Soil Moisture Sensor Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Sensor Type (Capacitance sensors, Probes), By Connectivity (Wired, Wireless), By Application (Agriculture, Construction & Mining), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 466.31 Million
CAGR (2026-2031)	15.73%
Fastest Growing Segment	Probes
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 1120.34 Million

Market Overview

The Global Soil Moisture Sensor Market will grow from USD 466.31 Million in 2025 to USD 1120.34 Million by 2031 at a 15.73% CAGR. Soil moisture sensors are precision instruments designed to measure the volumetric water content within soil profiles and enable real time data acquisition for optimal irrigation management. The Global Soil Moisture Sensor Market is primarily driven by the escalating necessity for water conservation and the economic pressure to enhance crop yields through efficient resource allocation. These factors are substantiated by industry performance metrics regarding resource stewardship. According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, in 2025, the implementation of precision agriculture technologies resulted in a 4 percent reduction in water use with the potential to reach a 21 percent decrease at full adoption.

Despite these clear benefits, the market encounters a significant challenge regarding high implementation costs and the technical complexity associated with data integration. Many smallholder farmers lack the capital or specialized knowledge required to operate these systems effectively which limits adoption rates in developing regions. This financial and technical barrier persists as a primary obstacle that could impede the universal expansion of the market beyond large scale commercial operations.

Key Market Drivers

Accelerated Adoption of Precision Agriculture Practices is fundamentally reshaping the market as producers integrate soil moisture sensors into broader farm management ecosystems to maximize input efficiency. This driver is characterized by the transition from intuitive farming to data-driven decision-making, where volumetric water content data is correlated with yield maps to optimize irrigation scheduling. The proliferation of these technologies is evident in the operational shifts of major agricultural enterprises, which increasingly rely on digital tools to maintain competitiveness. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, December 2024, in 'America's Farms and Ranches at a Glance', yield monitors and soil mapping technologies were utilized on 68 percent of large-scale crop-producing farms. This high penetration rate creates a robust infrastructure for soil moisture sensors, as these devices provide the necessary ground-truth data required to calibrate the digital models and automated systems used by modern precision equipment.

Rising Global Water Scarcity and Need for Conservation simultaneously compels the market forward, forcing agricultural sectors to adopt monitoring technologies to mitigate the financial risks associated with hydrological volatility. As freshwater resources diminish, soil moisture sensors become essential compliance and risk management tools rather than optional upgrades, serving as the primary defense against yield loss due to moisture stress. According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, April 2025, in the '2025 Agricultural Weather Challenges Report', drought was identified as the leading weather concern, impacting 82 percent of surveyed agricultural operators across North America. The urgency to address these deficits is reflected in the broader economic landscape, where inefficiency is no longer sustainable. According to the World Bank, in 2024, the global water sector faces an annual financing gap of approximately 140.8 billion dollars, underscoring the critical market demand for cost-effective technological solutions like soil sensors to bridge the disparity between supply and agricultural demand.

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Key Market Challenges

The high implementation costs and technical complexity associated with data integration present a formidable barrier to the expansion of the Global Soil Moisture Sensor Market. While large-scale commercial operations may possess the budgetary elasticity to absorb these expenses, the financial burden effectively prevents adoption among smallholder farmers, who constitute a vast segment of the potential customer base. This economic disconnect creates a saturated market at the premium tier while leaving the mass market in developing regions largely untapped, thereby stalling the industry's volume growth.

The inability of smaller operations to invest in these technologies is exacerbated by their financial vulnerability to environmental volatility. According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, in 2025, 60 percent of small-scale farms reported significant financial losses exceeding $10,000 due to adverse weather events. This erosion of working capital renders the acquisition of advanced sensor systems, which require substantial upfront funding, fiscally partial for many operators. Consequently, the market is unable to expand beyond well-funded agribusinesses, severely limiting its total addressable market and slowing the global trajectory of sensor adoption.

Key Market Trends

The Adoption of Artificial Intelligence for Predictive Irrigation Analytics is advancing the market beyond simple data acquisition toward autonomous, forecast-based decision-making. Unlike traditional systems that react to current moisture thresholds, AI algorithms synthesize real-time sensor inputs with historical climate patterns and crop physiology data to predict future water requirements. This capability allows producers to preemptively adjust irrigation schedules, significantly improving water use efficiency. The financial momentum behind this shift is evident in the recent capital flows into the sector's technology stack. According to AgFunderNews, October 2025, in the 'Agrifoodtech funding down 32% in Q3' report, investment in the Farm Management, Software, and Sensing category increased by 42 percent in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter, highlighting the growing capital allocation toward intelligent agricultural systems.

The Convergence of In-Situ Sensing with Satellite Imagery is simultaneously emerging as a critical trend to address the scalability and cost limitations of ground-based networks. This hybrid approach utilizes soil moisture sensors primarily for ground-truthing to calibrate wide-area satellite data, thereby creating high-resolution moisture maps without requiring dense, expensive sensor grids. By combining the accuracy of point-source measurements with the spatial coverage of remote sensing, operators can achieve precise irrigation management across extensive fields. The operational efficacy of this integrated method is substantiating its market viability. According to MDPI, November 2025, in the 'Integrated Satellite Driven Machine Learning Framework for Precision Irrigation' study, the validation of a hybrid satellite-sensor model demonstrated an average 12 to 18 percent reduction in total water application, proving the system's capability to optimize resource usage significantly.

Segmental Insights

The Probes segment represents the fastest-growing category within the Global Soil Moisture Sensor Market, primarily driven by the escalating demand for precision agriculture and sustainable water management. Unlike surface-level alternatives, probes offer multi-depth soil profiling, enabling farmers to monitor moisture content directly at the root zone for superior irrigation accuracy. This capability is critical for maximizing crop yields and reducing resource wastage amidst increasing water scarcity. Furthermore, support from institutions such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding water-efficient irrigation standards has significantly accelerated the adoption of these robust devices across commercial agricultural operations.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a leading position in the Global Soil Moisture Sensor Market, primarily driven by the extensive adoption of precision agriculture throughout the United States and Canada. The region prioritizes water conservation, where strict compliance standards regarding resource usage necessitate the deployment of accurate monitoring solutions. Institutions such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) support this growth through programs that incentivize sustainable irrigation and resource management. Furthermore, the strong local presence of established sensor manufacturers and significant investments in agricultural research create a favorable environment for continuous market expansion and technology adoption.

Recent Developments

• In February 2025, The Toro Company entered into an exclusive partnership with TerraRad to introduce a new precision irrigation software tool known as Spatial Adjust. This collaboration integrates TerraRad’s turfRad sensor technology, which utilizes L-band microwave radiometry to measure soil moisture, with Toro’s Lynx Central Control platform. The sensors are mounted on maintenance equipment to create real-time moisture maps while the turf is being mowed. The software then processes this data to automatically recommend sprinkler adjustments, allowing golf course superintendents to optimize water application and maintain uniform turf conditions without manual probing.
• In July 2024, Sensoterra announced its support for growers eligible for funding under the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). With the USDA allocating $1.5 billion to promote climate-smart agriculture, the company highlighted the role of its wireless soil moisture sensors in helping farmers adopt sustainable irrigation practices. By providing real-time, calibrated data for precision water management, the company aims to assist growers in meeting the conservation goals required by the funding initiative. This development underscores the increasing reliance on soil moisture sensing technology to enhance soil health and reduce water usage in large-scale agriculture.
• In June 2024, Stevens Water Monitoring Systems Inc. completed the acquisition of Dyacon, a manufacturer specializing in weather instrument products. This strategic move was designed to expand the company's portfolio of environmental data acquisition technologies, complementing its existing expertise in soil physics, water resources, and agronomy management. The integration of Dyacon’s durable weather stations with Stevens’ established soil sensing solutions, such as the HydraProbe, allows the company to offer more comprehensive monitoring systems. The President of Stevens Water Monitoring Systems stated that the acquisition aligns with their mission to provide complete environmental hydrology and meteorological solutions.
• In January 2024, Sentek Technologies released a new Bluetooth-enabled version of its Drill & Drop probe, designed to streamline data collection for agricultural applications. This new product eliminates the need for cables and modems by utilizing a built-in Bluetooth antenna that connects directly to a smartphone app for data retrieval. The probe measures soil moisture, temperature, and salinity at 10-centimeter intervals down the profile and allows users to upload sensor readings to the IrriMAX Live cloud platform via Wi-Fi or mobile data. This launch aims to simplify the installation and monitoring process for growers requiring precise, cable-free soil data.

Key Market Players

• Irrometer Company, Inc.
• Acclima, Inc
• Campbell Scientific, Inc.
• Dynamax, Inc.
• Lindsay Corporation
• Sentek Pty Ltd
• IMKO Micromodultechnik GmbH
• KROHNE Messtechnik GmbH
• Netafim Limited
• Delta-T Devices Ltd.

By Sensor Type	By Connectivity	By Application	By Region
Capacitance sensors Probes	Wired Wireless	Agriculture Construction & Mining	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Soil Moisture Sensor Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Soil Moisture Sensor Market, By Sensor Type:

• Capacitance sensors
• Probes

• Soil Moisture Sensor Market, By Connectivity:

• Wired
• Wireless

• Soil Moisture Sensor Market, By Application:

• Agriculture
• Construction & Mining

• Soil Moisture Sensor Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE