Nhiên et al. (2026) Assessment of the Potential Application of the Chameleon Soil Moisture Sensor to Grow the Upland Crop in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Advances in Agriculture
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-01
• Authors: Châu Thị Nhiên, Cao Dinh An Giang, Brooke Kaveney, Jason Condon, Dang Duy Minh, Tran Duy Khanh, Châu Minh Khôi
• DOI: 10.1155/aia/7723355

Research Groups

Information not provided in the text.

Short Summary

This study evaluated the Chameleon soil water sensor for improving irrigation management of upland crops in the Mekong River Delta, demonstrating its consistent sensitivity across soil types and its ability to significantly reduce irrigation water use (45.1%–53.8% in greenhouse, >60% in field) while maintaining comparable crop yields, especially when combined with mulching.

Objective

• To evaluate the potential of the Chameleon soil water sensor as a tool to improve irrigation management for upland crops cultivated on former rice fields in the Mekong River Delta, particularly during the dry season.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Laboratory (soil calibration), greenhouse (controlled conditions), and field (real-world conditions in the Mekong River Delta).
• Temporal Scale: Dry season (context of the problem), duration of three independent trials (not explicitly stated, but implied over a period sufficient for crop growth and sensor evaluation).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: van Genuchten model (for soil water retention curves).
• Data sources: Laboratory-based calibration experiments, greenhouse experiments (using beetroot as a test crop), and field assessment trials (integrating sensor with straw mulching for beetroot).

Main Results

• The Chameleon soil water sensor showed consistent sensitivity across sandy, clay loam, and silty clay soils, aligning well with van Genuchten-modeled soil water retention curves.
• In greenhouse conditions, sensor-guided irrigation reduced water use by 45.1%–53.8% compared to farmer's daily irrigation practice across increasing salinity levels (0, 0.5, and 1.0 kg m⁻³), while maintaining comparable beetroot yields (up to 63.2 g pot⁻¹) and significantly improving water use efficiency (up to 4.71 kg m⁻³).
• The field trial demonstrated that combining the sensor with mulching stabilized soil moisture, improved chlorophyll content (58.35 SPAD), and reduced total irrigation by over 60% compared to the control.

Contributions

• Confirms the Chameleon sensor's potential as a simple and practical tool for precision irrigation in smallholder farming systems.
• Proposes the integration of the Chameleon sensor with mulching as a promising strategy for water conservation and salinity management in saline-affected areas like the Mekong River Delta and similar environments.

Funding

Information not provided in the text.

Citation

@article{Nhiên2026Assessment,
  author = {Nhiên, Châu Thị and Giang, Cao Dinh An and Kaveney, Brooke and Condon, Jason and Minh, Dang Duy and Khanh, Tran Duy and Khôi, Châu Minh},
  title = {Assessment of the Potential Application of the Chameleon Soil Moisture Sensor to Grow the Upland Crop in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam},
  journal = {Advances in Agriculture},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1155/aia/7723355},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1155/aia/7723355}
}