In 2019, the USDA Northeast Climate Hub provided support to an existing University of New Hampshire project helping growers to better manage their irrigation needs by monitoring soil moisture.
The extra funds allowed soil moisture sensors to be installed on farms across the state. Sensors were added to existing NEWA weather stations maintained by UNH Cooperative Extension. For more information on how soil moisture sensors can help farmers save water, check out the factsheet, Soil Moisture Sensors: A Tool for Smart Irrigation Management Decisions
View factsheet"Understanding the effects of rainfall and irrigation events on soil moisture provides critical insight for growers about the present growing environment for their crops. While experienced growers have learned over seasons of observations how their soils and water interact, utilizing a soil moisture measuring device of some sort enables them to put a number on their observations and more accurately track trends over time." - Excerpt from 'Soil Moisture Sensors: A Tool for Smart Irrigation Management Decisions'