Ground moisture sensor with a lateral plane antenna

摘要

An irrigation system is disclosed for determining that the moisture content of various zones of the soil are irrigated to consistent levels. A moisture sensor has lateral spaced apart antennas which extend within a horizontal plane. The moisture sensor is disposed in the soil within one of the various regions. An irrigation piping branch includes a control valve which controls the flow of water through the irrigation branch. When the control valve is open, an irrigation fluid will pass through the valve and the irrigation branch for distribution to an irrigation region of the soil. Once the moisture within the soil of the irrigation region reaches a preselected level within the horizontal plane proximate to the moisture sensor, the valve will automatically be closed, stopping the flow of the irrigation fluid from the irrigation branch to the irrigation region of the soil. The irrigation system includes an irrigation branch and a moisture sensor may be located proximate to a building foundation for maintaining consistent levels of moisture within the soil beneath the foundation. The irrigation system further includes a piping branch which extends into an irrigation zone having multiple regions. A master valve controls the flow of irrigation fluid into the piping branch, and secondary valves are disposed within separate sections of the piping branch for controlling the flow of irrigation fluids to corresponding ones of the multiple regions. Moisture sensors are disposed in various ones of the multiple regions for separately controlling corresponding ones of the secondary valves.