FullStop™

WETTING FRONT DETECTOR
(sold in pairs)

OUR PROMISE IS "IF WE SELL IT, WE USE IT ON THE FARM OURSELVES"

FullStop™ wetting front detectors help you to judge how much water plants need as they grow through the seasons.

FullStop™ can be used to:
      • find out if you are irrigating too little or too much
      • assist in the management of fertilizer and salt
      • detect water-logging.

A pair of wetting front detectors - one buried at about one third the depth of the root zone and the other two thirds the depth of the root zone - show the depth to which water (rain or irrigation) has infiltrated into the soil. When the wetting front reaches the detector an indicator pops up which is visible above the soil surface.

What is a wetting front?
When water is added to soil, a wet layer forms over the drier soil below. The wetting front is the boundary between the wet and drier soil. If the soil is dry before irrigation a lot of water will be required to get the wetting front to move deep into the soil. If the soil is wet before irrigation a small amount of water causes the wetting front to move deep into the soil.oats when they are moved onto spent vegetable areas to fertilise the ground and clean up plant residue.

Root zone
In the context of a wetting front detector the root zone is defined as the layer of soil containing most of the plant roots and therefore the zone that needs to be refilled with water. For example wheat roots may reach 1 metre depth or more but a centre pivot generally only rewets topmost layers, which we consider to be the major part of the root zone.

Limitations
The design of the FullStop™ indicators is a balance between simplicity, accuracy and cost. FullStop™ has been designed to respond to 'strong' wetting fronts. In soil physics terms, the strength of the front must be around 2 to3 kPa suction or wetter for the indicator to rise. In practice this means that 'weak' fronts may not be detected and water can move past a detector without activating the indicator. Wetting fronts get weaker as they move deeply into the soil after the irrigation has been turned off. Weak fronts also occur during light rain, or when the application rate of irrigation water is very low.

Future products
The current indicator cap can be swapped for different versions which will soon become available. The first new cap will reset automatically when the soil starts to dry after irrigation. The second will contain an electronic switch so that the rise and fall of the indicator can be logged or used for automatic control of irrigation. A version of the detector with greater sensitivity and more suited to deep placement will also become available.

More Information About FullStop™

    • Parts List
    • Assembly
    • Placement
    • Installation Using Augers
    • Installation Using A Spade And Crowbar
    • Tips For Using
    • Monitoring Nutrients and Salt

Published Articles About FullStop™

© 2003 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation ("CSIRO"). All rights reserved. The FullStop Wetting Front Detector is technology developed and owned by CSIRO Land and Water and manufactured in South Africa by Agriplas (Pty) Limited under licence from CSIRO Land and Water. The device or critical parts of the device are protected by the following patents registered in the name of CSIRO:US patent No 6,532, 803 B2; EU patent pending Application No 98905148: Australian Patent Nos 681994 & 728070; South African Patent No 98/7889 FullStop is an Australian registered trademark.

Disclaimer Any decisions to change water use should be incremental and must be closely and regularly monitored to ascertain any negative impact on the crop. To the extent permitted by law, CSIRO and Gundaroo Tiller accept no liability arising directly or indirectly out of any misuse, negligent or incorrect use of the FullStop, any non-adherence to assembly or installation instructions or any circumstances outside CSIRO or Gundaroo Tiller's control.

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