Patent ID: 9128494
Filing Date: 2015-09-08
Classification: A01G,G05D

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for assessing at least one property of a target soil, the apparatus comprising: a microwave signal generator arranged to generate a first microwave signal, wherein the generated first microwave signal is a fixed frequency microwave signal; a detector; a probe comprising an electrical conductor exhibiting a first end and a second end removed from said first end, said probe arranged to be embedded in the target soil; and a coupler arranged to couple a first portion of the generated first microwave signal as a second microwave signal to the first end of said probe, and to couple a second portion of the generated first microwave signal as a microwave reference signal to a reference input of said detector, said second microwave signal exiting the second end of said probe as a third microwave signal, the second end of said probe carrying the third microwave signal connected to an input of said detector; said detector arranged to square each of said third microwave signal and said microwave reference signal and to output a phase difference signal indicative of the phase difference between the squared third microwave signal and the squared microwave reference signal; and a control circuitry coupled to the output of said detector and arranged to output an irrigation control signal responsive to said phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil at present, said phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is dry, and the phase difference signal with the probe embedded in the target soil when the target soil is saturated, said control circuitry is further arranged to: