Explore how soil moisture sensors can benefit citrus nutrient management as well as water management.
Soil moisture sensors offer an array of benefits for anyone growing crops in The Sunshine State’s sandy soils, but they also offer benefits for nutrient management as well. Dr. Charles Barrett, a UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Agent, focusing on water resources, presented on the ins and outs of reading data from a soil moisture sensor at the 2020 Citrus Expo, and he shared his expertise with us in Griffin Fertilizer’s latest Central Florida Ag News column. Read a sneak peak of his words below.
Soil Moisture Sensors and Nutrient Management
Dr. Barrett’s take away is that really learning to read the data from a soil moisture sensor opens up a world of information about the plant’s life cycle, from the roots on up. He also shared that moisture sensors can benefit nutrient management as well. “In Florida, we have super sandy soil and water management is a major component in nutrient management. Anybody using soil moisture sensors that can really figure them out is going to be able to manage their nutrients a lot better and keep the nutrients in the root zone longer because they are watching where their water is going,” he maintained.
Research has shown that intense nutrient management and water management is key to helping citrus trees to deal with the stress of citrus greening and remain productive for as long as possible. Citrus greening seriously compromises a citrus tree’s root system, so making the uptake of water and nutrients as easy as possible is important.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.