How can a soil water balance be used to help with irrigation scheduling?
A soil water balance – or budget, so to speak – can be used similar to a checkbook balance – to determine the amount of water remaining in the soil and available to the plant. By knowing the amount of plant available water held in the soil at the beginning of the growing season, measuring added water (in the form of irrigation or rainfall) and by accounting for water removed by evapotranspiration, it is possible to maintain a reasonably accurate estimate of the balance of water remaining in the soil available to the crop.
