Assessment of the Potential Application of the Chameleon Soil Moisture Sensor to Grow the Upland Crop in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

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Abstract
The increasing impacts of water scarcity and salinity intrusion in the Mekong River Delta (MRD) pose significant challenges to sustainable agricultural production, particularly during the dry season. This study evaluated 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 MRD. Three independent trials were conducted: (1) laboratory‐based calibration for the sensor across three common soil textures of the MRD, (2) investigating the use of the Chameleon soil water sensor under varying salinity levels of irrigation water in the greenhouse condition, using beetroot ( Beta vulgaris L.) as a test crop, and (3) the field assessment integrating the sensor with straw mulching for beetroot under real‐world conditions. The results showed that the Chameleon soil water sensor demonstrated 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 the farmer’s daily irrigation practice (the control) treatment across increasing salinity levels (0, 0.5, and 1.0 g L −1 ) of saline irrigating water, while maintaining comparable beetroot yields (up to 63.2 g pot −1 ) and significantly improving water use efficiency (WUE), reaching values up to 4.71 kg m −3 . The field trial showed 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. These findings confirm the Chameleon sensor’s potential as a simple and practical tool for precision irrigation. Its integration with mulching offers a promising strategy for water conservation and salinity management in smallholder farming systems in the saline‐affected areas in the MRD and similar environments.
Funding Information
  • Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (SLAM/2018/144)

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