Why Are My Uptake Readings So High?

Why Are My Uptake Readings So High?

High uptake can be caused by soil conditions or sensor installation. 

Common causes of high uptake readings

Soil structure and shrink/swell of soil

Some soils contain a structure that is more conducive to shrinking and swelling around the soil sensor.

When this happens, the sensor may record a larger change in moisture than the amount of water actually used by the crop. This is equal for both increases and decreases in moisture

This can make the profile appear to:

  • Increases in profile sums larger than the actual irrigation or rainfall
  • Dry down faster than expected
  • Show unusually high daily uptake
  • Swing significantly between irrigation events
When this behavior is consistent across the profile and is caused by the natural properties of the soil, the Amplification Factor may help normalize the calculated moisture movement. Note that if a soil shows this one year, it's likely the soil's behavior and you'll see it in consecutive years as well given the sensor is located in the same area.

Amplification Factor applies to the combined sensor profile. It does not adjust only one individual depth.

Sensor installation or field conditions

Readings may also be affected by:

  • Poor soil contact around the sensor
  • Installation holes or air gaps
  • Cracking or shrinking soil
  • Water channeling near the sensor
  • A sensor located in an unrepresentative area of the field

Using Amplification Factor

In some situations, the sensor may be measuring real moisture changes, but the profile calculation may be overstating their significance. The Amplification Factor reduces the calculated profile movement so that uptake, full-point, and refill-point values better reflect actual field behavior.
When the individual sensor readings appear reasonable but the combined profile consistently exaggerates water movement, Amplification Factor may be used to normalize the calculated profile.

The default value is 1.0, which applies no adjustment. We DO NOT recommend using amplification factors greater than 1.

A lower value reduces the calculated profile movement. For example, an Amplification Factor of 0.5 reduces the calculated profile values by approximately half.

This reduces:

  • Calculated uptake
  • Full point
  • Refill point
  • Overall profile movement

The original individual moisture readings may remain unchanged because the factor is applied to the profile calculation.

Before changing the Amplification Factor

First review:
  1. Individual depth readings
  2. Irrigation and rainfall events
  3. Full and refill points
  4. Sensor installation
  5. Soil type and field conditions
  6. Whether the readings match visible crop stress and actual irrigation demand

If the profile is still consistently more reactive than expected, adjust the Amplification Factor gradually and compare the results against known field activity.

How to save the setting

After entering a new Amplification Factor, press Enter to apply the value.

There may not be a separate Save button. Refresh the page afterward to confirm that the new value was saved.
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Review the full article on Amplification Factor here.

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