Sentek Drill & Drop Soil Moisture Probe
Features
- Quick and easy undisturbed installation due to tapered shape
- Measures the true soil profile, not slurry
- Pre-normalized sensors with built-in default calibration equation
- Free ground shipping
- Expedited repair and warranty service
- Lifetime technical support
- More
The Drill & Drop is a fully encapsulated, easy to install, soil measurement probe. Probes are available in five lengths; 10cm, 30cm, 60cm, 90cm, and 120cm with sensors fixed at every 10cm (4”) increment. Purchase options are either with soil moisture + temperature sensors or soil moisture + temperature + salinity.
Due to the ease of install and protected electronics, the Drill & Drop is ideally suited to situations where a monitoring probe may need to be moved between sites in short-term and annual crops. Having the electronics completely encapsulated and able to be completely buried also makes the probe suited to long term installations, where machinery will pass often, such as dry land and feed crops. Being able to leave the probe in the ground means long term, uninterrupted data trends and comparison between seasons is possible.
The Drill & Drop also covers the issue of data continuity and integrity where the probe does need to be reinstalled. The ingenious tapered probe and matching auger allows direct, slurry-free, installation. This direct installation method means that the probe is measuring ‘real’ representative soil conditions immediately after install, because the surrounding soil has not been disturbed.
In The News
Lake Malawi: A Treasure to Protect
Lake Malawi (also known as Lake Nyasa and Lake Niassa) doubles as a Rift Valley Lake and one of the seven African Great Lakes. Due to its unique biodiversity, it’s a great place to conduct limnological studies. Harvey Bootsma is a professor for the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has had an interest in limnology ever since he was a kid. Bootsma fondly recalls summer vacations to Georgian Bay, Ontario, “I probably spent as much time in the water as I did out of it.” He continues, "I remember telling myself, ‘I’m going to get a job where I can stay here all the time.’” While Harvey didn’t end up working on Georgian Bay, he was offered a job working on Lake Malawi. He continued working there while completing his Ph.D.
Read MoreMicrobes and Human Health: Aquatic Microbial Communities May Hold Clues about How Deadly Pathogens Spread
Aquatic ecosystems are incredibly complex, with many different biotic and abiotic factors constantly interacting. Microbial communities are a key part of aquatic ecosystems, involved in the constant flow of energy and recycling of organic matter, according to Science Direct . The true scope of microbial community impacts on aquatic ecosystems is still not entirely understood. Eric Benbow, a professor of community ecology at Michigan State University, is exploring how microbial communities and pathogens may be negatively impacting human health, and how a changing climate could worsen this problem. 
 How Do Pathogens Arise? 
 Benbow, along with his students and colleagues, are studying a realm of community ecology that is still relatively unknown.
Read MoreWinter 2023 Environmental Monitor Available Now
In this issue, we showcase researchers from across the globe and the importance of monitoring and protecting biodiversity in a variety of ecosystems. From endangered freshwater mussels across the U.S. to vegetation in the Amazon Rainforest , this latest edition highlights the importance of species of all sizes. Through monitoring various parameters, researchers spent the year gathering data and constructing management plans to protect these valuable species. 
 
Our writers also sought out science professionals that are dedicated to protecting nature’s most vulnerable through traditional and more contemporary methods.
Read More