US 12,004,456 B2
Method for monitoring water status in a field
Uri Shani, Tel-Aviv (IL); and Sharon Dabach, Tel-Aviv (IL)
Assigned to N-Drip Ltd., Kfar Saba (IL)
Appl. No. 16/959,679
Filed by N-Drip Ltd., Kfar Saba (IL)
PCT Filed Jan. 3, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IL2019/050021
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 2, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/135235, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 11, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/613,074, filed on Jan. 3, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0076580 A1, Mar. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 33/24 (2006.01); A01G 24/44 (2018.01); A01G 25/16 (2006.01); G01N 19/10 (2006.01)
CPC A01G 25/167 (2013.01) [A01G 24/44 (2018.02); G01N 19/10 (2013.01); G01N 33/246 (2013.01); G01N 2033/245 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for sensing water status in soil comprising:
a porous material selected for actively proliferating root growth and having an area of at least 0.025 m2; and
a water status sensor that is coupled to the porous material;
wherein a first portion of the porous material is selected to have a hydraulic conductivity between 0.1-0.01 cm/hour within a matric head range of 0 to −500 cm H2O respectively and a second portion of the porous material is selected to have a hydraulic conductivity between 50-0 cm/hour within a matric head range of 0 to −50 cm H2O respectively, wherein the first portion and the second portion are formed from two different materials that are coupled to each other or the first portion is formed based on compacting the porous material with rolling or folding.