Just when superintendents are getting used to their new soil moisture meter -- the FieldScout TDR 300 from Spectrum Technologies seems to be the favorite -- along comes another tool designed for turf use that combines moisture sensing with conductivity and temperature measurement along with on-board GPS and WiFi.The new POGO® (for "Poke and Go") from Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc. (formerly Leupold-Stevens) is a handheld probe that measures moisture (% volumetric water content), temperature (degrees C and F) and conductivity (EC in dS/m).
Carmen Magro, CGCS, well-known to many in the industry as a former superintendent, former director of the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program at Penn State, musician and industry consultant, is heading up the POGO program as Vice President, Business Development / Agronomist for Stevens.
"It is widely accepted that measuring soil moisture without salts is not nearly as useful as measuring them together," Magro said. "So we combined those capabilities along with temperature measurement and GPS positioning data in POGO. Now a superintendent can accurately and instantly measure moisture, EC and temperature together to help identify key stress on turf which moisture measurements alone can't detect.""Using POGO, dry spots or wilt spots can be easily identified as truly dry spots, or really salt-induced stress," he continued. "With that information, one can determine and map distribution uniformity of all three variables in any particular zone or area, and then make irrigation adjustments, hand-watering applications, nutrient applications and stress-relief applications as needed, in real time."
"Using POGO, dry spots or wilt spots can be easily identified as truly dry spots, or really salt-induced stress..."
The POGO interfaces via WiFi with a custom app for iPhone, iPad, iPod or Android device. A turf-specific app will be released in October.
The user inserts the probe end of the POGO into the soil, selects the correct soil type from the menu, and taps the Sample button on the screen of the Apple/Android device. The app will display soil temperature, conductivity and dielectric permittivity on-screen for immediate viewing. The user also has the option to log with time and date stamp all sensor measurements to a file with optional GPS location coordinates also recorded. Saved data can then be easily sent via email as a CSV file for further analysis.
"Putting this all together, a superintendent can now easily establish baseline values of the turf performance and conditions he or she desires," Magro continued. "Then they can easily monitor conditions with daily measurements and quickly make decisions as needed to maintain desired conditions."
"Compared to other moisture sensing units, the difference is that the POGO does it all for you. There is no need for add-on GPS units or even software to use the POGO. Unlimited data storage, share anywhere right from the app and analyze instantly through the app. To top it off we offer a 5 year warranty. This is the superintendent coming out of me. I need to know this is going to help me and be able to withstand the wear-and-tear of daily use on the golf course," Magro said.
"This is the superintendent coming out of me. I need to know this is going to help me and be able to withstand the wear-and-tear of daily use on the golf course..." - Carmen Magro
The POGO utilizes the Stevens Hydra Probe II sensing technology that has been deployed over 10 years by the USDA and is used by NASA for ground truthing of satellite-based soil imaging. Stevens is the environmental sensor supplier for NOAA, the USDA and the NRCS in the US as well as agricultural agencies and governing bodies around the globe.The POGO has an anodized aluminum housing (available in multiple colors) that contains a rechargeable battery pack that powers the Hydra Probe. An LCD screen indicates battery voltage.
Retail price is $1995. More information here.