Home > Scheduling Equipment >Wetting Front Detector
Wetting Front Detector
Description:
A Wetting Front Detector (WFD) shows how deep water infiltrates into the soil after irrigation or rain. It takes a soil water sample so that the movement of plant nutrients and salt through the soil can be monitored. The FullStop WFD helps you “see” what is happening down in the root zone when you irrigate the soil.
How does it work:
The Wetting Front Detector (WFD) is no more than a funnel, a filter and a float that is buried in the ground at the depth that soil moisture needs to be monitored. Two instruments are used simultaneously, one is placed in the root zone, and one just underneath the plant’s roots.
The positioning and depth of the product varies from Drip, Micro and Flood irrigation and must be installed according to the guidelines as given in the instruction manual.
When irrigating, the water moves downwards into the ground. This movement is called the wetting front. The funnel will catch water that flows over it if the wetting front is strong enough (suction force of 3 kPa or less). The water then moves down into the funnel, through the filter, and collects at the bottom, enabling the float to lift. The float is visible above the ground, and indicates that the water has reached the WFD’s depth.
As easy as that - either there is water or there is not!
The present float must be reset after each irrigation cycle. There will be other variations in the future that will automatically reset as the soil dries and will also monitor the floats movement, enabling automatic irrigation.
-
The WFD can be used to :
- Determine if too much or too little water has been applied
- Assist with the management of fertilizer and salts by extracting and analysing the water that collects inside the WFD
- Preventing leaching as the second WFD placed deeper than the root zone will indicate over-irrigation.
The simplicity of the product, coupled with the relatively cheap price tag means that irrigators who cannot afford scheduling equipment can establish how deep they have irrigated.
