At the EGU General Assembly 2026 in Vienna (3–8 May 2026), Shawkat Hassan (University of Basilicata) presented a new method designed to make the measurement of soil hydraulic properties faster and easier directly in the field. The study introduced TDR-2D, an approach that combines soil-moisture sensors with computer modelling to understand how water moves through soil.
Knowing how quickly soil absorbs, stores and transmits water is essential for improving irrigation, reducing water losses and understanding the movement of nutrients and pollutants. However, traditional field measurements can require considerable time and effort, especially when many locations need to be studied because soil characteristics can vary substantially within the same field.
The new method was tested at an experimental field at CIHEAM Bari. Thirty-six locations were monitored using sensors installed next to drip-irrigation emitters operating at three different flow rates: 2, 4 and 6 litres per hour. Measurements were collected both while irrigation was running and afterwards, as the water continued to redistribute through the soil.
The study is part of the research carried out within the framework of the NPP-SOL project, part of the PRIMA Programme supported by the European Union.