# US 2022/0030786 A1 · Systems Providing Irrigation Optimization Using Sensor Networks and Soil Moisture Modeling

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- Number: US 2022/0030786 A1
- Document ID: US20220030786A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/945,797
- Filed: 2020-07-31
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-31
- Assignees: FarmX Inc.
- Applicants: FarmX Inc.
- Inventors: Robin Lucien Woodby; Kentaro Fitzgerald Kuwata; William Eugene Jennings
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220030786A1

## CPC

- A01G 25/167: {Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors}
- G01N 33/246: {for water content}
- G01W 1/02: Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed (G01W1/10 takes precedence)
- G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence)
- G01N 33/245: {for agricultural purposes}
- G05B 2219/2625: Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
- A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12)
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01W: METEOROLOGY (radar, sonar, lidar or analogous systems, designed for meteorological use G01S13/95, G01S15/88, G01S17/95)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

Systems and methods for providing irrigation water to a soil depth of a crop rootzone in a plurality of crop fields using a sensor network and soil moisture modeling are provided. In various embodiments methods include receiving data from a sensor network in a first crop field and determining a soil moisture model using data from the sensor network in the first field. Various embodiments further include determining a first field irrigation time using the soil moisture model, the first field irrigation time providing irrigation water to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the first field, and applying the soil moisture model to a second field.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for providing irrigation water to a soil depth of a crop rootzone in a plurality of crop fields using a sensor network and soil moisture modeling, the system comprising:
a sensor network in a first crop field, comprising:
a soil moisture sensor in the first crop field;
a water added sensor in the first crop field; and
a meteorological elements sensor in the first crop field;
at least one processor; and
a memory storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the at least one processor is configured to implement the following operations upon executing the processor-executable instructions:
determining a soil moisture model using data from the sensor network in the first field;
determining a first field irrigation time using the soil moisture model, the first field irrigation time providing irrigation water to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the first field;
applying the soil moisture model to a second field; and
determining a second field irrigation time using the soil moisture model, the second field irrigation time providing irrigation water to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the second field; and
an irrigation system providing irrigation water in the first field for the first field irrigation time to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the first field, and providing irrigation water in the second field for the second field irrigation time to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the second field.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the water added sensor measures an actual amount of water added to a field.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the meteorological elements sensor measures at least one of temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind speed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the soil moisture sensor measures an amount of moisture contained in the soil at a plurality of different depths in the soil at the first field.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of different depths in the soil at the first field include a soil depth above the crop rootzone, a soil depth at the crop rootzone, and a soil depth below the crop rootzone.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the first field irrigation time and the second field irrigation time provide irrigation water above field capacity for the soil depth at the crop rootzone resulting in irrigation water percolation to the crop rootzone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the first field irrigation time and the second field irrigation time provide irrigation water below field capacity for the soil depth at the crop rootzone preventing irrigation water percolation to the soil depth below the crop rootzone thereby saving irrigation water.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the determining the soil moisture model comprises:
determining current soil moisture, infiltration, percolation, and evapotranspiration at the soil depth above the crop rootzone in the first field using the data from the sensor network in the first field; and
determining soil moisture at the soil depth above the crop rootzone in the second field using the current soil moisture, the infiltration, the percolation, and the evapotranspiration at the soil depth above the crop rootzone in the first field.

### Claim 9

A method for providing irrigation water to a soil depth of a crop rootzone in a plurality of crop fields using a sensor network and soil moisture modeling, the method comprising:
receiving data from a sensor network in a first crop field, comprising:
receiving data from a soil moisture sensor in the first crop field;
receiving data from a water added sensor in the first crop field; and
receiving data from a meteorological elements sensor in the first crop field;
determining a soil moisture model using data from the sensor network in the first field;
determining a first field irrigation time using the soil moisture model, the first field irrigation time providing irrigation water to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the first field;
applying the soil moisture model to a second field;
determining a second field irrigation time using the soil moisture model, the second field irrigation time providing irrigation water to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the second field;
providing irrigation water in the first field for the first field irrigation time to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) soil in the first field; and
providing irrigation water in the second field for the second field irrigation time to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the second field.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the water added sensor measures an actual amount of water added to a field.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the meteorological elements sensor measures at least one of temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind speed.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the soil moisture sensor measures an amount of moisture contained in the soil at a plurality of different depths in the soil at the first field.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of different depths in the soil at the first field include a soil depth above the crop rootzone, a soil depth at the crop rootzone, and a soil depth below the crop rootzone.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the first field irrigation time and the second field irrigation time provide irrigation water above field capacity for the soil depth at the crop rootzone resulting in irrigation water percolation to the crop rootzone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the first field irrigation time and the second field irrigation time provide irrigation water below field capacity for the soil depth at the crop rootzone preventing irrigation water percolation to the soil depth below the crop rootzone thereby saving irrigation water.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the soil moisture model comprises:
determining current soil moisture, infiltration, percolation, and evapotranspiration at the soil depth above the crop rootzone in the first field using the data from the sensor network in the first field; and
determining soil moisture at the soil depth above the crop rootzone in the second field using the current soil moisture, the infiltration, the percolation, and the evapotranspiration at the soil depth above the crop rootzone in the first field.

### Claim 17

A non-transitory computer readable medium having embodied thereon instructions being executable by at least one processor to perform a for providing irrigation water to a soil depth of a crop rootzone in a plurality of crop fields using a sensor network and soil moisture modeling, the method comprising:
receiving data from a sensor network in a first crop field, comprising:
receiving data from a soil moisture sensor in the first crop field;
receiving data from a water added sensor in the first crop field; and
receiving data from a meteorological elements sensor in the first crop field;
determining a soil moisture model using data from the sensor network in the first field;
determining a first field irrigation time using the soil moisture model, the first field irrigation time providing irrigation water to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the first field;
applying the soil moisture model to a second field;
determining a second field irrigation time using the soil moisture model, the second field irrigation time providing irrigation water to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the second field;
providing irrigation water in the first field for the first field irrigation time to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the first field; and
providing irrigation water in the second field for the second field irrigation time to a soil depth of the crop rootzone above a Wilting Point (WP) and below a Field Capacity (FC) of soil in the second field.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the soil moisture sensor measures an amount of moisture contained in the soil at a plurality of different depths in the soil at the first field.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of different depths in the soil at the first field include a soil depth above the crop rootzone, a soil depth at the crop rootzone, and a soil depth below the crop rootzone.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19,
wherein the first field irrigation time and the second field irrigation time provide irrigation water above field capacity for the soil depth at the crop rootzone resulting in irrigation water percolation to the crop rootzone;
wherein the first field irrigation time and the second field irrigation time provide irrigation water below field capacity for the soil depth at the crop rootzone preventing irrigation water percolation to the soil depth below the crop rootzone thereby saving irrigation water.