Towards the optimization of a scintillator-based neutron detector for large non-invasive soil moisture estimation

Cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) has been established as a reliable method to estimate non-invasively field average soil moisture. Most of the detectors are, however, based on expensive or toxic materials providing some limitations for a wider application of the method. In this study we further test and develop a new neutron detector based on composite scintillators specifically designed for agro-hydrological applications called CRNS-Finapp. It is shown that the probe is very sensitive to the temperature, however, the effect can be easily compensated by the high voltage module embedded in the probe. Field experiments conducted at a vineyard also support the capability of this new detector to be integrated in long-term observation networks. Further developments will focus on improving the efficiency of the neutron counting rate, on the reduction of the power consumption and on the communication protocols for the transmission of the data.