Where do I install Jet Fill tensiometers in drip irrigation systems?
The great variety of drip emitters and bi-wall type tubing lend themselves to a wide range of application, from vast fields of sugarcane and cotton to orchards, landscaped areas, and the growing of nursery stock. This “point source” application of irrigation water, where most of the flow is underground, makes it particularly difficult to judge soil moisture conditions by surface observations. Jet Fill stations can reveal the irrigation wetting patterns in the hidden root zone. Tensiometers should be located within the wetting pattern of a typical emitter. One tensiometer placed near the emitter and down near the maximum rooting depth of the plant will provide information on penetration and when to stop the irrigation cycle. A second tensiometer placed near the lateral extent of the wetting pattern, usually 30 cm to 45 cm from the emitter and in the upper root zone will indicate when to start the irrigation cycle. The frequency of the irrigation cycle and length of irrigation can then b
