Methods of Irrigation Scheduling

and
Determination of Irrigation threshold triggers
Introduction
Principle of irrigation Scheduling

Methods of irrigation scheduling

Determination of Irrigation Triggers

Worked example – Water Balance Method

Determination of Field Capacity
1 meter deep
A kilometer wide
 7 Million Km Long
180 times around the world

www.maps-world.net/africa-asia.htm
Water Required

3000 Calories of food

6.7 Billion Inhabitants

Every Day for a year

Irrigation Scheduling
Combined management and technical tool
which dictates:
When to Irrigate
How much water your crop requires
How fast to apply water to your crop
How often to irrigate
Irrigation
scheduling
is the key to
improve
irrigation
Efficiency
Principle
Irrigation Scheduling
FC-Soil water content in the soil
after a saturated soil has drained by
gravity
 Upper Threshold -FC

Lower Threshold -%FC

Threshold
Irrigation Scheduling Methods

Irrigation Scheduling
Methods

Soil Water Plant Water Soil Water Balance

Monitoring Monitoring Modelling Approach
 Irrigation Scheduling
Soil Water Monitoring
Soil Water
Monitoring

Direct Indirect

Feel and
Appearance Volumetric Tensiometric

Gravimetric Dielectric Sensor Tensiometers

Electrical Resistive
Volumetric Neutron Probe
Sensor

Others Others
 Why Irrigation Scheduling by
Standalone sensors?
Crop Factor Soil Water Factor Climatic Factor

Trigger
Complex and Variable Processes

Soil Moisture Sensors simplifies these complexities into

one measurement
Trigger can be a function of FC or AWC
 20-27th August 2008

15cm sensor
Average trend at 25cm Commencement of irrigation
45cm sensor

Days
Irrigation Scheduling Methods

Irrigation Scheduling
Methods

Plant Water
Monitoring
Stem/Leaf Water
Potential

Canopy
Temperature
Plant Water Monitoring
Based on plant response

Does not answer the question “HOW

MUCH water is required but
“WHEN TO IRRIGATE”.
Plant water monitoring
Leaf Water Potential
Water - xylem vessels
Water - under tension (negative pressure)
Plant water monitoring
Leaf Water Potential
Xylem vessel extends to the leaves
Leaf Water Potential
 The Pressure bomb

Hoses

Hose Connection
Pressure Gauge

Specimen Holder Metering Valve

Preparation Board 3-way ball valve

Plant water monitoring
Leaf Water Potential

Integrate
Soil factors indirect
Environmental
Plant factors
 Plot of Midday Stem Water Potential
(MSWP) Vs. Time for walnut
Time of Day (hrs)
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
0.0
Fully Watered Mild stress Moderate Stress

-2.0
-3 to -5 bars
Midday stem WP

-4.0
-5.5 to -7.5 bars
-6.0
-8.0 to -10.0 bars

-8.0 Threshold range

-10.0

Mid day sampling

-12.0 time Period 1-3 pm
Plant water monitoring
Canopy Temperature
Transpiration cools the leaves below
ambient temperature.
If Tcanopy > Tambium, this imples reduced
evapotransipration and increased stress
 Plot of Difference Between Canopy
12.0 and Air Temperature
10.0
Irrigation Intervals
8.0
(Tc-Ta) °C

6.0

4.0

2.0
Stressed
0.0

-2.0
Reduced Stressed
-4.0

Date 1983

Difference in Canopy temperature used in conjunction with Soil water

potential (0.4 MPa at 76mm depth) to irrigation Kentucky Blue grass
turf
Irrigation Scheduling Methods
Irrigation Scheduling
Methods

Soil Water Balance

Modelling Approach
Combination of
Plant, soil and
Climate
Water Balance Model
A soil water accounting system
Daily withdrawals
Daily inputs
Change in storage

Accounting is done up to some

predetermined threshold.
Soil is irrigated back to field capacity
Water Balance Model

Inputs= Outputs ±
∆S
Transpiration Irrigation
Evaporation
Rainfall

Runoff

S
Root Zone

Capillary
Rise Deep
Percolation
 Water Balance Model
Outputs
Inputs
SMDt = SMDt-1- (ETat+Dt +Rnt) + (Rt + It+C)

Ground Level
SMDt-1
SMDt
ETat

Dt
Threshold
Rnt
Summary
Irrigation Scheduling
Methods

Soil Water Plant Water Soil Water Balance

Monitoring Monitoring Modelling Approach

Soil moisture approach is simple if the triggers can be

accurately calculated.

Plant approach measures the stress level of the plant,

destructive and answers the question when but not
how much. Generally used in conjunction with other
methods

Water Balance approach is a more holistic methods

Determination of Irrigation Trigger
Points
Three important concepts are necessary
Field Capacity
Permanent Wilting Point
Available water capacity
Readily Available Moisture
Maximum Allowable Deficit
Field Capacity
Water contained in a
soil after a saturated
soil has been drained
for at least two day

usually occurs typically

at pressure heads of -
0.1 (10kPa) to -0.33
bars (33Kpa).
Permanent Wilting Point
Permanent wilting
point (PWP) represents
to lower limit of water
available to plants.
At this stage crops tend
to wilt and cannot
PWP
recover if irrigated.
Typically occurs at 15
bars (15MPa)
Plant Available Water

 Water within the soil profile between

FC and PWP

PWP

AWC = θfc - θwp

Objective of understanding Plant soil water relationship –
Maximize crop yields managing soil and water and crop
 Available water
Permanent
Field capacity Available water
Soil Texture Wilting Pt
(by% volume) (by %volume)
(by %Volume)
15 7 8
Sandy
(10-20) (3-10) (6-10)
21 9 12
Sandy Loam
(15-27) (6-12) (9-15)
31 14 17
Loam
(25-36) (11-17) (14-20)
36 18 18
Clay Loam
(31-42) (15-20) (16-22)
40 20 20
Silty clay
(35-46) (17-22) (18-23)
44 21 23
Clay
(39-49) (19-24) (20-25)
Plant Available Water Content
and Available Water
Available water (AW)
= (water content - wilting point) ×
rooting depth

Available water capacity (AWC)

= (field capacity - wilting point) ×
rooting depth
Sample Problem1

Field Capacity
Soil Available Water
 Sample Problem
 A soil sample taken after gravitational
drainage has a total volume of 50 cm3,
of which 12 cm3 is water. Find the field
Capacity?
a. Field capacity = ?
12cm3/50cm3=0.24 or 24%
 Sample Problem
b. If the Permanent wilting
point is 0.11 or 11% and
the plant rooting depth is
60 cm. Find the available
water capacity?
-0.24
Available Water Capacity
Available water capacity (AWC)
-0.11 = (field capacity - wilting point) × rooting
60cm
depth

(0.24-0.11)*60cm=7.8cm or 78mm

Answer 78 mm or 7.8 cm
 Sample Problem
C. When this soil has a
water content of 0.18
what is the Available
water?
 Available water = ?

-0.24 FC

-0.18
Available Water
60cm -0.11 PWP

Available water (AW)

= (Moisture Content- wilting point) × rooting depth

(0.18-0.11)*60cm=4.2cm or 42mm
Answer 42 mm or 4.2 cm
 Readily Available Water

 Readily available soil moisture

PWP

AWC = θfc - θwp

 Readily Available Water
 water which can be removed from the soil
with minimal energy applied.
 It is common to consider about 50% of the
available water as readily available water.

θfc
θRAW
θAWC

θPWP

RAW = ½* AWC
 Readily Available Water
All of the available water
can be used by the plant,
The closer the soil is to
the wilting point, the
greater the stress is that
the plant experiences
when water is being
removed from the soil.
Plant stress and yield loss
are possible after the
readily available water has
been depleted
 Maximum Allowable Deficit
The maximum level of depletion to which
the soil can dry without causing water deficit
stress in a crop that has a fully expanded root
zone
For most vegetable crops its 30-40% of AWC
The MAD therefore
become the
lower trigger
and field FC
the upper trigger
 Relationship between
 Sandy loam
FC and AWC
 FC= 24%
 PWP=11%
 AWC=24-11=13%
 50% AWC = 0.5*13 = 6.5% -0.24
Available Water Capacity
 In terms of Moisture Level 73% FC 50% AWC
= 6.5 +11 =17.5% -0.11
 What does 17.5% AWC
represent in terms of a fraction
of FC?  In terms of AWC 50%FC =
 %FC = 17.5/24=73% 1/(24-11)=7% AWC
 What does 50% FC represent
in terms of AWC?
 50%FC=24%*0.5 = 12%≈ 1%
 Relationship between
FC and AWC
 What does 50% FC represent
in terms of AWC?
 50%FC=24%*0.5 = 12%
 ≈ 1% more than PWP -0.24
 AWC =13%
 In terms of AWC, 50%FC = 50% FC 7% AWC
-0.11
1/(24-11)=7% AWC

Available water content

 Example of water budget approach for scheduling
Irrigation scheduling of tomatoes
 Location:
◦ Castries, St. Lucia
 Soil Type, FC =21%, PWP =11%
◦ Loamy Sand
 Rooting Depth
◦ Before flowering (before June 15) – 30
cm
◦ After flowering (after June 16) – 60 cm
 Maximum total available water
◦ Before flowing – 30 mm
◦ After flowing – 60 mm

 Allowable soil water Depletion

◦ Before flowering - 15 mm
◦ After flowering - 30 mm
 Total New Soil
Irrigation
Rain Eto Etcrop available Moisture
Date Kc Amount
(mm) (mm) (mm) water Level
(mm)
(mm) (mm)
16.5
6/1 0.8 4.5 0.4 1.8 15.5
6/2 44.4 4.0 0.4 1.6 30.0
6/3 0 3.7 0.4 1.5 28.5
6/4 0 6.0 0.4 2.4 26.1
6/5 0.4 7.8 0.4 3.1 23.4
6/6 1.6 6.4 0.4 2.6 22.4
6/7 0 4.4 0.4 1.8 20.7
6/8 1.6 2.7 0.4 1.1 21.2
6/9 0 7.0 0.4 2.8 18.4
6/10 0 3.0 0.4 1.2 17.2
6/11 8.4 2.5 0.4 1.0 24.6
6/12 0 7.8 0.4 3.1 21.5
6/13 0 4.8 0.7 3.4 18.1
6/14 0 7.6 0.7 5.4 12.7 30.0 17.3
6/15 0 7.4 0.7 5.2 24.8
6/16 0 6.5 0.7 4.6 20.2 60.0 39.8
6/17 0 5.0 0.7 3.5 56.5
6/18 0 4.4 0.7 3.1 53.4
6/19 9.4 3.4 0.7 2.4 60.5
6/20 0 5.8 0.7 4.0 56.4
 Soil Type - loam
FC = 31%
PWP=11%
AWC=20%
Rooting Depth =60cm
Area of Frame =
1m*1m
How much water to
Saturate the soil

AWC over rooting

depth =
0.2*60cm=12cm
Vol. of Water required
Aear * depth
1m2*0.12m=.12m3
=120 l
=120/3.78=31 gallons
Data Required
 Gravimetric water content
 Bulk density
 Volumetric water content
 Sensor reading corresponding to FC