Patent ID: 8340910

Claim:
A system for monitoring real-time conditions of a land area, the system comprising: a plurality of first sensor nodes and a plurality of second sensor nodes, each of the plurality of first sensor nodes positioned approximately 2 inches to approximately 2.5 inches below a surface of the soil area in proximity to an active root system mass and in an upper soil area, each of the plurality of second sensor nodes positioned approximately 3 inches to approximately 5 inches below a surface of the soil area in proximity to a bottom of a root mass and in a lower soil area, wherein the lower soil area is below the upper soil area, each of the plurality of first sensor nodes comprising a housing, a processor, a wireless transceiver, a salinity sensor, a moisture sensors, a temperature sensor, and a power supply, each of the plurality of second sensor nodes comprising a housing, a processor, a wireless transceiver, a salinity sensor, a moisture sensor, a temperature sensor, and a power supply, each of the first plurality of sensor nodes configured to monitor and wirelessly transmit through the soil a real-time upper soil moisture value, a real-time upper soil temperature value and a real-time upper soil salinity value, each of the second plurality of sensor nodes configured to monitor and wirelessly transmit through the soil a real-time lower soil moisture value, a real-time lower soil temperature value and a real-time lower soil salinity value; a wireless transceiver in communication with a processor, the wireless transceiver configured to receive the real-time upper soil moisture value, the real-time upper soil temperature value and the real-time upper soil salinity value from each of the first plurality of sensor nodes and to receive the real-time lower soil moisture value, the real-time lower soil temperature value and the real-time lower soil salinity value from each of the second plurality of sensor nodes, the processor configured to generate a real-time upper soil and lower soil moisture variance; and means for communicating the at least one parameter to an operator of the land area, the communicating means communicating the real-time upper soil and lower soil moisture variance to a user of the land area.