Table 9 Required features of devices for soil properties monitoring according to farmers' expectations.
Device characteristic | Characteristic significance | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Not important | Important | Very important | ||||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Low price | 73 | 7.04 | 526 | 50.7 | 438 | 42.2 |
Measurement accuracy | 28 | 2.73 | 386 | 37.7 | 611 | 59.6 |
Measurement depth 0–15 cm | 77 | 8.38 | 533 | 58.0 | 309 | 33.6 |
Depth 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm | 88 | 9.21 | 523 | 54.8 | 344 | 36.0 |
Reliability and damage resistance | 43 | 4.37 | 395 | 40.2 | 545 | 55.4 |
Easy assembly and service | 62 | 6.13 | 462 | 45.7 | 487 | 48.2 |
Wireless data transmission | 187 | 18.9 | 518 | 52.5 | 282 | 28.6 |
Estimation of water dosage | 134 | 14.8 | 464 | 51.2 | 308 | 34.0 |
Estimation of water dosage* | 8 | 7.84 | 44 | 43.1 | 50 | 49.0 |
Irrigation automation* | 21 | 22.1 | 38 | 40.0 | 36 | 37.9 |
Irrigation automation | 214 | 24.5 | 436 | 49.9 | 224 | 25.6 |
