inside of our probe is fully protected by resin, so our probes are not afraid of corrosion or freezing and can stay in place in the ground, season after season. This robustness allows Hydrascout to offer a 5-year warranty for its probes.

The choice of the length of the probe depends on your type of crop and your type of soil: you will find details on this subject by clicking here.

The probe is installed in the ground in a flush or buried position, as explained in more detail in the illustrations of our products below.

How to install a Hydrascout probe?

Ideally, we install a Hydrascout probe for each zone / each homogeneous irrigation sector (on average we could indicate one probe per hectare, but you must above all make this choice according to your own irrigation logic).

The choice of location must be as representative as possible of the plotand the irrigation sector to be monitored. We will always take care to look for areas that are neither too dry nor too wet, so as to really constitute an average which corresponds well to the whole of the sector to be monitored.

It is also interesting to place a probe in atypical areas where you notice yield losses or growth anomalies. This will allow you to better understand what is happening in the soil at that precise location and compare it to the typical profile taken with a second probe.

Once you are familiar with Hydrascout, you can then increase the number of your probes each year to take into account all the types of situation on your farm and be able to control your irrigation with precision by having all the measurement elements at your disposal. arrangement.

The installation will be done in close collaboration with the company HSTI-Hydrascout and its partners. Contact us for a connection.

We have summarized the main points of the installation process for you below.

#1 - Prepare the location

1 - Prepare your location

The Hydrascout probe with a diameter of 38 mm, is installed by means of a manual auger or a perforator equipped with a drill of suitable size (39 or 40 mm). The location chosen should be halfway between the driest location and the wettest one: in this vineyard, for example, the probe was installed at 1/4 the distance between two successive drippers.

#1 - Prepare the location

2 # Adjust the depth

2 - Adjust the depth

The depth of the hole depends on the length of the probe to be placed. It is chosen according to the type of crop one wishes to monitor and according to the characteristics of the soil of the plot.

2 # Adjust the depth

# 3 - Describe the soil

3 - Study the soil extract

The characteristics of the soil extracted from the auger are examined and noted on the Installation Sheet. This soil extract is then placed in a bucket to enable the "pralin" to be prepared there.

# 3 - Describe the soil

#4 - Make a "Pralin"

4 - Make a "Pralin"

A "pralin" is a preparation of mud, which will be used to create a good bond between the hole and the probe. Water will therefore be added to the bucket which already contains the soil extracted during the making of the hole. OWe will mix this slurry with a mixer, which connects to a cordless drill.

#4 - Make a "Pralin"

# 5 - Adapt the texture

5 - Adapt the texture and pour

Except in sandy soils, look for a fine mud, with a texture free of plant debris or stones,The objective is to expel all air bubbles when the probe is put in place. The "pralin" obtained is then poured into the hole, before inserting the probe.

# 5 - Adapt the texture

# 6 - Place the probe

6 - Set up Hydrascout

Immediately after pouring the Pralin, the Hydrascout probe is placed in the hole until it is flush. Only the top of the orange cap should be visible, with its cable already oriented in the direction of the post intended to accommodate the communication box.

# 6 - Place the probe

# 7 - Test the probe after insertion

7 - Test the probe

At this point, it is important to verify that all sensors are responding and showing consistent values. For this, we use a test-box developed specifically for this control step in the field.

# 7 - Test the probe after insertion

#8 - Protect the cable

8 - Protect the cable

When the installation is complete and all the sensors are well tested, we proceed to the protection of the cable that connects the probe to the housing. The cable is protected by means of a flexible or PVC sheath.

#8 - Protect the cable

#9 - Connect the Dataloger

9 - Connect the box

The cable is then connected to the communication box which has been activated beforehand and supplied with its batteries. At this stage, a second test is carried out to ensure that everything is working perfectly. The unit and probe identifiers, as well as all the field data already noted (plot, crop, type of soil, depth, etc.) are noted on the Installation Sheet.

#9 - Connect the Dataloger

#10 - Activate the web interface

10 - Activate the web interface

The remaining operations take place on the web/application. The probe is declared at the web / app interface in which it will now be able to upload its data and generate for each sensor a temperature graph, a humidity index and, depending on the case, salinity. A customer account is created for each user, in order to guarantee access for him and his team.

#10 - Activate the web interface

How do I choose the right probe length?

Hydrascout probes are completely modular.

They are available in several lengths and with a number of sensors that can be adapted to your needs.

The Table below gives some examples that will make it easier for you to choose yours.

The choice of the length of your Hydrascout probe will mainly depend on:

*) – the type of production you cultivate and the depth of rooting of this culture

*) – the type of soil in which you are installing the probe and its depth – for example, if the rock is at 70 cm, we will not choose an 80 cm probe …

In the end, the choice of the most appropriate probe will be made jointly between the farmer and the installer, by comparing our recommendations with his own experience of his plots and soils!

The table below gives some indications that can guide you in your choice:

Almond, Apricot

150cm / 6 sensors

Olive, Citrus, Hazelnut, Pistachio

120cm / 5 sensors

Vines, Apple, Kiwis

100 cm / 5 sensors

Wheat, Corn, Beets

80 cm / 5 sensors

Potatoes, Raspberries, Berries

60 cm / 6 sensors

Oilseeds, Melons

40 cm / 4 sensors

Carrots, Vegetables

30 cm / 3 sensors

Strawberries

20 cm / 2 sensors

150 cm / 6 sensors

Almond, Apricot

120 cm / 6 sensors