In-situ measurement of dielectric parameter of soil at microwave frequencies

Knowledge of dielectric permittivity of the soil provides direct measure of soil moisture content. A methodology to determine soil moisture based on the reflection coefficient measurement by a pseudo vector method using a horn antenna has been presented. To verify the efficacy of the method, measurements have been carried out at S, C & X band frequencies at two moisture levels and the corresponding emissivity parameters computed. Results so obtained are in good agreement with the already reported data and the direct moisture measurements. This method is expected to be of interest to agricultural scientists and to those involved in the application of remote sensing in crop studies.