Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Murata") has added a soil sensor function that can measure artificial soils such as rock wool and coconut in addition to conventional ordinary soil. The new product will be available for sale from September 2023.

In recent years, artificial soils such as rock wool and coconut husks, which are prepared as nutrient soils, have been widely used for crops such as tomatoes and strawberries. Compared with ordinary soils, these soils have a much higher water retention capacity and are difficult to get in close contact with sensors, making it difficult to accurately measure moisture and EC(1) values.

(1) EC (Electric Conductivity): Electrical conductivity. The amount of ions in fertilizers can be measured by measuring the EC value.

To this end, Murata has achieved the measurement of the moisture content and EC value of rock wool and coconut husks through software upgrades and the addition of new sensor functions. Based on this, it is possible to achieve high quality, increased yields, and resource conservation of crops by optimizing the management of water and fertilizer resources in various cultivation environments. Murata will continue to develop sensors that meet the needs of the agricultural market and contribute to the realization of sustainable agricultural production.