Installation of Monitoring Technology in the AquaRevier Research Project

Comparison of Soil Moisture in Organic and Conventional Agriculture

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Installation of soil moisture sensors on agricultural farms.  © FiW e. V.
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Installation of soil moisture sensors on agricultural farms.  © FiW e. V.
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How does agricultural management affect the soil water balance? This question is being addressed by FiW as part of the AquaRevier research project. In mid-April, the project team installed monitoring systems on two agricultural farms to continuously record weather and soil data. Together with the Institute of Environmental Engineering (ISA) and the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management (IWW) at RWTH Aachen University, FiW coordinates the AquaRevier research project. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) under the STARK funding programme and co-funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Its aim is to develop water management adaptation strategies for the Rhenish mining region, which is affected by structural and climate change.

In recent years, irrigation demand has increased in Germany, particularly in the Rhenish mining region. Between 2009 and 2019 alone, the area equipped for irrigation grew by around 7%. Against this background, the question arises of how the valuable resource of water can be used more efficiently in the future. In addition to technical solutions for improving irrigation efficiency, soil management also plays a key role.
 
To better understand these differences, FiW installed one weather station and 16 soil moisture sensors on each of two farms, one managed conventionally and one organically. The sensors measure the volumetric water content, i.e. the proportion of water in the soil volume. The experimental setup is designed to answer two key questions:

  1. Does soil moisture differ between organic and conventional farming?
  2. How much water does an individual plant require under the respective conditions?

To ensure comparability, particular attention was paid to selecting similar sites. Due to the close proximity of the farms, both locations have the same weather conditions, similar soil characteristics and the same irrigated crop.
 
The aim is to derive reliable findings on agricultural water use under different management practices.