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Water Quality Data
IRRIGATION SCHEDULING
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SUMMARY
In summary, you have seen how the water budget equation can help you to control the amount of moisture in the effective root zone. It identifies the primary sources (irrigation, rainfall, and upwards movement of groundwater) and losses of water (crop evapotranspiration and deep percolation) in the root zone.
Solving the water budget equation requires a certain amount of information. But there are many sources available to you, including the resources of the District's Water Conservation Program. This water management handbook contains much data on crop water use, recommended water management, and soils. The District publishes the Crop Water Use Guide on a weekly basis.
An easy way to utilize the water budget equation is to use the Irrigation Scheduling Charts developed for the major soils in the District. These too are contained in the Reference chapter.
The science behind the water budget equation is sound. But it is strongly recommended that you take regular measurements of soil and/or plant moisture levels to verify calculations. Taken before an irrigation they can backup the estimate of how much water to apply. Taken after an irrigation they can verify that the irrigation was sufficient.
Effective, efficient irrigations are the result of knowing WHEN, HOW MUCH, and HOW to irrigate. Modern irrigation scheduling techniques help you to identify the WHEN and the HOW MUCH.
Through years of experience, Growers have learned to judge the WHEN of irrigations through the appearance of the crop. Modern irrigation scheduling techniques do not disregard this experience. Experience will be instrumental in the application of modern techniques. However, new varieties can require new strategies on when and when not to irrigate. And modern techniques help planning. They indicate when and how many fields are getting close to an irrigation. And most important, they provide an estimate of HOW MUCH to irrigate.
Irrigation scheduling can help you to repeat the right things and prevent the wrong things from happening again. It helps provide a more complete record of what was done to a crop, when, and in what circumstances.
The District strongly encourages you to utilize some form of irrigation scheduling. The District's Water Conservation group is available to help you choose how best to apply irrigation scheduling to your operations.
Previous Page Top of PageLast updated September 2000