Among the techniques for soil moisture evaluation, the use of Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) stands out, which consists of an indirect, non-destructive, fast and accurate method less dependent on environmental factors. However, works carried out after its applications suggest the influence of factors related to soils structural and mineralogical characteristics, which makes necessary the site calibration for the TDR proper functioning. The aim of this work was to study the influence of bulk density (Ds) on the volumetric soil water content (θ), using the TDR technique in a Dystroferric Red Ultisol. A model that expresses the relationship between the soil dielectric constant (Ka) and θ was adjusted by multiple polynomial regression, with the incorporation of Ds for the estimation of its coefficients. The results showed that in this soil, the calibration model should take into account the effect of Ds, without which the quality of the moisture estimates from the dielectric constant measurements is compromised. The results also highlighted the high sensitivity of TDR to the variation of soil moisture, making it possible the accurate use of this technique in actions involving the monitoring of the variation in soil moisture. The results indicated the need for further studies on the use of TDR in tropical soils.
reflectometry; irrigation; soil water; soil structure; instrumentation
