Our substrate monitoring system delivers precise, data-driven control over the root zone environment—optimizing irrigation and climate for superior crops like tomatoes, strawberries, and cannabis.
What is Substrate Soil?
Substrate soil (or growing media) is an artificially formulated soilless cultivation medium composed of organic or inorganic materials. It serves as an alternative to traditional soil, providing root support, water retention, and nutrient delivery. Common substrate materials include:
Organic Substrates: Coco coir, peat moss, wood fiber, rice husk biochar, compost.
Inorganic Substrates: Perlite, vermiculite, rockwool, clay pellets, sand.
Precision in the Media. Excellence in the Harvest.
Compared to conventional soil, substrate soil offers several advantages:
✅ Superior Aeration: High porosity (30%–70%) ensures better root oxygenation, reducing rot risk.
✅ Controlled Water & Nutrient Retention: Adjustable composition (e.g., strawberries prefer moisture, tomatoes need drainage).
✅ Disease-Free: Minimizes soil-borne pathogens (e.g., root-knot nematodes, fusarium wilt).
✅ Lightweight: Ideal for vertical farming (e.g., rack systems, bag culture, trough cultivation).
⚠️ Requires Precision Management: Substrates lack inherent nutrients, necessitating fertigation with close EC/pH monitoring.
1.Tailored for Your Media: Specifically designed for coir, rockwool, and other common substrates, delivering insights that matter for your specific growing environment.
2. The Complete Climate Picture: Monitors key variables from light intensity and CO₂ to root-zone temperature and moisture, giving you unparalleled control.
3.Automate for Optimal Uptake: Integrates LoRa wireless networking with automated irrigation to deliver water and nutrients with perfect timing and efficiency.
4.Data-Driven Cultivation: Move beyond guesswork. Use real-time data to optimize drip irrigation and lighting schedules for crops like cannabis, basil, and strawberries.
◀◀ Product Parameters ▶▶
Essential Sensors for Substrate Environment Monitoring
Substrate cultivation hinges on maintaining water-air-nutrient balance, requiring monitoring of:
(1) Substrate Related Sensors Parameters
Output Interface | SDI-12, V1.3 |
Power Supply | 3.6-16V/DC |
Power Consumption | Quiescent Current : 30uA Measuring Current : 10mA during 150ms measurement |
Soil Moisture Measurement | Apparent dielectric permittivity (xa): Range:1-81 (air - water) Resolution: 1.00-40.00: ±0.1, 40.00-81.00: ±0.5 Accuracy: 1.00-40.00: ±2%, 40.00-81.00: ±5% Soil Moisture(VWC): Range:0%-100% (air - water) Resolution: derived by the conversion function from epsilon to VWC Accuracy: derived by the conversion function from epsilon to VWC |
EC Measurement | Range: 0-23ds/m Resolution: 0-7ds/m, 0.01ds/m; 7-23ds/m, 0.05ds/m Accuracy: 0-7ds/m, 5%; 7-23ds/m, 15% EC temperature compensation: 0-50°C |
Temperature Measurement | Range: -40~80°C, Resolution:0.1°C, Accuracy:±0.5°C |
Measurement Technique | Moisture by FDR and EC by AC excitation |
IP Ratings | IP68 |
Operating Temperature | -40~85°C |
Sensor Rod | Stainless steel |
Sensor Sealed | Epoxy resin |
Installation | Surface or buried installation |
Cable Length | 5 meters or Customize |
Dimension | 88*71*26mm |
(2) Ambient Parameters
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Temperature Range | -40°C to 75°C (±0.2°C accuracy) |
| Humidity Range | 0–100% RH (±3% accuracy) |
| CO2 Range | 0–5000ppm (±50ppm +5% accuracy) |
| Illuminance Range | 0–200,000 Lux (indoor: 0–65,535 Lux) |
| Outputs | 4–20mA / 0–10V / RS485 (Modbus-RTU) / RS232 |
| Power Supply | 9–30V DC (12V recommended) |
| Protection Grade | IP65 (dust/waterproof) |
| Probe Options | Built-in (standard, PE, metal) / External (high-temp, threaded) |
| Dimensions | Compact wall-mount design (105mm hole spacing) |
| Communication | Modbus-RTU protocol, 9600 baud rate |
Also support other parameters, please contact sales!
◀◀ Recommended Setup solution▶▶
Recommended Setup for Small-Scale Substrate Cultivation (Strawberry Example)
System Overview
Cultivation Method: 3-tier vertical rack (20 pots/layer, coco coir + perlite substrate).
Area: 10㎡.
Automation: Fertigation triggered by EC/pH, cloud-based data logging.
Sensor Configuration
| Equipment | Example Model | Qty | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substrate Moisture/Temp/EC | BGT-SEC(Z2) | 6 | 2 per layer (mid-depth monitoring). |
| Substrate pH Sensor | BGT-PH1 | 3 | 1 per layer, linked to fertigation. |
| Canopy Temp/Humidity | BGT-AWS(Wall mounted) | 3 | 1 per layer, with radiation shield. |
| CO₂ Sensor | BGT-WSQ | 1 | Centrally mounted for full coverage. |
| PAR Sensor | BGT-PAR1 | 1 | Height-adjustable at canopy level. |
| Controller | 1 set | Data processing & irrigation/light control. |
Automation Logic
Irrigation: Triggered when substrate moisture <30% (10-minute fertigation).
Nutrient Control: Reduce fertilizer if EC >2.5mS/cm; adjust pH if <5.5.
Environment Control: Inject CO₂ if <800ppm; activate grow lights if PAR <200μmol.