Selecting appropriate sensors is only part of the engineering challenge.
Equally important is determining where those sensors should be installed.
Measurements obtained outside the active hydraulic region may provide limited value regardless of sensor quality.
Sensor positioning should therefore consider factors such as root distribution, irrigation geometry, expected moisture gradients and soil variability.
Future engineering research may define different installation strategies for different crop types, soil conditions and irrigation methods.
Sensor placement should always maximise the usefulness of collected information while minimising installation complexity.