Introduction – Campbell Scientific Sentek EnviroSCAN Access Tube Installation Guide User Manual

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Introduction

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Introduction

The Access Tube Installation Guide provides important information about how to select monitoring sites and
install access tubes. Please read this information prior to installing access tubes.

Site selection and access tube installation have a significant impact on the value of the soil moisture data
that can be gathered on your property.

Warning: Good Site Selection is Critical

To obtain representative soil moisture readings, the site where the access tube is

installed must reflect changes in soil moisture and crop water use trends which can

then be used to representatively schedule irrigations over a defined area.

This area may be an entire field or a subsection of a field where irrigation water is

applied during a watering shift.

The quality of access tube installation is critical. The access tube must fit tightly

against the soil and cause the least possible disturbance to the surrounding soil

profile.

To take soil moisture readings, access tubes are installed at monitoring sites, which should be chosen using
a series of proven evaluation methods described in the section on Site Selection.

It is important to select monitoring sites so that the information that is gathered from them is representative of
the surrounding crop water use and soil water holding capacity. At each site, one or several PVC access
tubes may be driven into the soil. The access tube prevents the direct contact of the Sentek probe with the
soil. The bottom stopper and top cap prevent moisture and dirt from entering the tube.

The access tube installation process is described in the section on Access Tube Installation for Diviner
2000, Env iroSCAN and Env iroSMART.

Warning: If you do not understand any of the information presented here on Site

Selection, consult a trained Sentek reseller or agronomist. Incorrect site selection

can result in misleading data and/or crop damage.

Access tubes are installed using Sentek precision installation tools designed to install access tubes in a
range of soil types. It is recommended that you always try the Standard manual installation method first. A
slurry method is available for installations in soils with high stone and gravel content.

Note: To identify the tools you require to install the access tube, examine the soil

profile with a shovel or backhoe close to the nominated monitoring sites. Read the

section on Access Tube Installation for Diviner 2000, EnviroSCAN and

EnviroSMART to work out which toolkits and additional tools will be required for

your installations.

When the monitoring of a soil profile is no longer required, the access tubes can be removed, cleaned and
stored. This process is described in the section on Removing Access Tubes.

If you have any questions, Sentek recommends consultation with a trained reseller or agronomist prior to
installation. Trained resellers and agronomists understand the complexity of site selection for irrigation
scheduling and the need for proper installation of the access tubes.