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the latest on environmental research & monitoring....
Sap flow, evapotranspiration and irrigation management
Irrigating scheduling and amount can be accurately determined by combining sap flow (crop water use) sensors and evapotranspiration (ETo) data. This article outlines how growers, researchers or physiologists can use the Implexx Sap Flow Sensor, alongside the ATMOS 41 weather station, or the Implexx Evapotranspiration (ETo) station. Although this article has a focus on grapevines,…
Reducing urban water pollution with water level sensors
Urban storm water drain pollution can increase during dry weather and become an environmental problem. Water level in drains increases because of transient sources such as over-irrigation of gardens, car washing, cleaning of footpaths, as well as constantly-flowing sources such as groundwater infiltration and broken underground pipes. This is known as dry-weather flow, or non-stormwater…
Aquaponics supported by internet enabled water quality sensors
EcoSystem Farms is utilising modern techniques in aquaponics to create a natural farming system that is -cide free – that is no herbicides or pesticides! Based on the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, EcoSystem Farms deploys ecological principles to create a natural loop between fish and plants where the fish provide the nutrients and the plants…
A new water level sensor for hydrology and irrigation
Implexx Sense has released a new range of low cost, IoT-enabled, water level, depth or pressure sensors. The Implexx Water Level Sensor is ideal for hydrologists and irrigation managers. The water level sensors can be installed in tanks, boreholes, streams, lakes, rivers, estuaries and marine environments, to a depth of 200 metres. The Implexx Water…
Biosphere 2 and sap flow sensors: how do tropical trees behave under drought?
monitoring water uptake and transport of a model rainforest ecosystem Author: Kathrin Kühnhammer PhD Student at TU Braunschweig, Environmental Geochemistry, Germany Together with a large group of scientists from all over the world, the junior research group “Isodrones” (www.isodrones.de(opens in new tab)) took part in the highly interdisciplinary research project B2 WALD (Water,…
The Amerigo Lander: a novel underwater device to measure human oceanic impacts
It is no secret that humans are heavily impacting oceans. Measuring these impacts, however, is extremely difficult. Not only are the oceans vast but incredibly deep with the ocean floor at least 6000m down in many locations. Precise measurements of biogeochemical and ecological processes at these depths is technologically hard. An Italian research group from…
Bushfires and assessing the risk of erosion
After a long season of bushfires in Australia, many of which are still burning, it is important to look forward to recovery and regeneration. There is much to do, measure and assess. Among these is the risk of soil erosion particularly where heavy rainfall, or high winds, impact bare ground. This article was first published…
Implexx Sap Flow Sensor: a new sap flow sensor for the digital age
A new sap flow sensor has been released by Implexx Sense! The Implexx Sap Flow Sensor is a low cost, easy to use and maintain sap flow sensor designed by scientists and engineers from the Australian company, Implexx. Implexx Sap Flow Sensor was designed with the scientists and grower in mind – it has all…
Sap flow data show grapevines can tolerate extreme heatwave events
Monitoring sap flow on grapevines during extreme heatwave events has demonstrated that vines can tolerate extreme conditions when soil moisture levels were high. These results were found via the grapevine and heatwave monitoring project in the Riverina region of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Heatwaves are “three or more days of high maximum and minimum…
A new introductory video on sap flow
What is sap flow? Is it water or sugars in the plant? What is the difference between sap flow and transpiration? Why measure sap flow? If you are new to the world of sap flow science, then the team at Implexx and Edaphic Scientific have released a new video for you. Sap Flow: An Introduction…
New tensiometer-style sensor for avocado growers
A new, tensiometer-style sensor is improving irrigation management and saving time and costs for avocado growers. Irrigation monitoring and scheduling often relies on tensiometers – sensors that can measure soil water potential. Tensiometers are a favourite among avocado growers but they come with a huge problem: they are extremely tedious and odious to maintain. A…
Leaf temperature sensors and water wise research
Plant physiologists and irrigation scientists need accurate and reliable leaf and canopy temperature sensors for scientific research. Recently, the LT-1T Leaf Temperature Sensor from Edaphic Scientific was deployed by researchers at the CSIRO for a project on irrigation management of tomato crops. The LT-1T is a small, temperature sensor that firmly clips onto a leaf.…