Can I use a Sentera transmitter for agriculture or horticulture applications?
Sentera has products for a wide range of applications. Agriculture is one of those. Sentera products in this category measure CO2, soil moisture, relative humidity, light and temperature. Measuring these parameters is necessary in greenhouses, but it also ties into the smart agriculture trend the world has been observing for decades now.
Sentera sensors can measure and control fans and monitor indoor climate and soil humidity. Sentera sensors for agricultural uses are optimized to help with common issues facing the agricultural industry. These include overwatering, CO2 supply in greenhouses and all applications where light and temperature measurement and logging of these parameters is important.
How to avoid overwatering
The Sentera SWCSM-075 measures soil moisture. Plants and flowers can wither or bloom depending on how well the soil moisture is maintained. If the soil is too dry, plants’ ability to take up nutrients is limited, which stunts plant growth. If the soil is too wet, it becomes a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and fungi. This sensor can easily be connected to other sensors and can control your irrigation system automatically.
CO2 supply and exhaust
Sentera CO2 sensors can measure concentrations up to 10.000 ppm. They are easily adaptable for use in either stables or greenhouses. In greenhouses, the CO2 needs to be supplied, but in stables, the CO2 needs to be changed with fresh air. Plants need between 400 and 1.000 ppm CO2 constantly to grow well. Animals need the CO2 concentrations in the stables to be as low as possible, just like humans. Sentera CO2 sensor controllers can regulate your ventilation system demand-based from low to high and from high to low.
Light and temperature tracking
The above-mentioned CO2 sensors can also keep track of the temperature and humidity levels in stables and greenhouses, which can be important for delicate plants and animals. The ODMHM-R sensor controller can additionally track the ambient light level. This helps especially in greenhouses to find out if your plants get enough light to grow. The reverse may also be true in mushroom growing houses, as mushrooms grow best at specific (low) light intensities.
Features of Sentera agricultural products
Sentera offers duct and outdoor CO2 transmitters that are optimized for agriculture and horticulture applications. The measuring ranges are wide, ensuring that they can be used for your application. The electronics have been treated with a special coating, making them extra corrosion-resistant. This is important in greenhouses, but especially in stables, where high ammonia concentrations may damage sensors that have not been treated.
Modbus RTU and SenteraWeb support smart agriculture
Sentera products can work stand-alone and ventilate your greenhouses and stables demand-based. With Modbus, both small and large agricultural setups can be part of one ventilation system. A Modbus network can be up to 1.000 meters long and control up to 247 devices. Even longer lengths are possible with Modbus repeaters. Especially in greenhouses, there is an added value in data logging. To facilitate data logging, Sentera developed SenteraWeb. SenteraWeb also has other benefits for the agriculture industry. For example, you can set alarms that go off when certain parameters fall below desired levels, generating an automatic notification through e-mail or SMS. Another benefit is that you can do preventative maintenance at exactly the right moments.
Article codes
The following Sentera articles are optimized for agricultural uses:
- The SWCSM-075 soil moisture sensor
- The ODMHM-R CO2 sensor
- The DSMH*-2R duct CO2 sensor series